Every New Zealand #1 single…
10
Would I Lie To You? by Charles and Eddie
Topped the NZ chart for 2 weeks from 6 December 1992
Four acts monopolised the NZ #1 number-one spot between 6 September 1992 and 4 April 1993. Billy Ray Cyrus’ ‘Achy Breaky Heart’, Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’, and Boyz II Men’s ‘End of the Road‘ all topped the charts for weeks. Boyz II Men also returned to the top with ‘In the Still of the Nite (I’ll Remember)’.
Charles and Eddie’s ‘Would I Lie To You’ also topped the charts in this period, albeit only for two weeks. But it’s the strongest of the bunch, charming and soulful.
Charles & Eddie
Charles Pettigrew and Eddie Chacon met on the C Train in the New York City Subway in 1990. According to Chacon, one carried a vinyl copy of Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man.
Pettigrew was from Philadelphia. ‘Would I Lie To You’ sounds like a 1990s update on the Philly soul sound. It also recalls the smooth Northern soul of the early 1970s.
Meanwhile, Chacon is from California. He formed his first band at 12 – improbably, the band also included Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin.
The duo started recording their debut album, Duophonic, in 1991. ‘Would I Lie To You?’ was one of the few songs from outside writers.
My verdict
When ‘Would I Lie To You?’ was released, I was 12. It felt like an irresistible guilty pleasure. In hindsight, it stands as a great record.
The chorus is a massive adrenaline rush with the melody, strings, and Pettigrew’s sweet voice. The low-key verses are an effective contrast – the song would be exhausting if it kept going at full-tilt.
Amp Fiddler, who worked with George Clinton in the 1980s and 1990s and with Enchantment, plays keyboards.
Charles and Eddie only made two albums together. They split amicably after 1995’s Chocolate Milk. Pettigrew worked with Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz in the Tom Tom Club. He was diagnosed with cancer in the late 1990s and passed away in 2001, at 37.
Eddie Chacon resurfaced as a recording artist in the 2020s. His recent albums are surprisingly strong, a rare comeback from a one-hit wonder.
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Love this one. Great soulful pop tune.
Yeah, it holds up really well. So much sweetness and enthusiasm, and an undeniable hook.
It’s a soulful, smooth and pretty catchy song, and I much prefer it over the other three NZ no.1 hits you noted.
Yeah, I like End of the Road, but it’s a bit too long and plodding – other two are pretty painful IMO.
Love Would I Lie To You?….upbeat with a touch of seventies….whats not to like? I love the sound they got…
It sounds pretty low-key next to End of the Road and I Will Always Love You, but I’m sure it was expensive to make still.