Song: Where the Streets Have No Name (Can’t Take My Eyes Off You)
Artists: Pet Shop Boys
Original artists: U2 (Streets) and Frankie Valli (Eyes)
This is something of a first for this blog in as much as it looks at two hit records which
were merged to make one inspired track for the Pet Shop Boys. I say inspired because,
if you listen to the songs separately, the idea of turning them into a medley sounds
bizarre. For me, it worked, and the same can be said for many others in the UK who
took it to No 4 in the charts.
The U2 song “Where the Streets Have No Name” was the opening track on their 1987
album “The Joshua Tree”. The single reach No 13 in American and No 4 in the UK. A
video was recorded on a rooftop in Los Angeles, but so many fans turned out for the
free show that the LA police grew concerned and cut the recording short in a bid to
avoid an unwanted incident.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was taken to No 2 by Frankie Valli of Four Seasons fame.
At the time it was unusual for artists to release solo singles while still a member of a
group. But Valli achieved it.
Years later Andy Williams released “Eyes Off of You” as a duet with British TV
personality Denise Van Outen in 2022 and it reached 23 in the charts.
