Naked Eyes — “(What) In The Name Of Love”

Entered Top 40:  September 29, 1984
2  weeks 
Peaked at: 39

When we last encountered Naked Eyes, I was getting on them for becoming undistinguishable from a lot of other early ’80s synth acts. With “(What) In the Name of Love,” I don’t think they help their case much. This was the lead (and only) single from their second LP, and it never took off despite guidance from dance/early hip-hop producer Arthur Baker and a music video that tried to get their personalities out there more. In fact without the video’s end credits, I wouldn’t have caught on to the thing about “(What) In the Name of Love” that carries the most relevance in 2024: the early appearance by a contemporary reality-TV star. Give it a look. Or just scroll to the end; I’ll never know.

Naked Eyes would split after this; Pete Byrne moved to California in 1984 and became a session musician; he also wrote an early song for The Olsen Twins. Rob Fisher would form Climie Fisher with Simon Climie, and they’d end up bigger worldwide than Naked Eyes; they’re best known in the US for “Love Changes Everything” (#23 in 1988). Fisher passed away in 1999. Pete Byrne started playing and recording as Naked Eyes again in the 2000s; he/they are presently on an “Abducted by the ’80s” tour with other B5 friends of 1984, Wang Chung and The Motels.