Double

One of the few Swiss acts to achieve chart success in the United States, Double earned their place as a one-hit wonder when "The Captain of Her Heart" climbed into the Top 20 in late 1986. Vocalist and guitarist Kurt Maloo, a one-time aspiring painter, had been in various Zurich bands throughout the '70s, managing a bit of notoriety. Drummer Felix Haug had spent the same period of time touring with various bands all over Europe and Asia. He even spent a brief period of time drumming with art rock act Yello. The pair joined forces in 1981 and, augmented with a bass player, formed the trio Ping Pong. The band built a following in their native Switzerland and even recorded some tracks with Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, but legal circumstances prevented the proper release of any material. Despite scoring a minor hit through the self-release of "Rhythm Walk" and making the rounds on the European festival circuit with Ping Pong, Maloo and Haug pared the trio to a duo, re-christening the venture Double in 1983. They released a string of singles, including "Nannigo," "Rangoon Moon," and "Woman of the World," prior to issuing their first full album Blue (which would contain the latter two tracks) in 1986. Also on the set was "The Captain of Her Heart." The breezy song, underpinned by a soft jazz feel, became a major smash in Europe and by the end of 1986, it had crossed the Atlantic, climbing to number 16 in the U.S. Double were unable to capitalize on the single's appeal, though, and, after putting out two more albums, the duo disbanded in 1987. Despite their slight output, "The Captain of Her Heart" has maintained Double a presence on retro radio and a place on numerous compilations of '80s music. ~ Tom Demalon