Promises, Promises: The Very Best of Naked Eyes (mp3 192)

by Jason Ankeny
A key presence in the synth pop movement of the early '80s, Naked Eyes formed in Britain in 1981. Comprised of former schoolmates Pete Byrne (vocals) and Rob Fisher (keyboards), the duo debuted in March 1983 with the LP Burning Bridges, reissued in the U.S. a month later (minus several tracks) as a self-titled effort. The lead single, a majestic cover of the Burt Bacharach-Hal David perennial "Always Something There to Remind Me," emerged as a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, reaching the U.S. Top Ten on the strength of its video, which received heavy airplay on the fledgling MTV network. The American follow-up, "Promises, Promises" (not the Bacharach/David composition), was also a major hit, and Naked Eyes' future looked bright; however, 1984's Fuel for the Fire fared poorly, its lone single "(What) In the Name of Love" barely scraping into the Top 40. The duo disbanded soon after, and in 1988 Fisher resurfaced as one half of the pop duo Climie Fisher. He died August 25, 1999, of complications following stomach surgery.