Blue Savannah

"Blue Savannah"
Single by Erasure
from the album Wild!
B-side	"Runaround on the Underground" "No G.D.M."
Released	25 January 1990 (1990-01-25)
Genre	Pop
Length	4:23
Label	Mute (UK) Sire (US)
Songwriter(s)	Vince Clarke Andy Bell
Producer(s)	Gareth Jones Mark Saunders Erasure
Erasure singles chronology
"You Surround Me" (1989) "Blue Savannah" (1990) "Star" (1990)
Music video
"Blue Savannah" on YouTube

"Blue Savannah" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure from their fourth studio album, Wild! (1989). Written by members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, the song was released as a single in Japan on 25 January 1990 and was issued in the United Kingdom the following month. Alfa Records released it in Japan as the album's lead single, Mute Records released it in Europe as the album's third single, and Sire Records released it in the United States as the album's second single. Considered one of the band's signature songs, the duo still perform it regularly in concerts. It has been described as an uplifting love song; the instrumentation is crisp and heavily synthesized, accented with sweeping, programmed piano.

Release

"Blue Savannah" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. It also returned the band to the top 20 in West Germany, where the song peaked at number 13. In Israel, it hit number-one. The release of the single brought about the usual array of remixes and B-sides. In 2004, HiBias Records of Canada started their Retro:Active – Rare & Remixed CD series and the 'Out of the Blue' mix received its first official release, on volume one. In 2016, the remix was included on the Erasure 30th-anniversary anthology From Moscow to Mars, making its first-ever official release on an Erasure album.

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic declared the song as a "strong number", remarking its "relatively low key pulse, which sounds like a light motorik/Kraftwerk number given the appropriate Erasure sparkle."^[1] Bill Coleman from Billboard described it as an "NRG-etic number"^[2] and a "lilting, easy-paced gem."^[3] Ernest Hardy from Cashbox commented, "Here, Erasure completely shake off their old drag for some Kraftwerk attire, then a Kraftwerk-meets-hip-hop groove thang. It's better than the original."^[4] Scottish Dundee Courier complimented the song as "such sterling work".^[5]

In a retrospective review, Chris Gerard from Metro Weekly felt that it is "perhaps Erasure's best sounding track—put it on now and it's so fresh that it sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday." He described it as "audio daydream; a sublimely beautiful melody, sung with real feeling by Andy Bell, over some of Vince Clarke's loveliest keyboard work. That amazingly vibrant piano part just pops out of the speakers. This is what great pop music is all about—it makes you feel warm just listening to it."^[6] Darren Lee from The Quietus noted "the lush electro-splendour" of "Blue Savannah", stating that it is one of "the most gloriously effervescent pop anthems ever recorded."^[7] Christopher Smith from Talk About Pop Music called it "joyous" and "Erasure at its very best." He noted that Bell's voice across the first verses and chorus "are both haunting and sensual in equal measure."^[8]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Blue Savannah" was directed by English singer, songwriter, musician and music video director Kevin Godley. It shows Clarke and Bell performing the song in a large, white room, which gets painted blue as the video progresses. A mysterious blue hand is coming down from above. Reaching the room, it holds a paint brush in view. The camera follows the hand as it paints Clarke and a shirtless Bell until they both are completely blue. Eventually gold-coloured leaves, similar to those shown on the Wild! album cover, blow in and cover the duo as they perform.

Track listings

7-inch single and cassette single[9][10] "Blue Savannah" "Runaround on the Underground" UK 12-inch and CD single[11][12] "Blue Savannah" "Runaround on the Underground" "No G.D.M." UK limited-edition 12-inch single 1[13] A1. "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix II) B1. "No G.D.M." (Unfinished mix) B2. "Runaround on the Underground" UK limited-edition 12-inch single 2[14] "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix II) "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix I) UK limited-edition CD single[15] "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix I) "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix II) "Runaround on the Underground" Japanese mini-CD single[16] "Blue Savannah" "You Surround Me"

