(there's) always something there to remind me

Naked Eyes had their most memorable moment with their rendition of this oft-covered classic by the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.   David recalls their prolific partnership at the Brill Building:  "As we were working together on one song, he'd give me another melody or I'd give him another lyric, and very often we were writing three or four songs at a time. A song together, a song to his tune, a song to my lyric, and so forth. We kept a number of things going."  

Bacharach remembers:  "All those so-called abnormalities seemed perfectly normal to me. In the beginning, the A&R guys, who were like first lieutenants, would say, 'You can't dance to it' or 'That bar of three needs to be changed to a bar of four,' and because I wanted to get the stuff recorded, I listened and ended up ruining some good songs. I've always believed if it's a good tune people will find a way to move to it."

 '(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me' was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1963 as a demo; it became a b-side for her five years later.  Lou Johnson took the song to number forty-nine on the US pop chart in 1964.  That same year Sandie Shaw had a number one smash with it in the UK, taking it to number seventeen in Australia, ten in the Netherlands, and seven in Ireland; but she failed to outdo Johnson's performance in the US.  Eddy Mitchell's version in French went to number three in Belgium and number two in France in 1965.  R. B. Greaves took the song to number twenty-seven in the US in 1970, hitting number three on the easy listening chart.  

Naked Eyes was a duo comprised of vocalist Pete Byrne and keyboardist Rob Fisher.  Byrne recalls:  "I had always loved the song, so we called a friend who had the record, he read the lyric over the phone and we put it together from memory...The record was recorded at Abbey Road, and we were invited to a party downstairs, with Paul McCartney and many other stars...When we returned upstairs to the studio around one a.m., I decided to have a go at the vocal, It was the first time I have ever recorded a vocal in one take".  In 1983, twenty years after it was written, their new wave version only went to number fifty-nine on the UK charts becoming their biggest hit there; but it went to number eight in Canada and the US, and peaked at number two in New Zealand.  





Naked Eyes

Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes from Music 101 on Vimeo.






Sandie Shaw




Dionne Warwick





Burt Bacharach with All Saints





Lou Johnson





The Troggs





Martha and the Vandellas





R.B. Greaves 





Eddy Mitchell and Donna Summer




Michael McDonald and the Del Rays




The Carpenters





I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me,
And every step I take recalls how much in love we used to be.
Oh, how can I forget you?
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me, whoa oh whoa

When shadows fall, I passed a small cafe where we would dance at night
And I can't help recalling how it felt to kiss and hold you tight
Oh, how can I forget you?
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me, whoa oh whoa, whoa oh whoa

If you should find you miss the sweet and tender love we used to share
Just come back to the places where we used to go, and I'll be there
Oh, how can I forget you?
When there is always something there to remind me
Always something there to remind me
I was born to love you, and I will never be free
You'll always be a part of me, whoa oh whoa

Never love another baby
I'll never will forget you baby
Oh you'll always be a part of me
Whoa, yessir baby
Never never never baby