BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986
“The Flame” is the fourth single released by the Duran Duran offshoot band, Arcadia. It was released by Parlophone Records in 1986 and was the group’s third UK single. It reached number 58 in the UK Singles Chart. In the U.S. the single was released on Capitol Records and did not chart.
The campy, slapstick video was made in the retro style of an Edwardian-era drawing room murder mystery, à la Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock. The storyline revolved around a series of comic disasters that befall an awkward, nerdish character (played by Simon Le Bon) and his girlfriend while visiting a haunted house. Nick Rhodes plays the debonair host of the dinner party at the house, and he frequently uses Le Bon as his comic stooge for a number of macabre and mildly sadistic sight gags. Various unsavory bits of business ensues with revolving walls, trapdoors and mysterious assassins hidden behind paintings and within exotic taxidermied animals. The slapstick comic interplay between Rhodes and Le Bon is faintly reminiscent of Abbott and Costello.
At one point, John Taylor (at the time a member of The Power Station, the other Duran Duran side project) comes out of the closet with a contract for the band to sign. This is an especially pointed inside joke, as it was around this time that the three remaining Duran Duran members were preparing to write and record their next album, Notorious, while in legal negotiations with their now-estranged guitarist Andy Taylor.
The video’s treatment is said to have been written by Rhodes and the various near-fatal pratfalls that occur to Le Bon’s character was intended as punishment for his decision to enter the Fastnet yachting race that almost cost him his life in August 1985.
In fact, Le Bon was in the middle of the South American leg of the 1986 Whitbread Round the World yacht race when he had to fly to Spain in April to shoot the video. He then flew straight back to rejoin his team in Uruguay.
The video was directed by longtime collaborator Russell Mulcahy.
SIDE A:
The Flame (Extended Remix) 7:16
Mixed By – Nile Rodgers
SIDE B:
Flame Game (Yo Homeboy Mix) 2:48
Mixed By – Nile Rodgers
Election Day (Early Rough Mix) 9:05
Mixed By – Larry Alexander
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Parlophone Odeon Series – 12 NSR 3
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
CREDITS:
Engineer – James Farber
Engineer [Second Engineer] – Knut Bohn*
Photography By – Dean Chamberlain (2)
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Arcadia (3)
Sleeve [Sleeve Produced By] – Assorted Images
Written-By – Rhodes*, Taylor*, Le Bon*
NOTES:
2-digit numeric code on front sleeve reads:
52 02 24 46 00 32 42 02 44 00 40 12 00 26 38 16 40 24
= S T E P _ I N T O _ M Y _ F L A M E
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Schiit Mani
Soundcard: ESI Juli@ XTe Audio Interface
Monitiring: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
Username: btg
Password: burningtheground
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Hey Paul. Love what you are doing. Keep it up!
The only obscurity on this great pop gem is Miss Grace Jones spoken vocals. You should tag her. She alone is worth this!
Thanks Paul,
Another great choice.
I didn’t like arcadia at all, because election day didn’t
do anything for me.
But their other singles were ok, and this was alright too.
I don’t know if this would be obscure 80’s though, but I guess
the single was at the time.
Thanks for more side projects, and bringing them back again
for people to hear and enjoy.
later
-1
Thanks for the Early Rough Mix of Election Day. Never heard it before.
Another gem, Paul! I always wished Arcadia released more than just one album. There was something unique and fantastic about this music that was always different than the Duran Duran music.
I don’t have Election Day (Early Rough Mix) in my huge Arcadia track collection. Thank you very much for such rarity, dear Paul!
The Flame was the first Arcadia 12inch I bought back then, a different edition without Election day, though. All the other 12inches I bought instantly afterwards. The video was and is ballbouncingly funny, to quote Blackadder aka Rowan Atkinson. It is included on the 2Cd+DVD collectors edition of “So Red The Rose“.
Love it Paul.
Excellent choice.
This band has been on my mind lately. Thank you Paul for furthering their output here on BTG. Crazy, but before I saw this post, I was playing “American Science” by Duran Duran because of Justin Strauss yesterday. I guess the guys were on my mind.
Jeff
Love “American Science” one of my favorite tracks from the band. Hope you and Karen are safe from the storms. 🙂
Thanks Paul. Loved this single by Simon & Nick.
Roger was also part of the group on drums but he is not always credited.