Success
The next single "Touch by Touch", composed by Schweitzer and Jaklitsch, was released in September 1985. It immediately reached European top 20 dance charts, and topped the Austrian national chart. It even reached gold status in their native Austria, in Portugal and in Spain, wherein more than 50,000 copies were sold.
Their third single, "Hello", also composed by Michael Scheickl, again became a hit, reaching number 26 on the Austrian national chart. The first album - also entitled Hello - immediately entered the Austrian national chart, and charted in many European countries as well. That brought worldwide popularity to the band with their albums sold in more than 30 countries. "Valerie" became a hit in Eastern Europe, notably in the USSR, where it reached No. 3 in the charts by Krugozor magazine in 1987. A few years later in Hungary, local group Inflagranti recorded a cover version entitled "Te meg én". Since 1986, Joy began performing on various TV shows, such as the GDR-based TV-show Kessel Buntes.
In 1986, the trio recorded a second album, Joy and Tears. The album included the single "Japanese Girls". It reached No. 14 on the Austrian national chart, and their popularity had reached Asia. In 1986, the trio won the most popular international act in South Korea.
Their Asian tour, which occurred on January and February 1987 in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Seoul, was attended by more than 60,000 spectators. In Seoul, South Korea, Joy twice played for 12,000 people at the sold out Jamsil Olympic Stadium, and performed a version of their hit "Japanese Girls", re-titled as "Korean Girls". Later on, they went on a mini tour in the U.S., notably at the Shrine Auditorium and in San-Jose, mainly for Chinese and Vietnamese-American audiences. A picture taken in San Jose was later used on the sleeve for the "It Happens Tonight" single.
In 1987, the trio went on a European tour, performing in Portugal (twice), Spain and Italy. In between shows, they recorded "Destination Heartbeat", which became a soundtrack for the film Flucht in der Tod. Also in 1987, OK-Musica released the compilation album Best of Joy, on compact disc.
