The Flame

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Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
The Flame
  DE 32 08/29/1988 (10 weeks)
  UK 77 06/18/1988 (11 weeks)
  US 1Template: Infobox chart placements / maintenance / NR1 link 04/09/1988 (27 weeks)

The Flame is a 1988 Cheap Trick song , written by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. It appeared on the album Lap of Luxury .

history

The ballad The Flame , stylistically assigned to pop rock and soft rock , was released on April 5, 1988. In July of that year, the song reached the top position in the US charts , which it occupied for a total of two weeks. The title also became a number one hit in Canada and Australia. With this success, which also had a positive effect on the sales of the album Lap of Luxury , which was released in spring 1988 , the band was able to overcome their commercial low, which had lasted since the early 1980s.

Allegedly, the band initially didn't like the song. Rick Nielsen's aversion even went so far that he tore the cassette with the title from the recorder during an audio sample and destroyed it with a boot.

In an interview with Gerry Galipault, drummer Bun E. Carlos said: "Tom Petersson rejoined in 1988, and then the vice president at Epic Records told us he had these two songs and they're both gonna be # 1. He goes, 'We got one for you and one for the group Chicago, but you can have first choice. ' He said, 'I think the one' The Flame 'would be good for you guys.' The other one was' Look Away, 'and it sounded like some girl singing on the demo. We really didn't like that song anyway, so' Sure, we'll do 'The Flame.' We're game. '"(German:" Tom Peterson came back in 1988 and the Vice President of Epic Records said he had two songs and both of them were going to be number one hits. He said,' We have one for you and one for the band Chicago but you can choose first, 'adding,' The Flame would suit you. 'The other track was Look Away and it sounded like a girl was singing on the demo, we didn't like it , but recorded it anyway. ")

Since its release, the title has been part of the band's standard repertoire at their live concerts. A previously unreleased live version can be found on the Authorized Greatest Hits album from 2000, and another can be found on the 2001 album Silver .

In the review for the song Allmusic wrote : "The lush power ballad" The Flame "was penned by two British songwriters, but the band made it their own with Robin Zander's sobbing vocal dramatics and the haunting tones of Rick Nielsen's mandocello chiming behind the guitar and keyboard backing. The lyrics, almost always an afterthought in romantic power ballads, often hint at the Police / "Every Breath You Take" 's school of disguising unhealthy obsession as sentimentality; the singer, unable to let go of his first love, which can be taken either as a scorned lover trying to see his failed romance as somehow cosmically ordained anyway, or as a vaguely disturbing intimation of stalking. It's more likely that the latter interpretation was completely unintentional, though, since the band's straight-ahead reading plays up the heartstring-tugging bombast. It was a perfect fit for the late-'80s' power ballad / happy pop radio, and it was much better crafted than many similar offerings from the same period (most of which were by bands who had been influenced, indirectly or otherwise, by Cheap Trick themselves). While it isn't the most inventive song the band ever recorded, "The Flame" is an undeniable part of their legacy, and a well-deserved, better-late-than-never, chart-topping popular success. " "The lush power ballad was written by two British songwriters, but the band gave it its own twist with Robin Zander's sobbing vocal drama and the haunting sounds of mandoloncello paired with guitar and keyboard. The lyrics, almost always an afterthought in romantic power ballads, orient themselves to Every Breath You Take by the Police to dress, unhealthy obsession as sentimentality, the singer who his true love does not let go. This can be viewed either as a despised lover who tries ordained his failed romance as somehow cosmically seen, or as vague, disturbing hint of stalking - it is likely that the latter interpretation is inadvertent, although the band is ger goodbye exposes the heartbreaking bombast. This works well for late 1980s power ballads, and it came across better than its peers (most of which were from bands that were influenced indirectly or in some other way by Cheap Trick). While not the most inventive song the band has ever recorded, The Flame is an indisputable part of their legacy and a well-deserved "better-late-than-never" hit. ")

The Rolling Stone wrote in its review of the album about the song: "Emotional singing and an affecting Nielsen solo make" The Flame "memorable, if not quite equal to the band's best ballads." (German: "The emotional vocals and Nielsen's poignant solo make The Flame unforgettable, maybe even on par with the best ballads of the band.")

Music video

A music video was released for the song, which is shown frequently on MTV . In the video, Nielsen plays a guitar that was also featured on her album The Doctor . Paul Flattery was the producer and Jim Yukich was the director.

Cover versions

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chart placements: chartsurfer.de . Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  2. ^ Cheap trick . AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  3. ↑ a b Steve Huey: The Flame . AllMusic. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  4. ^ Suzanne Bourgoin: Contemporary Musicians . Gale, 1994, ISBN 978-0-810-38553-5 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
  5. ^ The Flame by Cheap Trick Songfacts . Songfacts.com. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  6. ↑ Richie Unterberger: Authorized Greatest Hits - Cheap Trick . AllMusic. August 29, 2000. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  7. ↑ Cheap Trick - Silver at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  8. ↑ Ira Robbins: Lap Of Luxury | Album Reviews . Rolling Stone. June 2, 1988. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  9. Jump up ↑ Cheap Trick - The Flame . YouTube. June 22, 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
  10. ↑ Rod Stewart-tonight he's yours, live at the LA Forum, Eat to the beat, Slipstream . Copyrightencyclopedia.com. Retrieved January 31, 2013.