Red Hot + Blue is the first compilation album from the Red Hot Organization in the Red Hot Benefit Series. It features contemporary pop performers reinterpreting several songs by Cole Porter, with the album title based on Porter's musical Red, Hot and Blue.
Released in September 1990, the album sold over a million copies worldwide, raised nearly $1m for the activist group ACT UP, and was heralded as one of the first major AIDS benefits in the music business. The accompanying ABC television special featured music videos for the songs. Each performer contributed their own unique interpretation to their selection, expanding the premise popularized by Ella Fitzgerald in her 1956 Cole Porter tribute album.
Red Hot + Blue was reissued as a two-disc set in 2006, including the original CD remastered, and a DVD of the video collection. Bloomsbury Publishing released a 2024 memoir by John S. Garrison that blends together the history of the album with his personal experience of listening to Red Hot + Blue as part of the publisher's 33⅓ book series.
Singles and promotion Besides the television special, some of the songs were promoted as singles. Neneh Cherry's reworked version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" was released as the lead single for the album in the UK and Europe and reached 25 on the UK Singles Chart. "Well, Did You Evah!" by Deborah Harry and Iggy Pop received a commercial release in Europe and Australia and reached No. 42 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 18 in Ireland and No. 106 in Australia.
Although no singles were released from the album in the United States, the song "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", covered in a techno style by Thompson Twins, received regular airplay on San Francisco's Live 105 (KITS). This was one of the two songs not to have a video counterpart. U2's cover of "Night and Day" reached No. 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and presaged the electronic sound the band would explore on Achtung Baby the following year.
Singer-songwriter Tom Waits asked his friend Jim Jarmusch to direct a video of his version of "It's All Right with Me". As a preliminary test, Jarmusch captured black & white footage around Los Angeles with a handheld 8 mm film camera, and filmed Waits dancing and singing the song. Waits was unexpectedly unavailable for further photography, so Waits suggested Jarmusch should complete the video using only the test material.
Annie Lennox reprised her performance of "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" in Derek Jarman's 1991 film Edward II.
Critical reception
In a review of Red Hot + Blue for AllMusic, William Ruhlmann singled out Neneh Cherry's "I've Got U Under My Skin" and the Jungle Brothers' "I Get a Kick Out of You" as "the most radical reinterpretations" of Cole Porter's original songs, though he went on to comment that "there are tracks in which the artists have taken the opposite tack, going for re-creations of styles from decades past." Ruhlmann concluded the review by stating that "Like most various-artists albums and most tribute albums, this one is wildly uneven; like most charity albums, it's in the service of a good cause."
Track listing
Personnel Adapted from the album's liner notes.
Album production Produced by Leigh Blake & John Carlin Created by Leigh Blake, John Carlin & F. Richard Pappas Executive producers: Paul Conroy & F. Richard Pappas Supervising musical producer: Steve Lillywhite Helene Silverman – art direction Frank Gargiulo – design
Track credits
"I've Got U Under My Skin" Neneh Cherry – vocals Nick Plytas – piano Afrika Baby Bam, Neneh Cherry, Jonny Dollar, Booga Bear – production Brian 'Chuck' New, Afrika Baby Bam, Booga Bear – mixing Recorded at Coach House (Bristol, England) Mixed at Konk (London, England)
"In the Still of the Night" Aaron Neville – lead vocals Art Neville – vocals, keyboards Charles Neville – saxophone Cyril Neville – vocals, percussion Willie Green – drums Tony Hall – bass guitar Eric Struthers – guitar Steve Lillywhite – production David Farrell – engineer Recorded & mixed at Ultrasonic (New Orleans, Louisiana) Direction: Bill Graham Management
"You Do Something to Me" Sinead O'Connor – vocals The Malcolm Griffiths Orchestra – orchestra; directed by John Mitchell Steve Lillywhite – production, mixing Chris Dickie – engineer Chris Birkett – vocal recording Recorded at RAK (London, England) Mixed at Roundhouse (London, England)
"Begin the Beguine" Salif Keita – vocals Santos Chillemi – piano, production, arrangement Jean Pierre Alcouffe – brass, executive producer Fabrice Castelot – guitar, engineer Souleymane Doumbia – percussion Kélétigui Diabaté – balafon Andre Soulies & Patrick Fremeaux – management & coordination Recorded at TLD (Paris, France)
