There are some episodes of Stuck in the ’80s that I look forward to recording. And then there are episodes I wish I never had to make.
This week, we’re remembering Pete Byrne, the unmistakable voice of Naked Eyes, who has passed away at age 74. For millions of us who grew up in the ’80s, Pete’s voice was part of the soundtrack of our lives. For me, he was also a friend.
That’s what makes this episode a little different. It’s not simply a tribute to a musician whose songs I loved. It’s a chance to revisit a conversation with someone who became an unexpected and cherished part of my life through this wonderfully strange thing we call podcasting.
Naked Eyes and the Soundtrack of the ’80s
If you were listening to the radio or watching MTV in 1983, you couldn’t escape Naked Eyes. And why would you want to?
Pete Byrne and keyboardist Rob Fisher gave us two of the most enduring synth-pop classics of the decade: “Always Something There to Remind Me” and “Promises, Promises.”
Their interpretation of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song “Always Something There to Remind Me” became a massive American hit, reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Promises, Promises” followed it into the Top 20, peaking at No. 11.
Both songs remain essential entries in the great ’80s songbook. They’re also wonderful examples of something British musicians seemed particularly adept at during the decade: making heartbreak sound like an excellent excuse to buy a synthesizer.
And Pete’s voice was the common thread. He had a way of making those songs feel simultaneously vulnerable and impossibly cool. You could dance to them, sing along with them or quietly suffer through your latest romantic disaster while pretending everything was fine.
Not that I have any personal experience with that last one. Certainly not in 1983.
When an Interview Becomes a Friendship
Pete was one of the artists I interviewed during the early days of Stuck in the ’80s, back when podcasting was still something of a mystery and I was figuring things out as I went along.
I never imagined that a show born out of my affection for the music, movies and pop culture of the ’80s would eventually allow me to develop friendships with some of the people who helped create that culture.
But that’s exactly what happened with Pete.
What began as an interview grew into a friendship. And while I’ve had the privilege of talking with some remarkable artists over the past 21 years, those personal connections remain among the greatest gifts this podcast has given me.
There’s something pretty remarkable about getting to know someone whose music you grew up listening to. Somewhere along the way, the person behind the songs becomes more than a voice on the radio or a face on MTV.
They become someone you’re genuinely happy to hear from.
Pete was one of those people.
Revisiting My Interview With Pete Byrne
For this special episode of Stuck in the ’80s, I’m going solo to revisit that early interview with Pete.
Listening to an old conversation with someone you’ve lost is a strange experience. You hear their voice, their laughter and the little moments you might not have appreciated quite as much the first time around.
And suddenly, for a little while, they’re right there with you again.
After more than two decades of recording interviews, I’m beginning to appreciate that our podcast archives are more than a collection of conversations about the ’80s. They’re little time capsules of the people who made the decade special.
Sometimes, they’re time capsules of people we were lucky enough to call friends.
I hope you’ll join me in remembering Pete Byrne, celebrating the music of Naked Eyes and revisiting a conversation that means considerably more to me today than it did when we first recorded it.
Thank you for the music, Pete. And thank you for the friendship.
There will always be something there to remind me of you.