Naked Eyes

Naked Eyes were an English electro/art-pop duo composed of singer Pete Byrne and keyboardist Rob Fisher. They first appeared in late 1982 with a hi-tech cover of the Bacharach/David classic “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me.”

In 1983, they released Burning Bridges on EMI, charting with “Promises Promises,” “When the Lights Go Out,” and the b-side “A Very Hard Act to Follow.” The 1984 followup, Fuel for the Fire, spawned the hit “(What) in the Name of Love” and the fan favorites “Eyes of a Child,” “Once Is Enough,” and “Flag of Convenience.”

The pair was one of two partnerships spun from the earlier shortplayer act Neon, which also included future Tears for Fears teammates Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. After Naked Eyes folded, Fisher teamed with vocalist Simon Climie in the duo Climie Fisher for two albums during the late 1980s.

Members: Pete Byrne (vocals), Rob Fisher (keyboards)

Peter Byrne (b. 1954) and Rob Fisher (1956–1999) joined forces in 1979 in Bath, Somerset. A native of Cheltenham, Fisher joined his first band, Cirrus, while enrolled at Wandsworth College in Hampshire. He subsequently played in the bands Whitewing (1975–1978) and the Xtians (1978).

As Neon, Byrne and Fisher issued the 1980 single “Making Waves” (b/w “Me I See in You”) on self-press 3D Music. The synth-bass a-side waves on a bouncy, circular pattern with oscillating counter-synth and harmonized vocals. (“Me I See” would reappear on the first Naked Eyes album).

They subsequently hired guitarist Roland Orzabal and bassist Curt Smith, both recently of the mod-ska band Graduate, and drummer Manny Elias. This lineup produced a second Neon single, “Communication Without Sound” (b/w “Remote Control”), on French press Carrere. The minimal-wave “Communication” features frosty, swirling synth sustain over a rhythmic synth-bass ostinato; a high-pitched synth fugue overlays the harmonized chorus. The perky “Remote Control” rolls on a tight, double-synth arrangement; a flute-like synth solo marks the ascending bridge.

In late 1981, Neon split into two pairs: Orzabel and Smith formed Tears for Fears (later employing Elias) while Byrne and Fisher renamed their partnership Naked Eyes.

Discography:

• Burning Bridges (1983)
• Fuel for the Fire (1984)

Sources:

• Discogs: Naked Eyes