Bob Mitchell

The Flame Still Burns

Songwriter Bob Mitchell celebrates the 20th anniversary of his long-living hit

Now and again you come across a song that is so well crafted that it is difficult to knock it down, its foundations firmly set into the earth. One such song is "The Flame," which was written by UK based writers Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham in 1988.

"The Flame" was originally recorded by European star Elkie Brooks, but unbeknownst to her, the track would reignite the career of a band an ocean away and become a hit a few times over. Mitchell recalls, just before the recording of the song, Brooks had another one in mind. "Two songs were written for her," says Mitchell. "Elkie preferred the other song titled 'Only Love Will Set You Free.'"

Cross the Atlantic to the US and Cheap Trick had been working with all the great producers but had not come up with a single they were happy with. They recorded a cover of "The Flame" which would become a monster #1 hit and bring them back to musical prominence.

Ten years later electronic dance singer Erin Hamilton recorded the song and scored the #12 position in the Billboard dance chart. Erin's recording remains so well loved that "The Flame 08" has just been released as a re-mix and secured the coveted # 1 slot in the same dance chart ten years after its first release. Says Mitchell, humbly, of the track's runaway success, "The song did hit in all the right places at all the right times."