US maxi-CD single[17] "Blue Savannah" (single version) – 3:51 "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix I) – 7:04 "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix II) – 6:13 "Runaround on the Underground" (12-inch mix) – 6:41 "Blue Savannah" (Mark Saunders remix) – 6:51 "Supernature" (William Orbit's mix) – 6:59 "No G.D.M." (Zeus B. Held mix) – 4:24 US and Canadian 12-inch and maxi-cassette single[18][19] A1. "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix I) – 7:04 A2. "Blue Savannah" (Der Deutsche mix II) – 6:13 A3. "Runaround on the Underground" (12-inch mix) – 6:41 B1. "Blue Savannah" (Mark Saunders remix) – 6:51 B2. "Supernature" (William Orbit's mix) – 6:59 B3. "No G.D.M." (Zeus B. Held mix) – 4:24 US cassette single[20] "Blue Savannah" (7-inch edit) – 3:45 "91 Steps" – 5:33

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[21] 159 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[22] 17 Denmark (IFPI)[23] 7 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[24] 6 Ireland (IRMA)[25] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[26] 14 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 48 UK Singles (OCC)[28] 3 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[29] 44 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[30] 12 West Germany (GfK)[31] 13

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[32] 88 Germany (Official German Charts)[33] 85 UK Singles (OCC)[34] 42

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Japan	25 January 1990	Mini-CD	Alfa	[35]
United Kingdom	26 February 1990	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl	Mute	[36]

References

1. Raggett, Ned. "Erasure – Wild!". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
2. Coleman, Bill (21 April 1990). "Dance Trax: R&B Tracks Provide A Slice Of 'Ghetto Heaven'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 25. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
3. Coleman, Bill (31 March 1990). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 78. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
4. Hardy, Ernest (7 April 1990). "On The Dancefloor: New Grooves - Pick O' the Week" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 14. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
5. Dundee Courier. 27 June 1991. p. 12.
6. Gerard, Chris (17 September 2014). "Erasure's 40 Greatest Tracks". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
7. Lee, Darren (27 February 2009). "Erasure – Total Pop! Erasure's First 40 Hits". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
8. Smith, Christopher (16 October 2019). "Review: 'Wild!' – Erasure". Talk About Pop Music. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
9. Blue Savannah (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Erasure. Mute Records. 1990. MUTE 109.
10. Blue Savannah (UK cassette single sleeve). Erasure. Mute Records. 1990. C MUTE 109.
11. Blue Savannah (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Erasure. Mute Records. 1990. 12 MUTE 109.
12. Blue Savannah (UK CD liner notes). Erasure. Mute Records. 1990. CD MUTE 109.
13. Blue Savannah (UK limited 12-inch single vinyl disc). Erasure. Mute Records. 1990. L12 MUTE 109.
14. Blue Savannah (UK limited 12-inch single vinyl disc). Erasure. Mute Records. 1990. XL12 MUTE 109.
15. Blue Savannah (UK limited CD single liner notes). Erasure. Mute Records. 1990. LCD MUTE 109.
16. Blue Savannah (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Erasure. Alfa Records. 1990. ALDB-9.
17. Blue Savannah (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Erasure. Sire Records, Reprise Records. 1990. 9 21428-2.
18. Blue Savannah (US & Canadian 12-inch single vinyl disc). Erasure. Sire Records, Reprise Records. 1990. 9 21428-0; 92 14280.
19. Blue Savannah (US & Canadian maxi-cassette single cassette notes). Erasure. Sire Records, Reprise Records. 1990. 9 21428-4; 92 14284.
20. Blue Savannah (US cassette single cassette notes). Erasure. Sire Records, Reprise Records. 1990. 9 22721-4.
21. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received June 5, 2012". Archived from the original on 5 June 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2015 – via Imgur.
22. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9132." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
23. Danish Singles Chart. 27 April 1990.
24. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 13. 31 March 1990. p. IV. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
25. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Blue Savannah". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
26. "Erasure — Blue Savannah". Top40.nl. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
27. "Erasure – Blue Savannah" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
28. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
29. "Erasure Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
30. "Erasure Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
31. "Offiziellecharts.de – Erasure – Blue Savannah" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
32. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 36. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
33. "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1990" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
34. "1990 Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England: Spotlight Publications. 2 March 1991. p. 41.
35. "ブルー・サバンナ | イレイジャー" [Blue Savannah | Erasure] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
36. "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 24 February 1990. p. 39. Retrieved 26 July 2021. Misprinted as 23 February. The New Albums section uses the correct date.