Thru These Walls

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"Thru' These Walls"
Single by Phil Collins
from the album Hello, I Must Be Going!
B-side"Do You Know, Do You Care?"
ReleasedOctober 1982 (UK) [1]
RecordedMay–September 1982 at Old Croft On 1" 8 track
Genre
Length5:05
LabelVirgin Records (UK)
Atlantic Records (International)
Songwriter(s)Phil Collins
Producer(s)
Phil Collins singles chronology
"If Leaving Me Is Easy"
(1981) 		"Thru' These Walls"
(1982) 		"You Can't Hurry Love"
(1982)
Music video
"Thru' These Walls" on YouTube

"Thru' These Walls" is a song by the English drummer Phil Collins. It was released as a single in October 1982, being Collins' fourth single. The song is also the seventh track and first single release from Collins' second solo studio album, Hello, I Must Be Going!, released in November of the same year.[2][3] The song is dark, which follows a vast majority of songs from the album, and is about a man listening through the wall to his neighbours partaking in sexual activities.[4]

Recording[edit]

The song has distinct similarities to Collins's debut solo single, "In The Air Tonight", featuring similar atmospheric opening chords on a Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 and also using the same gated reverb drum effect. The song also features one of Collins's attempts at a "Ringo Starr drum part", Starr being one of his biggest influences as a drummer.[5]

Release[edit]

The song was the first single by Collins that did not reach the Top 20 in the UK, peaking at No. 56 in the UK Singles Chart (it was not released as a single in the U.S.)[6][7]

Music video[edit]

The music video for the song was directed by Stuart Orme, who also directed the video for "In The Air Tonight"[8] and in 1983 it was released on the home video Phil Collins[9] available on Video Home System (VHS)[10] and LaserDisc (LD)[11] which received a Grammy nomination for Best Video, Short Form.[12]

Although the video appeared on Phil Collins "The Singles Collection" VHS,[13] the music video itself did not appear officially for Internet streaming on Phil Collins' YouTube channel until June 2018.[14]

Track listing[edit]

7": Virgin / VS 524 (UK)

  1. "Thru' These Walls"
  2. "Do You Know, Do You Care?"[2]

Chart history[edit]

Chart (1982) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) 27
France (IFOP) 15
Poland (Polish Music Charts) 21
UK (The Official Charts Company) 56
Italy (FIMI) 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 48
Spain (AFYVE) 15

Credits[edit]

  1. "Thru' These Walls"
  2. "Do You Know, Do You Care?"
    • Phil Collins – vocals, keyboards, bass pedals, drums, timpani, trumpet
    • Daryl Stuermer – guitars
  • Gavin Cochrane – photography

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Phil Collins singles".
  2. ^ a b c "Phil Collins - Thru' These Walls (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  3. ^ Phil Collins (2016). Not Dead Yet. London, England: Century Books. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-780-89513-0.
  4. ^ Fitzpatrick, Rob (20 February 2009). "Readers recommend: Songs about secret vices". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  5. ^ Hitmen, 1986 Part Two, Hitmen, 1986. reprinted at Collins's website in 2009; archived copy at archive.org.
  6. ^ "Phil Collins | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Phil Collins Songs • Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography • Rock VF, Rock music hits charts". Rockvf.com. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  8. ^ "Musikvideos - Stuart Orme - Musikvideo Datenbank (Music Video Database)". Popzoot.tv. 29 November 2006. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Phil Collins - Phil Collins at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Phil Collins - Phil Collins (VHS) at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Phil Collins - Phil Collins (LaserDisc) at Discogs". Discogs. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  12. ^ "Grammy Awards 1985". Awards & shows. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Phil Collins - the Singles Collection". Discogs.
  14. ^ "Phil Collins - Thru' These Walls (Official Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
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