Dave Stewart admits the time for a Eurythmics reunion has likely passed.
As one half of the iconic duo, Stewart, along with singer Annie Lennox, enjoyed massive success in the ‘80s and ‘90s with hits such as “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” “Here Comes the Rain Again” and “Would I Lie to You.” Their last full concert took place in 1999, though the duo has joined forces for occasional one-off performances, including when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
In a recent conversation with Spin, Stewart admitted that he and Lennox have continuously received offers to reunite.
“I would have done it in a flash, but Annie always turned them all down,” the guitarist and producer noted. “I really do think that when you have songs that mean a lot to people, and you perform them live, and you can actually see people in front of you emotionally changing, whether they’re singing the song or they’re looking at the person they’re with or whatever, you can see it having an effect. Obviously, music itself has a massive effect, but I wish we did play. Obviously we’re a duo. Tears for Fears didn’t play for ages, but then the last few years have been playing live. Both of them probably went, ‘What are we doing?’”
READ MORE: How Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’ Became a Triumph of Resiliency
When the interviewer suggested that there was still time for Lennox to get on board with a Eurythmics reunion, Stewart was direct.
“I don’t think so,” he remarked. “Also, Eurythmics songs are incredibly hard to sing especially for an hour and three quarters or two hours. She did something not long ago, but she only did about four or five songs, and then she had guests. It’s incredibly demanding. It didn’t used to be. We could have done it for like 25 years, one every three years or something. But now, I think it’s too late.”
Dave Stewart’s Communication With Annie Lennox Has ‘Fizzled Out’
Whether it’s writing or producing for other artists, or creating his own solo work, Stewart remains very active. His newest album, The Way It Was Back Then, was released on Oct. 30. Asked if he still stays in touch with Lennox, the rocker was forthright.
“Not so much now, because she lives in Los Angeles, and I live between Nashville and this studio compound I have in the Bahamas,” Stewart explained. “We used to exchange emails and talk quite a bit, but the last two years it fizzled out a bit. I think she’s finding anything to do with Eurythmics in the past. We’ve never done anything that normal acts do when they’ve been through all of this stuff and reached a certain age, whether it’s a documentary or playing shows.”
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