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How Many Lies?

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"How Many Lies"
Single by Spandau Ballet
from the album Through the Barricades
B-side"Communication" (live)
Released2 February 1987[1]
Recorded1986
Length
  • 4:34 (single version)
  • 5:21 (album version)
  • 5:24 (instrumental version)
LabelCBS
Songwriter(s)Gary Kemp
Producer(s)
Spandau Ballet singles chronology
"Through the Barricades"
(1986) 		"How Many Lies"
(1987) 		"Raw"
(1988)

"How Many Lies" is a song by English new wave band Spandau Ballet, released as the third single from their 1986 album Through the Barricades. It charted in several countries but received mixed reviews. It was the band's last UK top 40 single.

Release and commercial performance

"How Many Lies" was released in the UK on 2 February 1987[1] and peaked at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] It also reached number 5 in Italy,[3] number 17 in Ireland,[4] number 23 in the Netherlands,[5] number 25 in Belgium,[6] number 32 in Spain,[7] number 66 on the European Hot 100[8] and number 86 in Canada.[9]

Critical reception

Critics were divided in their opinions upon its release. The reviews of the song for US retailers and radio stations in Billboard and Cash Box magazines noted that it was the first single released there from the Through the Barricades album. The editors of Billboard also wrote that the "rueful rock ballad's thrumming choral production recalls the artier days of 10cc."[10] The editors of Cash Box opined, "With distinctive style and sophistication, the group's Epic debut should challenge CHR playlists."[11] Number One's Max Bell wrote, "Worth buying for the lyrics alone", described Kemp's songwriting as a "masterpiece" and Steve Norman's saxophone playing as "majestic", and averred that Hadley's singing "would leave Luciano Pavarotti breathless with admiration".[12] Jane Wilkes of Record Mirror placed her review of the song in the category she labelled "The Pits".[13] Smash Hits guest critic Wayne Hussey wrote, "This is a predictably manicured and mild-mannered song with god-awful sentiments."[14]

Track listings

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "How Many Lies"
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 25
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 86
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[8] 66
Ireland (IRMA)[4] 17
Italy (Musica e dischi)[3] 5
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[18] 25
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[5] 23
Spain (AFYVE)[7] 32
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 34

References

  1. ^ a b "News digest". Record Mirror. 31 January 1987. p. 14. Retrieved 7 April 2022 – via flickr.com.
  2. ^ a b "Spandau Ballet: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "How Many Lies" in the "Titolo" field and press "cerca".
  4. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Spandau Ballet". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Spandau Ballet – How Many Lies?" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Spandau Ballet – How Many Lies?" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  8. ^ a b "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 4, no. 9. 7 March 1987. p. 15. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  9. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7822." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Reviews > Singles > Pop > Picks > Spandau Ballet – How Many Lies" (PDF). Billboard. 21 March 1987. p. 75. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Single Releases >Feature Picks >Spandau Ballet – How Many Lies" (PDF). Cashbox. 21 March 1987. p. 9. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  12. ^ Bell, Max (14 February 1987). "Spandau Ballet: How Many Lies". Number One. No. 191. p. 38. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  13. ^ Wilkes, Jane (7 February 1987). "Spandau Ballet: "How Many Lies"". Record Mirror. Vol. 34, no. 6. p. 12. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  14. ^ Hussey, Wayne (28 January – 10 February 1987). "Spandau Ballet: "How Many Lies"". Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 2. p. 49. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  15. ^ How Many Lies (7-inch single liner notes). Spandau Ballet. CBS. 1987. SPANS2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ How Many Lies (7-inch single liner notes). Spandau Ballet. Epic Records. 1987. 34-06664.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ How Many Lies (12-inch single liner notes). Spandau Ballet. CBS. 1987. SPANST2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 13, 1987" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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