"Love for Sale" Roland Gift – vocals, production David Steele – bass, keyboards, production, mixing Andy Cox – guitar, production, mixing Graeme Hamilton – piano, trumpet Saxa – saxophone, percussion Martin Parry – drums The Browns – backing vocals Phil Savage – engineer Robert Musso – mixing
"Well, Did You Evah!" Deborah Harry – vocals Iggy Pop – vocals Chris Stein – guitar, synthesizer, production Mel Gaynor – drums Guy Pratt – bass guitar Steve Lillywhite – production Mark Wallis – engineer Chris Bandy – assistant engineer Recorded at Red Night (New York City, New York); additional recording at Townhouse (London, England)
"Miss Otis Regrets / Just One of Those Things" Kirsty MacColl – vocals Shane MacGowan – vocals The Pogues – all instruments Steve Lillywhite – production, mixing Chris Dickie – engineer, mixing Daniel Duncan – assistant engineer Nigel Godrich – assistant engineer Recorded and mixed at RAK (London, England)
"Don't Fence Me In" David Byrne – vocals, guitar, production, arrangement Kenny Kosek – fiddle Jimmy MacDonell – accordion, tamborim Portinho Tamborim – drums, backing vocals Seku Tongue – tamborim, whistle Repinique, Reinaldo Fernandes, Surdo, Greto Negro, Jose Sena Nego Gato, Herculano, Mazinho Marques, Timbao, Tony Mola, Charlie Negrita, Odimar, Steve Sacks, Annie Sarabia, Caixa, Helio Schiavo – backing vocals Steve Lillywhite – mixing Mark Wallis – engineer Nick Prout – engineer Bill Allen – second engineer Sandy Palmer – second engineer, backing vocals Simon Van Zwanenberg – assistant engineer Brenda Dunlap – production coordinator, backing vocals Recorded at BMG (New York City, New York) Mixed at Roundhouse (London, England)
"It's All Right with Me" Tom Waits – vocals, Chamberlin, percussion, production Greg Cohen – bass guitar, percussion, production Biff Dawes, Bill Jackson – engineers Catharina Masters – project coordination Recorded at Sunset Sound (Hollywood, California)
"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" Annie Lennox – vocals Ed Shearmur – piano James Fearnley – accordion Chucho Merchán – bass guitar Steve Lillywhite – production, mixing Chris Dickie – engineer Karl Madert – engineer Recorded at RAK (London, England) Mixed at Utopia (London, England)
"Night + Day" Dr. Paul Barrett – keyboards, production Noel Eccles – congas The Edge – infinite guitar, production Steve Lillywhite – executive producer Ian Bryan, Eoghan McCarron – engineers "Recorded in Edge's basement, June 1990"
"I Love Paris" Helno – lead vocals Mellino – guitar, backing vocals Mathieu Canavese – accordion, backing vocals Jeroz – guitar, backing vocals Abraham Sirinix – percussion, backing vocals Paulo – bass guitar Julo – backing vocals Gaby Le Magnifique – bongos Ze Ze – drums Sodi & Clive – production, mixing Recorded at Davout & Guillaume Tell (Paris, France) Mixed at Mayfair (London, England)
"So in Love" k.d. lang – vocals, production Ben Mink – guitar, production Ted Borowiecki – accordion David Piltch – bass guitar Kim Zick – drums Connie Grauer – keyboards Greg Penny – production Joe Seta – engineer Mark Ramaer – second engineer Recorded at Vancouver Studios (Vancouver, British Columbia)
"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Tom Bailey – vocals, production, mixing Alannah Currie – vocals Steve Lillywhite – production, mixing Keith Fernley – production, mixing Lee Curle – assistant Recorded at Point Music (London, England) Mixed at Mayfair (London, England)
"Too Darn Hot" Andy Bell – vocals, production, arranger Vince Clarke – vocals, production, arranger Steve Lillywhite – mixing Jim Goatley – engineer Mark Wallis – engineer John Azelvandre – assistant engineer Simon Van Zwanenberg – assistant engineer Recorded at Sorcerer Sound (New York City, New York)
"I Get a Kick Out of You" Afrika Baby Bam – vocals, production Mike Gee, Sammy B – vocals Steve Finan, Lucien – backing vocals Robert Power – engineer Recorded at Calliope (New York City, New York)
"Down in the Depths" Lisa Stansfield – vocals, production Andy Morris, Ian Devaney – brass, production Stephen Gibson – additional trumpet Kevin Whitehead – drums
"From This Moment On" Jimmy Somerville – vocals Mark Nevin – guitar, lap steel guitar Steve Lillywhite – production Tom Bailey – production Keith Fernley – production, engineer Lee Curle – assistant engineer Recorded at Mayfair (London, England)
"After You, Who?" Jody Watley – vocals Randy Waldman – piano John Clayton – bass guitar Vinnie Colaiuta – drums André Cymone – production Bobby Brooks – engineer Max Garcia – assistant engineer Recorded at Ocean Way (Hollywood, California) Mixed at The Loft
"Do I Love You?" Roddy Frame – vocals, guitar, production Gary Sanctuary – keyboards Paul Powell – bass guitar Frank Tontoh – drums Eric Calvi – production, engineer Recorded at Rockfield (Monmouth, Wales)
References
External links Red Hot + Blue at Discogs