"Looking for Clues" is a song by English musician Robert Palmer, released in 1980 as the second single from his sixth studio album Clues. Written and produced by Palmer, "Looking for Clues" reached number 33 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 5 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100.
A music video was filmed to promote the single. It was one of the videos to be aired on MTV's first day of broadcasting, on 1 August 1981.
Critical reception Upon its release as a single, Cash Box selected "Looking for Clues" as one of their feature picks in November 1980. They commented, "Palmer's been around awhile, but musically, he continues to shift gears and develop as an artist. He has created an immensely infectious little electronic boogie, half pop, half funk, to support his high, multi-tracked vocals, with a neat vibe break."Cash Box newspaper - November 22, 1980 - Reviews: singles - page 15 In a retrospective review of Clues, Donald A. Guarisco of AllMusic described the song as "a clever slice of new wave pop that surprises the listener with an unexpected xylophone solo". Ultimate Classic Rock included the song as one of Palmer's top 10 songs in a retrospective look at his career.
Track listings 7-inch single "Looking for Clues" – 4:15 "What Do You Care" – 2:44
7-inch single (UK/Philippines/Netherlands release) "Looking for Clues" – 4:15 "Good Care of You" – 2:24
7-inch single (UK alternative release) "Looking for Clues" – 4:15 "In Walks Love Again" – 2:48
7-inch single (US/Canada release) "Looking for Clues" – 4:08 "Woke Up Laughing" – 3:36
12-inch single (UK release) "Looking for Clues" (long version) - 4:51 "Good Care of You" – 2:24 "Style Kills" – 4:16
12-inch single (European release) "Looking for Clues" – 4:53 "Johnny and Mary" – 3:59
Personnel Robert Palmer – vocals, bass, percussion, producer Jack Waldman – keyboards Kenny Mazur – guitar Dony Wynn – drums Chris Frantz – bass drum Alex Sadkin – engineer, mixing David Harper – executive producer Ted Jensen – mastering
Charts Weekly charts Chart (1980–1981)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)23US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 1005
Year-end charts +Year-end chart performance for "Looking for Clues" Chart (1981) PositionAustralia (Kent Music Report) 80
References