Close was released in 1988 as Kim Wilde’s sixth studio album. I was fourteen years old when I snapped up the cassette tape in Woolworths because of the irresistible Never Trust A Stranger single.

I had only been vaguely aware of Kim Wilde up until this point. I mean, Kids In America was lodged somewhere in my subconscious, and her cover of You Keep Me Hangin’ On had been a big hit in 1986.

Hey Mister Heartache was the first single from Close, only reaching a lowly 31 on the charts, which was disappointing considering how great this track is.

You Came, the second single, however, was a massive hit reaching number 3 in the UK.

Never Trust A Stranger followed, hitting the top ten all over Europe.

Close spawned two more singles: the ballad Four Letter Word and minor hit Love In The Natural Way.

Kim Wilde supported Michael Jackson during the European leg of his Bad World Tour, which undoubtedly boosted sales of Close. It became her biggest selling album, and by the end of the 80s she was the most charted British female artist, with seventeen top forty hit singles.

Close was reissued a couple of years ago as a deluxe expanded edition to coincide with its 30th anniversary. Stream it below!