| Flame | |
| Cover: | Flamebellx1.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Bell X1 |
| Album: | Flock |
| B-Side: | Monkey 61 |
| Released: | 2006-03-10 |
| Recorded: | 2005 |
| Genre: | Indie rock |
| Length: | 3:32 |
| Label: | Island |
| Prev Title: | Bigger Than Me |
| Prev Year: | 2005 |
| Next Title: | Rocky Took a Lover |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
"Flame" is a single by the Irish pop rock quintet, Bell X1, and the second to be taken from the band's third album Flock. It was released on 10 March 2006. It entered the Irish Singles Chart on 16 March 2006, spending four weeks there and peaking at #12.[1]
The BBC described it and follow-up single "Rocky Took a Lover" as "two of the finest pieces of music written on this island", though lamented its lack of international success.[2] The song was later included in a collection of works giving a "sense of the noughties" put together by Vincent Murphy and broadcast on Morning Ireland on 31 December 2009.[3]
"Flame" received extensive airplay on Irish national radio and the musical style used was compared to that of Talking Heads.
Bell X1 are known to remind fans of the link between the song's title and their well-known tour bus fire in the United States in March 2008. Vocalist Paul Noonan introduced it to the watching crowd at Oxegen 2008 by quipping: "We played this song so good in the States, so sick, that our tour bus went on fire. The song just caught on, like flames. So watch out folks, this one is incendiary!".[4] The Irish Independent has said that "Flame" "truly come(s) alive in concert".[5] A live performance of this at the RDS was recorded to be released at a later date.[6]
| Chart (2006) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart | 12 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 65[7] |
An Irish language version, "Bladhm" was later released for the Irish market only.[8]