In this edition of my “Higher Culture” VIP culture column, in a special aside on This side, I ask a musical trivia question–then render a verdict at the end.
So, first, the question: Do you remember the ’80s pop hit, “The Promise”?
No, not “Promises, Promises” by Naked Eyes, released in 1983. It is not only more laconic, but also has a casual, snare heavy, BPM. Real drumbeat — not a synthetic one. I don’t think you could even argue that that one is a love song, something the song I’m talking about most definitely is.
Why bring them up? Recently, I came across the most amazing and useless video ever made. If you’ve read this far, you remember “The Promise” and its chorus. And that it’s impossible to listen to the chorus and not have a smile on your face.
However, I would bet you that you can listen to an a Full hourOf just the chorus?
It’s okay to be a bit overkill. There are also other disadvantages. You miss out on three important aspects.
The first, the slow, beautiful piano that starts things off, and then the beats of the drum machines kick in.
Two, the insistent middle lyrics, “I gotta tell ya,” et cetera.
And of course, the breathy, earnest ending, with “the promise” of simply “I will.”
You can hear those below, in the full song– which I was shocked to learn only clocks in just under 3:40:
But let me ask you to consider another artist, one you likely have never heard of before now — and you really should have, if there were any (pop) justice in the world. Not only is the music underappreciated, and altogether, (in my opinion) better, synth-pop from the ’80s, but it hasn’t been played to death, either in the decade or now, in the ’80s revival.
I think it continues to show that there was quite a wide range of synth music in the late 70s and early 80s — and beyond.
Shona is New Zealand’s pop singer. However, she appears to have begun her career in early Seventies in the style of Joan Baez, which is kind of a hippy. She was singing politically-charged pop tunes on radio, which was in 1987. And I would argue that her music–well, two of her songs–should be well-known as part of the ’80s lexicon.
Here’s one, and it’s really lovely and orchestral (while still being political). It’s about… the Kennedy clan and their penchant for tragedy. It’s definitely Top 40 material.
But, Laing had a another single, which–at 4:40–is about a minute longer than “The Promise.”
And it’s called “Soviet Snow.” Yeah, it’s topical right now, isn’t it?
The entrancing melody, traced out in ethereal synths right near the beginning, bounces along with a beat similar to the other song — a shuffling, poppy/dance-y gait, which belies not very jovial subject matter (nuclear fallout/the Cold War). To be fair, in a similar way, the Smiths didn’t get far in the States, with songs about killing the Queen, corporal punishment, and vegetarianism (yeah, I know).
Notable: A remix of the song that is just below 6:50 has been released by Randall Erkelens, my friend and synth-musician.
Higher Culture verdict:Laing was unfortunately either ahead or behind her times, according to Laing. P.R. officers at record label P.R. in the 1980s were radio station program directors. Folks were not interested in playing/promotion of synth pop tracks about John F. Kennedy and the Cold War. However, there are some things you can do.
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