38 years ago today, on April 5, 1988, Cheap Trick released their timeless power ballad “The Flame.” Though the song served as the band’s first No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went on to become a staple in their catalog, it almost didn’t get cut.
Written by tunesmith’s Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham, and appearing on Cheap Trick’s Lap of Luxury album, “The Flame” was originally meant to be recorded by English rock and jazz singer Elkie Brooks. When she passed on it, the demo made its way to Cheap Trick’s then label, Epic Records, where it became one of two options for the rock band to record.
With a choice between “The Flame” or a song called “Look Away,” Cheap Trick settled on the former while the latter was given to fellow rock band Chicago, according to American Songwriter. Despite opting for one tune over the other, actually getting Cheap Trick into the studio took effort and convincing from producer Richie Zito, who decided to focus on each band member one by one to record studio takes, beginning with lead singer Robin Zander.
"I had to be talked into doing it," Cheap Trick’s guitarist Rick Nielsen admitted, per Ultimate Classic Rock, having tossed the demo penned by outside writers across the room. "Guess that shows how much I know."
The Song Reignited This Band’s Mainstream Success
Zito’s persuasion worked, and it’s a good thing it did, as the romantic love song, which includes the lyrics: ‘Wherever you go, I'll be with you / Whatever you want, I'll give it to you,” sparked a major career comeback for Cheap Trick. The song, named one of the “Sappiest and Greatest Power Ballads of All Time” by metalsludge.tv, was an international smash, taking them out of a years-long commercial slump, following earlier top 10 hits like “I Want You To Want Me” and “Surrender.”
Aside from topping the Hot 100 chart the summer following its release, the song also reached No. 1 in Canada and Australia.
The soft rock song’s success also helped push two other songs from Lap of Luxury into the Top 40. They were “Don’t Be Cruel,” anElvis Presley cover, which peaked at No. 4, and “Ghost Town,” which became a Top 40 single. Despite the band’s continued success, “The Flame” remains Cheap Trick’s only tune to ever top the Billboard Hot 100.
Related: 1987 Soft-Rock Theme for a Comedy Cult Classic Was a No. 1 Hit 39 Years Ago Today
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