"The First Picture of You" is the debut single by the new wave group The Lotus Eaters. The song was first recorded during a John Peel Radio 1 session in 1982 and when aired, stimulated a bidding war between major UK record labels. It took some time for the band to find the right producer for this delicate, acoustic sound, but they eventually teamed up with Nigel Gray, who had produced The Police

The Police

The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...

 and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Recorded at Surrey Sound Studios in Leatherhead

Leatherhead

Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...

, the track features session bassist Alan Spenner, well known for his work with Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker

John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...

 and Roxy Music

Roxy Music

Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...

. Former Cure and Associates bassist Michael Dempsey

Michael Dempsey

Michael Dempsey is a bassist from England, who has performed as a member of several post-punk and New Wave bands including The Cure and Associates.-Early years:...

 joined soon after and is featured on the rest of the band's debut album.

The song came to typify the dreamlike ambience of British summer of the early 1980s and received more UK radio plays in 1983 than any other song. "The First Picture of You" was a top 20 hit in 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 ...

, peaking at number fifteen after the band had twice appeared on BBC TV's Top of the Pops. The follow-up single, "You Don't Need Someone New", scraped into the UK Top 40, but this and subsequent songs were more successful for the band in France, Italy, Japan and The Philippines.

"The First Picture of You" is still aired regularly on UK BBC and independent radio. Veteran DJ Peter Powell

Peter Powell

Peter Powell may refer to:*Peter Powell , British DJ*Peter Powell , inventor of a dual-line, steerable model of flying kite...

 cites it as being his all-time favourite song.

Norwegian singer Anne Marie Almedal covered the song on her 2007 album, The Siren and the Stage.