The Downtown Lights

"The Downtown Lights" is a song by Scottish band The Blue Nile, released in 1989 as the lead single from their second studio album Hats. It was written by Paul Buchanan and produced by the band.

"The Downtown Lights"
Single by The Blue Nile
from the album Hats
B-side"The Wires Are Down"
Released1989
Length4:40 (single version)
6:26 (album version)
LabelLinn Records
A&M (US)
Songwriter(s)Paul Buchanan
Producer(s)The Blue Nile
The Blue Nile singles chronology
"Stay"
(1984)		 "The Downtown Lights"
(1989)		 "Headlights on the Parade"
(1990)

"The Downtown Lights" reached No. 67 in the UK and remained in the charts for three weeks.[1] It also reached No. 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.[2] The song's music video achieved medium rotation on MTV.[3]

Reception

Upon its release, Music & Media wrote: "Moody, slow-stepping material from the Glaswegian trio. A striking choice as a single as this is not the easiest number to programme."[4] Mick Williams of the Lennox Herald gave the song a 6 out of 10 rating and commented: ""Downtown Lights", while signalling the long-awaited return of Blue Nile, is a trifle disappointing as the band seem to have stood still and failed to progress since their much acclaimed debut disc. Indeed, "Downtown Lights" could be an outtake from the band's A Walk Across the Rooftops sessions, way back in '84."[5]

In a review of Hats, Peter B. King of The Pittsburgh Press commented: "The album's grabber is "The Downtown Lights". Moving along at a stately, machine-driven uptempo, it builds inexorably with layers of synthesizers and drum programs. Buchanan summons images of cigarettes, magazine stands and forlorn figures in stairwells for his tale of longing and fulfillment in the big city."[6] Paul Robicheau of The Boston Globe wrote: "The group crosses dusky, percolating keyboard layers with the grey vocals of Paul Buchanan to build a subtle splendor on "The Downtown Lights" and "Headlights on the Parade"."[7]

David Thigpen of Rolling Stone commented: "Songs such as "The Downtown Lights" and "Saturday Night" have a sparse, soulful feel that blends the cool, nocturnal languor of Bryan Ferry with the mystical hues of Peter Gabriel."[8] Jason Ankeny of AllMusic stated: "Tracks like "The Downtown Lights" and "From a Late Night Train" are perfectly evocative of their titles: Rich in romantic atmosphere and detail, they conjure a nocturnal fantasy world lit by neon and shrouded in fog."[9]

Track listing
7" single
  1. "The Downtown Lights" - 4:40
  2. "The Wires Are Down" - 5:40
12" and CD single
  1. "The Downtown Lights" - 6:26
  2. "The Wires Are Down" - 5:40
  3. "Halfway to Paradise" (instrumental) - 2:03
12" single (US promo)
  1. "The Downtown Lights" - 6:26
  2. "The Downtown Lights" - 4:40
  3. "The Wires Are Down" - 5:40
CD single (US promo)
  1. "The Downtown Lights" (Album version) - 6:26
  2. "The Downtown Lights" (Edit version) - 4:40
CD single (US promo)
  1. "The Downtown Lights" - 4:05
  2. "Headlights On the Parade" - 3:53
  3. "Saturday Night" - 4:01

Cover versions
  • In 1995, Scottish singer Annie Lennox released a version of the song on her second solo album Medusa. In an article she wrote for The Independent, Lennox revealed why she chose to record the song: "I just couldn't resist this. Landscape of sound - instrumental gorgeous melancholic drift..."[10]
  • In 1995, British singer Rod Stewart included a version on his seventeenth studio album A Spanner in the Works.[11] Stewart's version was produced by Trevor Horn who listed Hats as one of his favourite albums in an article by The Quietus in 2019. He stated: "I came to [Hats] when I was working with Rod Stewart. Suddenly from nowhere he was all "I've heard this song, Trevor, I fucking love it!" And it was "The Downtown Lights" off this album. I met Paul Buchanan up in Scotland years later, and he told me he liked Rod's version, and I was so pleased."[12]
  • In 2006, Scala & Kolacny Brothers included a version on their fifth album It All Leads to This.[13]
  • In 2014, American indie band Small Black recorded the song for their EP Real People.[14]
  • In 2018, American indie pop band Pure Bathing Culture recorded a full album cover of Hats, including "The Downtown Lights".[15]

Personnel

The Blue Nile

  • Paul Buchanan
  • Robert Bell
  • Paul Joseph Moore

Production

Charts
Chart (1989–90) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[16] 67
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[17] 10

References
  1. "BLUE NILE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  2. "Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. 24 February 1990.
  3. "The Clip List". Billboard. 17 March 1990.
  4. "Previews: Singles". Music & Media. 14 October 1989.
  5. Williams, Mick (15 September 1989). "Hot wax". Lennox Herald.
  6. King, Peter B. (4 March 1990). "Blue Nile flows smoothly; Katy Moffatt scores with roots-rock LP". Pittsburgh Press.
  7. Robicheau, Paul (8 March 1990). "Recordings". The Boston Globe.
  8. Thigpen, David (17 May 1990). "The Blue Nile: Hats". Rolling Stone. No. 578. p. 149. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  9. AllMusic Review by Jason Ankeny (1989-10-16). "Hats - The Blue Nile | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  10. Tim De Lisle (1995-03-05). "Soul meets the abstract space". The Independent. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  11. Stewart, Rod (2013-05-07). Rod: The Autobiography. Rod Stewart - Rod Stewart - Google Books. ISBN 9781780891255. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  12. "Features | Baker's Dozen | "It's Entertainment, You Know?" Trevor Horn's Favourite Albums". The Quietus. 2019-02-05. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  13. "It all leads to this - Scala & Kolacny Brothers". www.scalachoir.com. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  14. Paul Thompson (2014-03-31). "Small Black: Real People EP Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  15. "Pure Bathing Culture Share Cover Of The Blue Nile's "The Downtown Lights": Listen". Stereogum. 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  16. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  17. "The Blue Nile Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
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