"Don't Tell Me Lies" is the title of the debut single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 by the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 pop

Pop music

Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 group Breathe

Breathe (band)

Breathe were a London based group formed in the early 1980s.-Career:Originally a larger, five-person band called Catch 22, all the members were actually childhood friends who went to Yateley School together in Hampshire where they lived. They later trimmed down to a quartet. Phill Harrison left to...

. It was written by group members David Glasper (lead vocals) and Marcus Lillington (guitar, keyboard).

The song was recorded in the mid 1980s, shortly after the formation of the original lineup of the group. Released as a single in the UK in early 1986, the song was a modest success, reaching #77 on the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 and providing the group with their first national exposure. By 1987, Breathe had secured an album deal, and the result of that was their debut, All That Jazz

All That Jazz (Breathe album)

All That Jazz is the title of the debut album by the British pop group Breathe, released in April 1988. The album peaked at #22 on the UK Albums Chart and at #34 on the US albums chart. It has been certified Silver in the UK by the BPI and Gold in the US by the RIAA.The group's first single, "Don't...

. Original pressings of the album did not contain "Don't Tell Me Lies", but the track was added on subsequent pressings soon after.

Following the international success of other singles from the album ("Hands to Heaven

Hands to Heaven

"Hands to Heaven" is the title of a popular song released in 1987 and peaking on the charts in 1988 by the British pop group Breathe...

", "How Can I Fall?

How Can I Fall?

"How Can I Fall?" is the title of a 1988 song by the British pop group Breathe. The song was written by group members David Glasper and Marcus Lillington and appears on their debut album, All That Jazz....

"), "Don't Tell Me Lies" was re-issued as a single in the UK and released as the group's third single in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The song made a bigger impact on the British pop chart this time round, peaking at #45 in March 1989. Following in the success of their previous singles in the US, the song became Breathe's third consecutive Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 chart, where it peaked at #10; it was also embraced by adult contemporary radio

Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks

The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...

, where the song reached #5.

The song is more uptempo than the ballads for which Breathe had become associated, with a greater emphasis on horns and percussion. To date, this was the group's last US Top 10 hit.

Chart performance

Chart (1987–1989)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	77
US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	10
US Billboard Adult Contemporary	5