Into the Gap

Into the Gap
Studio album by Thompson Twins
Released 17 February 1984 (1984-02-17)
Recorded 1983–1984
Studio Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas
Genre
Length 42:33
Label Arista
Producer
Thompson Twins chronology
Quick Step and Side Kick
(1983)Quick Step and Side Kick1983		 Into the Gap
(1984)		 Here's to Future Days
(1985)Here's to Future Days1985
Singles from Into the Gap
  1. "Hold Me Now"
    Released: 11 November 1983
  2. "Doctor! Doctor!"
    Released: 27 January 1984
  3. "You Take Me Up"
    Released: 23 March 1984
  4. "Sister of Mercy"
    Released: June 1984
  5. "The Gap"
    Released: November 1984
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide (1992 Edition)[2]
Robert ChristgauB-[3]
Smash Hits[4]
Music Express(positive)[5]
Musician(positive)[6]

Into the Gap is the fourth studio album by the British pop group Thompson Twins. The album was originally released on 17 February 1984[7] on Arista Records (worldwide). The album was recorded during 1983 at Compass Point Studios, in Nassau, Bahamas, and was again produced by Alex Sadkin who had produced the band's previous album.

Despite a mixed response from critics, Into The Gap became the band's most commercially successful album, peaking at number one on the UK Albums Chart (for 3 weeks), and number ten on the US Billboard 200. "Hold Me Now", "Doctor! Doctor!", "You Take Me Up", and "Sister of Mercy" were all released as singles in the UK with corresponding music videos. Three of the four singles that were released in the UK made the Top 5 and the fourth just missed the Top 10. "The Gap" was also released as a single in some other countries, but no video was made for it. According to the RIAA, the record sold over one million copies in the US, and in the UK, the album sold over 600,000 copies, and was certified 2× platinum. It became one of the year's biggest sellers, selling five million copies worldwide. The band embarked on a world tour in support of the album.

In March 2008, Into the Gap was reissued as an expanded 2-disc set by Edsel Records. It included the bonus cassette remixes that originally appeared on the original cassette version of the album in 1984, and also features a second disc which includes most major 12" single versions and B-sides, some of which appear on CD for the first time.

Critical reception

Writing in Smash Hits magazine, Dave Rimmer gave the album 2.5 out of 10, commenting that it contained "several songs with empty words and plodding tunes sung in a whiney voice and slung together with fake sentiment. The success of the terrible Twins represents the usual triumph of naked ambition over talent."[4] In his consumer guide for The Village Voice, Robert Christgau admired the track "Hold Me Now", and gave the album a B-, but commented that "Nothing else here approaches its heart-tugging mastery, but the album remains lightly creditable through the title-cut chinoiserie which opens side two. After that, as Alannah Currie herself puts it, who can stop the rain?".[3] Keith Sharp of Music Express wrote "Into The Gap could be perceived as a distinctive milestone on how far new music has come in the past few years. It's enough to make you forget that the old dinosaur bands ever existed."[8] And J. D. Considine of Musician wrote "At times, the gimmicks can be as slight as a synthesizer setting, but they invariable make the album seem dazzling even when it isn't."[9] However, the NME called them, "1984's most instantly kitsch mass program of monosodium glutamation of the brain".

A more recent review from Jose F. Promis of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars and wrote that "Nearly every song on this set differed from the others, with each track taking the listener on a different musical journey." adding that "[the] Thompson Twins were quiet visionaries, blending intelligent lyrics, Eastern sensibilities, and new wave pop to create a wholly unique and unforgettable listening experience and an album that ranks as one of the '80s' most unique."[10]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie, and Joe Leeway.

Side one
  1. "Doctor! Doctor!" - 4:39
  2. "You Take Me Up" - 4:26
  3. "Day After Day" - 3:49
  4. "Sister of Mercy" - 5:09
  5. "No Peace for the Wicked" - 4:09
Side two
  1. "The Gap" - 4:44
  2. "Hold Me Now" - 4:46
  3. "Storm on the Sea" - 5:32
  4. "Who Can Stop the Rain" - 5:46

Personnel

Thompson Twins
Production team

Charts

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] 2× Platinum 200,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] 2× Platinum 600,000^
United States (RIAA)[21] Platinum 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. ↑ The Rolling stone album guide: completely new reviews : every essential ... - Anthony DeCurtis, James Henke, Holly George-Warren - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
  3. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Thompson Twins - Into the Gap". Robert Christgau. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Rimmer, Dave (16 February 1984). "Album Reviews (Thompson Twins - "Into The Gap")". Smash Hits. EMAP. 6 (4): 29.
  5. ↑ Keith Sharp, Music Express (April, 1984)
  6. ↑ J. D. Considine, Musician (May 1984)
  7. ↑ "Record News". NME. IPC Media: 29. 21 January 1984.
  8. ↑ Keith Sharp, Music Express (April, 1984)
  9. ↑ J.D. Considine, Musician (May 1984)
  10. ↑ Allmusic review
  11. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. 1 2 3 4 ""Hitparade – Into the Gap – Thompson Twins"". Hitparade. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  13. ↑ "Musicload Album Charts". Musicload.de. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  14. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  15. ↑ "Chart Stats - The Thompson Twins". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  16. ↑ "Thompson Twins Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  17. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – 1984". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  18. ↑ "Top 100 Albums". Music Week. London, England: Morgan-Grampian plc: 42. 26 January 1985.
  19. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  20. ↑ "British album certifications – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 May 2015. Enter Into the Gap in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
  21. ↑ "American album certifications – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 17 May 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
Preceded by
Sparkle in the Rain by Simple Minds		 UK number-one album
25 February 1984 – 16 March 1984 		Succeeded by
Human's Lib by Howard Jones
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