WHEN IN ROME UK

Andrew Mann was recruited by Clive Farrington to replace departed members of his Manchester-based group Beau Leisure after Andrew had supported them as a beat poet on later shows. They began to write songs together, recorded some demos – sometimes including Mann’s friend Corinne Drewery (Swing Out Sister) – while seeking a recording deal.

The Promise demo, written by Clive with a 1st verse and a chorus was sent down to Andrew by Royal Mail in C90 tape format. Andrew then wrote the second verse and secured a deal with Elektra Record’s Simon Potts.

The duo were then signed by Virgin UK subsidiary 10 Records’ Mick Clark. Producers Ben Rogan (who had worked with Sade) and Richard James Burgess took special interest in the duo’s song “The Promise”, issued first as a 12″ dance disc.

Around 1986, original keyboard player, Mike Nuttall’s cousin was about to leave UK shores for a new job and life in San Francisco and was given a 12” vinyl recording of The Promise to take with him. He took the record directly to top radio station, Live 105 and they immediately liked it and put it on heavy rotation. From there, the song spread like wildfire across all the major stations in the U.S.