Eurythmics are a British musical duo, formed in 1980 by Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. The pair have achieved significant global, commercial and critical success, selling 75 million records worldwide, winning numerous awards, and have undertaken several successful world tours. They are noted for their intelligent pop songs, which showcase Lennox's powerful and expressive alto voice, and Stewart's innovative production techniques.
They are also acclaimed for their promotional videos and visual presentation. The pair had first worked together in 1976 in the punk rock band The Catch. After releasing one single in 1977, the band folded and Lennox and Stewart formed The Tourists. During this time, they were also romantic partners. The Tourists achieved modest commercial success, but the experience was reportedly an unhappy one. Personal and musical tensions existed within the group, whose main songwriter was Peet Coombes, and there were legal wranglings with the band's management, publishers and record labels. Lennox and Stewart felt the fixed band line-up was not a good vehicle to explore their experimental creative leanings and decided their next project should be much more flexible and free from artistic compromise. They were interested in creating 'pop music', but wanted freedom to experiment with electronics and the avant-garde as well. Calling themselves "Eurythmics" after a dance technique (Eurythmy; see also Eurhythmics) that Lennox had encountered as a child at school, they decided to keep themselves as the only permanent members and songwriters, and involve others in the collaboration as they saw fit "on the basis of mutual compatibility and availability". The duo signed to RCA Records. At this time, Lennox and Stewart also decided to discontinue their romantic relationship.
Their first album saw them work in Cologne with the legendary Conny Plank (who had produced the later Tourists sessions). This resulted in the album In the Garden, released in October 1981, which included contributions from Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit of Can, drummer Clem Burke of Blondie, Robert Görl of Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, and flautist Tim Wheater. A couple of the songs were co-written by guitarist Roger Pomphrey (now a TV director). The album mixed psychedelic, krautrock and electropop influences. It received a lukewarm critical reception and poor sales. Two singles from the album also flopped, though "Never Gonna Cry Again" made the UK charts. Lennox and Stewart then put their new Eurythmics mode of operation into action by touring the record as a duo, accompanied by backing tracks and electronics, carted around the country themselves in a horse-box.
Video releases
* 1983 Sweet Dreams (The Video Album)
* 1987 Live (Revenge Tour)
* 1987 Savage (Video Album)
* 1990 We Two Are One Too
* 1991 Greatest Hits
* 2000 Peacetour
* 2005 Ultimate Collection
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