"Eternal Flame" is a song by American

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

group

the Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including " Manic Monday" (1986), " Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), "Hazy Shad ...

for their third studio album, ''

Everything Everything, every-thing, or every thing is all that exists; the opposite of nothing, or its complement. It is the totality of things relevant to some subject matter. Without expressed or implied limits, it may refer to anything. The univers ...

'' (1988). The

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. ...

was written by group member

Susanna Hoffs Susanna Lee Hoffs (born January 17, 1959) is an American singer and guitarist, best known as a co-founder of the pop-rock band The Bangles. Hoffs founded The Bangles (originally called the Bangs) in 1981 with Debbi and Vicki Peterson. They r ...

with the established hit songwriting team of

Billy Steinberg William Endfield Steinberg (born February 26, 1950) is an American songwriter. He achieved his greatest success in the 1980s with songwriting partner Tom Kelly; together they wrote or co-wrote the No. 1 hits " Like a Virgin" by Madonna (1984), ...

and Tom Kelly. Upon its 1989 single release, "Eternal Flame" became a number-one hit in nine countries, including Australia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Since its release, it has been covered by many musical artists, including Australian

boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Ma ...

Human Nature Human nature is a concept that denotes the fundamental dispositions and characteristics—including ways of thinking, feeling, and acting—that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or ...

, who reached the Australian top 10 with their version, and British

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of wh ...

Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten is an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose current members are Liz McClarnon, Jenny Frost and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey and Stuart ...

, who topped four national charts with their rendition.

Production

Two of the song's three writers, Tom Kelly and

, had met via the Bangles' October 30, 1986, concert at the

Avalon Hollywood Avalon (or Avalon Hollywood) is a historic nightclub in Hollywood, California, located near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, at 1735 N. Vine Street. It has previously been known as The Hollywood Playhouse, The WPA Federal Theatre, El Capi ...

(then the Palace). Kelly attended the concert and backstage met the group's members. This led to Hoffs writing songs with Kelly and his regular songwriting partner

, an experience she found interesting contrast to her usual songwriting habits. Hoffs would develop lyrics based on a melody she worked out while playing around with a guitar, while Kelly and Steinberg would start with a lyrical idea and write music to fit it. The trio's first composition to be recorded was "I Need a Disguise", which

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in ...

recorded for her 1986 solo debut album. The Bangles' 1988 album ''Everything'' would feature two Hoffs/Kelly/Steinberg compositions, both with lead vocals by Hoffs: the upbeat lead single " In Your Room" and "Eternal Flame". The focal metaphor of "Eternal Flame" was suggested by two

eternal flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which can ...

s: one at the gravesite of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

, where the Bangles had been given a private tour. Hoffs said, "we were taken out to the Garden of Memories, and there was this little box which was supposed to have a lit flame in it, an eternal flame. Actually, that day it was raining so the flame was not on"—and one at a local

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...

Palm Springs Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...

which Steinberg attended as a child. Steinberg explained, "Susanna was talking about the Bangles having visited Graceland, and she said there was some type of shrine to Elvis that included some kind of eternal flame. As soon as those words were mentioned, I immediately thought of the synagogue in the town of Palm Springs, California where I grew up. I remember during our Sunday school class they would walk us through the sanctuary. There was one little red light and they told us it was called the eternal flame." After Steinberg suggested writing a song titled "Eternal Flame", he and Hoffs wrote the song's lyrics at Steinberg's house and then according to Hoffs brought the lyrics to Tom Kelly's studio where Kelly completed the music and the demo was cut. Steinberg recalls Kelly also being at Steinberg's house when the lyrics were written, beginning the music's composition there. "'Eternal Flame' was retro in that it has no chorus", Steinberg observed in 2021. Like

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' "

We Can Work It Out "We Can Work It Out" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was first issued as a double A-side single with "Day Tripper" in December 1965. It also appeared on the 1966 US release '' Yesterd ...

