"In the Garden" is the debut studio album by the British new wave duo Eurythmics, released on October 16, 1981, by RCA Records. Co-produced with krautrock producer Conny Plank at his Cologne studio, the album features guest musicians such as Blondie drummer Clem Burke, and members from the band Can, Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit. Plank had previously collaborated with the duo during their time in the Tourists.
The album spawned two singles in the UK: "Never Gonna Cry Again" and "Belinda." Neither the album nor the singles gained significant commercial success, although "Never Gonna Cry Again" peaked at number 63 on the UK singles chart. In 2005, RCA reissued In the Garden, including B-sides and three live tracks from the accompanying tour.
The duo's formation came after Stewart met Lennox in 1977 at a health food restaurant. They initially formed the folk band Tourists, which dissolved due to various challenges, including a member's drug dependency. After parting ways romantically, Stewart and Lennox formed Eurythmics in 1980.
Their collaboration began at a New Year's Eve party hosted by Plank, where they jammed with Görl and recorded demos, leading to their RCA deal. Lennox persuaded Burke to join the recording sessions, contributing additional drums.
Lennox described the album title as a metaphor for a place of change, embodying themes of growth, death, optimism, and pessimism. The recording took place in a farmhouse outside Cologne, with Plank encouraging the duo to explore various sonic textures. Stewart's childhood interest in field recordings influenced the album, resulting in atmospheric sounds and unconventional elements in several tracks.
In an effort to distinguish their sound from the Tourists, Stewart replaced some of his guitars with electronic instruments, a move partly inspired by the punk movement. The experimental nature of the album aimed to create a new musical identity. The recording process involved innovative techniques, including unique microphone placements.
In the Garden was released on October 16, 1981, but was a commercial failure, not charting and receiving limited promotion from RCA. The album's European electronic sound diverged from the power pop style of the Tourists, leaving critics unsure of how to categorize it.
For the accompanying tour, Eurythmics opted to connect their equipment directly to a mixing console on stage, projecting sound through a PA system. This setup led some audience members to mistakenly believe the band was miming, due to the absence of typical live performance noise. Rehearsals took place in a makeshift studio, equipped with keyboards and recording equipment.
