Something in Red (song) explained

Something in Red
Cover:Angela Kaset Something in Red 1991 single cover.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Angela Kaset
B-Side:Let Your Heart Take Over
Released:7 May 1991
Length:4:29
Label:Dover
Producer:

"Something in Red" is a song written and originally recorded by Angela Kaset. Her version was released as a single in the UK by Dover Records on 7 May 1991,[1] [2] and peaked at number 124 in the UK Singles Chart. American country music artist Lorrie Morgan released her version in May 1992 as the fourth single and title track from her second studio album, Something in Red. Morgan's version reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 10 on the RPM Country Tracks in Canada.[3] The song also earned Morgan her first and only nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.

In 2004, British musical theater actress Elaine Paige recorded the song for inclusion on her "best of" compilation album Centre Stage, released the same year.[4]

Background

Kaset described "Something in Red" in 1992 as a "basic life-of-love kind of story that most people who ever have a relationship go through... the beginning with the red and meeting somebody and wanting to catch their eye".[1]

The song is sung from the perspective of a woman going through the romantic events of her life looking for certain colors for a dress reflecting her current emotional state. For instance, the titular color red grabs the attention of her future lover;[5] while green illustrates envy and jealousy to bring him back after a breakup; white reflects purity and perfection in a wedding dress; and she requests blue for a baby boy, born as she is experiencing a lull in the adventure of her marriage. She concludes the song by looking for a red dress "like the one when I first turned his head", suggesting that the passion has cooled, but is far from dead.

Lorrie Morgan version

Something in Red
Type:single
Artist:Lorrie Morgan
Album:Something in Red
B-Side:It's Too Late (To Love Me Now)
Released:May 9, 1992
Genre:Country
Length:4:35
Label:RCA Nashville
Producer:Richard Landis
Prev Title:Except for Monday
Prev Year:1991
Next Title:Watch Me
Next Year:1992

Morgan came to record the song after Kaset's publisher, Barry and Jewel Coburn, pitched the song to Morgan's producer Barry Beckett and record label RCA Records.[1] Morgan admitted her initial reluctance to record the song, telling the Gannett News Service in 1992, "I just couldn't hear it. I never got past the first verse. I turned if off and said it's not me. I didn't give it a chance because I didn't know what it was about." During the recording of her second studio album, Morgan's new producer Richard Landis also suggested she record the song. She revealed, "I finally got to the third verse and said 'golly, what have I been missing?' Once I got it, it was a hit."[7]

Music video

The music video was directed by Jim Shea and premiered in March 1992.

Charts

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. News: Angela Kaset sees 'Red' hot . Beck . Ken . . August 2, 1992 . 36.
  2. New Releases: Singles . . 4 May 1991 . 31 . 0265-1548.
  3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn

    . The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 239.

  4. Web site: Centre Stage (Very Best Of...) . elainepaige.com . August 6, 2015.
  5. Web site: Lorrie Morgan – Something in Red .
  6. Singles - Positions 76 to 200 . . Spotlight Publications . 6 July 1991 . 2.
  7. News: Song, career now on track for Morgan; singer to host country music awards . . April 29, 1992.
  8. Web site: RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1992. RPM. December 19, 1992. August 15, 2013.