"The Flame" is the fourth single released by the Duran Duran offshoot band,

Arcadia Arcadia may refer to: Places Australia * Arcadia, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney * Arcadia, Queensland * Arcadia, Victoria Greece * Arcadia (region), a region in the central Peloponnese * Arcadia (regional unit), a modern administrative un ...

. 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 The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

Music video

The

campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting ae ...

, slapstick video was made in the retro style of an

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

-era

drawing room A drawing room is a room in a house where visitors may be entertained, and an alternative name for a living room. The name is derived from the 16th-century terms withdrawing room and withdrawing chamber, which remained in use through the 17th cent ...

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 Simon John Charles Le Bon (born 27 October 1958) is a British singer. He is best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the new wave band Duran Duran and its offshoot Arcadia. Le Bon has received three Ivor Novello Awards from the British ...

) and his girlfriend while visiting a haunted house.

Nick Rhodes Nick Rhodes (born Nicholas James Bates, 8 June 1962) is an English keyboardist and producer, best known as a founding member, keyboardist, and only continuous member of the band Duran Duran. He is also informally monikered as "The Controller ...

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 gag In comedy, a visual gag or sight gag is anything which conveys its humour visually, often without words being used at all. The gag may involve a physical impossibility or an unexpected occurrence. The humor is caused by alternative interpretation ...

s. Various unsavory bits of business ensue 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 An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or a private joke, is a joke whose humour is understandable only to members of an ingroup; that is, people who are ''in'' a particular social group, occupation, or other community of shared interest. It i ...

, 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

pratfall Physical comedy is a form of comedy focused on manipulation of the body for a humorous effect. It can include slapstick, clowning, mime, physical stunts, or making funny faces. Physical comedy originated as part of the Commedia dell'arte. It is ...

s 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 Race The Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three or four years since 1973. Originally named the Whitbread Round the World Race after its initiating sponsor, British brewing company Whitbread, in 2001 it became the Volvo Ocean Rac ...

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 Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

. The video was directed by longtime collaborator

Russell Mulcahy Russell Mulcahy ( ; born 23 June 1953) is an Australian film director. Mulcahy's work is recognisable by the use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights, neo-noir lighting, windblown drapery, and fans. He directed music videos ...

Charts

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

All officially released remixes of "The Flame" - the 'Single Remix,' 'Extended Remix' and the 'Yo Homeboy Mix' - were done by Nile Rodgers.

Formats and track listing

7": Parlophone. / NSR 3 (United Kingdom)

# "The Flame" (Remix) - (4:06) # "Flame Game" (Yo Homeboy Mix) - (2:49)

12": Parlophone. / 12 NSR 3 (United Kingdom)

# "The Flame" (Extended Remix) - (7:12) # "Flame Game" (Yo Homeboy Mix) - (2:49) # "Election Day" (Early Rough Mix) - (8:58) * Track 1 is also known as "Extended Mix".

7": Capitol. / B-5570 (United States)

# "The Flame" (Remix) - (4:06) # "Flame Game" (Yo Homeboy Mix) - (2:49)

12": Capitol. / V-15246 (United States)

# "The Flame" (Extended Remix) - (7:18) # "Flame Game" (Yo Homeboy Mix) - (2:49) # "Election Day" (An Early Rough Mix) - (8:58) * Track 1 is a different mix to UK 12 inch. * Track 1 is also known as "Extended Mix". * Track 3 is labelled as "An Early Rough Mix" in the US and is labelled "Early Rough Mix" in the UK.

Other appearances

Albums: * ''

So Red the Rose ''So Red the Rose'' is the only studio album by the Duran Duran-spinoff group Arcadia, released in 1985. It included the singles "Election Day", " Goodbye Is Forever" and " The Flame". The album peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200 in January ...

'' (1985)

Personnel

Arcadia are: *

- vocals *

- keyboards *

Roger Taylor Roger Taylor may refer to: *Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) (born 1949), drummer for Queen *Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer) (born 1960), drummer for Duran Duran *Roger Taylor (author), author of epic fantasy Hawklan series *Roger Taylor (college pr ...

- drums Also credited: *

Alex Sadkin Alex Sadkin (April 9, 1949July 25, 1987) was an American record producer, engineer, mixer and mastering engineer. Sadkin grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida across the street from Bennett Elementary School, and played saxophone in Sunrise Junio ...

- producer and engineer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flame, The 1986 singles Arcadia (band) songs Music videos directed by Russell Mulcahy 1985 songs Parlophone singles Songs written by Simon Le Bon Songs written by John Taylor (bass guitarist) Songs written by Nick Rhodes Song recordings produced by Alex Sadkin