", it instead has a middle eight, the portion beginning "''Say my name / Sun shines through the rain''", that it repeats twice. And like the Beatles song, both verses end on the song's title. "In the 60s, it wasn't that unusual to have songs structured in that way, but, by the 80s, choruses were much more developed and middle eights had started to disappear", Steinberg recalls. While the final recording is a

, the demo was deliberately

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

-oriented, despite sounding more suitable for a keyboard, as the Bangles had no keyboardist. When Hoffs played the demo at a band meeting where members and producer Davitt Sigerson decided what they would record for the upcoming album, it was rejected. Hoffs was "heartbroken" since she had been very enthusiastic about the song, but accepted her bandmates' decision. During the sessions, Sigerson admitted to Hoffs that he could not get the demo out of his mind. He worked out an arrangement evoking a

music box A music box (American English) or musical box (British English) is an automatic musical instrument in a box that produces musical notes by using a set of pins placed on a revolving cylinder or disc to pluck the tuned teeth (or ''lamellae'' ...

, bringing in keyboardist

John Philip Shenale John Philip Shenale (often mentioned as Phil Shenale) is a Canadian composer, arranger, musician and producer based in Los Angeles. Background Shenale was born in Canada in 1951. His family relocated to the United States in the late-1950s ...

to give the track a chiming effect. According to Hoffs, Sigerson's production of the track was inspired by the vintage recordings of

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

which he knew Hoffs enjoyed singing along to. Hoffs would also recall that the Bangles' manager, Miles Copeland, overhearing the recording session for "Eternal Flame", had been displeased by the lack of drums and that Hoffs had to resist pressure to re-record it with a stronger beat. On the BBC program ''I'm in a Girl Group'', Hoffs revealed she actually sang the studio recording of the song completely naked after Sigerson pranked her by telling her

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...

recorded unclad (a falsehood Sigerson eventually admitted to). "I imagined it would feel like skinny dipping—vulnerable yet freeing – and I decided to try it", she remembered in 2021. Nobody could see me; there was a baffle in front of me and it was dark." She liked the experience enough to sing all her vocals on the album that way.

Critical reception

Considered by Billy Steinberg to be a stylistic fusion of

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

and

, especially evoking the latter group's "

For No One "For No One" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was written by Paul McCartney, and credited to Lennon–McCartney. A blend of baroque pop and chamber music, the song is about the end of a relat ...

", " Mother Nature's Son" (the bridge part) and " Here There & Everywhere", "Eternal Flame" elicited different points of comparison from contemporary music critics, among them: "a backhanded tribute to every sappy string-drenched ballad—from

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

's '

To Sir With Love ''To Sir, with Love'' is a 1967 British drama film that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. It stars Sidney Poitier and features Christian Roberts, Judy Geeson, Suzy Kendall and singer Lulu making her film debut. ...

' to Merrilee Rush's ' Angel of the Morning'—that ever overstayed its welcome on the radio"; " fluffy romantic fantasy

hat 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 ...

resembled

the Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...

a lot more than the Beatles"; "a cloying ballad that

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musical ...

could have written for

Sarah Brightman Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960) is an English classical crossover Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audience. This can be seen, for example, (especially in the United State ...

"; " n'Eternal Flame' Hoffs does her best inspired reading of

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...

". Pan-European magazine ''

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 ...

'' commented that "this is a very sweet and conventional gospel-tinged ballad with the emphasis on close harmonies." In 2000,

Vicki Peterson Victoria Anne Theresa Peterson Cowsill (born January 11, 1958) is an American rock musician and songwriter. She has been the lead guitarist for the Bangles since their foundation in 1981. After their first disbandment in 1989, she has returned ...

of the Bangles would describe "Eternal Flame" as "a beautiful song

hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...

at the time I didn't think essentially Bangles. Anyone could've taken the song and made it a hit". The retrospective

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

critique by Matthew Greenwald assessed "Eternal Flame" as "somewhat removed from the Bangles' sound and vibe... tsgentle, lilting melody...seems ready-made for an artist such as

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

... The song features a dramatic bridge that takes the song to a wonderfully emotional place, and adds to the overall dynamics of the piece. In the end, Eternal Flame'doesn't fit the Bangles' catalog well, but it remains a minor pop standard." In June 2021, Tom Eames of Smooth Radio ranked "Eternal Flame" as the Bangles' best song.

