Invisible Touch (song)
Genesis's only US number-one single, featuring a notable key change.
"Invisible Touch" is the title track and first single from Genesis's 1986 album of the same name. It was the band's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song features lyrics written by drummer and lead vocalist Phil Collins.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Genesis
- Album
- Invisible Touch
- B-side
- The Last Domino
- Released
- 19 May 1986
- Recorded
- October 1985–February 1986
- Studio
- The Farm (Chiddingfold, Surrey)
- Genre
- Dance-rock; dance-pop
- Label
- Charisma
- Virgin
- Atlantic
- Vertigo
Facts from the source article.
History
The song originated during a jam session when Mike Rutherford played a guitar riff and Phil Collins improvised the line "She seems to have an invisible touch." Collins noted the influence of Prince and Sheila E. on the drum machine, and his lyrics were inspired by people who had gotten under his skin, with "large chunks" about his first wife Andrea Bertorelli. Despite liking the song, Collins was uncertain it would be a hit. Cashbox described it as a "hook-laden pop workout," while Billboard called it "uptempo dance-pop with a clear Collins signature." The single also reached number one on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was succeeded at number one on the Hot 100 by "Sledgehammer" by former Genesis lead vocalist Peter Gabriel; Collins later joked about sending a telegram saying "Congratulations – bastard."
Live versions
A live version appears on the albums The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts and Live over Europe 2007, as well as on several DVDs. The song was performed during the Invisible Touch, We Can't Dance, Calling All Stations (with Ray Wilson on lead vocals), Turn It On Again, and The Last Domino? tours. On the Turn It On Again Tour, it was the main set finale with fireworks; on The Last Domino? Tour, it was the set closer without fireworks. Collins has also performed it on his solo tours. At Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, Collins's use of the word "fuck" in the song led to an apology from presenter Jonathan Ross and a censure of the BBC by Ofcom. The song has never been performed in its original key in concert. On the Invisible Touch and We Can't Dance tours, it was tuned down a whole step; on the Calling All Stations tour, it was tuned down further for Ray Wilson's voice. From the Turn It On Again tour onward, it was gradually tuned down further to accommodate Collins's aging voice.
Music video
The music video, directed by Jim Yukich, begins in a large auditorium with Collins, Rutherford, and Banks goofing around with 8 mm film cameras. It progresses to show the full set, with Collins using his drumsticks as a microphone and the band fooling around with Yukich and the crew. The video was placed into power rotation on MTV and ranked number nine on their list of the Top 100 videos of 1986.
Live single
In 1992, a live recording of "Invisible Touch" from the We Can't Dance world tour was released as a limited edition 7-inch and CD, both numbered and including a booklet. The A-side matches the version on The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts; B-sides "Abacab" and "The Brazilian" were recorded during the 1987 Invisible Touch tour. The 7-inch features an edited "Abacab," while the CD includes complete versions. This live version reached number seven in the UK, becoming the band's final top-ten single there. Collins joked on a DVD about re-releasing the song until it became a hit. The single credits Phil Collins on vocals, Tony Banks on synthesizers, Mike Rutherford on electric guitar, and touring musicians Daryl Stuermer on bass and Chester Thompson on drums.
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