Waterfront

Following the dominance of Rick Astley's polished blue-eyed soul across Top 40 airwaves in both England and America during the late '80s, several polished and photogenic British acts began receiving MTV exposure, among them Johnny Hates Jazz, Curiousity Killed the Cat, and Breathe. Waterfront, a Polydor signing, ranked among the handful that secured a solitary chart hit before fading from view. The lineup featured Chris Duffy on vocals, Phil Cilia on guitar, Chris Childs on bass, and Greg Haver on drums; the quartet issued its self-titled debut album in 1989. Dismissed by reviewers, the record contained the band's lone American success, the single "Cry," which addressed falling in love with a minor. Because Waterfront's breezy, R&B-tinged pop leaned too obviously on existing models, the group proved unable to maintain momentum; the track "Nature of Love" in particular echoed Johnny Hates Jazz's "Shattered Dreams," right down to Clark Datchler's anguished falsetto. As fellow acts from that era likewise failed to repeat their initial breakthroughs, Waterfront receded alongside them. In May 2000, Duffy and Cilia reconvened under the Waterfront name for a performance at London's Kashmir Klub/BMI Showcase, an event streamed online. The revived ensemble presented a more refined and expansive sonic palette on numbers such as "Valentine's Day," "Cowboy Dreaming," and "Kingdom Comes," while also commencing work on fresh material.