Pink Flag
Encyclopedia
Pink Flag is the first album by the band Wire
, released in 1977. Upon its release, Robert Christgau
called it a "punk suite" and praised its "simultaneous rawness and detachment" and detected a rock-and-roll irony
similar to but "much grimmer and more frightening" than the Ramones
. Trouser Press
called it "a brilliant 21-song suite" in which the band "manipulated classic rock song structure by condensing them into brief, intense explosions of attitude and energy, coming up with a collection of unforgettable tunes". Although the album was released to critical acclaim, it was not a big seller. Today the album is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Music journalist
, Stuart Maconie
, described it as "by the standards of the time it was extraordinary. But I now realise that by the standards of any time, it's extraordinary". The album was listed at number 410 on Rolling Stone
s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003.
The sleeve concept is credited to B.C. Gilbert
and Graham Lewis
. The cover is a photo by Annette Green of a flagless flagpole with the pink flag
painted on.
reworked "Strange" on their 1987 album Document
. Henry Rollins
(as Henrietta Collins & The Wife-Beating Child Haters) covered "Ex-Lion Tamer" on the 1987 album Drive By Shooting
. Other notable covers include Minor Threat
's version of "12XU" on the 1982 Dischord compilation Flex Your Head
, Die Kreuzen
's cover of the title track on a 7" single in 1990, and fIREHOSE
's version of "Mannequin," which appeared on its Live Totem Pole
EP in 1992. Elastica
also used a riff similar to that of "Three Girl Rhumba" for their song "Connection". The New Bomb Turks
covered "Mr. Suit" on their 1993 album Destroy Oh Boy! and noticeably slowed it down. The Amherst, Massachusetts
, hardcore band Ampere
also cover "Mr. Suit". It can be heard on their split LP with Das Oath
. "Reuters" was covered by Therapy?
as a b-side to their Troublegum
album. The Minutemen
took influence from this album, especially their idea of short songs. The Lemonheads
covered "Fragile" on their 2009 album Varshons. Moneybrother covered "Mannequin" on his 2006 album Pengabrorsan (the lyrics and title were translated into Swedish
).
, Graham Lewis
, Colin Newman
and Robert Gotobed, except as indicated.
Side one
Side two
CD reissue bonus tracks
The bonus tracks were removed from the 2006 remastered reissues, because, according to the band, they didn't honour the "conceptual clarity of the original statements".
Additional personnel
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
, released in 1977. Upon its release, Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
called it a "punk suite" and praised its "simultaneous rawness and detachment" and detected a rock-and-roll irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
similar to but "much grimmer and more frightening" than the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
. Trouser Press
Trouser Press
Trouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...
called it "a brilliant 21-song suite" in which the band "manipulated classic rock song structure by condensing them into brief, intense explosions of attitude and energy, coming up with a collection of unforgettable tunes". Although the album was released to critical acclaim, it was not a big seller. Today the album is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Music journalist
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week , alongside Mark Radcliffe, called the Radcliffe...
, described it as "by the standards of the time it was extraordinary. But I now realise that by the standards of any time, it's extraordinary". The album was listed at number 410 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003.
The sleeve concept is credited to B.C. Gilbert
Bruce Gilbert
Bruce Gilbert is an English musician. One of the founding members of the influential and experimental art-punk band Wire, Gilbert branched out into electronic music, performance art, music production, and DJing during the band's extended periods of inactivity...
and Graham Lewis
Graham Lewis
Graham Lewis is an English musician.Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976...
. The cover is a photo by Annette Green of a flagless flagpole with the pink flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
painted on.
Influence
The album's wide-ranging influence is exemplified in the number of bands that have covered songs from it. R.E.M.R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
reworked "Strange" on their 1987 album Document
Document (album)
Robert Christgau praised the album, and called "It's the End of the World as We Know It " an "inspirational title." Stephan Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that "Where Lifes Rich Pageant sounded a bit like a party record, Document is a fiery statement, and its memorable melodies and riffs are made...
. Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
(as Henrietta Collins & The Wife-Beating Child Haters) covered "Ex-Lion Tamer" on the 1987 album Drive By Shooting
Drive by Shooting
Drive by Shooting is a hardcore punk solo E.P. by Henry Rollins, credited to "Henrietta Collins & The Wife-Beating Child-Haters", which served as a pre-cursor to the Rollins Band. This recording features a Wire cover, a re-vision of a Queen song and a parody of a Beach Boys style song...
. Other notable covers include Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
's version of "12XU" on the 1982 Dischord compilation Flex Your Head
Flex Your Head
Flex Your Head is a punk rock compilation album. It was originally released in January 1982, and was re-released on CD in August 1995. A remastered CD version was released in 2002...
, Die Kreuzen
Die Kreuzen
Die Kreuzen was a rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin which was formed in 1981. The name is broken German for "the crosses", and was picked up by the band from a German Bible...
