the raw and the cooked

The Fine Young Cannibals brought some old school soul into their new wave grooves to create their most enduring success with this tasty triumph.  The trio of Roland Gift, Andy Cox, and David Steele had made waves in the UK with their eponymous debut.  In the four years leading up to the release of the follow-up, 'The Raw and the Cooked', the band recorded a cover of the Buzzcocks' 'Ever Fallen in Love With Someone (You Shouldn't Have)' for the soundtrack of the Jonathan Demme film 'Something Wild' and appeared in the movie 'Tin Men' as the band in a 1963 Baltimore nightclub.  Steele and Cox also had a top twenty UK hit with an instrumental  "Tired Of Getting Pushed Around" released as Two Men, a Drum Machine and a Trumpet.  Gift also appeared in the movie 'Sammy and Rosie Get Laid' during this time. 

They decided to use the three songs they had recorded for 'Tin Men', which had an classic soul sound, as well as the cover song from 'Something Wild' on the new album.  They wanted to work with Prince for the new tracks; but their label MCA came up with David Z (David Rivkin) instead. He was the older brother of Bobby Z from the Revolution and had been in the band Lipps, Inc. 


 David Z recorded three songs at Paisley Park Studios bringing a more modern sound to the proceedings.  Jerry Harrison and Fine Young Cannibals also produced tracks for  'The Raw and the Cooked' which features Roland Gift on vocals; Andy Cox on guitar; and David Steele on bass, keyboards, and drum machine;  with Jools Holland on piano on "Good Thing"; Jimmy Helms, George Chandler, and Jimmy Chambers providing backing vocals on "Good Thing", "Tell Me What" and "It's OK (It's Alright)"; Martin Parry playing drums on "Tell Me What"; Simon Fowler on backing vocals on "Don't Look Back"; Graeme Hamilton on trumpet on "Don't Let It Get You Down" and "As Hard As It Is"; Jenny Jones adding drums and backing vocals on "As Hard As It Is"; Gavin Wright on violin on "As Hard As It Is"; and Bridgette Enver on saxophone on "As Hard As It Is".   

 'The Raw and the Cooked' simmered on the charts, going to nineteen in Norway; five in Sweden; two in New Zealand and Switzerland; and number one in Australia, Austria, Canada, the UK, and the US.





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"She Drives Me Crazy" was a number one smash around the world. 



I can't stop,
The way I feel,
Things you do,
Don't seem real.
Tell you what,
I got in mind,
'Cause we're runnin',
Out of time,
Won't you ever,
Set me free,
This waiting' 'round's,
Killin' me.
She drives me crazy,
Uh uh,
Like no-one else,
Uh uh,
She drives me crazy,
And I can't help myself,
Uh uh.
I can't get,
Any rest,
People say,
I'm obsessed,
Every-thing,
That's serious lasts,
But to me,
There's no surprise,
What I have,
Fatal last truth,
Things go wrong,
They always do.
She drives me crazy,
Uh uh,
Like no-one else,
Uh uh,
She drives me crazy,
And I can't help myself,
Uh uh.
I won't make it,
On my own,
No-one likes,
To be alone.
[Chorus]
She drives me crazy,
Uh uh,
Like no-one else,
Uh uh,
She drives me crazy,
And I can't help myself,
Uh uh.



"Good Thing" went to number one in Canada and the US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrOek4z32Vg
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zfgn_fine-young-cannibals-good-thing_music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGv8PeCYgWs








'The Raw and the Cooked'
full album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdbB0W7fUNU



All songs written by Roland Gift and David Steele, except where noted.


Side one - Raw
"She Drives Me Crazy" – 3:36
"Good Thing" – 3:22
"I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" – 4:19
"I'm Not Satisfied" – 3:51
"Tell Me What" – 2:47
Side two - Cooked
"Don't Look Back" – 3:40
"It's OK (It's Alright)"  (Cox/Gift/Steele) – 3:32
"Don't Let It Get You Down" – 3:23
"As Hard as It Is" – 3:14
"Ever Fallen in Love" (Pete Shelley) – 3:54