Eternal Flame (song)

"Eternal Flame"
Single by The Bangles
from the album Everything
Released	February 17, 1989
Format	Vinyl record (7"), CD single (3"), Cassingle
Recorded	1988; Ocean Way, Studio 55
Length	3:56
Label	CBS
Writer(s)	Susanna Hoffs Tom Kelly Billy Steinberg
Producer(s)	Davitt Sigerson
The Bangles singles chronology
"In Your Room" (1988) "Eternal Flame" (1989) "Be With You" (1989)

"Eternal Flame" is a ballad and love song by American band the Bangles from their 1988 album Everything. It became a hit single, when released in 1989, peaking at number one in the charts in nine countries, including Australia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It was written by popular songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs. With this song and "Walk Like an Egyptian", the Bangles became only the third girl group to score multiple number-ones in the United States, after the Supremes (twelve) and the Shirelles (two).

History

Unlike the rest of the more uptempo songs on their album Everything, "Eternal Flame" is a ballad. Co-writer Billy Steinberg describes it as "the Beatles meet the Byrds".

The song was inspired by two eternal flames: one at the gravesite of Elvis Presley that the Bangles saw when the band visited Graceland,^[1] and one at a local synagogue in Palm Springs which Steinberg attended as a child.^[2] Steinberg recalled to Songfacts: "Susanna was talking about the Bangles having visited Graceland, and she said there was some type of shrine to Elvis that included some kind of eternal flame. As soon as those words were mentioned, I immediately thought of the synagogue in the town of Palm Springs, California where I grew up. I remember during our Sunday school class they would walk us through the sanctuary. There was one little red light and they told us it was called the eternal flame."^[3]

In the BBC programme I'm In a Girl Group, Hoffs revealed she actually sang the studio recording of the song completely naked due to the producer Davitt Sigerson pranking her by telling her Olivia Newton John had done the same thing but he later told Hoffs he had been lying the whole time.^[4]

It spent one week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, blocking Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True" from reaching the summit position.^[5] It was preceded at #1 on the Hot 100 by Mike + the Mechanics' "The Living Years" and succeeded by Roxette's "The Look". It also topped the US adult contemporary chart for two weeks.^[6]

The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart in February 1989 at number 81 and peaked at number one in April spending four weeks there and went on to spend twenty weeks in the chart and was the UK's third best-selling song of 1989.

The song also spent seven weeks at the #1 position in the Dutch Top 40. The song was Australia's 4th biggest selling single of '89 and was sent up on the Australian TV show Fast Forward.

Track lists

Side	Title	Length
A	"Eternal Flame"	3:56
B	"What I Meant To Say"	3:20

"What I Meant to Say" is a non-album track, written by Debbi and Vicki Peterson and sung by Debbi.

Charts

Peak positions Chart Peak position Australia (ARIA)[7] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 3 Canadian Top Singles (RPM)[9] 4 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] 9 France (SNEP)[11] 5 Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 4 Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)[13] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 1 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 1 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 4 Norway (VG-lista)[17] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 1 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[19] 2 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[20] 1 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[21] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[22] 1

Year-end charts End of year chart (1989) Position Australia (ARIA)[23] 4 Austrian Top 40[24] 10 Belgian VRT Top 30[25] 2 Canadian RPM Top 100[26] 26 Dutch Top 40[27] 1 German Media Control Charts[28] 19 Swiss Singles Chart[29] 5 UK Singles Chart 3 US Billboard Hot 100 32 US Cashbox Top 100[30] 7 Certifications and sales Region Certification Sales/shipments Australia (ARIA)[31] Platinum 70,000 Sweden (GLF)[32] Gold 25,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Gold 400,000 United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 500,000 ^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone ^xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Personnel

• Writers: Susanna Hoffs, Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly
• Producer: Davitt Sigerson (Bangles version)
• Recorded by: John Beverly Jones
• Mixed by: Frank Filipetti

Cover versions

St Paul's Church Hayseed Dixie version

In March 2016, Hayseed Dixie's John Wheeler performed a politically charged version of Eternal Flame, commenting on recent UK political changes around the replacement of all state schools with Academys.

