23 July 1983
Paul Young’s nasally-congested croon was a good fit for the type of sedate, soft-furnished soul-pop that a cautious ’80s music fan may have tried before taking the plunge on an actual Sade album. However, his innate niceness doesn’t sit right with this tale of a devilish cad touring the local talent; poor ol’ Paul sounds like he’s not enjoying all this heart-breaking and hat-laying one little bit. Marvin Gaye’s 1962 Motown original is a more sprightly affair, with a rocksteady swing and an audible twinkle in the eye.
Of course, the most distinctive sound of Young’s version is that gloopy fretless bass at the very start. If you’re getting upstaged on your own record by the bass player you’re probably not the world’s greatest singer to begin with, but it’s all harmless enough.
