"Blue Room" is a single by English electronic music duo the Orb. It was released on 8 June 1992 on Big Life Records. The full 39-minute version features a number of samples, including a small portion of the beginning of "Mysterious Traveller" by Weather Report and a damaged portion of "Happy Birthday to You" by Marilyn Monroe at the end. An edited version of the song appears on the album U.F.Orb.
| "Blue Room" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Orb | ||||
| from the album U.F.Orb | ||||
| B-side | "Towers of Dub" (remix) | |||
| Released | 8 June 1992[1] | |||
| Genre | Ambient house | |||
| Length | 39:58 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| The Orb singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio sample | ||||
Sample from the Orb's 40 minute version of "Blue Room" | ||||
"Blue Room" is the longest single to ever appear on the UK Singles Chart, at 39 minutes and 58 seconds.[2] It entered the listing at position 12 and peaked at number eight the next week. In Ireland, the song reached number 28, and in the United States, it peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Background
After a number of maxi-singles had been excluded from the UK Singles Chart (or like how Prince's "Gett Off" maxi-single ended up on the UK Albums Chart),[3][4] the chart compilers Chart Information Network, decided to include a rule alongside the usual 25 minute maximum playing time, which allowed 'maxi singles' to run to 40 minutes[5] if only one title was listed amongst the single's tracks.[6] The Orb thus decided to record a 39:58 version of "Blue Room" for a special release, as there would be only one track on the single. The title "Blue Room" is a reference to the supposed Blue Room of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which was investigated as a possible UFO evidence-holding room.[7]
Top of the Pops performance
The Orb caused controversy when appearing on Top of the Pops to promote the single. Instead of performing, Alex Paterson and Kris Weston, the latter holding a toy sheep, played a chess-like game whilst passing a globus cruciger back and forth. The performance had a profound impact on Robbie Williams, then a member of Take That, who later declared "that Top of the Pops changed my life".[8]
Track listings
Charts
| Chart (1992–1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] | 48 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 28 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 8 |
| US Dance Club Play (Billboard)[18] | 46 |
References
External links
- Blue Room at Discogs
- Blue Room at AllMusic
- Boyd, Brian (23 October 1998). "Unidentified Flying Orb". The Irish Times. p. 12.
- Sullivan, Caroline (9 April 1993). "Breakdown". The Guardian.