Red Frame/White Light
| "Red Frame/White Light" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | ||||
| from the album Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark | ||||
| B-side | "I Betray My Friends" | |||
| Released | 1 February 1980 | |||
| Format | 7", 12" | |||
| Recorded | The Gramophone Suite, Liverpool, 1979 | |||
| Genre | Synthpop, new wave | |||
| Length | 3:15 | |||
| Label | Dindisc | |||
| Writer(s) | Paul Humphreys, Andy McCluskey | |||
| Producer(s) | Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Chester Valentino | |||
| Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Red Frame/White Light" is the second single of the synthpop group Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. The song is about a red telephone box in Meols, north Wirral, that was used by the band to make calls to organise their gigs in the late 1970s.[1][2] The track is composed of two alternating major/minor sections, each built around a synthesizer hook. Lyrical content is minimal, comprising mostly brief, spoken word ejaculations. It was the band's first single to chart.
In an article for AllMusic, Ned Raggett lauded the song's "mysterious chimes and spy-movie dramatics";[3] John Doran in The Quietus described it as "awesome".[4]
The song has never been included in any of the group's compilation albums, except for the promo video being included on the DVD of Messages - OMD Greatest Hits in 2008
Track listing
- "Red Frame/White Light" – 3:15
- "I Betray My Friends" – 3:50
Sleeve design
The sleeve was designed by Ben Kelly and Peter Saville.
Telephone box
The telephone box that inspired "Red Frame/White Light" is located at the crossing of Birkenhead Road and Greenwood Road in Meols.
In the nearby pub "The Railway Inn" the band would meet and used the telephone box to organise their gigs and transportation. In the songs lyrics the phone number is mentioned: 6323003.[5]
Fans would ring the number expecting to get one of the band members, but got a confused home owner in their own area code. Over the years it has become a kind of sacred place for OMD fans. In 2004 OMD fan Stephen Cork started a successful campaign to get the telephone box repainted in time for a fan tour on 10 April 2005.[2]
Chart positions
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 67 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 67 |
Alternative versions
Contrary to identical timings being printed on the 7" and 12" labels, the 12" version is slightly longer as the coda comes to a sudden stop, as opposed to the 7" version which fades out. The group recorded a version of Red Frame/White Light for a John Peel radio session in 1979. This version was made available on the Peel Sessions 1979-1983 album release (2000).
Live performances
After being included in many early live sets, the song was not performed live by the band after 1980.[6] A live performance was recorded at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham on 28th July 1980 for 'Rockstage' TV broadcast. It was not given official release until 2015 on the Access All Areas CD and DVD release.[7]
References
- ↑ "Official OMD website discography entry for 7".". Retrieved 2007-12-22.
- 1 2 Powney, Louise (2005-03-22). "A musical landmark". Wirral News. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
- ↑ Raggett, Ned. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark review. AllMusic. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ↑ Doran, John (25 September 2008). "Messages - Greatest Hits". The Quietus. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
- ↑ "Lyrics for "Red Frame/White Light".". Retrieved 2007-12-23.
- ↑ "Red Frame/White Light by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". setlist.fm. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
- ↑ "Access All Areas - Release by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark". musicbrainz.com. Retrieved 2016-05-18.