This version was pressed on 'silver' vinyl. It is not real silver, of course, but it is shiny and rather beautiful, even if the edge has yellowed a bit. I haven't played the song in a long while but when I did I still remembered every word. That's Eighties music for you.
My collection: 7" single no. 7391
Found: Flashback Records, London, 21 October 2024
Tracks: 'Send my heart' / 'These children (live)'
The beautiful folk-inspired track 'Bright new morning' was lifted from the Adventures' third album 'Trading secrets with the moon' and released as its second single. If there was any justice in the world, this single would have become a massive hit, but like the album it sunk without a trace.
The Adventures combined pop/rock with a folk music sound for their third album, 'Trading secrets with the moon'. Released in early 1990, the album failed to capitalise on their earlier success and only appeared briefly on the UK albums chart, stalling at number 64.
The Adventures debuted in 1984 with the album 'Theodore and friends' which has recently been released on cd by Cherry Red records (Buy it here). The fourth and final single taken from that album was released after the relative success of 'Send my heart' and 'Feel the raindrops'.
The Adventures released their most successful album 'The sea of love' in 1988. It reached number 30 in the UK albums chart and remained in that chart for 10 week. It was certified silver (for 60,000 copies sold) a year after its release.
Between 1986 and 1988, things went quiet around the Adventures. During this time, main songwriter Pat Gribben composed some songs, the band left Chrysalis Records and signed to Elektra Records.
'The RM EP is to pop music what lion were to the Romans. A veritable signal post in the history of popular music, it is graced by the noble presence of New Order - already well establish in the halls of the gods. Hipsway, up and vying for a throne therin, the Adventures - another young and strong contender - and, last but not least, Raymonde, tipped by many as one of the most exciting newcomers this year. This is the RM EP - play it morning, noon and night'.
When the Adventures released their second single 'Send my heart', it was promoted with a limited edition double single, featuring the first single 'Another silent day' as disc two. For the longest time I searched for this double single; my sister bought it when it came out, but I couldn't find it and had to wait until 1990 to find my copy.
There's something really alluring to early Eighties remixes: they are always based on the original recording, they are just longer. Echo effects, instrumental passages, and sometimes extra choruses are used to give the listener that extended listening experience.
Almost a decade before I bought the 12" single of 'Feel the raindrops', I bought the 7" single. It was one of the best tracks of 1985 in my opinion, and after the beautiful 'Send my heart', this was another track I instantly fell in love with.
Lead vocalist Terry Sharpe and guitarist Pat Gribben first worked together when in 1978 they joined the punk band Starjets. This band disbanded in the early 1980s. Sharpe and Gribben then formed The Adventures in early 1984 with Gribben's wife, Eileen, Gerard Murphy, Tony Ayre and Paul Crowder. They signed to Chrysalis Records and were taken on by upcoming manager, Simon Fuller, who saw them achieve much publicity and promotion in the music press.
During my 1989 shopping spree in London, I bought several singles 'by association'. I'd heard from the artist and assumed that the single I didn't know would be as good as the ones I did know. 'One step from heaven' by the Adventures is one of the best examples. I liked 'Broken land' and 'Drowning in the sea of love', both singles from the album 'The sea of love', but I absolutely loved this single when I finally heard it after the holiday. It's got everything: a good melody, strong drums, powerful vocals. It's a mystery to me why it didn't become a hit anywhere.
The Adventures released their debut album 'Theodore and Friends' in 1985. It featured the track 'Send my heart', as well as the earlier single 'Another silent day' and this one, 'Feel the raindrops'. All three singles were minor hits in the UK, but despite a world tour supporting Tears for fears, they didn't manage more success than that.
The Adventures were a rock band from Belfast (Ireland). They moved to London to sign with Chrysalis records and release their first records in 1984. Their second single was 'Send my heart'. It reached the lower regions of the UK charts.
