Simon Rushworth
Cheap Trick – The Flame (Mitchell/Graham) b/w Through The Night (Zander/Petersson/Nielsen) 1988
After 49 weeks rooting through the rushonrock archives we’ve finally arrived at the one piece of seven inch vinyl which whips us into a hair metal-induced frenzy like no other.
Absolutely all the ingredients are here – a power ballad which comfortably tugs at the heartstrings, a band with the class and experience to pull off a song controversially penned from an outside source and, in this case, a stunning piece of shaped vinyl.
Our well worn copy sounds like s**t but it looks amazing. The flames bursting forth from the black vinyl effect body and the classic ‘Trick on ‘Trick logo make this an absolute must for serious fans of the late 80s scene.
It is, of course, a cracking tune and repeated plays only reinforce the view that it was one of the most deserved US number ones in 1988. Elkie Brooks actually turned it down before Cheap Trick reluctantly took a punt on the song which would relaunch their careers and ensure they became permanent fixtures on MTV.
How on earth The Flame only rose as far as a lowly 77 in the UK remains a mystery but for the rushonrock team it will always be a classic to rank alongside I Want You To Want Me. Perhaps reaching the top of The Vinyl Countdown will be some kind of consolation…
So if you’ve enjoyed our look at some 7s heaven you may want to check out an all new feature on rushonrock in 2010. With 12 @ 12 we take time out at noon to check out the 12 inch singles which take pride of place in our bulging library. Whether you’re a fan of poster bags, gatefoled sleeves, coloured vinyl or special edition EPs there really is something for everyone.
If you think vinyl rocks think rushonrock – throughout 2010.