Promised You a Miracle

"Promised You A Miracle"
Single by Simple Minds
Single by Simple Minds
from the album New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84)
B-side Theme For Great Cities
Released April 1982 (1982-04)
Format 12", 7"
Genre New wave
Length 3:59
Label Virgin
Writer(s) Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill, Derek Forbes and Mick MacNeil
Producer(s) Peter Walsh
Simple Minds singles chronology
"I Travel (reissue)"
(1982)
"Promised You A Miracle"
(1982)
"Glittering Prize"
(1982)

"Promised You A Miracle" is a 1982 song by Simple Minds and was released as the first single from their fifth studio album New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84). It is most notable for being the band's first successful chart hit in the UK,[1] reaching #13 in the UK Singles Chart and charting for 11 weeks.[2] Their previous nine UK singles yielded no Top 40 hits in that country.[3]

It was the only song on the album that included Kenny Hyslop as the studio session drummer.[4] Mike Ogletree and Mel Gaynor 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.[5][6] It also enabled them to make their debut on the British music television show Top of the Pops.[7][8]

A live version from the album Live in the City of Light was released in 1987.

Style

"Promised You A Miracle" is a dance track which is driven by a combination of "deep electronic beats"[9] from the keyboards of Mick MacNeil and a "deft hook line and riff"[1] courtesy of Charlie Burchill's guitar play. 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.[10] The song is considered to be a bridging point between the atmospheric and "echo-laden"[11] New wave sound of Sons and Fascination 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 notes gives it a "brash pop edge".[12]

Critical reception

"Promised You A Miracle" has been praised by many critics as one of Simple Minds' strongest songs. Dave Thompson of Allmusic noted its "funky bass line", "bright melody", and "splashy keyboard hook".[13] Dave Simpson in The Guardian referred to the song as a "showcase of early-80s optimism" with a "wistful edge".[14] A feature in a 2002 edition of Uncut 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".[15] A later Uncut review described the song as a "teetering moment of pop promise they could never surpass".[16]

Chart performance

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australian (Kent Music Report)[17] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 31
Irish Singles Chart[19] 25
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[20] 24
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 9
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 17
UK (Official Charts Company)[2] 13
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[24] 65

Chart (1987) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[25] 62
Irish Singles Chart[19] 8
Netherlands (GfK Dutch Chart)[26] 55
UK (Official Charts Company)[27] 19

Track listing

7" single

  • Virgin VS 448

1. "Promised You A Miracle" - 3:59

2. "Theme For Great Cities" - 5:50

12" single

  • Virgin VS 488-12

1. "Promised You A Miracle" (Extended) - 4:49

2. "Themes For Great Cities" - 5:50

3. "Seeing Out The Angel" (Instrumental) - 6:32[28]

References

  1. 1 2 Glittering Prize 81/92 Cassette Sleeve Notes by Brian Hogg, 1992
  2. 1 2 "1982 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive - 15th May 1982". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  3. "Glittering Prize". allmusic.com.
  4. New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) Sleeve Credits, 1982
  5. "Simple Minds Singles". Dream Giver Redux.
  6. "Simple Minds Hits". everyHit.com.
  7. The Best of Simple Minds CD Sleeve Notes by Billy Sloan, 2001
  8. "Promised You A Miracle". Dream Giver Redux.
  9. "Allmusic - New Gold Dream". allmusic.com.
  10. "Quotes". Dream Giver Redux.
  11. "Allmusic - Early Gold". allmusic.com.
  12. "Allmusic - Promised You A Miracle". allmusic.com.
  13. "Promised You A Miracle". allmusic.com.
  14. Simpson, Dave (1 December 2008). "The Guardian". 1st December 2008 (London).
  15. "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)". simpleminds.org.
  16. "Uncut - Early Gold". uncut.co.uk.
  17. Danyel Smith, ed. (1982). Billboard 17 juil. 1982. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  18. "Ultratop.be – Simple Minds – Promised You A Miracle" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  19. 1 2 "Promised you a miracle and Promised you a miracle (live) in Irish Chart". IRMA. Retrieved 17 June 2013. Only results when searching "Promised you a miracle"
  20. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Simple Minds search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  21. "Dutchcharts.nl – Simple Minds – Promised You A Miracle" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  22. "Charts.org.nz – Simple Minds – Promised You A Miracle". Top 40 Singles.
  23. "Swedishcharts.com – Simple Minds – Promised You A Miracle". Singles Top 100.
  24. "Simple Minds awards on Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  25. "Promised You A Miracle in French Chart" (in French). Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc. 17 June 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Simple Minds"
  26. "Promised you a miracle (live) in GfK Dutch Chart". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  27. "Promised You A Miracle (Live) - 1987 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive - 4th July 1987". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  28. "Track listing". Dream Giver Redux.


External links

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