The Tourists

The Tourists, a British rock and pop band, formed in 1976 in England. The group initially consisted of Peet Coombes and David A. Stewart, who were members of the folk-rock band Longdancer. They met singer Annie Lennox, who had left her studies at the Royal Academy of Music to pursue a career in music. The trio started as The Catch and released their first single "Borderline/Black Blood" on Logo Records in 1977. After recruiting bassist Eddie Chin and drummer Jim "Do It" Toomey, they renamed themselves The Tourists. The band released three albums: The Tourists (1979), Reality Effect (1979), and Luminous Basement (1980). Notable singles included "Blind Among the Flowers" (1979), "The Loneliest Man in the World" (1979), "Don't Say I Told You So" (1980), and two top-10 UK hits: a cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want to Be with You" (1979) and "So Good to Be Back Home Again" (1980). They signed to RCA Records in 1980 and toured extensively, including supporting Roxy Music on their 1979 Manifesto Tour. The group disbanded in late 1980. Following the breakup, Lennox and Stewart formed Eurythmics, achieving international success. Peet Coombes died in March 1997, leading to a posthumous release of Greatest Hits (1997). Bassist Eddie Chin passed away in 2023.