Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Red Light Special

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B-side
  
"My Secret Enemy"

Format
  
CD

Released
  
February 21, 1995

Length
  
5:04

Recorded
  
Fall 1994 Music Grinder Studios (Los Angeles, California)

Genre
  
Pop rock R&B soul quiet storm

"Red Light Special" is the second single released by TLC from the album CrazySexyCool. TLC saw yet another commercial success with the song, as it reached #1 on Billboard's Rhythmic Top 40 chart, and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, being held back from the top position by Montell Jordan's "This Is How We Do It". The song became TLC's fifth top-ten single. It also reached #3 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Contents

My Secret Enemy (B-side)

The Red Light Special single came with a B-side rap track titled 'My Secret Enemy', led by group rapper Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes. Despite not making TLC's album CrazySexyCool, the song is highly praised by long-time TLC fans and kept up with the group's more matured style. Its lyrical content focuses on Lisa’s coverage in the media and her relationship with Andre Rison. Lopes went on to say that the song came out directly after the incident that saw her accidentally set fire to Rison's Atlanta mansion. "It happened right after that incident and I was feeling like I needed a way out," said Lopes of the track.

Music video

The music video was directed by Matthew Rolston and is set in a brothel. The male actors in the video are portrayed as prostitutes and Left-Eye is dressed as a pimp while Chilli & T-Boz portray customers who part take in a game of strip poker. A young Boris Kodjoe is featured as one of the male prostitutes. T-boz is seen being caressed by a man in a room. Chilli is seen dancing with the guitar player. There are also black and white solo shots of the girls singing.

Track listing

CD1
  1. "Red Light Special" (Radio Edit) - 4:40
  2. "Red Light Special" (L.A.'s Flava Mix) - 4:28
  3. "Red Light Special" (Album Version) - 5:02
  4. "Red Light Special" (Gerald Hall Remix) - 5:09
  5. "My Secret Enemy" - 5:36
CD2
  1. "Red Light Special" (Radio Edit) - 4:40
  2. "Red Light Special" (Alternate Radio Edit) - 4:31
  3. "Red Light Special" (Album Version) - 5:02
  4. "Red Light Special" (Album Instrumental) - 5:02
12" vinyl
  1. "Red Light Special" (L.A.'s Flava Mix - Extended Version)
  2. "Red Light Special" (Album Version)
  3. "Red Light Special" (Gerald Hall's Remix)
  4. "Red Light Special" (Acappella)
  5. "Red Light Special" (Instrumental)
  6. "My Secret Enemy"

References

Red Light Special Wikipedia
(Text) CC BY-SA