"Blue Room" is a single by English electronic music duo the Orb. It was released on 8 June 1992 on Big Life Records. The full 39-minute version features a number of samples, including a small portion of the beginning of "Mysterious Traveller" by Weather Report and a damaged portion of "Happy Birthday to You" by Marilyn Monroe at the end. An edited version of the song appears on the album U.F.Orb.
"Blue Room" is the longest single to ever appear on the UK Singles Chart, at 39 minutes and 58 seconds.[2] It entered the listing at position 12 and peaked at number eight the next week. In Ireland, the song reached number 28, and in the United States, it peaked at number 46 on the BillboardHot Dance Club Play chart.
Background
After a number of maxi-singles had been excluded from the UK Singles Chart (or like how Prince's "Gett Off" maxi-single ended up on the UK Albums Chart),[3][4] the chart compilers Chart Information Network, decided to include a rule alongside the usual 25 minute maximum playing time, which allowed 'maxi singles' to run to 40 minutes[5] if only one title was listed amongst the single's tracks.[6] The Orb thus decided to record a 39:58 version of "Blue Room" for a special release, as there would be only one track on the single. The title "Blue Room" is a reference to the supposed Blue Room of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which was investigated as a possible UFO evidence-holding room.[7]
In addition to being the longest UK chart hit, "Blue Room" is also "possibly the most amelodic song ever to chart anywhere," according to Trouser Press.[8]
Top of the Pops performance
The Orb caused controversy when appearing on Top of the Pops to promote the single. Instead of performing, Alex Paterson and Kris Weston, the latter holding a toy sheep, played a chess-like game whilst passing a globus cruciger back and forth. The performance had a profound impact on Robbie Williams, then a member of Take That, who later declared "that Top of the Pops changed my life".[9]
^Blue Room (UK CD2 liner notes). The Orb. Big Life, WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings. 1992. BLRDB 75, 863 171-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Blue Room (UK 12-inch single sleeve). The Orb. Big Life, WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings. 1992. BLRT 75, 863 095-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Blue Room (UK cassette single sleeve). The Orb. Big Life, WAU! Mr. Modo Recordings. 1992. BLRMC 75.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Blue Room (US 12-inch single sleeve). The Orb. Big Life, Mercury Records. 1992. 863 653-1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Blue Room (European maxi-CD single liner notes). The Orb. Logic Records. 1992. 74321 10702 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