Single release

United States

Given that the Bangles' "

Walk Like an Egyptian "Walk Like an Egyptian" is a song recorded by the American band the Bangles. It was released in 1986 as the third single from the album ''Different Light''. It was the band's first number one single, being certified gold by the RIAA, and became ...

" had been ranked by ''

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 adverti ...

'' as the number one single of 1987 and that the group had reached number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1986 with "

Manic Monday "Manic Monday" is a song written by American musician Prince, but is better known from the version recorded by the American pop rock band the Bangles, which was the first single released from their second studio album, ''Different Light'' (198 ...

" and in 1987 with "

Hazy Shade of Winter "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on October 22, 1966, initially as a stand-alone single, but subsequently included on the duo's fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). It peaked at number 13 ...

", the number-five Hot 100 peak of the lead single from their album ''Everything'', "In Your Room", was a comparative disappointment with its parent album ''Everything''—whose original

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...

peak was number 33—being considered a flop. The January 1989 release of "Eternal Flame" as the new Bangles' single was heralded in the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' with the song described as an "old-fashioned killer ballad that is just about as far as one could get from the psychedelic sound of the group's recent Top 5 hit 'In Your Room'." "Eternal Flame" debuted at number 56 on the Hot 100 issue dated February 4, 1989, when "In Your Room" was ranked at number 45, and rose to number one after ten weeks, making the Bangles the third all-female group to top the Hot 100 multiple times, after

the Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFad ...

and

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

. In addition "Eternal Flame" set a record for the song's co-writers: Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, as the first songwriting team to score a number-one Hot 100 hit five years in a row. "Eternal Flame" also afforded the Bangles a two-week tenure at number one on the

Adult Contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by stat ...

International

In the United Kingdom, where "In Your Room" had stalled at number 35, "Eternal Flame" was released on January 23, 1989, and made a rambling eight-week ascent into the top 40 of 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 ...

before vaulting 20 positions to number 13 on the chart dated April 1, 1989. Two weeks later, on April 15, the single reached number one and remained there for three additional weeks. On June 17, 1989, when the song was at number 38 on the UK chart, it was deleted to clear the way for "

Be with You Be with You may refer to: Film and TV * ''Be with You'' (2004 film), a Japanese romantic fantasy film * ''Be with You'' (2018 film), a South Korean film * ''Be with You'' (TV series), a 2015 Taiwanese television series Music * ''Be with You'' ...

", the third single released from ''Everything''. Overall, "Eternal Flame" would be afforded a UK chart tenure of 20 weeks, ranking as the country's third-biggest hit of 1989. "Eternal Flame" spent three weeks at number one in Sweden and totaled 18 weeks on the

Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish ...

, and it also spent seven weeks at number on the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veroni ...

. The song was Australia's fourth-biggest-selling single of 1989 and was sent up on the Australian TV show ''

Fast Forward To fast-forward is to move forwards through a recording at a speed faster than that at which it would usually be played, for example two times or two point five times. The recordings are usually audio, video or computer data. It is colloquially ...

''.

Track listings

US 7-inch and cassette single # "Eternal Flame" – 3:46 # "What I Meant to Say" – 3:20 UK and Australian 12-inch single :A1. "Eternal Flame" – 3:55 :B1. "

" (12-inch dance mix) – 5:48 :B2. "What I Meant to Say" – 3:20 UK cassette single # "Eternal Flame" # "

Going Down to Liverpool "Going Down to Liverpool" is a song written by Kimberley Rew for his group Katrina and the Waves, although best remembered for a cover done by the Bangles. Background The song was first released on the band's 1982 EP ''Shock Horror!'' (with the b ...

