Yello - Flag (LP) Vinyl

Flag is the sixth studio album by Swiss electronic duo Yello — Boris Blank and Dieter Meier — originally released in 1988. The album is defined by Blank's layered synthesis and intricate production: sequenced rhythms, orchestral samples, and an exceptionally wide dynamic range that rewarded high-quality playback equipment. Meier's baritone narration sits across compositions that range from tightly structured synth-pop to sprawling eight-minute centrepieces. Flag reached number 3 on the Swiss Albums Chart upon its original release and remains the group's most commercially successful record in the UK, largely on the strength of its lead single.

The Race and the Album's Legacy

"The Race" — the extended album version running eight minutes and eight seconds — is the pivot around which Flag revolves. The edited single reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart and brought Yello to mainstream British attention in 1988. Built on a staccato, motorik rhythm bed with sampled crowd noise and a rising brass-and-strings arrangement, it remains one of the defining electronic tracks of the decade. The album surrounding it is equally ambitious: opener "Tied Up" establishes the album's layered, percussive character, while "Alhambra" and "Otto Di Catania" demonstrate Blank's command of timbre and texture beyond the dance floor.

2012 Music On Vinyl Reissue

This pressing was issued by Music On Vinyl in 2012 under catalogue number MOVLP535. The label is a specialist audiophile reissue imprint with a focus on faithful recreations of classic albums at 180-gram weight. The lacquers were cut from a remaster undertaken by Kevin Metcalfe at Powerplay Studios. The pressing includes a printed insert. Nine tracks are spread across two sides: the original eight album tracks plus the bonus track "Tied Up in Red," an extended eight-minute companion piece to "Tied Up" that appeared as a CD bonus on the original release and is here presented in full on side B.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Tied Up (6:05)
2. Of Course I'm Lying (5:56)
3. 3rd of June (4:50)
4. Blazing Saddles (3:55)

Side B

1. The Race (8:08)
2. Alhambra (3:38)
3. Otto Di Catania (3:20)
4. Tied Up in Red (8:20)
5. Tied Up in Gear (3:58)