Promises (Eric Clapton song)

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"Promises"
Single by Eric Clapton
from the album Backless
B-side"Watch Out for Lucy"
ReleasedSeptember 1978
GenreRock and roll · country
Length3:00
LabelRSO
Songwriter(s)Richard Feldman · Roger Linn
Producer(s)Glyn Johns
Eric Clapton singles chronology
"If I Don't Be There by Morning"
(1978) 		"Promises"
(1978) 		"Cocaine"
(1980)

"Promises" is a song written by Richard Feldman and Roger Linn and recorded by the British singer and guitarist Eric Clapton in September 1978. It appears on Clapton's studio album Backless.

Release[edit]

"Promises" was released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the United States, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Australia, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy in September 1978. With the age of digital music, the song is available as a digital music download in nearly every country.[1] Besides being released as a single, the track appears on various compilation albums including Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton (1982), Backtrackin' (1984), The Cream of Eric Clapton (1987), Crossroads (1988), The Cream of Clapton (1995) and Complete Clapton (2007). In total, the title has been released on over 15 albums.[2]

Chart performance[edit]

The release was especially successful in the United States reaching No.9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, as well as peaking at No.6 on the magazine's Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached position 82 on the Top Country Singles chart. The b-side, "Watch Out for Lucy" was subsequently promoted to radio reaching No.40 on the Hot 100 singles chart. In Canada, the single ranked at 7 on the national singles chart and reached No.24 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. Additionally, it charted up to position 12 on the CHUM charts in Canada. In New Zealand, a re-entry reached No.35 on the country's official music chart. In the Netherlands, "Promises" reached No.40 on the Top 100 singles chart and stayed on the list for seven weeks. It also reached position 3 on the Dutch Top 40 "tip parade" (songs bubbling under the main Top 40). In France, the album was listed under the artist name "Eric Clapton & His Band" and peaked at No.71. In Australia the song peaked at No.26, although in the United Kingdom it only made No.37. In Norway, the release peaked at No.1 on the Country Singles chart, which had been introduced that year and was removed from the VG-lista in 1980.

Composition and critical reception[edit]

"Promises" consists of four verses, two choruses and an ending. The song is in the key of G major[3] and backing vocals were performed by Marcy Levy. Billboard called "Promises" a "swaying, melodic rocker" that sometimes sounds like Clapton's earlier hit "Lay Down Sally."[4] Record World said that it "is largely acoustic with smooth and easy vocals."[5] AllMusic critic William Ruhlmann calls the song an "understated pop shuffle" and notes the writing credits of Richard Feldman and Roger Linn. Ruhlmann then goes on to criticize that Backless and the song "Promises" are not "memorable recordings" of Clapton.[6] The German music journalist Steffen Greifswald writes in his review for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: "Backless is a good recording for music lovers and of course Eric Clapton fanatics. One recording definitely sticks out – the song "Promises" has integrity, soul and passion. The track therefore perfectly sums up Eric Clapton and his work".[7]

Chart history[edit]

Other versions[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Eric Clapton – Promises – austriancharts.at". Ö3 Austria Top 40 (in German). Stefan Hung – Hung Medien. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  2. ^ "Promises – Eric Clapton | Listen, Appearances, Song Review | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  3. ^ "Promises Chords (ver 2) by Eric Clapton @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com". ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  4. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. October 7, 1978. p. 86. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  5. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 7, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  6. ^ "Backless – Eric Clapton | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  7. ^ Greifswald, Steffen (1978). "New Albums Coming This Year". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: 14.
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.Note: This reference gives Australian albums and singles information. It is used for chart peak positions as early materials were released before ARIA regulated the Australian charts itself (1989).
  9. ^ "1050 CHUM – CHUM Charts". Archived from the original on February 22, 2006. Retrieved 2015-12-24.. CHUM Charts. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  10. ^ "Adult Contemporary – Volume 30, No. 21, February 17, 1979". RPM Magazine. Library and Archives Canada. February 17, 1979. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  11. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 30, No. 18, January 27, 1979". RPM Magazine. Library and Archives Canada. January 27, 1979. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  12. ^ "Eric Clapton – Promises" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  13. ^ "Eric Clapton – Promises". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  14. ^ a b Gayvin, James (1993). Top 100 Country Singles of 1978 – VG-lista. Dublin: Limited Publishing.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  16. ^ "Eric Clapton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  17. ^ "Eric Clapton | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  18. ^ "Backless – Eric Clapton | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  19. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30, 1978". RPM Magazine. Library and Archives Canada. December 30, 1978. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  20. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 32, No. 13, December 22, 1979". RPM Magazine. Library and Archives Canada. December 22, 1979. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  21. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1979". Billboard Magazine. longboredsurfer.com. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
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