When In Rome (Were They New Wave?)

[jumpshift]

One song from the late 80's that continues to this day to get lots of airplay in my area is The Promise by When In Rome. It sounds like it could have been recorded in 1984 or 1985 but actually came out in 1988 or 1989. I loved it the first time I heard it and still do.It's a very touching song and it's whirling synths and happy melody really pull you in. I also like how it was used in the credits during Napolean Dynamite. Probably the best part of that movie. I know lots of people say new wave died in the late 80's (i don't believe it). But what about When In Rome. Now of course they were a one hit wonder, and that was the only song they were best known for. But do you think they were they one of the last new wave bands? How would you categorize them?

[Frau_Blucher]

Great new wave song...not a new wave band. I always thought they were just some contemporary pop band that came upon a huge hit and not much else.

[circemuse]

Yeah, I wouldn't call them New Wave either... but I loved the heck out that song. I bought album, but remember The Promise being the only real stand out. I was really excited when I heard it on the ND soundtrack!

[seffe]

I was lucky to get their album (vinyl) for 10 norwegian kroner (about 1,5 us dollar I guess) a year ago. The promise is brilliant, I would also mention Child`s Play, the rest is okay, but not NW. One of the guys looks like his in a soft-heavy band.

[Mechi]

I wouldn't call them New Wave... though they emerged in the 80s.
They do not fit any particular sub-genre of NW.

http://spaces.msn.com/members/mechigc
http://thesesensations.blogspot.com
http://devotionanddivision.blogspot.com

[TheMunDial]

I would call the song itself New Wave, but I've never heard anything else from them, so I have no say on their genre.

But by the looks of the group members in the music video, then, no, they weren't your "conventional" New Wave band.

---

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[Frank_Chickens]

I got the album and it's very bland. The only other semi-decent track on there is the one that sounds like the hit, can't remember what it's called which shows how memorable the album was..


--

"As chairman of the Cradle of Filth fanclub I'm the most insensitive man in Britain, but even I can see there's tension there"

[grumpygirl]

No! Good song however. I saw when in rome live and it was terrible, they played a 3 song set that was all lip sync.....

[Sean]

I actually consider them New Wave, actually Mature New Wave. It's unfortunate they came out during a time when New Wave was disappearing commercially. You can kind of lump them together with bands such as The Beloved who came during the latter years of New Wave.

[empyrean]

More of a dance or disco wave. Heaven Knows even had a rap part that makes me hate this band.

The Promise is the only song that stands out.

[bpdp3]

The threads go back quite away, but I recall a discussion (one of many) on when exactly did new wave die, and there was an interesting consensus that "The Promise" may have indeed been new wave's last gasp.

[darwinsky]

[quote][i]Originally posted by bpdp3[/i]
<br>The threads go back quite away, but I recall a discussion (one of many) on when exactly did new wave die, and there was an interesting consensus that "The Promise" may have indeed been new wave's last gasp.
[/quote]

If memory serves me right, When In Rome denied being New Wave in one of their interviews. But when they toured Manila during the promotion of the album, they did not object to being called New Wave because that was the "in" thing here at the time.

Then again, I may be recalling another band. Generally, however, there are a lot of bands who first found their initial fan base from the new wave crowd then when they made mainstream, it's as if being labelled new wave was something to shy away from.

dar

[DSR]

NEW WAVE! WHEN IN ROME was first introduced here in MANILA wayback 1988 by NU107 with THE PROMISE(VATICAN DUB MIX) when they released their self-titled album. It was followed by "HEAVEN KNOWS". Both songs have massive airplay on DZBM POWER 105 and NU107. In the late 1989, 99.5rt included "SIGHT OF YOUR TEARS" in their short-live two-month new wave format. POWER105 also played the powerful ballad "EVERYTHING". With the success of the entire album in MANILA, NU107 decided to bring them LIVE in MANILA on January 1990. I was really waiting for the sale of the tickets, but with unforseen circumstances the WHEN IN ROME concert didn't pushed through. Sadly dar, they weren't able to come to MANILA. Their album is still a NEW WAVE staple for FILIPINOS. I have it on VINYL, CASSETTE TAPE, and CD(THANKS TO CD WAREHOUSE).

My personal favourite in the album is "CHILD'S PLAY".
DJ RON SOUTH of LITEWAVE favourite is "WIDE WIDE SEA" which had massive airplay on LITEWAVE.

[:)]An apple a day keeps the doctor away!
DR. STIRRING RHOD

[darwinsky]

Wide Wide Sea does seem to counter the idea that they are not new wave. It's not exactly just dance, it's not Italo or NRG and it's got great synths.

If they didn't come to Manila, then I might actually be referring to another band. Hmmm.... Bawal na ang fish at pork!

dar

[DSR]

[quote][i]Originally posted by darwinsky[/i]
<br>
If they didn't come to Manila, then I might actually be referring to another band. Hmmm.... Bawal na ang fish at pork!

dar
[/quote]

dar, It was THE LOTUS EATERS when they visited MANILA and did a concert last 2002 and promoted their album "SILENT SPACE".

[:)]An apple a day keeps the doctor away!
DR. STIRRING RHOD