Love the song #3: Nobody's Diary

Alison Moyet singing Nobody's Diary at a concert in Berlin in 2015.

Nobody's Diary was released by Yazoo almost 35 years ago. It was the fourth and final single from the duo, who had been together for barely a year.

Singer Alison Moyet wrote the lyrics, with Vince Clarke providing the uncluttered synthpop backing that today sounds as remarkably fresh as it did when released in May 1983.

Moyet's powerful, bluesy voice added an extra dimension to Clarke's stark yet innovative synthesizer compositions. It was a potent mixture that stood out from the crowd.

I have chosen Nobody's Diary as the third in this occasional series where I highlight a song that particularly inspires, uplifts or simply grabs me.

Burning brightly like a struck match, Yazoo dazzled for a fleeting moment and then were gone. Two hit albums, four hit singles before they went their separate (and successful) ways.

They quit at the top, and Nobody's Diary was a perfect song to go out on. Moyet's lyrics are a powerful blend of yearning and forthrightness, while Clarke's keyboard playing, with chords crisply described through single line notes, is all the more memorable and powerful for its simplicity.

Yazoo's earlier hits Only You and Don't Go might edge Nobody's Diary when it comes to mainstream familiarity, but for me the richly etched heartache and delivery of Nobody's Diary soars higher.

Below is the official Yazoo video from 1983, followed by a recording of Moyet (minus Clarke) giving a powerful rendition of the song in 2015.