Chris DeBurgh "Don't Pay The Ferryman"

Born in Argentina and raised in the UK, singer/songwriter Chris DeBurgh had reached superstar status in much of Europe and South America when he released his album The Gataway in May of 1983. However, during a career that had already spanned nearly ten years, he had been ignored in the US and UK. Produced by Rupert Hine (The Fixx, Howard Jones), The Getaway featured a heavier reliance on keyboards and, as keyboard-dominate acts were prospering, it proved to break DeBurgh in both the US and England.

Driving the breakthrough success was the single "Don't Pay The Ferryman." The moody song featured shimmering keyboards and was essentially a ghost story set to music. The spectral imagery and a passionate vocal by DeBurgh, particularly his titular plea, attracted attention to the song, at first at rock stations and, eventually, mainstream pop stations.

"Don't Pay The Ferryman" would become DeBurgh's US Top 40 debut when it entered the crossed the threshold in June. The song would only spend a month in the Top 40, reaching #34. DeBurgh found maintaining his momentum in the newly-interested US market difficult to maintain. He managed airplay with two more songs, "Ship To Shore" and "High On Emotion," over the next couple years, but their appeal was mostly limited to album rock stations and neither was able to crack the Top 40.

It appeared that DeBurgh would be destined to be a one-hit wonder when his ballad "The Lady In Red" became a Top Ten hit in the US (and much of the world) in 1987.

To hear this song, and many more hits from the '80s, log on to Pop Go The '80s

What You Can Expect If You Give Pop Go The '80s A Listen

Quick Reference To Pop Go The '80s Blog