Song:Always Something There To Remind Me
Album:Burt Bacharach & Friends: Gold
Though the Burt Bacharach/Hal David song Always Something There To Remind Me charted in the 60s, this 1982 cover by the British synthpop duo Naked Eyes is the only version of the song to reach the US top ten. Bacharach has said it's his favourite version of the song. Unfortunately, Naked Eyes only recorded two albums before they split up. Singer Pete Byrne and keyboard player Rob Fisher were childhood pals from Bath, England. They were in Neon with future Tears For Fears members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. When that group split up, Byrne and Fisher continued as Naked Eyes. Obviously Fisher liked messing around with electronic keyboards, synthesizers and samplers. These were just starting to become popular in pop music. Producer Tony Mansfield was the leader of the group New Musik. He turned to production when they split up and I think Naked Eyes was his first producing gig. While Byrne and Fisher wrote songs for their debut album, they toyed with recording a cover of Always Something There To Remind Me. It was the only cover on the album. EMI released their 1983 debut album Burning Bridges. But Capitol titled it Naked Eyes and gave it a different cover for the US release. Always Something There To Remind Me reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the second single Promises, Promises reached #11. Always Something There To Remind Me was first recorded by Lou Johnson in 1964 and reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then Sandie Shaw topped the British charts with her 1965 recording. That version was a hit everywhere but the US. Dionne Warwick charted with her 1967 version. But until the Naked Eyes hit, the biggest chart success for the song was when R.B. Greaves reached #27 with it in 1970. So no wonder Bacharach likes the Naked Eyes cover. It made him the most money in royalties. You can get it on this various artists 2CD comp from Hip-O. When Naked Eyes' album Fuel For The Fire didn't do that well, they split up. Rob Fisher formed Climie Fisher with Simon Climie and they had success in England. Fisher died on Aug. 25, 1999 at age 42 after cancer surgery. Pete Byrne moved to California and became a session musician. He reformed Naked Eyes in 2005 and has been touring and recording since then. Here's the video for Always Something There To Remind Me by Naked Eyes.
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