Invisible Touch (song)

"Invisible Touch" is the title track and first single from the 1986 album of the same name by the English rock band Genesis. The song is a group composition which featured lyrics written by drummer and singer Phil Collins.[3]

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Invisible touch (disambiguation).

"Invisible Touch"
Single by Genesis
from the album Invisible Touch
B-side"The Last Domino"
Released19 May 1986 (1986-05-19)[1]
RecordedOctober 1985–February 1986
StudioThe Farm (Chiddingfold, Surrey)
GenreDance-rock[2]
Length
  • 3:27 (LP, 7-inch version)
  • 5:58 (12-inch version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Genesis singles chronology
"Taking It All Too Hard"
(1984)		 "Invisible Touch"
(1986)		 "In Too Deep"
(1986)
Music video
"Invisible Touch" on YouTube

It was their first and only No. 1 single in the United States; the song additionally spent three consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart during summer 1986 until it was surpassed by Peter Cetera's "Glory of Love". The song was the first of five consecutive U.S. top five singles from the album of the same name.[4][5] It also reached No. 4 in Canada and No. 15 in the United Kingdom.[6] Its B-side is the second part of "Domino", titled "The Last Domino".

Collins has called it his "favourite Genesis song" and bassist/guitarist Mike Rutherford has called it "a wonderful song: upbeat, fun to play, always a strong moment in any gig."[3] As the band's only Billboard Hot 100 number one, the song is included in Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era.[7] In 2017, ShortList's Dave Fawbert listed the song as containing "one of the greatest key changes in music history."[8]

History

"Invisible Touch" came about during a jam session, Rutherford playing a guitar riff while Collins improvised the line "She seems to have an invisible touch." Collins has said he heard the influence of Prince and Sheila E. in the drum machine and his lyrics were inspired by a few people he had known who had got under his skin. Despite liking the song himself, and despite the band's previous success, he has claimed he wasn't certain the song would be a hit.[3] Collins said that "large chunks" of the lyrics are about his first wife Andrea Bertorelli, to whom he was married from 1975 to 1980.[9]

Cash Box called the song a "hook-laden pop workout."[10] Billboard called it "uptempo dance-pop with a clear Collins signature."[11] In mid-1986, "Invisible Touch" was succeeded in the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 by "Sledgehammer", performed by the former lead singer of Genesis, Peter Gabriel. Collins later jested about the occurrence in a 2014 interview, stating, "I read recently that Peter Gabriel knocked us off the No. 1 spot with 'Sledgehammer'. We weren't aware of that at the time. If we had been, we'd probably have sent him a telegram saying: 'Congratulations – bastard.'"[3] The single also reached No. 1 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart..

Live versions

A live version of "Invisible Touch" appears on the albums The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts, and Live over Europe 2007, as well as on the DVDs Genesis Live at Wembley Stadium, The Way We Walk – Live in Concert and When in Rome 2007.

"Invisible Touch" was performed during the Invisible Touch, We Can't Dance, Calling All Stations (with Ray Wilson on vocals), Turn It On Again and The Last Domino? tours. During the Turn It On Again tour, the song was the main set finale featuring fireworks going off as the song ended. It was also the set closer on The Last Domino? Tour, but there weren't any fireworks. Collins has also performed the song on his solo tours since its release, including The First Final Farewell and Not Dead Yet tours.

Genesis also performed the song at Wembley Stadium for Live Earth. Collins's use of the word "fuck" in the song (which he had done since 1992) in front of millions of television viewers at 2pm resulted in an apology from British presenter Jonathan Ross, who vowed to give Collins a "talking to".[12] Collins was one of several performers at the event whose offensive language caused the BBC to be censured by the media regulator Ofcom.[13]

The song has never been performed in its original key in concert. On the Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance tours, the song was tuned down a half-step to prevent strain on Collins' voice. On the Calling All Stations tour, it was tuned down further to fit then-lead vocalist Ray Wilson's naturally deeper voice. Starting with the Turn It On Again tour, the song was gradually tuned down further with each succeeding tour to accommodate Collins' aging voice, including the Not Dead Yet and The Last Domino? tours.

