Hello,
Today's artists were a key presence in the synth pop movement of the early '80s, 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. ... N Joy
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In the early days while still performing in the pubs of Bath, England, Byrne, as one half of the synth-pop pioneers Naked Eyes, along with bandmate Rob Fisher, shared a love for the music of Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. “It was around 1980 that Rob and I formed a band called Neon, that would later include Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal,” says Byrne. “We recorded a few songs, but the band fizzled, and Roland and Curt went on to form Tears For Fears, while Rob and I created Naked Eyes.” Almost immediately, the band signed to EMI and began recording at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. “… I’ve always loved the songs from the great girl singers of the sixties, and one day in the studio we decided to do a cover of one of them; it could easily have been a Dusty Springfield song or a Cilla Black tune, but as fate would have it, we settled on a Sandie Shaw song.” That song, was the Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune “Always Something There To Remind Me,” which immediately exploded into the Top Ten…..followed by the self-penned “Promises, Promises” and “When The Lights Go Out.” The back to back to back hits resulted in massive U.S. radio airplay and an almost constant presence on MTV (even if it was in pajamas.)
Following the release of the band's second album, Byrne moved to California and performed session work. He performed on Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover", sang backgrounds with Rita Coolidge and Princess Stephanie, and wrote and produced for the Olsen twins. Fisher also explored other projects, doing sessions in London and forming Climie Fisher with Simon Climie. The group never toured due to the technical difficulties of recreating their studio sound in concert.
Rob Fisher died on 25 August 1999, aged 42, following surgery for bowel cancer.
Byrne released a solo album The Real Illusion in 2001, which featured some of the last tracks he wrote with Fisher for a proposed third Naked Eyes album. In 2005, Byrne put a band together to play some Naked Eyes shows and has been touring regularly since. In 2007, Naked Eyes released Fumbling with the Covers, an acoustic album which consisted of covers of Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Elvis Costello, among others, along with the Naked Eyes hits.
In the summer of 2008, Naked Eyes completed a US tour along with Belinda Carlisle, ABC and The Human League. In the summer of 2014, Naked Eyes did a US tour with The Go-Go's, Scandal and The Motels.
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Naked Eyes were in peak form for their debut, showing a highly likable, warmer side to the often cold and detached synth-duo form. The songs they're best known for, "Always Something There to Remind Me," "Promises, Promises" and "When the Lights Go Down," are all included here, though the album can also be found in its entirety (save for one track) on the more readily available Promises, Promises: The Very Best of Naked Eyes. [For some reason, Naked Eyes' debut was released in slightly different forms on either side of the Atlantic. Naked Eyes, released a month after its British counterpart, Burning Bridges produced by Tony Mansfield of New Musik fame.
Naked Eyes - Burning Bridges ( 531mb)
01 Voices In My Head 3:43
02 I Could Show You How 3:25
03 A Very Hard Act To Follow 4:05
04 Always Something There To Remind Me 3:36
05 Fortune & Fame 3:18
06 Could Be 2:50
07 Burning Bridges 3:36
08 Emotion In Motion 4:42
09 Low Life 3:53
10 The Time Is Now 3:16
11 When The Lights Go Out 3:02
12 Promises Promises 4:29
bonus
13 Promises Promises (Jellybean Extended Version) 6:55
14 Always Something There To Remind Me (U.S. Remix) 5:44
15 Promises Promises (Extended Version) 6:22
16 Pit Stop 3:32
17 Sweet Poison 3:52
18 Promises Promises (U.S. 7" Remix) 3:45
Naked Eyes - Burning Bridges (ogg 177mb)
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By late 1984, most synth-pop acts attempted to redefine themselves rather than be trapped by the genre's limited scope. Naked Eyes, however, didn't give up the fight, instead opting to recreate the formula of their debut. Naked Eyes' second album, "Fuel For The Fire," is very similar to their previous album, Burning Bridges. It takes that album's strengths, and emphasizes them more to make a nice follow-up record. Melodically, Naked Eyes is as strong as ever, making tunes that get you hooked and trying to hum along by the first listen. Most of the songs here are much more upbeat and energetic than Burning Bridges's tracks, something they pull off well.
At points throughout this album, the synthesizer creates these very fake-sounding synths, such as in "Once Is Enough" and the intro to "Flag of Convenience." Naked Eyes always uses this in neat ways that add to the sound of the songs they are in. This can be a way to set songs from "Fuel For The Fire" apart from the band's previous album. If you like melody, are okay with pop, and/or liked Burning Bridges, this is a must-listen.The results were predictably less interesting the first outing, but Fuel for Fire did manage to recapture the magic at least once with "(What) In the Name of Love."
