Take Me Home (Phil Collins song)

"Take Me Home"
Single by Phil Collins
from the album No Jacket Required
B-side "We Said Hello Goodbye"
"Only You Know and I Know"
Released 25 July 1985 (UK)
8 January 1986 (US)
Format 7", 12", CD Single
Recorded The Townhouse, London and Old Croft, Surrey, 1984
Genre Pop rock, electronic rock
Length 4:37 (Single Version)
5:51 (Album Version)
8:03 (Extended Mix)
Label Atlantic
Writer(s) Phil Collins
Producer(s) Phil Collins, Hugh Padgham
Phil Collins singles chronology
"Don't Lose My Number"
(1985)		 "Take Me Home"
(1985-1986)		 "Separate Lives"
(1985)

"Take Me Home" is a song written and performed by English singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It is the 10th track on Collins' third solo album, No Jacket Required. Collins co-produced the song with Hugh Padgham and released it as a single in the UK in July 1985 and in the US in March 1986. It did reasonably well in the UK, peaking there at #19.[1] It wasn't as successful as other singles from the album, such as "Sussudio" or "One More Night" in the United States, but managed to peak at #7 there.[2] The "Extended Mix" of "Take Me Home", released on the 12" single was one of the six songs to be included on Collins' 12"ers album.

Background

"Take Me Home" is considered one of Collins' more well known songs, and has been in all of his tours since the No Jacket Required Tour. The song has remained popular among fans. The song has been an encore to the majority of Collins' solo tour concerts around the globe since it was released.

Meaning

Common misconceptions regarding the song's topic are that it is about a man returning home, or that it is about the psychological manipulations of the totalitarian government from George Orwell's novel 1984.[3]

In reality, however, Collins has stated that the song lyrics refer to a patient in a mental institution,[4][5] and that it is very much based on the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. [3] "Take Me Home" is thus a protest song, with the subject of its protest being the British practice of confining "misfits" to "asylums."

"With a little help from my friends"

While recording "Long Long Way to Go," Collins asked Sting to provide backing vocals for this song as well. The song also features Collins' old Genesis band mate, Peter Gabriel, and Helen Terry on backing vocals.[6]

Music video

The music video directed by Jim Yukich,[7] features Collins singing in various places around the world, including London, New York, Tokyo, Stockholm, Chicago, Sydney, Paris, St. Louis, Los Angeles (Hollywood),[8] San Francisco, and Memphis (Graceland). At the end of the video, Collins arrives home and hears a woman from inside the house asking him where he has been. He replies by saying he's been to some of the cities mentioned above. The woman replies "You've been down at the pub, haven't you?"

Reception

Reception for the song was mostly positive. Jan DeKnock of the Chicago Tribune said that the song was "hypnotic".[9] Geoff Orens of allmusic said that the song was an AMG Track Pick, and that the "pulsating "Take Me Home" utilizes the drama of "In the Air Tonight" on a more wistful track".[10] David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that the song had "engaging, circular rhythm and languid melodic texture".[11] Marty Raccine of the Houston Chronicle thought that "Take Me Home" was one of the few songs that "[rose] above the crowd [on the album]".[12]

Covers, remakes, and usage in media

"Take Me Home" appeared on the opening episode of the second season of popular Miami-based crime show Miami Vice,[13] much like Collins' own "In the Air Tonight" appeared in the season one opening episode. The song was included on the Miami Vice II soundtrack album. The song was also the closing theme song for the World Wrestling Federation's television show, Saturday Night's Main Event for several years in the late 1980s.[14][15]

"Take Me Home" appeared on the Phil Collins tribute album Urban Renewal, as performed by Malik Pendleton.

In 2003, the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony based their song "Home" on this single.[16] That version of the song featured the original song's chorus, and hit number 19 on the UK charts.[16]

Track listings

All songs were written by Phil Collins, except where noted.

7" vinyl single

  • UK: Virgin / VS777
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Take Me Home" (Edit) 4:37
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "We Said Hello Goodbye"   4:15
  • US: Atlantic / 7-89472
  • Germany: WEA / 258 830-7
  • Japan: WEA / P2058
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Take Me Home" (Edit) 4:37
Side two
No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
1. "Only You Know and I Know"  CollinsDaryl Stuermer 4:21

12" vinyl single

  • UK: Virgin / VS777-12
  • UK: Virgin / VSM777-12 (limited edition, in gatefold picture sleeve with integral fold-out map and stills from the "Take Me Home" video)
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Take Me Home" (Extended Mix) 8:07
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "Take Me Home" (Album Version) 5:52
2. "We Said Hello Goodbye"   4:15

CD single

  • Japan: WEA International / WPCR-2066
No. Title Length
1. "Take Me Home" (Edit) 4:37
2. "We Said Hello Goodbye"   4:15

Chart performance

Chart (1985) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[17] 64
Canadian Singles Chart[18] 23
Irish Singles Chart[19] 13
UK Singles Chart[1] 19
Chart (1986) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] 7
U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[2] 12
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[2] 2

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Chart Stats – Phil Collins – Take Me Home". Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "allmusic – Phil Collins > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "VH-1 Storytellers: Phil Collins". VH-1 Storytellers. 14 April 1997.
  4. ↑ Corsello, Andrew (1996). "Phil Collins interview". GQ. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  5. ↑ Holden, Stephen (7 April 1985). "Phil Collins: Pop Music's Answer to Alfred Hitchcock". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  6. ↑ "Phil Collins – No Jacket Required (CD, Album) at Discogs". Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  7. ↑ http://videos.antville.org/stories/2040328
  8. ↑ Pareles, Jon (2 November 1986). "Recent Releases Of Video Cassettes: Photos and 'White Suit'". New York Times. Retrieved 27 February 2009.
  9. ↑ DeKnock, Jan (21 March 1986). "Sweeter Voice Takes Heart Right to the Top". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  10. ↑ "allmusic ((( No Jacket Required > Overview )))". allmusic. Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  11. ↑ "Phil Collins: No Jacket Required : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  12. ↑ "Records". Houston Chronicle. 24 March 1985. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  13. ↑ "Prodigal Son". Miami Vice. Season 2. Episode 1. 27 September 1985.
  14. ↑ "Saturday Night's Main Event #7". 4 October 1986. NBC. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ "Saturday Night's Main Event #16". 30 April 1988. NBC. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "everyHit.com – UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts". everyhit.co.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  17. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  18. ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?q1=1984&q2=Top+Albums%2FCDs&interval=20&sk=61&&&&PHPSESSID=8gtl9u7trphhliommrvt4kqlb2
  19. ↑ "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 27 February 2009.

External links