Music video

Genesis reunited with director Jim Yukich to make the "Invisible Touch" music video in 1986. Yukich had previously worked with Genesis on the "That's All" music video in 1983.[14] The scene begins in a large auditorium with Collins, Rutherford and Banks goofing around with 8MM cameras; the video progresses to show the entire set with Collins using his own drumsticks for a microphone and the band fooling around with Yukich and the crew.[15]

Personnel

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[35] Gold 45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Live single
"Invisible Touch (Live)"
Single by Genesis
from the album The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts
B-side
Released9 November 1992 (1992-11-09)[37]
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford
Producer(s)Nick Davis, Robert Colby, Genesis
Genesis singles chronology
"Tell Me Why"
(1992)		 "Invisible Touch (Live)"
(1992)		 "Congo"
(1997)

In 1992, "Invisible Touch" was recorded live during Genesis's 1991–1992 We Can't Dance world tour and released on limited edition 7-inch and CD near the end of the tour. Both formats were numbered and came with a booklet; the CD was housed in a box and the vinyl edition in a gatefold sleeve.

The A-side is the same version found on the accompanying live album The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts. The B-sides "Abacab" and "The Brazilian" were recorded during the 1987 Invisible Touch tour.

The 7-inch features an edited version of "Abacab," while the CD included complete versions of both songs.

Like the albums The Shorts and The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs, and the home video The Way We Walk – Live in Concert, the title of the record was prefixed by "Genesis Live", with "(Live)" appearing as a suffix on the back sleeve and on the disc itself.

Unlike the original recording of the song, this live version was a top 10 hit in the UK, reaching number seven. In one of the interview sections on the Way We Walk – Live in Concert DVD, Collins jokes about re-releasing the song until it finally becomes a hit. It became their final single to reach the UK top 10.

Personnel

References
  1. Kaus, Bob (2 June 1986). "Genesis: Invisible Touch Press Kit". Atlantic Records. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  2. Reed, Ryan (30 May 2021). "35 Years Ago: Genesis and Alumni Place Five Songs in Hot 100". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  3. Barnett, Laura (14 October 2014). "Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford: how we made Invisible Touch". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  4. "Genesis Artist Biography by Bruce Eder – Awards". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  5. Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. p. 317. ISBN 0-87586-207-1.
  6. Genesis UK chart history, The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  7. Pollock, Bruce (2005). Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era. Routledge. p. 186. ISBN 978-0415970730.
  8. "The 19 greatest key changes in music history". ShortList. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  9. Collins 2016, p. 122.
  10. "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. 24 May 1986. p. 11. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  11. "Reviews". Billboard. 24 May 1986. p. 77. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  12. "Foul-mouthed Start To Live Earth". Contact Music. 7 July 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  13. "Live Earth swearing rap for BBC". BBC News. 9 April 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  14. "Genesis: That's All (1983)". IMDB.com. November 1983. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  15. "Genesis: Invisible Touch (1986)". IMDB.com. April 1986. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  16. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 123. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report, re-titled the Australian Music Report in 1987, chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.
  17. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0704." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  18. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3156." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  19. "European Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 25. 28 June 1986. p. 12.
  20. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Invisible Touch". Irish Singles Chart.
  22. "Tipparade-lijst van week 28, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  23. "Genesis – Invisible Touch" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  24. "Genesis – Invisible Touch". Top 40 Singles.
  25. "Genesis – Invisible Touch". Swiss Singles Chart.
  26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  27. "Genesis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  28. "Genesis Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  29. "Genesis Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  30. "Offiziellecharts.de – Genesis – Invisible Touch" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
    • Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  32. "Kent Music Report No 650 – 29 December 1986 > National Top 100 Singles for 1986". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 21 December 2019 – via Imgur.
  33. "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. 27 December 1986. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  34. "1986 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 52. 27 December 1986. p. Y-21.
  35. "Danish single certifications – Genesis – Invisible Touch". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  36. "British single certifications – Genesis – Invisible Touch". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  37. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 7 November 1992. p. 19.

Sources

  • Collins, Phil (2016). Not Dead Yet: The Memoir. Crown Advocate. ISBN 978-1-101-90747-4.
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