Promise Me (Beverley Craven song)

"Promise Me"
Single by Beverley Craven
from the album Beverley Craven
B-side"I Listen to the Rain"
Released4 July 1990
GenrePop
Length3:36
LabelCBS
Songwriter(s)Beverley Craven
Producer(s)Paul Samwell-Smith
Beverley Craven singles chronology
"Promise Me"
(1990) 		"Joey"
(1990)

"Promise Me" is a song by British singer-songwriter Beverley Craven.

Release

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Released as the lead single of her debut album, Beverley Craven, in 1990, the song initially failed to chart. Appearances on British TV and a successful UK tour prompted a re-release of the single in 1991, when it peaked at number three on the UK singles chart that May. It was successful across Europe, peaking at number two in Belgium and entering the top 10 in France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The song became popular with loved ones of military personnel deployed to Iraq during the Gulf War.[1]

Critical reception

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David Giles of Music Week stated that "on the evidence of this single, [Craven] is aimed at a Kate Bush level of epic grandeur, and, although the arrangement is classic enough, she lacks Bush's melodic inventiveness".[2] Writing for AllMusic, Charles Donovan said that it was "now widely acclaimed as a contemporary standard".[3]

Track listings

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All songs were written by Beverley Craven.

7-inch and mini-CD single

  1. "Promise Me" – 3:35
  2. "I Listen to the Rain" – 2:55

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[17] Silver 125,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

Covers and sampling

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The song has been covered numerous times, most notably being reworked as a dance song by group Lazard, who re-titled the song "4 O'Clock (In the Morning)". Other cover versions are by Jodie Brooke Wilson, Hind, Lutricia McNeal, Sandy Lam, Tabea, and by Rosa López who released a Spanish version (titled "Júrame") in 2008; a more faithful Spanish version was named "Entre tú y yo" and was performed by Mexican actress Chantal Andere in 1992 for her second album and as the main title song of the telenovela Triángulo.[18] Other notable covers are by Hong Kong Cantopop diva Sandy Lam titled as "Without You, But Still Love You",[19] and Taiwanese Mandopop diva Winnie Hsin titled as "Selfish".[20] Sometimes the Mandarin version and English version would be crossed over for singing competitions, as exemplified by British-Taiwanese singer (now newscaster) Annie Lin (林宜融).[21]

In June 2012, Technoboy and Tuneboy sampled the song on their hardstyle single "Promise Me".[22] Three months later, German techno band Scooter sampled "Promise Me" on their single "4 AM", in a nod to a 1993 breakbeat hardcore track by Orca, which also sampled verses from "Promise Me".[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Beverley Craven On The Forces' Favourite Song Of The 90s". Forces News. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  2. ^ Giles, David (7 July 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 25. Retrieved 6 September 2023 – via World Radio History.
  3. ^ Donovan, Charles. "Beverley Craven". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 9 September 1991". Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  5. ^ "Beverley Craven – Promise Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  6. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 22. 1 June 1991. p. 27. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Beverley Craven – Promise Me" (in French). Les classement single.
  8. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Promise Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Beverley Craven" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  10. ^ "Beverley Craven – Promise Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  12. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  13. ^ "Single top 100 over 1990" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  14. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 1991" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 21. Retrieved January 17, 2020 – via World Radio History.
  16. ^ "1991 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 11 January 1992. p. 20.
  17. ^ "French single certifications – Beverley Craven – Promise Me" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 20 March 2010. Select BEVERLEY CRAVEN and click OK. 
  18. ^ Opening theme of Mexican telenovela "Triángulo" (Televisa 1992).[1]
  19. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESQ0fdO7uqc Sany Lam - Without you, but Still Love You
  20. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpF_TYm6oqI Winnie Hsin - Selfish
  21. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75gXhA6NEVQ 2007.11.02「超級星光大道」翻譯歌曲指定賽-林宜融
  22. ^ Technoboy, Tuneboy & Ellie* – Promise Me Discogs.com
  23. ^ "Orca vs. Beverly Craven". whosampled.com. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
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