" # "Hero Takes a Fall" # "James" European 12-inch maxi-single :A1. "Eternal Flame" – 3:56 :A2. "What I Meant to Say" – 3:20 :B1. "Walk Like an Egyptian" (extended dance mix) – 5:48 Hong Kong mini-CD single # "Eternal Flame" – 3:55 # "

" – 3:04 # "

" – 2:48 # "Walk Like an Egyptian" – 3:23 Japanese mini-CD single # "Eternal Flame (胸いっぱいの愛)" # "Crash & Burn"

Personnel

Personnel are lifted from the US cassette single sleeve. * Susanna Hoffs – writing * Billy Steinberg – writing * Tom Kelly – writing * The Bangles – vocals * Davitt Sigerson – production * John Beverly Jones – recording * Frank Filipetti – mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Aftermath

Rather than consolidating the Bangles' stardom, the success of "Eternal Flame" would have a negative impact on the group, underscoring the wide public perception of the Bangles as star attraction Hoffs and her backing band. The choice for the third single release from the ''Everything'' album being "Be with You", the group's first single led by

Debbi Peterson Deborah Mary Peterson (born August 22, 1961) is an American musician and the drummer of the band The Bangles. She sang lead vocals on two of the band's released singles, "Going Down to Liverpool" (1984) and " Be with You" (1989). She is the you ...

since the band's second single release "

" (1984), was an apparent attempt to redress the balance which failed, as "Be with You" would rise no higher than number 30 on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1989, when its UK chart peak would be number 23. The Bangles announced their disbanding the second week of October 1989.

Tomoya Nagase featuring 3T version

In 1997, a Japanese version of the song was recorded by

Tomoya Nagase is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, and model. He was a member of Tokio, a Johnny & Associates musical group. He was the primary vocalist, in addition to playing the guitar alongside Tokio's leader, Shigeru Joshima. Career As an artis ...

, the vocalist of the Japanese idol rock group

Tokio Tokio may refer to: * , the capital of Japan, used primarily in non-English-speaking countries may also refer to: Music * Tokio (band), a Japanese pop/rock band ** ''Tokio'' (album), their debut album * Tokio Hotel, a German rock band * Toki ...

, featuring 3T. This song was used as the theme song of the

Nippon TV JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed ...

drama ''DXD'', in which Nagase played the main role. He also wrote the Japanese version lyrics. This version was released as a single in Japan under the name of "Tomoya with 3T".

Human Nature version

In 1999, Australian group

covered "Eternal Flame" and released it as the fourth single from their second album '' Counting Down''. It peaked at number eight on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

and was certified gold.

Track listings

Australian enhanced CD single 1 # "Eternal Flame" # "She's So Gone" # "Breaking Me Down" # "

Don't Cry "Don't Cry" is a song by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, two versions of which were released simultaneously on different albums. The version with the original lyrics is the fourth track on ''Use Your Illusion I'', while the version with t ...

" (Discothèque Club remix) # "Eternal Flame" (video clip) Australian enhanced CD single 2 # "Eternal Flame" # "Shake You Outta My Head" # "She's So Gone" # "Breaking Me Down" # "Don't Cry" (Discothèque Club remix – 7-inch edit) # "Eternal Flame" (video clip)

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Australian CD single liner notes. Studios * Recorded at Tiger Recording (Sydney, Australia) * Mixed by Larrabee West Studio (Los Angeles, California, US) * Mastered at Sony Music Studios (New York City, US) Personnel * Susanna Hoffs, Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly – writing * Human Nature – vocals * Andrew Klippel – production * David Hemming – recording * Dave Way – mixing * Vlado Meller – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Atomic Kitten version

English girl group

subsequently recorded the song in 2001 and released it as the lead single from the reissue of their debut studio album, '' Right Now'', on July 23, 2001. It was the group's first single to feature new band member

Jenny Frost Jennifer Frost (born 22 February 1978) is an English singer, television presenter and model. She was a member of girl group Precious before replacing Kerry Katona in the group Atomic Kitten from 2001 until they disbanded in April 2004. Frost ...

. Their version was produced by Andy Wright, and a music video directed by Phil Griffin was made for the song.

Critical reception

Lars Trillingsgaar, head of music for Danish radio station ANR Hit FM, said that Atomic Kitten's cover of "Eternal Flame" took the original "in a whole new direction", comparing it to another cover of a popular 1980s song that was released in 2001: "

Another Day in Paradise "Another Day in Paradise" is a song recorded by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). As wi ...

