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Don't Lose My Number

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"Don't Lose My Number"
Song
B-side"We Said Hello Goodbye"

"Don't Lose My Number" is a song by Phil Collins from his third solo album No Jacket Required. The single was not released in the UK, though it peaked at No. 4 in the U.S. in September 1985.[1] The B-side, "We Said Hello Goodbye" was released as a bonus track on the CD for No Jacket Required. In Australia, the single was released with the title "(Billy) Don't Lose My Number".[2]

History

The song is about a man named Billy whom the singer is hoping to find (and hopes Billy still has the singer's number). The song describes Billy being pursued by some shadowy organisation. Collins has said that he actually wrote most of the song during the recordings for his debut solo album, Face Value. Collins also states that the lyrics were improvised, and that he himself does not fully understand what they mean. Stephen Holden of the New York Times also agreed that the lyrics were very "vague, sketching the outlines of a melodrama but withholding the full story".[3]

Music video

Collins did not know what he would use as a video theme for "Don't Lose My Number", so he decided to create a video showing his decision process in selecting a theme for it. In the video, Collins talks to various "directors", who all give him bad ideas for the video. Their suggestions allow Collins to parody several other music videos of the time, including videos by Michael Jackson, David Lee Roth ("California Girls"), Elton John ("I'm Still Standing"), The Police ("Every Breath You Take"), and The Cars ("You Might Think"), as well as movies such as The Road Warrior and various samurai movies and Westerns.[4]

Track listing

7": Atlantic / 7-89536 (US)

  1. "Don't Lose My Number"
  2. "We Said Hello Goodbye"

12": Atlantic / 0-86863 (US)

  1. "Don't Lose My Number" (Extended Mix)
  2. "Don't Lose My Number" (LP Version)
  3. "We Said Hello Goodbye"

CD: WEA International / WPCR 2063 (Japan)

  1. "Don't Lose My Number (Edit)"
  2. "We Said Hello Goodbye"

Charts

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 10
Canadian Singles Chart 11
Dutch Singles Chart 44
New Zealand (RIANZ) 22
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 4
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 25
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 33

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "allmusic ((( No Jacket Required > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". allmusic. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Phil Collins – (Billy) Don't Lose My Number". discogs.com. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (7 April 1985). "Phil Collins: Pop Music's Answer to Alfred Hitchcock". New York Times. Retrieved 1 November 2008. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ Pareles, Jon (2 November 1986). "HOME VIDEO; Recent Releases Of Video Cassettes: Photos and 'White Suit'". New York Times. Retrieved 6 November 2008. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 71. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
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