1988 When In Rome – When In Rome

When In Rome are an English synth-pop/new wave group, which originally consisted of vocalists Clive Farrington and Andrew Mann, and keyboardist Michael Floreale. They are best known for their 1988 single “The Promise”, which was their only Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. As of July 2012, there were two bands using the When in Rome name.

The band was signed to Virgin UK subsidiary 10 Records, and their self-titled debut album was released on 3 May 1988. Producers Ben Rogan (who had worked with Sade) and Richard James Burgess took special interest in the trio’s song “The Promise”, issued first as a 12″ dance disc. When the song became popular, hitting the top of Billboard’s Dance Club Play chart, Virgin ordered an album. A remixed version of “The Promise” was the album’s first single. It was an instant success, barely missing the top ten in the United States, peaking at No. 11. Months later, the trio reached Billboard’s pop chart’s lower reaches for the last time with “Heaven Knows” (No. 95, 1990). Additional singles did little on the charts, and the group ultimately faded away.