Take Me Home (Phil Collins song)

Single infobox |
Name = Take Me Home


Artist = Phil Collins
from Album = No Jacket Required
Released = July 1985 (UK)
March 1986
Format = 7", 12"
Recorded = The Townhouse, London and Old Croft, Surrey (Dates Unknown)
Genre = Pop
Length = 5:51
Label = Atlantic Records
Producer = Phil Collins, Hugh Padgham
Chart position =
*#19 (UK Singles Chart)
*#7 (US Billboard Hot 100)
**#2 (US Adult Contemporary)
**#12 (US Mainstream Rock Tracks)
Last single = "Separate Lives"
(1985)
This single = "Take Me Home"
(1986)
Next single = "Groovy Kind of Love"
(1988)

"Take Me Home" is the 10th track on Collins' third solo album, "No Jacket Required". The song features Collins' old Genesis band mate, Peter Gabriel as well as Sting (who also did backing vocals on the third track of "No Jacket Required", "Long Long Way To Go") on backing vocals. The song wasn't as successful as other singles from the album, like "Sussudio" or "One More Night" in the United States, but managed to peak at #7 there; it also did reasonably well in the UK, peaking there at #19. The song has remained popular among fans and like many songs from this album, "Take Me Home" is very popular at his live shows.

It was one of the six songs to be remixed by Phil for his "12"ers" album.

Production

Peter Gabriel, Helen Terry, and Sting all provide backing vocals.cite web |url=http://www.philcollins.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=121 |title=10th July 2005 Part 2 - The Phil Collins Forum |accessdate=2008-09-19 |publisher=philcollins.co.uk|work= ] While recording "Long Long Way to Go", Collins also asked Sting to provide backing vocals for this song.

Meaning

In a 1996 interview with GQ Magazine, Collins stated that the lyrics refer to a patient in a mental institution. [cite web
url = http://www.philcollins.co.uk/gq96.htm
title = Phil Collins interview
accessdate =
accessmonthday =
accessyear =
author =
last = Corsello
first = Andrew
authorlink =
coauthors =
date =
year = 1996
month =
format =
work = GQ]

Music video

The high-budget (because of travel costs) video of "Take Me Home" was also memorable. It features Collins singing a line or two from song, clearly shot in various cities around the world, including London, New York, Tokyo, Moscow, Sydney, Paris, St. Louis, Los Angeles (Hollywood), San Francisco, and Memphis (Graceland). At the end of the video, Collins arrives home and hears a woman from inside the house, presumably acting as his wife, 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?" In a classic moment, he then gave a funny look to the camera before getting back inside the house. The woman in the video was played by his then wife, Jill Tavelman ["The Singles Collection" Credits]

Cultural references

The song appeared in the premiere of the second season of Miami Vice.cite episode
title = Prodigal Son
episodelink =
series = Miami Vice
serieslink =
airdate = September 27, 1985
season = 2
number = 201]

The song served as the closing theme to WWF's first run of "Saturday Night's Main Event" from 1985 to 1991.

In 2003, the hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony based their song "Home" on "Take Me Home." The group flew to Geneva, Switzerland in order to feature Collins in the video.

The song appeared on the opening episode of the second season of popular Miami-based crime show Miami Vice, much like Collins' own In the Air Tonight appeared in the season one opening episode.

Track listing

7": Virgin / VS777 (UK)

# "Take Me Home"
# "We Said Hello Goodbye"

7": Atlantic / VS777 (US)

# "Take Me Home [Edit] " (4:37)
# "Only You Know and I Know" (4:21)

12": Virgin / VS777-12 (UK)

# "Take Me Home [Extended Mix] " (8:07)
# "Take Me Home" (5:52)
# "We Said Hello Goodbye"

CD: WEA International / WPCR-2066 (Japan)

# "Take Me Home (Edit)"
# "We Said Hello Goodbye"

Credits

*Phil Collins: vocals, keyboards, drums, Roland TR-909
*Daryl Stuermer: guitars
*Lee Sklar: Bass
*backing vocals: Sting, Peter Gabriel, Helen Terry, Phil Collins

References