NOTES

Promise Nothing was a compilation album that combined Virginia’s Why-Fi recorded material, including the tracks from the A Bao A Qu EP, ‘Love’s A Lonely Place To Be’ single and two tracks from her debut album From Gardens Where We Feel Secure.

Promise Nothing was licensed to the Sire label in Canada, the Les Disques du Crèpuscule label in Belgium and the Nippon Columbia label in Japan. This release was issued in Belgium through Les Disques Du Crépuscule, although copies did appear in UK shops.

Prior to this release, Virginia had expressed unhappiness with her time on Why-Fi and, as a result, parted ways with the label. Promise Nothing was a release that Why-Fi were able to produce following Virginia’s departure, although she was unhappy with the record itself.

Virginia expressed her dissatisfaction in an article in Blitz magazine in 1985. "I was really annoyed when it first came out because there was all this material that I'd written and which was presented out of context as a new LP by me. It came in a really horrible scratchboard sleeve design that would have been better if had REALLY been done by a child. On the front was a picture of someone drowning, it was as if they'd said, 'Oh yes, she's a morbid girl, put something depressing on the sleeve.' I wrote and told them how much I hated what they had done and now I find out they've re-released it without telling me. The sleeve is better but it's still giving the impression that it's a new LP. I'm sick of it."

'We Will Meet Them Again', Arctic Death', 'Angels Crying' and 'Sanctus' had originally appeared on the 1982 EP A Ba A Qu (also the first release by Virginia on the Why-Fi label).

'We Will Meet Them Again' featured words taken from a translation of Gustav Mahler's Kindertotenlieder (Songs On The Death Of Children). The melody for this song was also used by Virginia for the song 'Joy' which features on the Richard Jobson album The Ballad Of Etiquette.

The melody for 'Angels Crying' was also used as incidental music on the track 'A Long Absence (Un Entetien Avec Marguerite Duras)' from the Les Disques Du Crépuscule compilation album The Fruit Of The Original Sin.

'Love's A Lonely Place To Be' was released as a single in January 1983. The song emerged during sessions at the home studio of producer/engineer Phil Chapman in 1982, co-engineered & produced with Jon Astley (Virginia's musician/producer brother). On its released, it reached No. 7 in the UK Independent charts.

'Soaring' was written by Russell Webb, who also worked with Virginia on her 1983 debut album From Gardens Where We Feel Secure. Two versions were recorded, with one featured as the B-side to 'Love's A Lonely Place To Be', while a more polished, smoother version appears here.

'Futility' features words taken from the Wilfred Owen poem of the same name set to music composed by Virginia. This is a remixed version of the track which originally featured on the cassette compilation Mighty Reel (4 lines of vocals have been mixed out to allow prominence for the oboe).

'A Summer Long Since Passed' originally appeared as a B-side track on the 12" version of 'Love's A Lonely Place To Be' and subsequently appeared on Virginia's debut album From Gardens Where We Feel Secure.

TRIVIA

'We Will Meet Them Again', Arctic Death' and 'Angels Crying' had previously formed part of the live set by The Ravishing Beauties during their support slot for The Teardrop Explodes.

'A Summer Long Since Passed' was titled 'A Summer Long Since Past' when it appeared on the album From Gardens Where We Feel Secure.