Like Flames

Background

Berlin worked with Canadian producer Bob Ezrin on the album. The producer, best known for his work with Alice Cooper or KISS, gave the record a radically different 80's pop-rock guitar sound than Berlin's previous releases, which had a more new wave/synthpop sound. Berlin singer Terri Nunn and their label, Geffen Records, were approving of the change of sound, but it did not sit well with founding member John Crawford and drummer Rob Brill, who wrote the song. The recording of the album wasn't a relaxed affair, as differences of opinion between band members plagued the recording sessions. These clashes were further exacerbated by the recording of the group's previous single, the worldwide #1 hit "Take My Breath Away", from the soundtrack of the film Top Gun, which Nunn was eager to record, while the other two members were not excited about due to the song not being written by them (it was done by Giorgio Moroder), and with a sound not representative of the band.

The music video sees the band singing at the top of a mountain, it was filmed at the Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.

Release and reception

"Like Flames" was released as the lead-off single of the album in October, 1986, and, following up "Take My Breath Away", a #1 record in September of that year, was expected to do well. However, the record and the album did not find chart success, peaking at #82 in the USA, becoming their last chart hit in that country. In Europe, the record performed better on the strength of "Take My Breath Away", achieving top 20 places in some countries, but still it was only a moderate hit. In the UK, "Like Flames" was released as the second single off the album in March 1987, following "You Don't Know", which was released as the next single elsewhere. It peaked at #47 there.

Nunn has blamed the lack of success to the sudden change of style for the band, which alienated their established fanbase of their synth-pop albums, and failing to gain new fans from their new-found fame with "Take My Breath Away", because the album sounded nothing like it, although the hit song was included on the album at the insistence of Geffen to capitalize on its success. The record's lack of success and their internal clashes eventually led to the demise of the band in 1987.

Track listing

1. "Like Flames" (Edit) 4:02
2. "Hideaway" 5:08

1. "Like Flames" (Extended Version) 7:00
2. "Hideaway" 5:08
3. "Dancing In Berlin" (Remix) 4:44

1. "Like Flames" (Edit) 4:02
2. "Trash" 3:38

1. "Like Flames" (Extended Version) 7:00
2. "Trash" 3:38
3. "You Don't Know" (Extended Version) 5:31

Alannah Myles version

Canadian pop-rock singer Alannah Myles covered the song in 2000. The record was produced by German musician/producer Frank Peterson, best known for his work with Enigma, Gregorian and Sarah Brightman as a commission by German cable TV Premiere to use the song at the end of their coverages of the Bundesliga on their Sports channel during the 2000-2001 season.

Myles' cover mixes the standard Europop of that time with her trademark rock vocal delivery. Myles sang it on the Bundesliga playoffs and, since the song received a good response, it was released as a single in Germany in November 2000, peaking at #98 there, Myles' first single to chart since 1990 in that country. Myles eventually included the song on her compilation Myles & More: The Very Best Of, released in the Spring of 2001. These would be Myles' last releases with her label Ark 21 Records, with whom she had signed in 1996.

Myles would collaborate again with Frank Peterson on his 2010 Gregorian album Dark Side of the Chant, providing vocals on three tracks.

Track listing

1. "Like Flames" (Radio Version) 3:55
2. "Like Flames" (Album Version) 5:14
3. "Like Flames" (Deadline Remix) 5:13

Twenty 4 Seven version

"Like Flames" was covered and released as a single by Twenty 4 Seven in October 2007. It was covered as a house remix of the 1986 song by Berlin. It featured Twenty 4 Seven's new vocalist, Elle and was the group's first release since 1999.

The music video was shot in an abandoned power plant, and featured Elle singing and dancing with a couple of other dancers, with flames in the background.