" by siblings

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

and

Ray J William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...

, originally by

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

. Trillingsgaar also noted that the cover had the ability to touch its listeners, much like the original had done.

Chart performance

Atomic Kitten's version was released on July 23, 2001; in Australia, it was issued alongside a re-release of the group's debut single, " Right Now" (1999). In the United Kingdom, it entered the

at number one, selling 150,000 copies during its first week of release to beat out

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

's " Bootylicious", which debuted at number two with 56,000 copies sold. The

Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...

credits this result to "Bootylicious" having already been released on the parent album, '' Survivor'', whereas the re-release of ''Right Now'' did not occur until after "Eternal Flame" had reached number one. It stayed at number one for two weeks and has sold 458,000 copies as of July 2022. Outside the UK, the cover reached number one in the

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

region of Belgium and in New Zealand, staying one week at the top in both regions. In France, Ireland, and Sweden, it reached number two, and it became a top-ten hit in Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. It is certified

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

in the UK, Belgium, France, New Zealand, and Sweden.

Track listings

European CD single # "Eternal Flame" – 3:15 # "

Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...

" – 3:39 European enhanced CD single # "Eternal Flame" – 3:15 # "Album Medley" – 5:30 # "Eternal Flame" (

Blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

RnB Rub) – 3:54 # "Eternal Flame" (video) – 3:10 European maxi-single # "Eternal Flame" – 3:15 # "Album Medley" – 5:30 # "Eternal Flame" (Blacksmith RnB Rub) – 3:45 Canadian CD single # "Eternal Flame" – 3:15 # "Megamix" – 6:00 Australian CD single # "Right Now" – 3:35 # "Eternal Flame" – 3:15 # "Right Now" (

K-Klass K-Klass are a British electronic music group from Wrexham, Wales and Chester, England, who are based in Manchester, England. Its original members were Andy Williams, Carl Thomas, Russ Morgan and Paul Roberts. In 1991, K-Klass signed with the ...

Phazerfunk club mix) – 7:22 # "Eternal Flame" (Blacksmith RnB dub) – 3:55 # "Eternal Flame" (video) – 3:10

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the European enhanced CD single liner notes and ''Right Now'' album booklet. Studio * Recorded and mixed at

Metropolis Studios Metropolis Studios is a music production and entertainment industry company established in 1989 by Gary Langan, Carey Taylor and Karin Clayton.Donald Brackett It is located in the Powerhouse, a Grade II listed building, at 70 Chiswick High ...

(London, UK) Personnel * Susanna Hoffs, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg – writing * Atomic Kitten – vocals *

Claudia Fontaine Claudia Fontaine (26 August 1960 – 13 March 2018) was an backing vocalist from Peckham, London. Career During the 1980s, Fontaine and fellow backing vocalist Caron Wheeler (and later, third member Naomi Thompson) were known as Afrodiziak. She ...

– additional backing vocals * Geoff Holroyde,

Paul Simm Paul Simm is an English musician, composer and record producer, known for his work with Amy Winehouse, the Sugababes and Neneh Cherry. Biography Paul Simm, discovered the piano aged five and mostly self-taught, by eleven was performing regular g ...

– additional musicians * Andy Wright – production * Pete Craigie – mixing * Alan Douglas, James Brown – engineering * Ned Douglas – additional programming

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

The Bangles official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eternal Flame (Song) 1988 songs 1989 singles 1997 singles 1999 singles 2001 singles 3T songs Atomic Kitten songs The Bangles songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Columbia Records singles Dutch Top 40 number-one singles Human Nature (band) songs Innocent Records singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Music videos directed by Tim Pope Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in Portugal Number-one singles in Scotland Number-one singles in Sweden Pop ballads Rock ballads Songs written by Billy Steinberg Songs written by Tom Kelly (musician) Songs written by Susanna Hoffs Sony Music Entertainment Japan singles Torch songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles Universal Music Japan singles Virgin Records singles 1980s ballads