Eye to Eye

Eye to Eye was an English/American duo behind the 1982/83 Warner albums Eye to Eye and Shakespeare Stole My Baby. Keyboardist/composer Julian Marshall launched the project after Marshall Hain, the starting vehicle of singer/songwriter Kit Hain.

Musically, Eye to Eye blended angular jazz-pop and slick blue-eyed soul, exemplified in their transatlantic hit “Nice Girls.” Their backing musicians included Donald Fagen, Rick Derringer, Domenic Troiano, Larry Carleton, and assorted Toto personnel.

Members: Julian Marshall (keyboards), Deborah Berg (vocals)

Background

Eye to Eye formed in 1980 in San Diego when English keyboardist Julian Marshall met American singer Deborah Berg at a performance by San Francisco dance collective Mostly Women Moving. Berg was born in Seattle and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her mother studied at a music college and played piano and marimba; her father served as a minister. Berg later joined Mostly Women Moving as a dancer and singer.

Marshall was born March 16, 1954, in Exeter, Devon, and attended Dartington Hall School. Within a year of leaving Dartington, he recorded the avant-jazz album Quincicasm with a six-piece ensemble for Saydisc Records. Marshall studied at the Royal College of Music from 1973 to 1976 under Ian Lake and John Ludlow. Outside college, he led jazz bands and recorded for BBC Radio 3 program Jazz in Britain and Capital Radio. Marshall formed Marshall Hain with singer-songwriter Kit Hain in 1976, and EMI signed the duo the next year to Harvest Records. Marshall Hain reached UK No. 3 with “Dancing in the City,” then issued the album Free Ride on Harvest Records. Marshall joined the Flying Lizards in 1979 as the group reached the UK Top 5 with “Money (That’s What I Want).”

Marshall and wife Arabella attended the Mostly Women Moving performance in San Diego. Berg sang in place of her dance role because of a knee injury, and Marshall approached her after the performance. Marshall returned to London and invited Berg to England several weeks later for a songwriting trial. The pair completed a demo tape within three weeks and secured a UK deal with Automatic Record Co.

Automatic issued “Am I Normal?” (b/w “Tonight Insomnia”) on Sept. 26, 1980, with Rhett Davies and Eye to Eye producing both sides. Gary Katz heard the single at a Warner Bros. A&R meeting in Los Angeles and contacted Berg and Marshall. Warner Bros. signed the duo, and Katz produced the resulting sessions at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles and RPM Studios in New York for the self-titled debut.

Eye to Eye

Eye to Eye released their self-titled debut album in February 1982 on Warner Bros.

A1. “Hunger Pains” (4:01)
A2. “Life in Motion” (4:17)
A3. “Nice Girls” (5:11)
A4. “More Hopeless Knowledge” (4:09)

B1. “Progress Ahead” (3:50)
B2. “Physical Attraction” (4:26)
B3. “Time Flys” (5:11)
B4. “On the Mend” (4:24)

Shakespeare Stole My Baby

Eye to Eye released their second album, Shakespeare Stole My Baby, in 1983 on Warner Bros.

A1. “Shakespeare Stole My Baby” (4:49)
A2. “Tonight Insomnia” (3:51)
A3. “Falling for a Funny One” (5:14)
A4. “Jabberwokky” (4:23)

B1. “Lucky” (4:02)
B2. “T.W.A. Sari” (4:38)
B3. “Something Good” (3:06)
B4. “Mermaid Man” (3:59)
B5. “Are You Listening?” (4:51)

Discography:

• Eye to Eye (1982)
• Shakespeare Stole My Baby (1983)

Sources:

• Discogs: Eye to Eye
• 45worlds: Eye to Eye
• 45cat: Eye to Eye
• RYM: Eye to Eye
• MusicBrainz: Eye to Eye