Promised You a Miracle
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"Promised You a Miracle" is a 1982 song by Scottish band
Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United St ...
and was released as the first
single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...
from their fifth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
''
New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) ''New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish band Simple Minds. The album was released in September 1982 by record label Virgin, and was a turning point for the band as they gained critical and commercial success ...
''. It was the band's first chart hit in the UK,''
Glittering Prize 81/92 ''Glittering Prize 81/92'' is a compilation album by Simple Minds, released in 1992. It spans the period from ''Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call'' (the first album recorded by Simple Minds for Virgin Records) to ''Real Life Real l ...
'' Cassette Sleeve Notes by Brian Hogg, 1992
reaching #13 in the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and charting for 11 weeks. Their previous nine UK singles yielded no Top 40 hits in that country although some had sold well in Scotland. It was the only song on the album that included
Kenny Hyslop Kenneth John Hyslop (born 14 February 1951 in Helensburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish drummer. He joined the band Salvation with Midge Ure, which later became Slik and, after Ure's departure, some of the remaining members formed the Zones. He als ...
as the studio session drummer.
Mike Ogletree Mike Ogletree (born 1 May 1956) is a Scottish drummer and guitarist of Afro-European descent. A founding member of the Scottish rock band Café Jacques, he is best known for his work in the new wave bands Fiction Factory and Simple Minds.Larki ...
and
Mel Gaynor Mel George Gaynor (born 29 May 1959) is a British drummer, best known as the longtime drummer for the rock band Simple Minds. Biography Gaynor was born to a Jamaican father and an Afro-Brazilian mother. He began drumming at age 11 and had ...
contributed for the other eight tracks. The song triggered a prolonged period of commercial success for the band, during which they yielded 21 original UK hit singles in a row, up to and including 1998's "Glitterball" from the album '' Neapolis''. It also enabled them to make their debut on the British music television show ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
''. The music video, directed by
Steve Barron Steven Barron (born 4 May 1956) is an Irish-British filmmaker. He is best known for directing the music videos for the songs "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, "Summer of '69" and " Run to You" by Bryan Adams, " Money for Nothing" by Dire Stra ...
, features the band members playing amidst
colour television Color television or Colour television is a television transmission technology that includes color information for the picture, so the video image can be displayed in color on the television set. It improves on the monochrome or black-and-white t ...
imagery, interspersed with an uncredited female model passing through an airport X-ray and sunbathing. A live version from the album ''
Live in the City of Light ''Live in the City of Light'' is the first (double LP / CD) live album by Scottish rock band Simple Minds. It was released in May 1987 to document their successful worldwide ''Once Upon a Time'' tour, and charted at No. 1 in the UK. The album s ...
'' was released in 1987. The video was a simulated live performance filmed in London's east end. Directed by John Scarlett-Davis and produced by Nick Verden.


Style

"Promised You a Miracle" is a dance track which is driven by a combination of "deep electronic beats" from the keyboards of
Mick MacNeil Norman Michael MacNeil is a Scottish songwriter and keyboardist born 20 July 1958 on the Isle of Barra, Scotland. He is best known as a former member of the group Simple Minds. MacNeil joined the band in 1978 and left in 1990. He released the ...
and a "deft hook line and riff" courtesy of
Charlie Burchill Charles Burchill (born 27 November 1959) is a Scottish musician and composer, best known as the guitarist of Simple Minds. He is one of the founders of the group. Style During Simple Minds' early to mid-1980s period, Burchill's guitar had a dis ...
's guitar play. The song was inspired by a
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
band that drummer
Kenny Hyslop Kenneth John Hyslop (born 14 February 1951 in Helensburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish drummer. He joined the band Salvation with Midge Ure, which later became Slik and, after Ure's departure, some of the remaining members formed the Zones. He als ...
had recorded from an American radio station on a tape. The band got fascinated by a brass riff they heard and worked on the idea that eventually became the riff on "Promised You a Miracle", and, inspired to summon up the positive feel of the music,
Jim Kerr James Kerr (born 9 July 1959) is a Scottish singer and the lead singer of the rock band Simple Minds, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. O ...
wrote the lyrics to the song. It was considered by Jim Kerr to be the first "pure pop" song written by the band, as their first attempt to craft a song specifically for radio listeners. The song is considered to be a bridging point between the atmospheric and "echo-laden" New wave sound of ''
Sons and Fascination ''Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call'' is the (double-LP) fourth album by Scottish post-punk band Simple Minds. It was released in September 1981 and was their first to reach a wide international audience. It includes the singles " The Am ...
'' and the stadium pop-rock of the band's later years, due to the clean, crisp production of the band's new producer Peter Walsh, which
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
notes gives it a "brash pop edge".


Critical reception

"Promised You a Miracle" has been praised by many critics as one of
Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United St ...
' strongest songs. ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' called it "a cute attempt by this English outfit to boogie with the best of them." Dave Thompson of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
noted its "funky bass line", "bright melody", and "splashy keyboard hook". Dave Simpson in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' referred to the song as a "showcase of early-80s optimism" with a "wistful edge". A feature in a 2002 edition of ''
Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'' by David Stubbs said: "What's so great about this track, and indeed 'Big Sleep', isn't just its combination of stinging riff with delicate mosaic musical colouring, but its subtle rhythmical patterns, which are a feature of the whole album". A later ''Uncut'' review described the song as a "teetering moment of pop promise they could never surpass".


Chart performance


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Track listing


7" single

* Virgin VS 448 #"Promised You a Miracle" - 3:59 #"Theme for Great Cities" - 5:50


12" single

* Virgin VS 488-12 #"Promised You a Miracle" (Extended) - 4:49 #"Themes for Great Cities" - 5:50 #"Seeing Out the Angel" (Instrumental) - 6:32


References

{{Authority control 1982 singles Simple Minds songs 1982 songs Virgin Records singles Songs written by Jim Kerr Songs written by Derek Forbes Songs written by Charlie Burchill Songs written by Mick MacNeil