"Red Tape" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Amanda Lear | ||||
from the album Incognito | ||||
B-side | "New York" | |||
Released | 1981 | |||
Format | 7" | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 3:55 | |||
Label | Ariola | |||
Songwriter(s) | Anthony Monn, Amanda Lear | |||
Producer(s) | Anthony Monn | |||
Amanda Lear singles chronology | ||||
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"Red Tape" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1981 by Ariola Records as the single from her album Incognito .
The French are an ethnic group and nation who are identified with the country of France. This connection may be ethnic, legal, historical, or cultural.
Amanda Lear is a French singer, lyricist, painter, television presenter, actress and former model.
Ariola Records is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music.
"Red Tape" was composed and produced by Anthony Monn, Lear's long-time collaborator, and is a pop song with rock influences. In the song's lyrics, Amanda Lear criticises the so-called "red tape", complaining about its inquisitiveness and the lack of privacy it imposes. She sings: "I want to keep my privacy, Big Brother is watching me". On its parent album, where every song stands for a "deadly sin", "Red Tape" represents bureaucracy.
Anthony Monn is a German singer, composer, and record producer.
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United Kingdom and in the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily on the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.
Red tape is an idiom that refers to excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making. It is usually applied to governments, corporations, and other large organizations. Things often described as "red tape" include filling out paperwork, obtaining licenses, having multiple people or committees approve a decision and various low-level rules that make conducting one's affairs slower, more difficult, or both.
The song was released as the single only in France, with a French-language version of "New York" on side B, which was not available on the album. The single did not chart.
In the 2017 book Europe's Stars of '80s Dance Pop, the song is mentioned as one of Lear's "noteworthy tracks" from the 80s. [1]
The music video pictures Amanda clad in a futuristic outfit and sunglasses, playing Rubik's Cube.
A music video is a short film that integrates a song with imagery, and is produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie-in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie-ins and merchandising can be used for toys or for food or other products. Although the origins of the music video date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they again came into prominence in the 1980s when the channel MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these kinds of videos were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip".
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that are colored, polarized or darkened. In the early 20th century, they were also known as sun cheaters.
Rubik's Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Ideal Toy Corp. in 1980 via businessman Tibor Laczi and Seven Towns founder Tom Kremer, and won the German Game of the Year special award for Best Puzzle that year. As of January 2009, 350 million cubes had been sold worldwide making it the world's top-selling puzzle game. It is widely considered to be the world's best-selling toy.
Sweet Revenge is the second studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in 1978 by West German label Ariola Records. The album turned out a major commercial success, spawning European hit disco singles "Follow Me" and "Enigma ". Sweet Revenge remains Lear's best-selling album. It was released in CD format in 1992.
Incognito is the fifth studio album by French singer Amanda Lear, released in 1981 by West German label Ariola Records. The album was a moderate chart success.
"Égal" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1981 by Ariola Records as the single from her album Incognito.
Poet Amanda Lear is a compilation album by French singer Amanda Lear, first released in 1981 by Melodiya.
"Queen of Chinatown" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1977 by Ariola Records. It met with a big chart success and remains one of Lear's biggest hits to date.
"Follow Me" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1978 by Ariola Records as the lead single from her second album, Sweet Revenge. The song went on to become a multi-million-selling chart success in Continental Europe and remains one of Amanda Lear's trademark hits.
"Diamonds" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1979 by Ariola Records as the second single from her album Diamonds for Breakfast.
"Assassino" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1984 by WEA.
"Incredibilmente donna" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1982 by Ariola Records.
"Love Your Body" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1983 by Ariola Records.
"Ritmo Salsa" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1984 by Five Record.
"No Credit Card" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1985 by Merak Music.
"No Regrets" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear from her album Tam-Tam released in 1983 by Ariola Records.
"Trouble" is a blues song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, originally performed by Elvis Presley in 1958 and covered by a number of artists in later years, most notably by Amanda Lear.
"Tomorrow" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear from her 1977 album I Am a Photograph, released as a single the same year. The song was a commercial success and remains one of Lear's biggest hits.
"Run Baby Run" is a song performed by French singer Amanda Lear from her second album Sweet Revenge, released as a single in 1978 by Ariola Records.
"The Sphinx" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1978 by Ariola Records as the single from her third album Never Trust a Pretty Face.
"Solomon Gundie" is a song by Jamaican ska singer Eric "Monty" Morris released in 1964 by Black Swan Records. It was produced by Leslie Kong with lyrics based on the nursery rhyme "Solomon Grundy". The song was later recorded by a number of artists, most notably by French singer Amanda Lear. Her version was released as the single by Ariola Records in 1980 and was a minor chart hit in Germany. Australian band Allniters released a cover of the song on their 1999 album Another Fine Mess.
"Gold" is a song by French singer Amanda Lear from her second album Sweet Revenge, released as the single in 1978.