Early on the morning of my wedding day in 1982 I had been to the barbers for a trim and then called into a music store and bought Yazoo’s ‘Only You’ hit single. The following year a brilliant acapella cover by The Flying Pickets was the 1983 Christmas number one. This song has stuck with me all those years and I have thought about doing a cover for some time.

My recent return to guitar learning led to me experimenting with different sound effects that I could use for a guitar and vocal cover. I liked the phaser effect of my Zoom G3Xn multi-effects pedal and decided to use it. There really isn’t a reference guitar version as the original by Vince Clarke is a synth pop classic and the Flying Pickets version is acapella.

Most of my guitar playing to date has been rhythm guitar. I have used a little melody in my originals but in general I have steered away from playing lead in covers. My lessons with Kirklees Guitar School, online and in-person, tempted me to create a guitar solo ‘bridge’ using Guitar Pro notation software. This was based upon the Flying Pickets’ version of the song. I also created an intro based upon Alison Moyet’s Burberry Fashion show arrangement.

James and George at Kirklees Guitar School have provided me with advice on strumming technique and tasteful use of the phaser effect and reverb for the guitar parts via their #FeedbackFriday feature. George also suggested adding more reverb to my vocals, leading to me buying a vocal effects pedal!  Meanwhile Andrew, my in person tutor, added advice on song structure, dynamics and lead guitar technique.

I wouldn’t have had the confidence to attempt singing this were it not for taking part in last year’s Laura Morrell’s ‘Sing Pop’ workshops. After doing very little solo singing between 2020 and 2024 I hadn’t even got around to finishing my original songs. The Sing Pop cover songs that I did with Laura gave me renewed determination. Especially so the Soul Choir regular Northern Soul classic ‘The Night’ that I performed a year ago at ‘The Blind Pig’.

As I  was coming towards the end of recording the song last week there one of life’s bizarre coincidences. Dan Price at last week’s Soul Choir rehearsal presented The Flying Pickets ‘Only You’ as one of his Christmas Number One Hits. We sang it through without any rehearsal. It was well received and Dan has now created an arrangement for the choir to sing!


I’ve really enjoyed revisiting and trying to create an arrangement of this memorable song.