"Sweet Lies" | ||||
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Single by Robert Palmer | ||||
from the album Addictions: Volume 1 | ||||
B-side | "Want You More" | |||
Released | 1988 | |||
Format | 7", 12", CD single | |||
Length | 3:09 | |||
Label | Island Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Robert Palmer, Frank Blair, Dony Wynn | |||
Producer(s) | Robert Palmer | |||
Robert Palmer singles chronology | ||||
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"Sweet Lies" is a song by English singer Robert Palmer, released as a single in 1988, and taken from the 1988 film Sweet Lies. The song would appear on the film's soundtrack, and later on Palmer's 1989 compilation album Addictions: Volume 1. The song was written by Palmer, Frank Blair and Dony Wynn, whilst being produced solely by Palmer.
Palmer's first single release since 1986, "Sweet Lies" was released from the forthcoming Island motion picture soundtrack of the Sweet Lies film. The single peaked at #94 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and lasted in the Top 100 for a total of two weeks. In the UK, the song fared better, peaking at #58 and lasting in the Top 100 for three weeks.
In the 2005 book Alien Rock: The Rock 'n' Roll Extraterrestrial Connection by Michael Luckman, Palmer had called "Sweet Lies" "a lovely record," and confessed it wrote itself, much like his 1988 hit single "She Makes My Day". He was quoted "It came out of the blue. I was merely channeling it, these chord changes - I have no idea where that came from. I didn't give much thought to it at all. It was like automatic writing. It's nice to be in the right place at the right time, catch it unaware, and then people go, 'What's that?' and I go, 'I dunno, good isn't it?'"
The single was released via Island Records in America, the UK, and Europe, including Germany and Italy. All editions of the 7" vinyl release featured the B-side "Want You More" which was written and produced by Palmer. The B-side was taken from Palmer's 1983 album Pride.
The 12" vinyl release featured an extended remix of "Sweet Lies", created by Freddy Bastone. The 12" vinyl was mainly released in the UK and Germany, where "Want You More" was again included, as well as the additional track "Riptide" - the title track from Palmer's 1985 album Riptide, which was written by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. In Mexico, the same track-listing was used for the 12" vinyl release there, which had the track-listing in both English and Spanish on the labels. A second UK limited edition 12" vinyl was issued with the same track listing but with a fourth track - the single version of Palmer's self-penned 1986 hit song "Addicted to Love".