so red the rose Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Arcadia “So Red the Rose”

sfilzen — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 17:42:30 +0000

Arcadia “So Red the Rose” released 35 years ago today, November 18th, 1985. One of my favorite (not actually) Duran Duran records! Arcadia was the side-project of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor (John Taylor and Andy Taylor were off doing Power Station) and their one and only LP hit #23 in the US and #30 in the UK. I think I got my copy the day it was released, or pretty close to that. My Duranie friends and I spent hours working to decode the encrypted numeric messages on the cover and liner notes (this was very pre-internet; now you can just go to Wiki and it tells you that the numbers code out to “So Red the Rose” and “Rhodes, Le Bon and Taylor”).

Arcadia released six singles from the LP, though not all of them globally. “Election Day” was the first single (and features Grace Jones on sing/speak vocals); it went to #6 in the US and #7 in the UK. “Goodbye is Forever” went to #33 in the US, it wasn’t released as a single in the UK however “The Promise” was released in the UK (#37) in a stripped-down format from the longer album version, but it was not released in the US (Sting does a cameo on vocals in “The Promise”). “The Flame” was another UK-only single release (too bad, I love this song!) where it hit #58. “El Diablo” (another fave) was only released as a single in Spain while “Keep Me in the Dark” was a single in the Philippines.

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Arcadia “Election Day”

sfilzen — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 19:41:14 +0000

Arcadia “Election Day” 1985. I have multiple copies of “Election Day” – I blogged about the 12″ (Cryptic Cut and The Consensus Mix) back in April for another election day – this version I picked up before So Red The Rose was released in late fall of ‘85. (The back of the single states that “an alternative version of Election Day will feature on the forthcoming album So Red The Rose.”) The b-side of this single is “She’s Moody and Grey, She’s Mean and She’s Restless” (OR IS SHE NASTY????), basically an instrumental version of “Election Day.”

I just finished voting in this pivotal national election. I live in a swing state so my vote really does count. But I was not able to pull out a line from “Election Day” to any aggressive ‘poll watchers’ who might be trying to intimidate voters (they wouldn’t bother at our polling place – it’s a very very liberal part of town so their efforts would be quashed quickly). I really wanted to start singing “Hi guys, by the way, are you aware you’re being illegal?” (I did refrain from pulling off my shirt and praying – it’s stinking cold in November)

Anyway, here’s hoping for a future of freedom of speech and freedom from hate and a picture from D2′s Instagram of John Taylor post-vote.

Wild kind of look to the day
Opening eyes impale neon flickers
She moon, she turning away
The city’s her slave but he’s cheating his mistress

She’s moody and grey
She’s mean and she’s restless
So restless, so restless indeed

All over you as they say
Rumours or rivals yell at the strike force
Hi guys, by the way
Are you aware you’re being illegal?

It’s making your savior behaviour look evil
‘Scuse my timing but say
How’d you fit in with this flim, flam and judy

Maximum big surprise
Your smile is something new

I pull my shirt off and pray
We’re sacred and bound to suffer the heatwave
Pull my shirt off and pray
We’re coming up on re-election day

Stretching my love down the way
To your invitation stretching my body
Use your intuitive play
‘Cause maybe we have more play time than money

Maximum big surprise
She knows something new

I pull my shirt off and pray
I’m saving myself to suffer the heatwave
Pull my shirt off and pray
We’re coming up on re-election day

By roads and backways a lover’s chance down wind
Cut open murmurs and sounds be calm hands on skin
Carry further, entangled strands all sing
I’m saving some time to slip away
We could dance!

Shouldn’t be asking, wild and scheming
Could be my election day

Maximum big surprise
You know something new

I pull my shirt off and pray
We’re sacred and bound to suffer this heatwave
Pull my shirt off and pray
We’re coming up on re-election day

Re-election day

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Arcadia “So Red the Rose”

sfilzen — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:35:54 +0000

Arcadia “So Red the Rose” 1985. Today’s pull for’ birthday (b. June 8, 1962). (The photo of Arcadia-era Nick would have been right at home in my high school year books.) Arcadia, the side project of Rhodes, Simon Le Bon and Roger Taylor of Duran Duran, released just this album and Allmusic calls it “the best album Duran never made.” Arty, darkly romantic and slinky, blending in dreamy Eastern musical influences, it includes appearances by David Gilmour on guitar throughout the album, Grace Jones (“Election Day”), Herbie Hancock and Sting (“The Promise”).

I remember trying to figure out the numeric code on the record when I bought it in ‘85. I probably spent an inordinate amount of time before eventually cracking it; now of course I can just fire up Google and discover the cypher is this:

16 = A 28 = G 40 = M 52 = S 12 = Y
18 = B 30 = H 42 = N 02 = T 14 = Z
20 = C 32 = I 44 = O 04 = U 00 = blank
22 = D 34 = J 46 = P 06 = V
24 = E 36 = K 48 = Q 08 = W
26 = F 38 = L 50 = R 10 = X

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