Naked Eyes - Fuel For The Fire ( 503mb)
01 (What) In The Name Of Love 4:27
02 New Hearts 3:38
03 Sacrifice 4:07
04 Eyes Of A Child 3:37
05 Once Is Enough 4:10
06 No Flowers Please 4:02
07 Answering Service 3:43
08 Me I See In You 3:34
09 Flying Solo 4:32
10 Flag Of Convenience 4:10
Bonus
11 (What) In The Name Of Love (Extended Version) 6:03
12 Sacrifice (Arthur Baker 12" Version) 6:03
13 (What) In The Name Of Love (Byrne & Fisher Mix) 3:35
14 Two Heads Together 3:51
15 Fuel For The Fire (Demo) 3:46
16 Babes In Armour (Demo) 3:43
17 Sacrifice (Demo) 3:44
Naked Eyes - Fuel For The Fire (ogg 166mb)
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One Way's Everything & More is a godsend for Naked Eyes collectors and serious synth pop fans, since it rounds up all the non-LP tracks, 12" mixes, early singles, and other rarities that the duo released (along with a couple of album tracks from Fuel for the Fire). This also includes singles the band made when it was called Neon, as well as two previously unreleased mixes of the great "Promises Promises" produced by Jellybean Benitez and featuring his then-girlfriend, Madonna, on brief recitation vocals. The rarity of this material would make it necessary for collectors, but it plays to more than just Naked Eyes fanatics because the music is so good. The duo was better than its peers, with a rich yet nimble sound, a good vocalist in Pete Byrne, and strong songwriting skills, all of which add up to one of the most consistently enjoyable catalogs in synth pop. Even better, its songs lend themselves to the kind of elastic remixes that populated the 12" singles of the time, particularly when they were produced by such talents as Jellybean, Arthur Baker, and Tony Mansfield. These mixes provide the opening of the disc, before it gives way to the B-sides and album tracks, then wraps up with the Neon selections, all transferred from vinyl. These are all charming, lo-fi electronic blueprints of the Naked Eyes sound -- melodic and warm electronic pop, thoroughly winning and a very nice way to wrap up a first-rate compilation. Another nice thing about the compilation? The track-by-track notes by Pete Byrne, complete with a fond farewell to his partner, the late Rob Fisher.
Naked Eyes - Everything And More ( 449mb)
01 Promises, Promises (Jellybean 7'' Mix) 3:41
02 Always Something There To Remind Me (Tony Mansfield 12'' Mix) 5:45
03 Promises, Promises (Tony Mansfield 12'' Mix) 6:21
04 (What) In The Name Of Love (Arthur Baker 12'' Mix) 6:04
05 Sacrifice (Arthur Baker 12'' Mix) 6:06
06 Promises, Promises (Jellybean 12'' Mix) 6:56
07 Pit Stop 3:33
08 Sweet Poison 3:53
09 Once Is Enough 4:11
10 Answering Service 3:45
11 (What) In The Name Of Love (Byrne / Fisher Mix) 3:29
12 Making Waves (as Neon) 3:00
13 Communication Without Sound (as Neon) 3:17
14 Me I See In You (as Neon) 3:25
15 Remote Control (as Neon) 2:24
Naked Eyes - Everything And More (ogg 157mb)
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Two: Dreaming Spires LP (the only LP from this UK minimal wave/experimental electronic duo) . This was a male-female synth duo (Gill and Iain - who, I might add, are both quite attractive and hip-looking. How's that for useless information?. They were from a small town near London. This LP is pretty experimental, especially on the 15-minute "It Won't Work". The term Dreaming Spires have come to denote the sheltered conditions of unwordly academics (Oxbridge). This was released on Future Records, the new wave/synthpop/post punk offshoot of the punk label No Future. This record uses almost all electronics and bass, which is always a great combination that makes for some dark, dark music. Anyway... enjoy!
