No Promises

The first time No Promises played live, it wasn’t just another song: it was born as part of Boxes, a collaboration between Icehouse and dancer Graeme Murphy’s company at the Sydney Opera House in late 1985. That stage, where movement and sound intertwined, gave the track a distinct aura from the start. When it was released as a single in October of that year, the song already carried that hybrid energy—between new wave and danceable pop—that would define Icehouse at the time. The original version, nearly six minutes long, was trimmed for radio, but even in its compact form, it retained that melodic hook that helped it climb the Australian charts, reaching number 30 in February 1986.

The track was produced by Iva Davies and Rhett Davies, with Warne Livesey handling the mix, and was recorded in 1985 as a preview for Measure for Measure. In Europe and the United States, the single was released with altered track listings tailored to each market: in the UK and continental Europe, it was issued by Chrysalis Records on 7" and 12" vinyl, while in Oceania, it was distributed by Regular Records. More than a decade later, in 2002, a remix by (Love) Tattoo appeared on the album Meltdown, proving the song still resonated decades after its debut. Two music videos were filmed to promote it; one, directed by Dieter Trattmann, became a visual reflection of the atmosphere the song already conveyed.