Follow You Follow Me

"Follow You Follow Me"
Single by Genesis
from the album ...And Then There Were Three...
B-side "Ballad of Big" (UK)
"Inside & Out" (US)
Released 25 February 1978[1]
Recorded September – October 1977
Genre Progressive rock, soft rock
Length 3:59
Label Charisma/Virgin (UK)
Atlantic (U.S.)
Writer(s) Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford
Producer David Hentschel and Genesis
Genesis singles chronology
"Your Own Special Way"
(1977)
"Follow You Follow Me"
(1978)
"Many Too Many"
(1978)
…And Then There Were Three… track listing
"The Lady Lies"
(10)
"Follow You Follow Me"
(11)

"Follow You Follow Me" is a 1978 single by Genesis. The music was written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford, with lyrics by Rutherford. Originally released as the last track from their 1978 album …And Then There Were Three…, the single was Genesis's first to reach the American Top 40 (#23) and UK Top 10 (#7). It paved the way for the more radio-friendly direction Genesis would take over the next decade.

Contents

Background

The slower, sentimental "Follow You Follow Me" was a departure from their previous work, as well as the rest of the album. Although previous albums contained love ballads, such as Selling England by the Pound's "More Fool Me", "Follow You Follow Me" was the first worldwide pop success by the group and gained the band play on adult contemporary and pop music stations. The band all agreed that their music was attracting mainly male audiences. This song was written specifically to redress the balance.[2]

Music video

The music video for the song was a mimed live performance of the band. It later appeared on their DVD The Video Show.

Live performances

The song was played live during the …And Then There Were Three…,[3] Duke,[4] Three Sides Live Encore tour,[5] Mama,[6] Invisible Touch (1986 set only),[7] The Way We Walk,[8] Calling All Stations (with Ray Wilson on vocals),[9] and Turn It on Again tours.[10]

For The Way We Walk, this song was played as part of a medley of old Genesis songs called the Old Medley. Because of this the song was not always played in its entirety during the The Way We Walk tour.

During the Turn It on Again Tour, Phil Collins performed on the drums as well as the vocals (making it one of very few songs in which he performs both simultaneously), while animated line art of a selection of the band's album art played in the background video screens. The first and last scenes in the animated sequence show the "father" character from the We Can't Dance album cover, raising his hand. A bright white spotlight (on Collins) lights up at the beginning of the song, and turns itself off at the end.[11]

Personnel

Cover versions and other appearances

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ Genesis: A Biography, by Dave Bowler and Bryan Dray ISBN 0 283 06175 8
  3. ^ And Then There Were Three Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  4. ^ Duke Tour Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  5. ^ Three Sides Live Encore Tour Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  6. ^ Mama Tour Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  7. ^ Invisible Tour Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org (6 November 1989). Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  8. ^ The Way We Walk Tour Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  9. ^ Calling All Stations Tour Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org (6 December 1997). Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  10. ^ Turn it on again Tour Songs & Dates. Genesis-movement.org. Retrieved on 2 December 2011.
  11. ^ When in Rome 2007 DVD.

External links