Two - Dreaming Spires ( 173mb)
01 Picture Frame 4:19
02 Waiting 2:00
03 Regime 4:01
04 Architecture 3:47
05 Pale Yellow 2:22
06 End 2:25
07 It Won´t Work 15:36
(ogg 113mb)
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Today's artists were a key presence in the synth pop movement of the early '80s, 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. ... N Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
In the early days while still performing in the pubs of Bath, England, Byrne, as one half of the synth-pop pioneers Naked Eyes, along with bandmate Rob Fisher, shared a love for the music of Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. “It was around 1980 that Rob and I formed a band called Neon, that would later include Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal,” says Byrne. “We recorded a few songs, but the band fizzled, and Roland and Curt went on to form Tears For Fears, while Rob and I created Naked Eyes.” Almost immediately, the band signed to EMI and began recording at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. “… I’ve always loved the songs from the great girl singers of the sixties, and one day in the studio we decided to do a cover of one of them; it could easily have been a Dusty Springfield song or a Cilla Black tune, but as fate would have it, we settled on a Sandie Shaw song.” That song, was the Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune “Always Something There To Remind Me,” which immediately exploded into the Top Ten…..followed by the self-penned “Promises, Promises” and “When The Lights Go Out.” The back to back to back hits resulted in massive U.S. radio airplay and an almost constant presence on MTV (even if it was in pajamas.)
Following the release of the band's second album, Byrne moved to California and performed session work. He performed on Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover", sang backgrounds with Rita Coolidge and Princess Stephanie, and wrote and produced for the Olsen twins. Fisher also explored other projects, doing sessions in London and forming Climie Fisher with Simon Climie. The group never toured due to the technical difficulties of recreating their studio sound in concert.
Rob Fisher died on 25 August 1999, aged 42, following surgery for bowel cancer.
Byrne released a solo album The Real Illusion in 2001, which featured some of the last tracks he wrote with Fisher for a proposed third Naked Eyes album. In 2005, Byrne put a band together to play some Naked Eyes shows and has been touring regularly since. In 2007, Naked Eyes released Fumbling with the Covers, an acoustic album which consisted of covers of Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Elvis Costello, among others, along with the Naked Eyes hits.
In the summer of 2008, Naked Eyes completed a US tour along with Belinda Carlisle, ABC and The Human League. In the summer of 2014, Naked Eyes did a US tour with The Go-Go's, Scandal and The Motels.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Naked Eyes were in peak form for their debut, showing a highly likable, warmer side to the often cold and detached synth-duo form. The songs they're best known for, "Always Something There to Remind Me," "Promises, Promises" and "When the Lights Go Down," are all included here, though the album can also be found in its entirety (save for one track) on the more readily available Promises, Promises: The Very Best of Naked Eyes. [For some reason, Naked Eyes' debut was released in slightly different forms on either side of the Atlantic. Naked Eyes, released a month after its British counterpart, Burning Bridges produced by Tony Mansfield of New Musik fame.
Naked Eyes - Burning Bridges ( 531mb)
01 Voices In My Head 3:43
02 I Could Show You How 3:25
03 A Very Hard Act To Follow 4:05
04 Always Something There To Remind Me 3:36
05 Fortune & Fame 3:18
06 Could Be 2:50
07 Burning Bridges 3:36
08 Emotion In Motion 4:42
09 Low Life 3:53
10 The Time Is Now 3:16
11 When The Lights Go Out 3:02
12 Promises Promises 4:29
bonus
13 Promises Promises (Jellybean Extended Version) 6:55
14 Always Something There To Remind Me (U.S. Remix) 5:44
15 Promises Promises (Extended Version) 6:22
16 Pit Stop 3:32
17 Sweet Poison 3:52
18 Promises Promises (U.S. 7" Remix) 3:45
Naked Eyes - Burning Bridges (ogg 177mb)
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By late 1984, most synth-pop acts attempted to redefine themselves rather than be trapped by the genre's limited scope. Naked Eyes, however, didn't give up the fight, instead opting to recreate the formula of their debut. Naked Eyes' second album, "Fuel For The Fire," is very similar to their previous album, Burning Bridges. It takes that album's strengths, and emphasizes them more to make a nice follow-up record. Melodically, Naked Eyes is as strong as ever, making tunes that get you hooked and trying to hum along by the first listen. Most of the songs here are much more upbeat and energetic than Burning Bridges's tracks, something they pull off well.
At points throughout this album, the synthesizer creates these very fake-sounding synths, such as in "Once Is Enough" and the intro to "Flag of Convenience." Naked Eyes always uses this in neat ways that add to the sound of the songs they are in. This can be a way to set songs from "Fuel For The Fire" apart from the band's previous album. If you like melody, are okay with pop, and/or liked Burning Bridges, this is a must-listen.The results were predictably less interesting the first outing, but Fuel for Fire did manage to recapture the magic at least once with "(What) In the Name of Love."
