In 1985 they enjoyed their first UK hit single, "Lean On me (Ah-Li-Ayo)", an anthemic song which was promoted with an unusual video in which a British sign language interpreter provided a translation of the song's lyrics. The following year, Red Box (with the help of numerous guest musicians) released the album The Circle and the Square.
Toulson-Clarke responded to WEA's request for something to appeal to American radio with the sardonic "For America", which lambasted what he saw as the style-over-content approach of the American media, as well as alluding to American military involvement in Grenada and Nicaragua. Unsurprisingly, the song was not a hit in the USA, though it did reach the top ten in several countries including the UK.
In 1990 they scored a club hit with Enjoy which was essentially a remix of an old B-side by Paul Oakenfold under the Solid Gold Easy Amex name. This record charted at Number 75 on Independent Radio's Network Chart (also used by Number One Magazine) but missed the Gallup UK Singles Chart as used by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles. By now the 'group' was essentially just Simon Toulson-Clarke with the following Train single and Motive album more akin to solo releases. The Train single was pulled from shelves for reasons unknown to even the band, Motive got very little press, and Red Box ended up going on a hiatus. Toulson-Clarke continued to work in the music industry. In 1997, Toulon-Clarke, Alistair Gavin (who worked on Motive), and Phill Brown formed SPA and released an eponymous album, which itself was a concept album dedicated to deceased American comedian Bill Hicks.
In 2010, the current incarnation of Red Box is still headed up by the group’s original protagonist, Simon Toulson-Clarke who has gathered together a group of musicians for their new album "Plenty".
As well as Toulson-Clarke on vocals, the group includes Derek Adams (formerly of Dream Academy and The Act) and the young singer-songwriter, Emily Maguire. Unlike the early, frenetic days of the 1980s, Red Box had the relative luxury of time and space to work on "Plenty". As Simon explains, they 'were able to apply a fine filter to the whole process; selecting the material and working through the best possible arrangements that they could find for each song'.
In 2019, their fourth studio album Chase the Setting Sun was released.
Discography - Singles:
* Chenko (Cherry Red Records CHERRY 73 - Jan 1984)
* Saskatchewan (Sire Records W9157)
* Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) (Sire Records W 8926 - Aug 1985) UK #3 (Gallup)
* Chenko (WEA YX 59 - Jan 1986)
* For America (WEA YZ 84 - Oct 1986) UK #10 (Gallup)
* Heart Of The Sun (WEA YZ 100 1987) UK #71 (Gallup)
* Chenko (Tenka-Io) (WEA YX 125 - Jan 1986) UK #77 (Gallup)
* Enjoy - with Solid Gold Easy Amex (Eastwest Records YZ 466 - May 1990) UK #75 (Network Chart)
* Train (Eastwest Records YZ 531) - Oct 90
Discography - Albums
* The Circle & The Square (WEA), 1986
* Motive (EastWest), 1990
* Plenty (Cherry Red Records) 2010
* Chase the Setting Sun, 2019
Billy's Line
Red Box Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over land and under low cloud
Year long winter grey
Born in nineteen-seventy-seven
Will die in ninety-five
A modern day statistic in collateral damage
Billy prays not to survive
A year and a day since he went away
Without a sound
He kissed the ground
Billy's line
Hey! you!
God on my side watching you
And ever since a friend had told him
"Billy you're looking fine"
He'd sensed that a place in the human race
Was looking more and more like a Right Divine
And not a million miles from Welwyn Garden City
His favourite melody
"radio world war three"
Hey! you!
God on my side watching you
Billy walked down the full length of the hallway
And opened up the double doors
Seven hundred miles to be united
Billy lie down
And join your family line
The lyrics to Red Box's song "Billy's Line" tell the story of a young man named Billy who has traveled from northern Scotland to an unknown destination. The imagery used in the song suggests that Billy feels like a modern-day statistic, a victim in a world at war, and knows that his life will be cut short due to the ongoing conflict. The reference to the year-long grey winter in Scotland also serves to emphasize the futility and bleakness he sees in the world around him. Despite the odds against him, Billy still has hope and a sense of pride in his place among humanity, as he kisses the ground upon arrival. He believes that God is on his side and that he has a purpose in life, as suggested by the line "looking more and more like a Right Divine." In the end, Billy is seemingly reunited with his family and is able to join his family line.
The song's lyrics were written by Simon Toulson-Clarke, the lead singer of the band Red Box. The inspiration for the song was a meeting Toulson-Clarke had with a young man named Billy in Scotland. The meeting left a strong impression on Toulson-Clarke, who was struck by the man's sense of pride in the face of hardship. The song was released as a B-side to the band's hit single "Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)" in 1985.
Line by Line Meaning
Billy came down from northern Scotland only yesterday
Billy arrived from northern Scotland recently.
Over land and under low cloud
Billy traveled by land and encountered cloudy weather.
Year long winter grey
The winter in Scotland lasts a year and is often grey.
Born in nineteen-seventy-seven
Billy was born in 1977.
Will die in ninety-five
Billy will die young in 1995.
A modern day statistic in collateral damage
Billy is a victim of modern warfare and his death will be counted among many others.
Billy prays not to survive
Billy would rather die than be a casualty of war.
A year and a day since he went away
Billy left home over a year ago.
Now everybody look at me!
Billy wants attention from others.
Without a sound
Billy is quiet and unassuming.
He kissed the ground
Billy is grateful for his safe return.
Billy's line
Billy has returned to his family's lineage.
Hey! you!
Billy is addressing someone or a group of people.
God on my side watching you
Billy believes in a higher power and prays that it watches over others.
And ever since a friend had told him 'Billy you're looking fine'
Billy has become more confident after receiving a compliment from a friend.
He'd sensed that a place in the human race was looking more and more like a Right Divine
Billy feels that he deserves a higher place in society.
And not a million miles from Welwyn Garden City
Billy is near Welwyn Garden City, possibly his hometown.
His favourite melody 'radio world war three'
Billy enjoys listening to a particular song about war.
Billy walked down the full length of the hallway
Billy is walking through a building.
And opened up the double doors
Billy opens a set of double doors.
Seven hundred miles to be united
Billy traveled a long distance to be reunited with his family.
Billy lie down
Billy lays down, possibly to rest after his journey.
And join your family line
Billy reunites with his family and becomes part of their lineage.
Contributed by Blake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lostmonkey5162
omg I forgot how good it is
@derek1324
Yep!!
@robertkocurro8372
! 💞🙏🎵🎶🎤🎧🙌🔊
@timt9625
1:04 the chorus reminds me of Imagine Dragons for some reason...
@qashak
Yes, I think it's a little bit copied from Red Box... ;-)