A ‘Peace’-ful Way To Start The Week

By Shannon Hicks

Robin Sprung has been a fan of the band Eurythmics for as long as she can remember. She can tell you stories about going in to New York City to catch a recent taping of VH-1’s “Storytellers” program, or she can talk about adventures during her college days when she traveled to Worcester, Mass., to catch the band in concert at The Worcester Centrum.

When the band — Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart — reunited after nearly ten years apart earlier this year, the Newtown resident knew it was time to start a new adventure. This week Miss Sprung woke up before the crack of dawn to drive from Newtown to New York City for the chance to see her music icons for a few hours. Now Robin has another videotape and a few rolls’ worth of photographs to add to her collection of CDs, posters, autographed items and rare recordings by the internationally famous duo. Her memories of Monday morning’s adventure will keep her smiling for a long time, especially while she listens to any Eurythmics music.

Lennox and Stewart formed the Eurythmics in the early Eighties. An English band, the duo caused quite a stir when its first video was released in the United States. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” was the band’s breakthrough video in North America, and in it the thin Lennox was seen with bright red hair, cropped extremely close to her head, and was wearing a man’s suit. Lennox was one of the first women to openly be seen cross-dressing on MTV’s airwaves, and American crowds as a whole weren’t quite sure what to make of it.

While the duo’s appearance may have been questioned, their music was a welcome introduction to what was dubbed the second British Invasion. Between the release of the album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) in 1982 and the release of We Two Are One in 1989, the band produced six full albums (there was a pre-Sweet Dreams release as well, called In The Garden, done in 1981). Fans adored the band’s eclectic sound, which had influences from rock, pop, jazz and blues, and clamored for each of the new albums that were coming out at nearly an annual pace.

Such a busy recording, and subsequent touring, schedule eventually took its toll on the Eurythmics. Artistic individuality and personality conflicts were driving the bandmates apart, and by 1989 the duo had broken up, with Lennox and Stewart each pursuing solo careers. But the band’s fans never gave up hope for a reunion.

Last month the Eurythmics released its eighth studio album, called Peace, which is what Stewart and Lennox wish for the world and have found with each other. The British music industry recognized the duo in March with a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution To British Music. Recorded at the duo’s Church Studios in London from March to May 1999, Peace is a collection of 11 new songs that was recorded shortly after BRIT’s recognition of the band.

This month the band is in the United States for the only two full concerts they have scheduled right now in the US. Last week Eurythmics performed in Los Angeles, and on Tuesday night the duo was at Madison Square Garden. There have been a number of television appearances — a real rarity for the band, especially Lennox, who prefers privacy — and that’s where Robin Sprung’s newest adventure began.

On Monday, November 8, Robin and a friend woke up at 3:30 am and drove in to New York City because Eurythmics was the musical guest on that morning’s broadcast of the ABC-TV show “Good Morning America.” Still very much a hard-core fan of the band, Robin keeps in touch with fellow fans through an Internet newsgroup formed around members’ similar interest in Eurythmics.

The group knew well in advance of the live television performance, and they called ahead to make sure they would be able to see the band’s studio appearance. People from Connecticut to California, Atlanta to Prince Edward Island all converged on New York City just for the opportunity to see the two musicians whose music had affected them for years.

Arriving at the new GMA Times Square studio at 6 am, Robin and her friend met up with others from the Internet newsgroup and began a long, cold wait outside the studio. The band was inside, so fans were able to watch them rehearsing and warming up for their appearance, but the public was not allowed into the studio until after Lennox and Stewart were completely comfortable with their sound. That meant that although they had been told to arrive at the studio by 6:15, the band’s fans had to wait out on the windy corner at Times Square and 44th Street for nearly two hours. (The studio usually opens its doors for a small audience by 7 am.)

Once inside, however, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, along with their full backing band, were ready to rock.  The group performed three full songs for their in-studio fans — “Ball and Chain,” “Would I Lie To You” and “Sisters” — before “GMA” co-hosts Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer joined the band in the studio to introduce Eurythmics to the television audience of Monday morning.

At that point the band played another song, one of its older hits called “Here Comes The Rain.” After a commercial break, a fifth song was performed, this one from the new album and the first new single for the band in ten years, called “17 Again.” After another commercial break Mr Gibson and Ms Sawyer said Farewell for the morning to their audience, and let the band perform another song.

Those in the studio were treated to a performance of “Missionary Man,” one of the final songs released by the duo before its breakup a decade ago.

The new album offers a collection of all-new material by the duo, and fans see a lot of introspection in the songs penned by Lennox and Stewart.

“It’s old Eurythmics meets new Eurythmics; it’s a mature sound,” said Robin. “It’s wonderful, and the next one will be even better,” she added optimistically. In fact, during the GMA performance Monday morning, Charlie Gibson did make a point of asking Lennox and Stewart what their future plans were concerning Eurythmics and the band being back together.

“Is this reunion a temporary thing or for good, do you think?” he asked. Annie Lennox responded by putting an arm around her friend and bandmate and answering, “It’s forever.” The fans in the studio, of course, loved that answer.

While the television audience saw barely more than the first verse of “Missionary Man” performed, the in-studio audience enjoyed a great performance of the song. The energy seen at the ABC studio was no doubt a preview of the excitement that was shared by the band and its fans last week in LA and again this week for its full concert at Madison Square Garden.

“I also saw them at VH-1, just a couple of weeks ago, and they’re just amazing,” Robin said Tuesday morning. “I was [able to sit] closer to them than ever.”

“The fact they’re using all of that for such a wonderful cause makes the whole reunion that much more important.

While Eurythmics is performing just two shows in the United States this fall, the band has a full European schedule ahead of it. All proceeds from ticket sales and merchandising revenues are going not into the pockets of Lennox and Stewart but are being donated by the performers directly to the two most powerful non-profit organizations in the world, Greenpeace and Amnesty International.

“I think they’re enjoying each other more than ever now, and they’re comfortable with their celebrity status and their friendship with each other, which makes them better performers. The Peace Tour is trying to promote good things on a global scale, and also with each other.

“The fact they’re using all of that for such a wonderful cause makes the whole reunion that much more important,” continued Robin.

“It was just amazing to meet people. It was fun, a lot of fun,” she said of her trip into the city Monday morning. While there was disappointment that Lennox and Stewart did not have time to visit with their fans, which has been hinted at when the fans were making their reservations, Robin said she still enjoyed the experience. “It was awesome to come home and watch the tape, too.”