Promises (group)
Encyclopedia
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 250,000 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).
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
based pop group which was founded 1978 in Thousand Oaks, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. 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
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
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 250,000 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
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of counting backward to indicate the seconds, days, or other time units remaining before an event occurs or a deadline expires. Typical events for which a countdown is used include the launch of a rocket or spacecraft, the detonation of a bomb, the start of a race, and the...
. 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
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Choke (2001).
