Welcome to John’s Naked Eyes Fan Page

    With so many groups to choose from, I chose one that doesn’t get enough attention online. Naked Eyes remind us of a simpler time, when MTV were just videos, and people still bought records. A simpler sound, with synthesisers and drum machines, with an occasional guitar. Pete Byrne and the late Rob Fisher for a time had a hold on the American charts.

Photo session, 1983.

    They came from Bath, England. They started as Neon, which briefly included Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, between The Graduate and a little band called Tears for Fears. After two singles on small labels, Naked Eyes signed with EMI and released a cover of the Burt Bacharach classic "Always Something There to Remind Me", which they made their own. Sadly, it only peaked at #59 in the UK and nothing else did better. It did make the US Top 10, and so the adventure begins.

Brasil EMI LP US cassette

        The début LP, Burning Bridges was released in the US and Canada as Naked Eyes with three tracks demoted to B-sides à la Beatles, and some UK B-sides unseen here until 2002’s Everything and More. The next hit was an original, "Promises, Promises", which made the duo a "two-hit wonder" as far as the higher reaches were concerned. Lyrics were changed for the American market. Two minor hits followed, but the marketplace was flooded with the Duran Durans and Wacko Jackos of the world. The honeymoon was over!  Then there was turnover at Capitol-EMI.

Sophomore slump syndrome came in the form of Fuel for the Fire. "(What) In the Name of Love?" was their last chart hit, and they were yesterday’s news.

Byrne would be a session player with Stevie Wonder and even the Olsen twins (when they were little). Fisher would form "Climie Fisher" with Simon Climie. They would also write for artists like Amy Grant and Vanessa Williams. Fisher died in August 1999 of heart failure at the age of 39 (I was on an iMac at the NYS Fair when I was sent an e-mail). Byrne has renewed the NE name and has been in the studio and on tour of mainly the West and Gulf Coasts. He now lives in LA with his wife.

I have exchanged e-mails with Pete back in 1999. I then asked him if he was related to Byrne Dairy or ever confused with gender-bender Pete Burns of Dead or Alive. He said no to both, but said if he had to choose, he’d rather be related to Byrne Dairy! Far left: sheet music.  Upper right: Best Of.  Lower right: rare bootleg CD.  Sorry for the poor colouring! US, 1991, EMI USA.

Visit page 2 for links, videos and streaming audio. However, there will be more to come. Bear with me since I’m busy.

 

Photo session, 1983.

From my own collection (3).

  UK 45 (below) Japan 45.

UK 12"/45 Like mine, but no personal label.

Japan promo ad.   Sheet music.

Scan from my own collection.

    My personal collection has included the Columbia House cassette of Naked Eyes, the LP of Fuel for the Fire, US 45s of “Always Something There to Remind Me” and “Promises, Promises”, Back to Back Hits, a budget item with half NE and half Spandau Ballet (who made "Gold" in Britain but a "True" one-hit wonder Stateside) and the CD of Promises, Promises: The Very Best of Naked Eyes.  Remaining today are the LP of Naked Eyes (shown above), the 7” and 12” singles of “(What) in the Name of Love?”, CD-Rs of Naked Eyes and The Best of Naked Eyes, and Everything and More.  I have an autographed copy of Pete Byrne’s 2001 solo album, The Real Illusion (we can do a legal CD-R trade), and the latest release, Fumbling Under the Covers, which I downloaded on iTunes.  There are to be proper reissues of Naked Eyes/Burning Bridges and Fuel for the Fire on CD, complete with bonus tracks.  I’m hoping these will be available worldwide, but interest has been limited to the US as far as I know.  We’re pretty much a cult here.  That’s okay because we have them to ourselves! Also because of the intimacy that lacks with big 80’s names like Duran Duran and Culture Club.

    Original logo created for my class.

Do you have audio files, video files, jpg’s, stories, whatever?  E-mail me at sposato@inmail24.com
Thanks for visiting!  We are the première NE fan site today!

Not authorised or endorsed by EMI Records, Ltd., PJB Music, Olgio Records, or the Rob Fisher Estate.

This is a student Web page created for the sole purpose of demonstrating mastery of course learning objectives. This is not part of the official OCC Web Site.

Created by: John Sposato
Updated: 15/3/10