"Operator" | ||||
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Single by Floy Joy | ||||
from the album Into the Hot | ||||
B-side | "Mission" | |||
Released | January 1985 | |||
Format | 7", 12" | |||
Length | 3:53 | |||
Label | Virgin | |||
Writer(s) | Shaun Ward, Michael Ward | |||
Producer(s) | Don Was | |||
Floy Joy singles chronology | ||||
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"Operator" (a.k.a. "Operator Operator") is a song by British group Floy Joy, which was released as the third and final single from their 1984 debut album Into the Hot. The song was written by band members Shaun Ward and Michael Ward. It was produced by Don Was, who also produced the band's entire debut album.
The band first broke into the UK chart in 1984 with the minor hit single "Until You Come Back to Me". In January 1985 the band released "Operator" as the follow-up single which became the most successful single from the album. It peaked at #86 in the UK, lasting in the Top 100 for a total of four weeks. It was the last single release to feature the line-up of the Into the Hot album, including lead singer Carroll Thompson. A new line-up would release the 1986 album Weak in the Presence of Beauty, which included the minor UK hit title track.
The song was recorded, along with the entire Into the Hot album, during a three-week session at the Sound Suite in Detroit. Originally this came to fruition after Floy Joy manager Paul Bower flew to New York to track down Don Was, who had never met, at Geffen Records. He played him the band's demos in Was' suite at The Mayflower. The result was the recording of the debut album, which was also Was' first non Was (Not Was) production. Shaun Ward spoke of the album in 1990, during an interview with his band Everyday People. He stated "The first Floy Joy album was an anthology of R&B, jazz... all the things we'd grown up listening to and absorbed. Though we liked it, we came to realize that maybe it was a bit too personal. So that's why the second album is more direct and commercial. Unfortunately when we did that no one wanted to know."
The single was released on 7" and 12" vinyl in the UK. Additionally it was issued on 12" vinyl in both Germany and Canada. All versions of the single were issued via Virgin Records. Although the song's official title is "Operator", the universal sleeve for the single would title the song "Operator Operator", however the vinyl itself would use the official title again. All issues of the single featured the B-Side "Mission" which was taken from the Into the Hot album, and was also written by Shaun and Michael Ward. Additionally all versions of the single featured a full colour sleeve an image of an operator.