's cover of the title track on a 7" single in 1990, and fIREHOSE
FIREHOSE
Firehose was an alternative rock band consisting of Mike Watt , Ed Crawford , and George Hurley .-History:...
's version of "Mannequin," which appeared on its Live Totem Pole
Live Totem Pole
Live Totem Pole is a live EP released in 1992 by Firehose. It consists of seven tracks, five of which are covers. The cover of Blue Öyster Cult's "The Red and the Black" had been previously recorded by the Minutemen and released on 3-Way Tie ...
EP in 1992. Elastica
Elastica
Elastica were an English alternative rock band that played punk rock-influenced music. They were best known for their 1995 album Elastica, which produced singles that charted in the US and the UK.-History:...
also used a riff similar to that of "Three Girl Rhumba" for their song "Connection". The New Bomb Turks
New Bomb Turks
The New Bomb Turks are an American punk rock band formed at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. The founding members are Jim Weber, Eric Davidson, Bill Randt, and Matt Reber. Sam Brown replaced Bill Randt on drums in 1999. Early on their inspiration came from the Devil Dogs, Lazy...
covered "Mr. Suit" on their 1993 album Destroy Oh Boy! and noticeably slowed it down. The Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...
, hardcore band Ampere
Ampere (band)
Ampere is a DIY punk band based in Amherst, Massachusetts known for their short but extremely loud and intense live shows. The band has put the importance of DIY punk ethics at the forefront of their lyrics and are known for the particular attention they bring to their vegan...
also cover "Mr. Suit". It can be heard on their split LP with Das Oath
Das Oath
Das Oath was a thrashcore band from New York, originating from The Netherlands. They formed in 1999. After two rehearsals the band recorded their 7" eight song debut in Rotterdam. It was not until a year later when Das Oath started to play shows. With only one 7" released the band hit the road and...
. "Reuters" was covered by Therapy?
Therapy?
Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
as a b-side to their Troublegum
Troublegum
Troublegum was the second major label album by the band Therapy? It was released on February 7, 1994 on A&M Records. The album was recorded in 1993 at Chipping Norton Studio in Oxford, as well as Rak Studios and Church Studios, both in London. It had a melodically dark, metal-like sound. The album...
album. The Minutemen
Minutemen (band)
Minutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
took influence from this album, especially their idea of short songs. The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member....
covered "Fragile" on their 2009 album Varshons. Moneybrother covered "Mannequin" on his 2006 album Pengabrorsan (the lyrics and title were translated into Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
).
Track listing
All songs written by Bruce GilbertBruce Gilbert
Bruce Gilbert is an English musician. One of the founding members of the influential and experimental art-punk band Wire, Gilbert branched out into electronic music, performance art, music production, and DJing during the band's extended periods of inactivity...
, Graham Lewis
Graham Lewis
Graham Lewis is an English musician.Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976...
, Colin Newman
Colin Newman
Colin Newman is an English musician, record producer and record label owner.-Biography:Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label...
and Robert Gotobed, except as indicated.
Side one
- "Reuters" – 3:03
- "Field Day for the Sundays" – 0:28
- "Three Girl Rhumba" – 1:23
- "Ex Lion Tamer" – 2:19
- "Lowdown" – 2:26
- "Start to Move" – 1:13
- "Brazil" – 0:41
- "It's So Obvious" – 0:53
- "Surgeon's Girl" – 1:17
- "Pink Flag" – 3:47
Side two
- "The Commercial" – 0:49
- "Straight Line" – 0:44
- "106 Beats That" – 1:12
- "Mr. Suit" – 1:25
- "Strange" – 3:58
- "Fragile" – 1:18
- "Mannequin" – 2:37
- "Different to Me" (Annette Green) – 0:43
- "Champs" – 1:46
- "Feeling Called Love" – 1:22
- "1 2 X U" – 1:55
CD reissue bonus tracks
- "Dot Dash" – 2:25 [1994 reissue]
- "Options R" – 1:36 [1989 reissue, 1994 reissue]
The bonus tracks were removed from the 2006 remastered reissues, because, according to the band, they didn't honour the "conceptual clarity of the original statements".
Personnel
Wire- Bruce GilbertBruce GilbertBruce Gilbert is an English musician. One of the founding members of the influential and experimental art-punk band Wire, Gilbert branched out into electronic music, performance art, music production, and DJing during the band's extended periods of inactivity...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Robert Gotobed – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Graham LewisGraham LewisGraham Lewis is an English musician.Lewis is the bassist with punk rock/post-punk band Wire, a band formed in 1976...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Colin NewmanColin NewmanColin Newman is an English musician, record producer and record label owner.-Biography:Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, second guitar on "Lowdown" and "Strange"
Additional personnel
- Kate Lukas – fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
on "Strange" - Dave Oberlé — back-up vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
on "Mannequin" - Mike Thorne – productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...