Tomoya Nagase feat. 3T version

"Eternal Flame"
Single by Tomoya Nagase feat. 3T
Released	1997
Format	CD
Recorded	1996
Genre	J-pop, soft rock
Length	3:56
Label	Universal Music Japan
Writer(s)	Susanna Hoffs Tom Kelly Billy Steinberg
Producer(s)	3T
Tomoya Nagase feat. 3T singles chronology
"Gotta Be You" (1996) "Eternal Flame" (1997) "Stuck on You" (2003)

In 1997 has been covered in Japanese language the song by Tomoya Nagase, the vocalist of the Japanese idol rock group Tokio, featuring 3T. This song was used as the theme song of the Nippon TV drama "DXD", in which Nagase played the main role. He also wrote the Japanese version lyrics. This version was released as a single in Japan under the name of "Tomoya with 3T".

Charts

Chart (1997)	Peak position
Oricon Japanese International Chart	12

Human Nature version

"Eternal Flame"
Single by Human Nature
from the album Counting Down
Released	October 17, 1999
Format	CD single
Recorded	1999
Genre	Pop
Length	3:25
Label	Sony Music Entertainment/Columbia Records
Producer(s)	Andrew Klippel
Certification	Gold
Human Nature singles chronology
"Don't Cry" (1999) "Eternal Flame" (2001) "Be There With You" (2000)

In 1999, Australian group Human Nature covered "Eternal Flame" and released it as the fifth single from their second album, Counting Down. It peaked at #8 and was certified Gold.

Track listings

• Australian CD single 1 Cat. 667915 2

1. "Eternal Flame"
2. "She's So Gone"
3. "Breaking Me Down"
4. "Don't Cry" (Discothèque Club remix)
5. "Eternal Flame" (music video)

• Australian CD single 2 Cat. 667915 5

1. "Eternal Flame"
2. "Shake You Outta My Head" from the Happy Days production
3. "She's So Gone"
4. "Breaking Me Down"
5. "Don't Cry" (Discothèque Club remix)
6. "Eternal Flame" (music video)

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[35]	8

Year-end chart (1999)	Position
Australia (ARIA)[36]	58

Sales and certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[37]	Gold	35,000

Atomic Kitten version

"Eternal Flame"
Single by Atomic Kitten
from the album Right Now (Re-issue)
Released	July 23, 2001
Format	CD single, cassette
Recorded	2001
Genre	Pop
Length	3:17
Label	Virgin
Producer(s)	Ray Ruffin
Certification	Gold
Atomic Kitten singles chronology
"Whole Again" (2001) "Eternal Flame" (2001) "You Are" (2001)

British pop group Atomic Kitten subsequently recorded the song in 2001 and released as the sixth overall single and lead single from the reissue of the debut studio album, Right Now. It was the group's first single to feature new band member Jenny Frost. Their version was produced by multi-platinum singer producer Ray Ruffin.

Track listing

Australian CD

1. "Eternal Flame" (Single Version) – 3:15
2. "Right Now" (Jenny Frost version) – 3:35
3. "Right Now" (K-Klass Phazerphunk Club Mix) – 7:22
4. "Eternal Flame" (Blacksmith RnB Club Dub) – 3:55
5. "Right Now" (video)

UK CD

1. "Eternal Flame" (Single Version) – 3:15
2. "Album Medley" – 5:30
3. "Eternal Flame" (Blacksmith RnB Club Rub) – 3:54
4. "Eternal Flame" (video)

UK cassette

1. "Eternal Flame" (Single Version) – 3:15
2. "Album Medley" – 5:30
3. "Dancing in the Street" – 3:39

Official versions

• Eternal Flame (Single Version) - 3:13
• Eternal Flame (Album Version) - 3:37
• Eternal Flame (Blacksmith R'n'B Club Rub) - 3:54
• Eternal Flame (Love to Infinity Club Mix) - 7:14

Music video

The video begins with the band members walking up to the screen in a stylized pace, in plain white clothes and bare feet, with a dark background. This is shown often in the video, and is also how the video ends. Throughout the video, each of the band members do different poses and dance moves in time to the song, with the dark, cloudy background in place. Also in one of the scenes in the video, all three band members are seen in a line, with a glass floor and four metal posts with lights in the background that accompanies the perennial dark background. In this scene, the girls are seen doing a basic dance routine in time with the song. For Jenny's solo, she is seen lying down on the floor doing a sexy pose. However, Frost later claimed in the So Far So Good DVD, that she had tonsillitis for the video shoot, and was lying down due to being ill and couldn't stand up.^[38] There is also a version of the video that contains clips from the movie The Parole Officer which was taken from the DVD "So Far So Good".

