AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Boys Don't Cry

Artist:Boys Don't Cry

Song:I Wanna Be a Cowboy

Album:Modern Rock 1986-1987

I Wanna Be a Cowboy was a top 20 hit in 1986. It was the only chart hit for the British group Boys Don't Cry. So it is a one hit wonder. I think a lot of folks remember seeing the video on MTV. But they may not know the band name or think it's by a different band. That kind of confusion happens a lot more than you think. Nick Richards was the lead singer and keyboardist for Boys Don't Cry. He released a few singles in the late 70s. Then he bought a London recording studio in 1983. He hired session musicians to record as Boys Don't Cry. The misconception is the band name came from The Cure song. Richards says that Boys Don't Cry is a line from the 10cc classic I'm Not in Love. The musicians were Brian Chatton on keyboards, Nico Ramsden on guitar, Mark Smith on bass and Jeff Seopardi on drums. All were session musicians and Chatton had been around since the 60s. Boys Don't Cry released a few singles and DJ Paul Oakenfold got them a record deal with the hip hop label Profile Records. The single I Wanna Be a Cowboy was released in 1986 and it reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a dance floor success before charting. Richards was watching the Clint Eastwood film For a Few Dollars More and the line I Wanna Be a Cowboy got stuck in his head. When he arrived at the studio the next day and told Chatton, the song was written and recorded in an hour. The album Boys Don't Cry was released later in 1986. It didn't sell and neither did the band's second album. Boys Don't Cry split up in 1987. You can get I Wanna Be a Cowboy on this Time Life 2CD various artists budget comp. Richards and Chatton moved to Los Angeles and reformed Boys Don't Cry in 2009. Smith was supposed to be involved but he died before he could come over from England. They toured and released an album in 2014. At this point, Richards is the only original member. So it's his choice if the band is active or not. Here's the video for I Wanna Be a Cowboy by Boys Don't Cry.