"Promises" is a single released by the British

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States and ...

ian Eric Clapton in September 1978. It is part of his studio album ''

Backless ''Backless'' is the sixth full-length studio album by Eric Clapton. Produced by Glyn Johns, and released by RSO Records, ''Backless'' reached No. 8 on the pop charts. While the single "Promises" only reached No. 37 in the UK, it was a much b ...

''.

Release

"Promises" was released as a 7-inch vinyl single in the United States, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Australia, France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy in September 1978. With the age of digital music, the song is available as a digital music download in nearly every country. Besides being released as a single, the track appears on various compilation albums including '' Timepieces: The Best of Eric Clapton'' (1982), '' Backtrackin''' (1984), '' The Cream of Eric Clapton'' (1987), '' Crossroads'' (1988), '' The Cream of Clapton'' (1995) and '' Complete Clapton'' (2007). In total, the title has been released on over 15 albums.

Chart performance

The release was especially successful in the United States reaching No.9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, as well as peaking at No.6 on the magazine's Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached position 82 on the Top Country Singles chart. The b-side, " Watch Out for Lucy" was subsequently promoted to radio reaching No.40 on the Hot 100 singles chart. In Canada, the single ranked at 7 on the national singles chart and reached No.24 on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart. Additionally, it charted up to position 12 on the ''CHUM'' charts in Canada. In New Zealand, a re-entry reached No.35 on the country's official music chart. In the Netherlands, "Promises" reached No.40 on the Top 100 singles chart and stayed on the list for seven weeks. It also reached position 3 on the Dutch Top 40 "tip parade" (songs bubbling under the main Top 40). In France, the album was listed under the artist name "Eric Clapton & His Band" and peaked at No.71. In Australia the song peaked at No.26, although in the United Kingdom it only made No.37. In Norway, the release peaked at No.1 on the Country Singles chart, which had been introduced that year and was removed from the VG-lista in 1980.

Composition and critical reception

"Promises" consists of four verses, two choruses and one outro. The song is in the key of

G major G major (or the key of G) is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative minor is E minor and its parallel minor is G minor. The G major scale is: Notable com ...

and backing vocals were performed by

Marcy Levy Marcella Levy (born June 21, 1952), known professionally as Marcy Levy and (later in her career) Marcella Detroit, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She co-wrote the 1977 Eric Clapton hit " Lay Down Sally" and released her debut ...

. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' called "Promises" a "swaying, melodic rocker" that sometimes sounds like Clapton's earlier hit "

Lay Down Sally "Lay Down Sally" is a song performed by Eric Clapton, and written by Clapton, Marcy Levy, and George Terry. It appeared on his November 1977 album '' Slowhand'', and reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Background "Lay Down Sally ...

." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said that it "is largely acoustic with smooth and easy vocals." ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

'' critic William Ruhlmann calls the song an "understated pop shuffle" and notes the writing credits of Richard Feldman and Roger Linn. Ruhlmann then goes on to criticize that ''Backless'' and the song "Promises" are not "memorable recordings" of Clapton. The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

music journalist Steffen Greifswald writes in his review for the ''

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung The ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung'' (; ''FAZ''; "''Frankfurt General Newspaper''") is a centre-right conservative-liberal and liberal-conservativeHans Magnus Enzensberger: Alter Wein in neuen Schläuchen' (in German). ''Deutschland Radio'', ...

'': "''Backless'' is a good recording for music lovers and of course Eric Clapton fanatics. One recording definitely sticks out – the song "Promises" has

integrity Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. In ...

, soul and passion. The track therefore perfectly sums up Eric Clapton and his work".

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{Eric Clapton singles Eric Clapton songs RSO Records singles 1978 songs 1978 singles 1970s ballads Rock ballads