The Promise (When in Rome song)

The members of When in Rome wrote and jammed songs in a small garden shed turned studio in the house of singer Clive Farrington's father. The space was so tight that they had to attach keyboards vertically to the walls. Keyboardist Michael Floreale was experimenting with the music to "The Promise" one night in the shed, and Farrington came in and started singing a harmony. Farrington wrote the first verse and chorus, but asked bandmate Andrew Mann to write the second verse. Floreale believes the lyrics were inspired by a recent breakup Farrington had gone through. The song took two days to finish because Farrington would often have an idea for a melody just before falling asleep and would record it before polishing it the next day. Instruments used in the song include a LinnDrum machine, Roland SH-101 keyboard for the bass, and a Roland RE-501 loop echo to add warm backing vocals. "The Promise" is in the key of C major. ==Critical reception==

William Cooper of AllMusic spoke of the song in a review of the When in Rome album, writing, "The 1988 hit "The Promise" was essentially a carbon copy of New Order's radio-friendly dance-rock. Dark yet catchy, boasting a throbbing dance rhythm, a singalong chorus, and a hypnotic melody, 'The Promise' certainly deserved the success." ==Chart performance==

"The Promise" was initially released as a 12" record and reached the top of the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. After the release of the group's self-titled debut album, the song was re-released and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the single was less successful in the band's native Britain, reaching number 58. Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Covers==

• New Found Glory covered the song on their 2007 album From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II • Sturgill Simpson covered the song on his 2014 album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. • Samia and Jelani Aryeh covered the song on Samia's 2021 EP Scout. ==References==