The sixth solo album by Robert Palmer, Clues, was a document with a rockier, extra new wave really feel than what had gone earlier than. The Island artist was striving to search out the system for solo success that had, if not fairly eluded him to this point, been in restricted provide.
Clues is certainly one of Palmer’s strongest and most constant albums, even when it solely runs for 31 minutes. When it got here out, preceded per week earlier by the lead single “Johnny and Mary,” the general public felt so too, and each single and album entered the UK charts on September 6. It hit Billboard‘s US album bestsellers on October 11.
Serving to Palmer on the album was the previous Free bass participant Andy Fraser, who had written Robert’s breakthrough single, “Every Kinda People.” He lends his bass taking part in expertise to 2 tracks, whereas new wave and electro icon Gary Numan seems on one, his personal composition “I Dream Of Wires,” on which he performs keyboards. Numan additionally wrote “Found You Now” with Palmer, who performed percussion on Speaking Heads’ Stay in Gentle. That band’s drummer, Chris Frantz, performs drums on Clues.
An increasing viewers
The second single to be taken from the album, “Looking For Clues,” peaked at No.33 within the UK in December 1980, whereas “Johnny and Mary” had made No.44 a few months earlier. Clues peaked at No.59 on the Billboard High Pop Albums chart and No.31 within the UK in 1980, one of the best performing of his LPs up to now there. The album additionally made No.1 in Sweden, No.3 in France, No.15 within the Netherlands and No.42 in Italy.
Take heed to one of the best of Robert Palmer on Apple Music and Spotify.
The video for “Looking for Clues” aired on MTV’s first day of broadcasting, on August 1, 1981. The video broadcaster would, after all, go on to assist Palmer’s American profession in an enormous manner later within the decade, with “Addicted To Love” and subsequent hits.
Purchase or stream Clues.
