Thursday's Top Tune Throwback: Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"

One of my favorite songs from the early 1980s was written and recorded by the English new wave band Culture Club.

Led by George “Boy George” O’Dowd the band was formed in 1981 with other members consisting of Roy Hay, Mikey Craig and Jon Moss. The name “Culture Club” came about from the heritage of its members – an Irish lead singer, a Black Briton on bass, a blond Englishman on guitar and a Jewish drummer.
“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” was the group’s first No. 1 hit in the UK while reaching No. 2 on Billboard 35 years ago this month. A memorable lyric from the classic, “Love is never asking why” is one of those lines that you never forget.
Culture Club’s second album “Colour by Numbers” sold more than 10 million copies and is included in the book “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.” All in all, the group sold 50 million records worldwide. They placed 10 singles in the US Top 40 and in 1984 (the year the music died for me), they won the Grammy for Best New Artist. Two other notable hits were No. 1 “Karma Chameleon” (Dec., 1983) and No. 2 “Time (Clock of the Heart)” (April, 1983).
A little bit of trivia: Boy George in 1981 sang with the group “Bow Wow Wow.” Culture Club was recognized as part of the Second British Invasion whose popularity was spread by MTV, the cable music channel. The unique music of the band included a Jamaican reggae sound, which clearly separates itself from other British bands of the 1980s.
Please don’t wait until your deathbed to enjoy the great songs from this all star band. “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” is one of those last great tunes that you can understand every word sung along with a melody that is simply beautiful in its own right.

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.
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