Promises, Promises (Naked Eyes song)

"Promises, Promises" is a song by British new wave band Naked Eyes, released in 1983 as the second single from their debut album Burning Bridges.^[1] The single went on to become a top-20 hit in the U.S. in October 1983, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart,^[2] albeit after it was re-recorded with some lyrics different from the original UK single.

"Promises, Promises"
Single by Naked Eyes
from the album Burning Bridges
B-side	"Low Life" "(What) In the Name of Love" "A Very Hard Act to Follow"
Released	1 April 1983 (1983-04-01)
Recorded	1983
Genre	Synth-pop new wave
Length	3:45 (US version) 4:26 (UK version)
Label	EMI EMI America
Songwriter(s)	Pete Byrne Rob Fisher
Producer(s)	Tony Mansfield
Naked Eyes singles chronology
"Voices in My Head" (1983) "Promises, Promises" (1983) "When the Lights Go Out" (1983)

Background

The song was written by Pete Byrne and Rob Fisher, the core members of Naked Eyes. It follows the band's signature synth-pop sound, characterized by electronic instrumentation, layered melodies, and an upbeat rhythm.^[1]

Promises, Promises was produced by Tony Mansfield and served as the follow-up to their successful cover of "Always Something There to Remind Me", originally written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which had reached the top ten in the U.S. in mid-1983. Although Bacharach and David had also written a song titled Promises, Promises for the musical of the same name, the Naked Eyes song is an original work and is unrelated to the Broadway show.^[1]

Madonna performs background vocals on the Jellybean 7" and 12" mixes of the song. These versions weren't released until 2001 on the compilation album Everything and More.^[3]

Production

The track's rhythm section was crafted using the Fairlight CMI, with each drum sound individually programmed and synchronized via a click track. Initially, the band utilized analog equipment like the Prophet synthesizer and Roland TR-808 drum machine for their demos. However, during studio production, they layered these with digital instruments such as the Fairlight, PPG Wave 2.2, and Synclavier to achieve a clearer and more defined sound. This approach minimized the muddiness often associated with multitracking analog synths, particularly in the bass frequencies. The meticulous integration of these technologies resulted in the distinctive sound of Promises, Promises.^[1]

Personnel

• Pete Byrne – vocals
• Rob Fisher – keyboards
• Tony Mansfield – guitars
• John Read – bass
• Phil Towner – drums

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1983)	Peak Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4]	13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5]	15
South Africa (Springbok)[6]	29
UK Singles (OCC)[7]	95
US Billboard Hot 100[2]	11
US Dance Music/Club Play Singles (Billboard)[2]	32
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[2]	19
US Cash Box Top 100[8]	12
US Radio and Records Contemporary Hit Radio[9]	8

Year-end charts

Chart (1983)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[10]	64
U.S. Cash Box[11]	76