I loved this song, with its retro jazz vibe, when it came out in 1983 and I must still have the 12-inch single gathering dust in my vinyl collection.

It’s only now that I see Carmel was not a solo singer but a band, formed by two Manchester students, Carmel McCourt and Jim Parris.

They became a trio when Jim’s cousin Gerry Darby joined to play drums, with Carmel singing and Parris playing double bass.

Alternating between soulful ballads, gospel, blues and jazz, they were a unique proposition at the time, and a rootsy alternative to the prevailing New Romantic style.

They had already released an independent album when I caught them live at ICA Rock Week in 1983, the ’50s jazz club vibe of their performance earning them a contract with London Records.

Bad Day, featuring the Attractions’ Steve Nieve and the swooping backing vocals of Helen Watson and Rush Winters, came from their second album, produced by Mike Thorne, and was followed by another hit single, aptly titled More More More.

That was pretty much it for the UK but Carmel became huge in Europe with albums produced by Brian Eno, among others, and were so successful in France that Carmel was invited to sing a duet – J’Oublierai Ton Nom – with Johnny Hallyday.

In the late Eighties they released a song, One Fine Day, about the gay California mayor Harvey Milk, with guest vocals by Jimmy Somerville.

Slimmed down to a duo after the departure of Darby, in 2011 McCourt and Paris released their first studio album in over 15 years, a collection of reinterpretations of songs by Edith Piaf.

They’re still going strong too as a popular live act on the continent, and released an album as recently as 2022.