Promises (group)

Promises
Origin Canada
California, United States
Genres Disco-pop
Years active 1978-1979
Labels EMI Electrola
Past members Leslie Maria Knauer
Jed Knauer

Promises was a Canadian-based pop group which was founded 1978 in Thousand Oaks, California. The members were the siblings Leslie Maria Knauer (born August 20, 1957, Vancouver, vocals), Jed Knauer (born July 17, 1955, Toronto, guitar, piano) and Benny Knauer (born October 21, 1958, Vancouver, keyboards). Their father Peter Knauer is a German from Hamburg who moved with his children from Canada to California in the late 1960s. He was also the manager of the band and has played keyboards.

Their album "Promises" which was recorded by EMI Electrola record producer Steve Verroca became a flop in the USA and in the UK but their single "Baby It's You" became a smash hit in Europe (especially in Germany where it reached number 4 in the charts) in February 1979 and Promises received a Gold album for more than 260,000 selling units. The song was also hugely popular in Australia, largely due to weekly programming of the original film clip on Sunday evening television music show Countdown. The song was subsequently released on a highly popular compilation album in that market. It also reached number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart for five weeks. "Baby It's You" was also a success in South Africa, also appearing on Volume 7 of that country's long running compilation album series Pop Shop. The video received a lot of airplay on South African television too. Under manager Toby Mamis, the group entered the studio to record a U.S. album on Capitol Records produced by Jack Nitzsche, but discordance with that producer resulted in the plug being pulled on the sessions.

After the second single "Let's Get Back Together" became much less successful (only number 18 in Germany), the group split.

Leslie Knauer (Knauer-Wasser during a relationship with photographer Julian Wasser) later became a member with the groups Precious Metal (1983-1992) represented by music attorney Stann Findelle, who made their first recording deal with Polygram and the group went on to also record on Chameleon Records, and Kanary (2004) and sang two songs for the Dennis Hopper movie, Choke (2001).

Discography

Albums

Singles

External links