The Last Emotion

Clark Datchler departed Johnny Hates Jazz in 1988 to embark on a solo career with Virgin Records. After his 1990 single "Crown of Thorns" from the album Raindance failed to find commercial success, Datchler began working on his next musical project with a collective of musicians under the name Medicine Wheel. Those involved included guitarists Jamie West-Oram and Phil Palmer, saxophonist Candy Dulfer and drummer John Robinson. An album, Fishing for Souls, was recorded for Virgin and was scheduled for release in 1992. One of the reasons Datchler chose to avoid classing the project as a solo effort is that "too much attention is put on one personality rather than the music" and he also felt that "everybody who contributed has been excellent".{{cite news |last=Maclean |first=Ian |title=Clark's aiming to get back into the charts |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000473/19920130/149/0014 |newspaper=Motherwell Times |date=30 January 1992 |page=14 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2024}}

Speaking of "The Last Emotion", Datchler told the Paisley Daily Express in 1992, "I had the idea of someone dying with the last emotion that they experienced. The original lyric was somewhat different and a lot heavier." The initial recording sessions for the song had Humberto Gatica as the producer. Datchler then chose to rerecord the track with producer Rupert Hine in order to improve its hit potential: "I could tell that I was going down the right path but I was blinded by my own limitations in a studio sense. I just couldn't see it fitting in with what was in the charts at that time."{{cite news |last=Lawn |first=Jim |title=Clark is talented – and a bit brave! |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001713/19920617/016/0016 |newspaper=Paisley Daily Express |date=17 June 1992 |page=16 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2024}}

"The Last Emotion" was released in the UK by Virgin Records on 13 January 1992. It failed to reach the top 100 of the UK Singles Chart and reached its peak of number 131 in its first week on 25 January 1992. Both Clark Datchler and Rupert Hine originally wanted the track "State of Play" to have been released as Medicine Wheel's debut single, but Virgin favoured "The Last Emotion" instead. The single noted the forthcoming release of Fishing for Souls on its sleeve, but the album was ultimately shelved by Virgin. Plans for Medicine Wheel to embark on a tour also failed to come to fruition.

Upon its release, Andrew Hirst of the Huddersfield Daily Examiner picked "The Last Emotion" as "single of the week" and wrote, "A true songsmith's song, blessed with a caress of quality. There's nothing at all contrived here. A real appetite-whetter for the band's looming debut album."{{cite news |last=Hirst |first=Andrew |title=Reviews: Single of the Week |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000901/19920125/021/0021 |newspaper=Huddersfield Daily Examiner |date=25 January 1992 |page=21 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2024}} Peter Kinghorn of the Evening Chronicle described it as a "wistful pop-rock ballad that lingers after the final bars fade – auguring well for the album Fishing for Souls".{{cite news |last=Kinghorn |first=Peter |title=Choices/Listings: Albums/Singles |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000726/19920114/277/0026 |newspaper=Evening Chronicle |date=14 January 1992 |page=8 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2024}} Penny Kiley of the Liverpool Echo felt that, "despite the title", "this 80s-sounding track does not convey much emotion at all".{{cite news |last=Kiley |first=Penny |title=What's new on the turntables: Singles |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/19920113/162/0015 |newspaper=Liverpool Echo |date=13 January 1992 |page=15 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=11 October 2024}}

7–inch single (UK){{cite AV media notes |title=The Last Emotion |others=Medicine Wheel |year=1992 |type=UK 7-inch single sleeve |publisher=Virgin Records |id=VS1391}}

1. "The Last Emotion" – 4:01
2. "Autumn Years" – 3:41

CD single (UK){{cite AV media notes |title=The Last Emotion |others=Medicine Wheel |year=1992 |type=UK CD single liner notes |publisher=Virgin Records |id=VSCDT 1391, 664966}}

1. "The Last Emotion" – 4:01
2. "Autumn Years" – 3:41
3. "Close to the Edge" – 3:46

Production

• Rupert Hine – production ("The Last Emotion")
• Humberto Gatica – initial production ("The Last Emotion"), production ("Autumn Years", "Close to the Edge")
• Clark Datchler – production ("Autumn Years", "Close to the Edge")
• Stephen W. Tayler – mixing ("The Last Emotion", "Autumn Years")

Other

• Richard Haughton – photography
• Austin Texas – sleeve design

{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1992 songs

Category:1992 debut singles

Category:Virgin Records singles

Category:Songs written by Clark Datchler

Category:Song recordings produced by Rupert Hine