Flag (Yello album)

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Flag
Studio album by
Released1 November 1988
Recorded1987–1988
GenreSynthpop
Length49:01
LabelMercury (original US release)
Fontana (original UK & European release)
Vertigo (2005 CD reissue)
ProducerYello
Yello chronology
One Second
(1987)
Flag
(1988)
Baby
(1991)
Singles from Flag
  1. "The Race"
    Released: 11 April 1988
  2. "Tied Up"
    Released: 28 November 1988
  3. "Of Course I'm Lying"
    Released: 23 March 1989
  4. "Blazing Saddles"
    Released: 21 August 1989
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]

Flag is the sixth studio album by Swiss electronic duo Yello, released in 1988. It features an eight-minute version of "The Race", the edited version of which reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in August of that year. "The Race" was used as a trailer for Eurosport, and the opening theme to the US quiz show It's Academic.[2][3]

An early cut of the album was used as the soundtrack for the film Nuns on the Run and is played during many of the chase scenes.

Track listing[edit]

All tracks written by Dieter Meier and Boris Blank.

  1. "Tied Up" – 6:05
  2. "Of Course I'm Lying" – 5:56
  3. "3rd of June" – 4:50
  4. "Blazing Saddles" – 3:53
  5. "The Race" – 8:08
  6. "Alhambra" – 3:38
  7. "Otto Di Catania" – 3:20
  8. "Tied Up in Red" (CD bonus track) – 8:23
  9. "Tied Up in Gear" – 3:58
  10. "The Race (Break Light Mix)" *
  11. "Wall Street Bongo" *
  12. "The Race (12″ Mix)" *

(*) Bonus tracks on the 2005 remastered release

Chart performance[edit]

Country Peak
position
[4][5][6]
Switzerland 3
Australia[7] 94
Austria 12
Sweden 24
New Zealand 33
United Kingdom 56
United States 152

SinglesUK Singles Chart / Millward Brown (United Kingdom)

Date Single Chart Position
August 1988 "The Race" The Official UK Singles Chart 7
December 1988 "Tied Up" The Official UK Singles Chart 60
March 1989 "Of Course I'm Lying" The Official UK Singles Chart 23
July 1989 "Blazing Saddles" The Official UK Singles Chart 47

Personnel[edit]

Yello
  • Dieter Meier - lyrics, vocals
  • Boris Blank – music composition, arrangements, vocals on "Blazing Saddles"

with:

  • Billy Mackenzie – backing chorus on "Of Course I'm Lying" and "Otto di Catania"
  • Leos Gerteis – clarinet on "Otto di Catania"
  • Chico Hablas – guitars on "Otto di Catania" and "Tied Up in Gear"
  • Beat Ash – drums, percussion on 1, 2, 5, 8, 9
  • Ernst Gamper - cover

Production[edit]

  • Arranged, produced, engineered and mixed by Yello
  • Mastered by Kevin Metcalfe

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[8] Gold 25,000*
Germany (BVMI)[9] Gold 250,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Silver 60,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Flag at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Yello". Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
  3. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Eurosport Trailer 5. YouTube.
  4. ^ European charts
  5. ^ UK chart
  6. ^ Billboard chart
  7. ^ "Chartifacts – Week Ending: 11 August 1991 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 81)". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 23 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Yello – Flag" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  9. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Yello; 'Flag')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  10. ^ "British album certifications – Yello – Flag". British Phonographic Industry.