The Downtown Lights
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"The Downtown Lights" is a song by Scottish band
The Blue Nile The Blue Nile was a Scottish band which originated in Glasgow. The group's early music was built heavily on synthesizers and electronic instrumentation and percussion, although later works featured guitar more prominently. Following early champ ...
, released in 1989 as the lead single from their second studio album ''
Hats A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
''. It was written by Paul Buchanan and produced by the band. "The Downtown Lights" reached No. 67 in the UK and remained in the charts for three weeks. It also reached No. 10 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart. The song's music video achieved medium rotation on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
.


Critical reception

Upon its release, ''
Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...
'' wrote: "Moody, slow-stepping material from the Glaswegian trio. A striking choice as a single as this is not the easiest number to programme." Mick Williams of the ''Lennox Herald'' gave the song a 6 out of 10 rating and commented: ""Downtown Lights", while signalling the long-awaited return of Blue Nile, is a trifle disappointing as the band seem to have stood still and failed to progress since their much acclaimed debut disc. Indeed, "Downtown Lights" could be an outtake from the band's '' A Walk Across the Rooftops'' sessions, way back in '84." Lisa Tilston of ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...
'' felt the song was "polite" and "pleasant", but added "nothing much happens except some synth, some singing, and a great bit when the drumming sounds like someone banging on a tupperware box". In a review of ''Hats'', Peter B. King of ''
The Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...
'' commented: "The album's grabber is "The Downtown Lights". Moving along at a stately, machine-driven uptempo, it builds inexorably with layers of synthesizers and drum programs. Buchanan summons images of cigarettes, magazine stands and forlorn figures in stairwells for his tale of longing and fulfillment in the big city." Paul Robicheau of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' wrote: "The group crosses dusky, percolating keyboard layers with the grey vocals of Paul Buchanan to build a subtle splendor on "The Downtown Lights" and "Headlights on the Parade"." David Thigpen of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' commented: "Songs such as "The Downtown Lights" and "Saturday Night" have a sparse, soulful feel that blends the cool, nocturnal languor of
Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ' ...
with the mystical hues of
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
." Jason Ankeny of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
stated: "Tracks like "The Downtown Lights" and "From a Late Night Train" are perfectly evocative of their titles: Rich in romantic atmosphere and detail, they conjure a nocturnal fantasy world lit by neon and shrouded in fog."


Track listing

;7" single #"The Downtown Lights" - 4:40 #"The Wires Are Down" - 5:40 ;12" and CD single #"The Downtown Lights" - 6:26 #"The Wires Are Down" - 5:40 #"Halfway to Paradise" (instrumental) - 2:03 ;12" single (US promo) #"The Downtown Lights" - 6:26 #"The Downtown Lights" - 4:40 #"The Wires Are Down" - 5:40 ;CD single (US promo) #"The Downtown Lights" (Album version) - 6:26 #"The Downtown Lights" (Edit version) - 4:40 ;CD single (US promo) #"The Downtown Lights" - 4:05 #"Headlights On the Parade" - 3:53 #"Saturday Night" - 4:01


Cover versions

* In 1995, Scottish singer
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
released a version of the song on her second solo album ''
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; Ancient Greek: Μέδουσα "guardian, protectress"), also called Gorgo, was one of the three monstrous Gorgons, generally described as winged human females with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Those ...
''. In an article she wrote for ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', Lennox revealed why she chose to record the song: "I just couldn't resist this. Landscape of sound - instrumental gorgeous melancholic drift..." * In 1995, British singer
Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...
included a version on his seventeenth studio album ''
A Spanner in the Works '' A Spanner in the Works '' is the seventeenth studio album released by Rod Stewart on 29 May 1995. It ended a four-year gap since his previous studio album. At that time, it was Stewart's longest break between albums. It was released on Warne ...
''. Stewart's version was produced by
Trevor Horn Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
who listed ''Hats'' as one of his favourite albums in an article by ''
The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...
'' in 2019. He stated: "I came to 'Hats''when I was working with Rod Stewart. Suddenly from nowhere he was all "I've heard this song, Trevor, I fucking love it!" And it was "The Downtown Lights" off this album. I met Paul Buchanan up in Scotland years later, and he told me he liked Rod's version, and I was so pleased." * In 2006,
Scala & Kolacny Brothers Scala & Kolacny Brothers is a Belgian women's choir conducted by Stijn Kolacny, and arranged and accompanied by Steven Kolacny on the piano. They have made five studio albums (in multiple languages) starting with ''On The Rocks'' in 2002. Mos ...
included a version on their fifth album ''It All Leads to This''. * In 2014, American indie band
Small Black Small Black is an American indie band from Brooklyn, New YorThey are currently signed to the George Clanton, 100% Electronica record label. The band consists of Josh Kolenik (lead vocals/guitar), Ryan Heyner (guitar/keyboards), Juan Pieczanski (ba ...
recorded the song for their EP ''Real People''. * In 2018, American indie pop band Pure Bathing Culture recorded a full album cover of ''Hats'', including "The Downtown Lights".


Personnel

The Blue Nile * Paul Buchanan * Robert Bell * Paul Joseph Moore Production * The Blue Nile - producers *
Calum Malcolm Calum Malcolm is a Scottish record producer, sound engineer and keyboardist, who is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He started his career in rock music with the band The Headboys in 1977. From 1974, he has worked with bands and musicians such a ...
- recording


Charts


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Downtown Lights 1989 songs 1989 singles A&M Records singles The Blue Nile songs Annie Lennox songs Rod Stewart songs