Red Hot + Blue
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Red Hot + Blue | ||||
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Compilation album by Various artists | ||||
Released | September 25, 1990 | |||
Genre | Pop, rock | |||
Length | 72:23 | |||
Label | Chrysalis | |||
Producer | Steve Lillywhite, Afrika Bambaataa | |||
Red Hot Organization chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
![]() 2006 CD/DVD re-issue |
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Record Mirror | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Red Hot + Blue is the first compilation album from the Red Hot Organization in the Red Hot Benefit Series. It features contemporary pop performers reinterpreting several songs of Cole Porter, and the title of the album originates from Cole Porter's musical Red, Hot and Blue.[3]
Released in 1990, it sold over a million copies worldwide, raised nearly $1m to the activist group ACT UP, and was heralded as one of the first major AIDS benefits in the music business.[4] The accompanying ABC television special featured music videos for the songs.[3] The clips portrayed the societal effects of AIDS.
In 2006 Red Hot + Blue was re-issued as a two-disc set including the original CD remastered, and a DVD of the video collection. And, in 2023, Bloomsbury Publishing announced that John S. Garrison would be writing a volume on Red Hot + Blue for its newest round of books in their 33_1/3 book series.[5]
Singles and promotion[edit]
Besides the television special, some of the songs were promoted as singles. Neneh Cherry's reworked version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" was released as the lead single for the album in the UK and Europe and reached No. 25 on the UK Singles Chart.[6] "Well, Did You Evah!" by Deborah Harry and Iggy Pop received a commercial release in Europe and Australia and reached No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart,[7] No. 18 in Ireland[8] and No. 106 in Australia.[9]
Although no singles were released from the album in the United States, the song "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", covered in a techno style by Thompson Twins, received regular airplay on San Francisco's Live 105 (KITS). This was one of the two songs not to have a video counterpart. U2's cover of "Night and Day" reached No. 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart,[10] and presaged the electronic sound the band would explore on Achtung Baby the following year.
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Cole Porter.
References[edit]
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute To Cole Porter". AllMusic.
- ^ Nicholson, Tim (27 October 1990). "Albums". Record Mirror. p. 16. ISSN 0144-5804.
- ^ a b Holden, Stephen (October 21, 1990). "POP VIEW; Why Cole Porter Prevails – Be It Pop, Rock or Even Rap".
- ^ Farber, Jim (February 25, 2020). "POP VIEW; Red Hot at 30: how compilations used big music stars to combat Aids".
- ^ 333admin. "Announcing the newest 33 1/3s". 333Sound. Bloomsbury Press. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
- ^ "I've Got You Under My Skin". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ "Well, Did You Evah!". Official Charts. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for 'Harry' (from irishcharts.ie)". Fireball Media. Retrieved October 28, 2019 – via Imgur.com.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 125.
- ^ "Night And Day Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
- Red Hot Organization albums
- Albums produced by Steve Lillywhite
- 1990 compilation albums
- 2006 video albums
- Music video compilation albums
- Pop compilation albums
- Rock compilation albums
- Rock video albums
- Pop video albums
- Chrysalis Records compilation albums
- Chrysalis Records video albums
- Cole Porter tribute albums