Naked Eyes - Fuel For The Fire ( 503mb)
01 (What) In The Name Of Love 4:27
02 New Hearts 3:38
03 Sacrifice 4:07
04 Eyes Of A Child 3:37
05 Once Is Enough 4:10
06 No Flowers Please 4:02
07 Answering Service 3:43
08 Me I See In You 3:34
09 Flying Solo 4:32
10 Flag Of Convenience 4:10
Bonus
11 (What) In The Name Of Love (Extended Version) 6:03
12 Sacrifice (Arthur Baker 12" Version) 6:03
13 (What) In The Name Of Love (Byrne & Fisher Mix) 3:35
14 Two Heads Together 3:51
15 Fuel For The Fire (Demo) 3:46
16 Babes In Armour (Demo) 3:43
17 Sacrifice (Demo) 3:44
Naked Eyes - Fuel For The Fire (ogg 166mb)
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
One Way's Everything & More is a godsend for Naked Eyes collectors and serious synth pop fans, since it rounds up all the non-LP tracks, 12" mixes, early singles, and other rarities that the duo released (along with a couple of album tracks from Fuel for the Fire). This also includes singles the band made when it was called Neon, as well as two previously unreleased mixes of the great "Promises Promises" produced by Jellybean Benitez and featuring his then-girlfriend, Madonna, on brief recitation vocals. The rarity of this material would make it necessary for collectors, but it plays to more than just Naked Eyes fanatics because the music is so good. The duo was better than its peers, with a rich yet nimble sound, a good vocalist in Pete Byrne, and strong songwriting skills, all of which add up to one of the most consistently enjoyable catalogs in synth pop. Even better, its songs lend themselves to the kind of elastic remixes that populated the 12" singles of the time, particularly when they were produced by such talents as Jellybean, Arthur Baker, and Tony Mansfield. These mixes provide the opening of the disc, before it gives way to the B-sides and album tracks, then wraps up with the Neon selections, all transferred from vinyl. These are all charming, lo-fi electronic blueprints of the Naked Eyes sound -- melodic and warm electronic pop, thoroughly winning and a very nice way to wrap up a first-rate compilation. Another nice thing about the compilation? The track-by-track notes by Pete Byrne, complete with a fond farewell to his partner, the late Rob Fisher.
Naked Eyes - Everything And More ( 449mb)
01 Promises, Promises (Jellybean 7'' Mix) 3:41
02 Always Something There To Remind Me (Tony Mansfield 12'' Mix) 5:45
03 Promises, Promises (Tony Mansfield 12'' Mix) 6:21
04 (What) In The Name Of Love (Arthur Baker 12'' Mix) 6:04
05 Sacrifice (Arthur Baker 12'' Mix) 6:06
06 Promises, Promises (Jellybean 12'' Mix) 6:56
07 Pit Stop 3:33
08 Sweet Poison 3:53
09 Once Is Enough 4:11
10 Answering Service 3:45
11 (What) In The Name Of Love (Byrne / Fisher Mix) 3:29
12 Making Waves (as Neon) 3:00
13 Communication Without Sound (as Neon) 3:17
14 Me I See In You (as Neon) 3:25
15 Remote Control (as Neon) 2:24
Naked Eyes - Everything And More (ogg 157mb)
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Two: Dreaming Spires LP (the only LP from this UK minimal wave/experimental electronic duo) . This was a male-female synth duo (Gill and Iain - who, I might add, are both quite attractive and hip-looking. How's that for useless information?. They were from a small town near London. This LP is pretty experimental, especially on the 15-minute "It Won't Work". The term Dreaming Spires have come to denote the sheltered conditions of unwordly academics (Oxbridge). This was released on Future Records, the new wave/synthpop/post punk offshoot of the punk label No Future. This record uses almost all electronics and bass, which is always a great combination that makes for some dark, dark music. Anyway... enjoy!
Two - Dreaming Spires ( 173mb)
01 Picture Frame 4:19
02 Waiting 2:00
03 Regime 4:01
04 Architecture 3:47
05 Pale Yellow 2:22
06 End 2:25
07 It Won´t Work 15:36
(ogg 113mb)
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3 comments:
Thank you for Two, Rho!
Hi, The Burning Bridges link is broken. Ta
No it isn't you need Mozilla because Chrome sucks
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