Move Closer

"Move Closer"
Single by Phyllis Nelson
Released	9 February 1985
Recorded	1984
Genre	Pop
Length	5:54 (album version) 4:35 (single re-recording) 4:01 (radio version)
Label	Carrere Records
Writer(s)	Phyllis Nelson
Phyllis Nelson singles chronology
Move Closer I Like You

Move Closer is a song by Phyllis Nelson, which reached the #1 spot in United Kingdom during 1985.

History

Phyllis Nelson wrote the ballad in 1984. It was a complete departure from the type of music she had been recording. The lyrics of Move Closer were based on a long-term love affair she had with a much younger man in Philadelphia, who was struggling to start his own computer business

UK

Move Closer reached the Number One spot in United Kingdom, making her the first black woman to top the UK charts with her own composition.^[1] The song was originally released in April 1984 but failed to chart and was re-released in February 1985 after BBC Radio London started to play it. The song began to climb the charts, taking 12 weeks to reach the top spot.^[2] Move Closer remained on the charts for just over five months during 1985, ended up as the seventh biggest song of the year^[3] and the 82nd highest selling single of the decade.^[4] In 1994 it was reissued and returned to the UK Singles Chart, this time reaching #34, on the back of it being featured in an anti-persperant commercial.^[5]

The song was featured in the British film The Supergrass.

B side

In the UK, the B side was "Somewhere in the City" which reflected Phyllis singing roots.

Chart positions

The song failed to make any impact on the American charts, but did chart in Europe, Australia and New Zealand during 1984 and 1985.

Covers

• Marilyn Martin, on her eponymous debut album.
• The Bluetones, as a B-side to the single "Fast Boy/Liquid Lips". It was also included on the band's 2006 compilation A Rough Outline: The Singles & B-Sides 95 - 03.
• Sir Tom Jones (1989, #49 on the UK Singles Chart^[7]).
• Sammi Cheng, Cantonese version (named "纏綿"), released in 1997.

References