1995 single by TLC
"Red Light Special" is a song by American vocal girl group TLC for their second studio album, CrazySexyCool (1994). Written and produced by Babyface, LaFace and Arista Records released the song as the second single from the album on February 17, 1995. The song found chart success, reaching number one on the US Billboard Top 40/Rhythm-Crossover chart and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Matthew Rolston filmed its music video, which features the group performing in a brothel.
Critical reception
Steve Baltin from Cash Box felt the song "lives up to its name as one of the sultriest, sexiest singles to come along in years. Slow and entrancing, “Red Light Special” has definitely got the groove going on. A smash."[2] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report remarked that in numerous markets, this has been in heavy rotation for weeks. He also viewed it as "another example of why Babyface is the hottest writer/producer in the business. Flawless."[3] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian wrote that here, TLC "turn on the sweetness in inverse proportion to the raunchiness of the tune", adding that the song "which uses old blues imagery to express steamy lust, is superficially one of the prettiest numbers [on the album]."[4] Dennis Hunt from Los Angeles Times named it a "strong tune" from the CrazySexyCool album, and a "steamy Babyface production".[5]
In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton found that here, TLC are "slipping into a distinctly American summer groove to make what is arguably one of their best records ever and surpasses at a stroke the No.22 peak of "Creep" back in January."[6] Simon Price from Melody Maker named "Red Light Special" "the finest shag song since...well, I can't remember. It's been a long time."[7] Ralph Tee from Music Week's RM Dance Update stated, "The follow-up to 'Creep' is this beat ballad from the album. The pace of this genre of music is getting so slow now that if it's not careful it'll soon grind to a halt. Gerald Hall provides a mix that beefs up the rhythms a little to generate marginal dancefloor potential but the tune still needs a few rewinds to get into it."[8] Charles Aaron from Spin commented, "Sexy, sexier, sexiest. If you liked 'em better when they were more like cartoons, you should wise up."[9]
Music video
Shot in December 1994, the accompanying music video for "Red Light Special" was directed by Matthew Rolston and is set in a brothel. Male actors portray prostitutes and Left Eye plays a pimp while Chilli and T-Boz portray customers playing strip poker. A young Boris Kodjoe is featured as one of the male prostitutes. T-Boz is seen being caressed by a man in a room. Chilli is seen dancing with the guitar player. There are also black and white solo shots of the girls singing.[10]
There are three versions of the music video. Version one is labelled "Sexy", the second is labelled "Sexier" and the final version is labelled "Sexiest". As a result of more sexually suggestive and racy footage being used in versions two and three, the first version is widely broadcast.
B-side: "My Secret Enemy"
For the CD single of "Red Light Special", Lopes produced a brilliant and darkly confessional B-side called "My Secret Enemy". On this relatively obscure track, Lopes explored the Rison incident – and her own conflicted feelings about it – with astonishing depth and style. It is such an exciting departure from the work the group has done with established producers that you start to feel that TLC’s album output thus far only hints at the women’s true capabilities..
— Carol Cooper of Rolling Stone[11]
The "Red Light Special" single contains the B-side "My Secret Enemy", a rap track led by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who wrote the track alongside Steve Keitt and R.A.S. Posse.[12] Its lyrical content focuses on Lopes's coverage in the media and her relationship with Andre Rison. Lopes went on to say that the song came out directly after the incident that saw her accidentally set fire to Rison's Atlanta mansion. "It happened right after that incident and I was feeling like I needed a way out," said Lopes of the track.[13]
