Nelson wrote the ballad in 1984. It was a complete departure from the type of music she had been recording; she had been recording dance and disco records, and decided to write her own record because, in her words, "not much music lets you dance close".[1] The lyrics of "Move Closer" were based on a long-term love affair she had with a much younger man in Philadelphia, who was struggling to start his own computer business.
Chart performance
Although "Move Closer" failed to make an impact on the US Billboard Hot 100, the song was hugely successful in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at the top of the UK Singles Chart, making her the first black woman to top the charts in Britain with her own sole composition.[2] The song was originally released in April 1984 but failed to chart, and was re-released in February 1985 after BBC Radio London started to play it. "Move Closer" also benefited from extensive airplay on the hugely successful offshore pirate station, Laser 558. The song began to climb the charts, taking 12 weeks to reach the top spot.[3] "Move Closer" remained on the UK Singles Chart for just over five months during 1985, becoming Britain's seventh biggest-selling song of the year[4] and the 82nd highest-selling single of the decade.[5] In 1994, it was reissued and returned to the UK Singles Chart, this time peaking at number 34, on the back of it being featured in an anti-perspirant television commercial.[3]
B-side
In the UK, on both the 7-inch and 12-inch formats, the B-side is "Somewhere in the City". Both versions contain the "New Mix" of "Move Closer" as an A-side, with the 7-inch version being an edit.[6][7]
^Move Closer (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Phyllis Nelson. Carrere Records. 1985. CART 337.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN0-646-11917-6.
