I Can See It

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"I Can See It"
Blancmange I Can See It 1986 Single Cover.jpg
Single by Blancmange
from the album Believe You Me
B-side"Scream Down the House"
ReleasedApril 1986[1]
GenreSynthpop
Length4:12
LabelLondon Records
Songwriter(s)Neil Arthur, Stephen Luscombe
Producer(s)Greg Walsh
Blancmange singles chronology
"Lose Your Love"
(1985) 		"I Can See It"
(1986) 		"Drive Me"
(2011)

"I Can See It" is a song by English synthpop duo Blancmange, released in 1986 as a non-album single. The song is a re-recorded version of "Why Don't They Leave Things Alone?", which appeared on the duo's third studio album Believe You Me, released in 1985. It was written by Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe, and produced by Greg Walsh. "I Can See It" reached No. 71 in the UK, which was the duo's last appearance on the chart.[2] Shortly after the single's release, Blancmange decided to disband.[3]

"I Can See It" was recorded at Eel Pie Studios in London, while the B-side, "Scream Down the House" was recorded at the Strongroom, London.[1] The song's music video was directed by Gerald Casale.[4]

Critical reception[]

Upon release, Ian Cranner of Smash Hits described "Why Don't They Leave Things Alone?" as the "best song on their disappointing Believe You Me LP" and said as "I Can See It", the song had been "reworked into an absolute cracker. Blancmange are fairly hit-and-miss, mostly due to their healthy madness being channelled into rhythms rather than tunes - but this has the best of both worlds. If you don't make it a hit, me and Blancmange are going to be very annoyed."[5] Dave Ling of Number One said: "Hardly an obvious hit for Blancmange. This newie is quite an anonymous offering by comparison [to "Lose Your Love"]. In fact, without knowing who the artist was beforehand you'd be hard pushed to guess correctly. That's not to say it's an awful record, just stunningly average."[6] Betty Page of Record Mirror stated: "Gently persuasive, but needs a few concentrated listens before its charms become apparent. The Neil Arthur here is nothing like the Neil Arthur we used to know and lurve from 'Living on the Ceiling' days."[7]

In a review of the 2017 deluxe edition of Believe You Me, Paul Scott-Bates of Louder Than War described the song as a "medium paced tune about the state of the World". He added: "[It] was given what can only be described as a complete destruction an re-piecing together into "I Can See It". The song became arguably the bands finest single and the 12" extended version was nothing short of superb."[8] The Electricity Club commented that the original song was one of the album's "finer moments", adding that "the use of cello and flute lends the finished piece a quiet quality".[9] In a retrospective review of Believe You Me, Bill Cassel of AllMusic described "Why Don't They Leave Things Alone?" as the "loveliest, saddest ballad Blancmange ever recorded". He selected the song as an AMG Pick Track.[10]

Track listing[]

7" single
  1. "I Can See It" – 4:07
  2. "Scream Down the House" – 4:08
12" single
  1. "I Can See It (Extended)" – 7:58
  2. "Scream Down the House" – 4:08
12" single (UK promo)
  1. "I Can See It (Bonus Beats)" – 10:15
  2. "Scream Down the House" – 4:08

Chart performance[]

Chart (1986) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[2] 71

Personnel[]

Blancmange
  • Neil Arthur – lead vocals, arranger on "I Can See It", producer of "Scream Down the House"
  • Stephen Luscombe – keyboards, synthesizers
Additional personnel
  • Greg Walsh – producer and arranger of "I Can See It"
  • Brian Evans - engineer on "I Can See It"
  • Phil Bodger - engineer on "Scream Down the House"
  • Tony Bridge - mastering on "I Can See It"
Other
  • Stylorouge - design
  • Mick Brownfield - illustration

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Blancmange - I Can See It / Scream Down The House - London - UK - BLANC 11". 45cat. 2014-09-12. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "BLANCMANGE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  3. ^ electricityclub (2017-07-03). "BLANCMANGE The Blanc Tapes". The Electricity Club. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
  4. ^ "TV & Video: Euroclips". Music & Media. 5 April 1986.
  5. ^ Smash Hits magazine - Singles - Ian Cranner - 7–20 May 1986 - page 41
  6. ^ Number One magazine - Singles - Dave Ling - 26 April 1986 - page 38
  7. ^ Page, Betty (3 May 1986). "Singles". Record Mirror. p. 10.
  8. ^ "Blancmange: Believe You Me Deluxe Edition - album review". Louder Than War. 2017-07-30. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  9. ^ "BLANCMANGE – The Blanc Tapes". The Electricity Club. 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  10. ^ AllMusic Review by Bill Cassel. "Believe You Me - Blancmange | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
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