Red Skies
| "Red Skies" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Fixx | ||||
| from the album Shuttered Room | ||||
| B-side | "Is It By Instinct" (7" single); "Sinking Island" (Special Extended Dance Mix) (12" single) | |||
| Released |
June 10, 1982 (UK) January 20, 1983 (US) | |||
| Format | 7"/12" single | |||
| Genre | New Wave | |||
| Length | 3:30 (7" single edit); 4:20 (12" Full Length Version) | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Writer(s) | Cy Curnin, Jamie West-Oram, Adam Woods, Rupert Greenall, Charlie Barrett | |||
| Producer(s) | Rupert Hine | |||
| The Fixx singles chronology | ||||
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"Red Skies" is a song by New Wave rock group The Fixx. Released in 1982, it was the third single from the band's debut album, Shuttered Room. The song charted in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States, and was re-recorded for the band's 1987 album, React.
Composition and recording
The song appeared on the Fixx's 1982 album Shuttered Room. The lyrics of "Red Skies" warn of an imminent nuclear holocaust.[1][2]
According to drummer Adam Woods, MCA Records requested the band to re-record the song for their 1987 React album. "Nobody at MCA was really interested in the new things we wanted to do," Woods said. "They told us to re-do 'Red Skies,' and we gave in. We figured, 'All right, we'll give them exactly what they want, and it will bomb.' And sure enough, it did."[3]
Release and reception
"Red Skies" peaked at number 44 in the Netherlands, number 57 in the UK and number 13 on the U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[4][5][6] Winda Benedetti of the The Spokesman-Review said it was one "of the more cutting-edge pop [songs] of the time."[7] Mark Spinn of The Orange County Register called it "the best of the band's moodier material."[8] Bill Locey of the Los Angeles Times complimented the song's "memorable chorus".[2] Mikel Toombs of U-T San Diego wrote that while "Red Skies" is "one of the group's most appealing tunes", the lyrics are "both simplistic and pretentious. It's little wonder that the best line ... is 'Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh oh.'"[9] The Fixx performed the song on Saturday Night Live on February 18, 1984.[10]
Track listing
- 7" Vinyl
- "Red Skies" — 3:30
- "Is It By Instinct" — 4:10
- 12" Vinyl
- "Red Skies" (Full Length [album] Version) — 4:19
- "Sinking Island" (Special Extended Dance Mix) — 4:35
Chart performance
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[4] | 44 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[5] | 57 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] | 101 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Tracks[6] | 13 |
References
- ↑ Weisbard, Eric (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. ISBN 978-0-679-75574-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Locey, Bill (1991-05-23). "Fixx Kixx: If rock 'n' roll hasn't passed you by, and Big Issues appeal to you, check out this stylish British band". Los Angeles Times. p. J-6.
- ↑ Britt, Bruce (1989-01-20). "The Fixx, No Longer in a Fix, Enjoys the 'Calm'". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Dutch Top 40 - 'Red Skies'". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Chart Stats - The Fixx - "Red Skies"". chartstats.com. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Joel Whitburn Presents Rock Tracks (1981-2008). Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-89820-174-1.
- ↑ Benedetti, Winda (1998-07-24). "With New Songs and Vintage Hits, The Fixx Has Made Leap From '80s". The Spokesman-Review. p. Weekend-2.
- ↑ Spinn, Mark (1991-06-03). "Fixx successfully tinkers with a more streamlined style at Coach House". The Orange County Register. p. F03.
- ↑ Toombs, Mikel (1984-10-29). "Another fine Fixx, depending on where one sits". U-T San Diego. p. B-8.
- ↑ Cader, Michael (1995). Saturday Night Live: The First Twenty Years. Boston: Mariner Books. ISBN 978-0-395-75284-5.
External links
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