Blue Zoo - 2 By 2

2 By 2 is the vibrant 1983 debut studio album by the English new wave and synth-pop band Blue Zoo. Produced by Tim Friese-Greene—who later achieved massive critical acclaim as the primary collaborator for Talk Talk—the album remains most famous for housing the band's signature hit single, "Cry Boy Cry," which climbed to number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. The record acts as a brilliant time capsule of the early 1980s British pop landscape, anchoring its hooks with sleek synthesizers, rhythmic funk-bass, and the highly expressive, theatrical vocal delivery of frontman Andy Overall.

Musically, the album occupies a fascinating middle ground between chart-ready romanticism and edgy, underground post-punk experimentation. While driving tracks like "I'm Your Man" and "(You Can) Count On Me" showcase the band’s mastery of upbeat, dance-inflected new wave, deeper cuts like "Open Up" feature mechanical, angular rhythms reminiscent of Wire. This sonic versatility is further emphasized by the inclusion of atmospheric, moodier numbers like "Love Moves In Strange Ways." Ultimately, 2 By 2 represents a sophisticated, transitional moment in synth-pop history that balances commercial accessibility with dark, art-school sophistication.

Blue Zoo - Cry Boy Cry 12''

Blue Zoo began recording at Alaska studios in Waterloo, owned by Pat Collier, original bass player for punk band The Vibrators. Collier produced the bands single, Ivory Towers. Their first TV appearance was a live performance on the Oxford Road Show in Manchester where they performed, Love Moves in Strangeways, The Attic and what was to be their third single I’m your Man. This was their debut UK hit which, despite being championed by Radio 1’s Peter Powell, stalled at number 55. Enter Tim Friese Green who had first worked with the rock band Praying Mantis and Irish punk rockers Stiff Little Fingers. He began working with Blue Zoo and collaborated at Battery studios in Willesden resulting in the recording of two tracks, the provocative John’s Lost and the catchy Cry Boy Cry which was a re-working of a song previously named Turn and Face The Wall. It reached number 13 in the UK and a respectable number six in Israel which led to a short tour taking in a run of shows at the Coliseum in central Tel Aviv. A solitary top 20 hit for this archetypally early 80s band. Solid slab of new wave synth pop with reassuringly daft lyrics in the Aussie Pic Sleeve.