Chart performance

Atomic Kitten made the song another massive success; it entered the top twenty in every country it was released, except for Australia, where it peaked at number 47. It entered at number one in the UK, staying at the top for two weeks. On its first day, "Eternal Flame" sold 35,358 copies, and its closest rival was Destiny's Child's "Bootylicious", which sold 13,182 copies in its opening day. The song sold over 140,000 copies in its first week and 70,000 copies in its second week. The song sold over 400,000 copies in the UK, and was certified Gold. The single entered the top five in over ten countries. The single went to number two in the French singles chart, a huge success, and became one of the best selling singles by a girl group of all time in France. However, it was their only single to reach the top 20, making them one-hit wonders there. It was certified gold for sales of over 250,000 copies. Atomic Kitten's version charted higher in France than the original version by the Bangles.

Over a year later, the single appeared in the Canadian Singles Chart. "Eternal Flame" was Atomic Kitten's only single to chart over there. It debuted at number 20, and peaked at number 15. It spent twelve weeks in the top forty—five of which were in the top twenty, making the song a moderate success. The single was also a number-one hit in the Flanders region of Belgium, and Atomic Kitten's became their best-selling single there, subsequently lasting sixteen weeks on the chart; it became the 28th best selling single of 2001 in Belgium. It also spent one week at number one in New Zealand. "Eternal Flame" went on to sell over one million copies worldwide and was certified Gold in the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, and New Zealand.

Charts and certifications

Charts Chart (2001) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[39] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[40] 1 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[41] 18 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[42] 15 Denmark (Tracklisten)[43] 12 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[44] 4 France (SNEP)[45] 2 Germany (Official German Charts)[46] 5 Ireland (IRMA)[47] 2 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[48] 9 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[49] 1 Norway (VG-lista)[50] 13 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[51] 19 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[52] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[53] 9 UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[54] 1

Certifications Country Certification Sales France Gold[55] 268,000[56] New Zealand Gold[57] 7,500 Sweden Gold[58] 30,000 United Kingdom Gold[59] 412,501 Year-end charts Chart (2001) Position Austrian Singles Chart[60] 22 Belgium Singles Chart (Flanders)[61] 28 Belgium Singles Chart (Wallonia)[62] 99 French Singles Chart[63] 32 Irish Singles Chart[64] 25 New Zealand Singles Chart[65] 40 Swiss Singles Chart[66] 59 UK Singles Chart[67] 15

Chart procession and succession

Other cover versions

"Eternal Flame"
Single by Rollergirl
from the album Now I'm Singin'... And the Party Keeps Rollin'
Released	2000
Recorded	2000
Genre	Pop
Writer(s)	Susanna Hoffs Tom Kelly Billy Steinberg
Rollergirl singles chronology
"Luv U More" (1999) "Eternal Flame" (2000) "Superstar" (2000)

• The song was covered in 2000 by Rollergirl on the album Now I'm Singin'... and the Party Keeps On Rollin', and released as a single which peaked at #87 in the Swiss Charts.^[68]
• Bonnie Tyler and French singer Laura Zen recorded a version in 2011 which went to French radio stations on Monday August 29. The song was named "Eternal Flame (Amour éternel)".^[69]
• The song was featured in the movie Pitch Perfect.
• The song was heard in the episode "Lassie Jerky" of Psych in 2013.
• The song was heard in the episode "A Sitar is Born" of the show Outsourced in 2011.
• This song was featured in the seventeenth episode of the final season of How I Met Your Mother.
• The British musical comedy film Walking on Sunshine used the song.
• It was used in an episode of The Goldbergs where Beverly and Murray renew their marriage vows.

References

1. Susanna Hoffs, "Commentary", the Bangles, Return to Bangleonia, DVD, 2007
2. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, 500 Nr. 1 hits uit de Top 40, page 261, 9023009444
3. "Eternal Flame". Songfacts.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-17. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGsr9CtiB0c&t=23m41s. Missing or empty |title= (help)
5. "Billboard Hot 100 Archives". Billboard.com. Billboard. Archived from the original on 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
6. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 28.
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9. Canadian peak
10. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
11. "Lescharts.com – Bangles – Eternal Flame" (in French). Les classement single.
12. "Musicline.de – Bangles Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
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21. "Bangles – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Bangles.
22. "Bangles – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Bangles.
23. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
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31. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1989 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
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69. "Bonnie Tyler est de retour : elle reprend le hit "Eternal Flame"". Chartsinfrance.net. 2011-08-29. Archived from the original on 2014-02-09. Retrieved 2012-01-09.

Additional sources used:

• The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGsr9CtiB0c

External links

• The Bangles official website
• Official video clip on YouTube
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics