Leeds nostalgia: Boy bands from the 1980s

It was the middle of the 1980s, which meant big hair, shoulder pads, double denim and lots of melancholy, angst-ridden boy bands. In 1986, the archetypal boy band duo Wham! split up, after George Michael announced he was going solo (he forgot to tell his bandmate, Andrew Ridgeley - he let the media do that).

There were many eager to fill the gap he (and Ridgeley) had left, not least of which was Passion, “a Leeds duo with a lot of style”, according to the YEP at the time.

The double act were Stephen John Frost and Andrew Dures and their debut single was “Sunset and Vine”, which is still available to buy online.

According to our story at the time, the two “wanted top 20 success” as they “unleashed their single on the public”

They were with Leeds record company WAG, who drafted in top record pluggers Bullitt Promotions, headed by Stewart Coxhead. “who will be knocking on Radio 1’s door, pushing for maximum airplay.”

The pair made their name on the cabaret circuit, even performing abroad before going for the big time.