The Thin Wall

"The Thin Wall"
Single by Ultravox
from the album Rage in Eden
B-side	"I Never Wanted to Begin"
Released	14 August 1981
Recorded	1981 at Conny’s Studio in Cologne, West Germany
Genre	Synthpop
Length	4:25 (Single edit) 5:39 (Album version)
Label	Chrysalis
Songwriter(s)	Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie, Midge Ure
Producer(s)	Ultravox and Conny Plank
Ultravox singles chronology
"All Stood Still" (1981) "The Thin Wall" (1981) "The Voice" (1981)

"The Thin Wall" is Ultravox's first single from the Rage in Eden album, recorded in Conny Plank’s Studio in Cologne, Germany and released on Chrysalis Records on 14 August 1981.

The music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, features Midge Ure struggling to cope among strange and nightmarish imagery, similar to a haunted house setting, while the other band members seemingly plot his demise.

The song is a fast and stark synth melody with obscure lyrics like many Ultravox songs and New Romantic music in general. It peaked at #14 in the UK Single Charts.

There is no extended version of "The Thin Wall" unlike other Ultravox singles; the A-side on the 12" is identical to the album version, while the 7" version is an edit.

Drummer Warren Cann wrote the bass line and the rhythm, that were the bases of the song. The chorus was written by Cann and keyboardist Billy Currie, with the first singing lead vocals on it, pronouncing "The Thin Wall"; it contains also a guitar riff written by Midge Ure. The bridge section was written by Currie and Cann with Ure writing the guitar riff. The outro section was created by Cann.

Track listings

7" vinyl

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Thin Wall" (single edit)	4:25

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Never Wanted to Begin"	3:31

12" vinyl

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Thin Wall"	5:39

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Never Wanted to Begin" (12" version)	6:17

Chart performance

Chart (1981)	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	14
Australian Singles Chart	95
Irish Singles Chart	16