That's All (Genesis song)
Encyclopedia
"That's All" is a song by Genesis
. The song, a group composition with lyrics written by lead singer/drummer Phil Collins
, appears as the second track on their 1983 album Genesis, and was its second single after "Mama
".
The U.S. single, which went to number six in early 1984 (making it their first U.S. top-10 hit), included "Second Home by the Sea" as the B-side. The UK single featured "Taking It All Too Hard
" as the flipside, and went to number 16. Another single version included a live section of "Firth of Fifth
".
The song was intended as an attempt to write a simple pop song with a melody in the style of The Beatles
. Phil Collins acknowledged in subsequent interviews that the song also features one of his attempts at a "Ringo Starr
drum part".
The song begins with Tony Banks playing the main riff of the song on a Yamaha CP-70 Electric Grand Piano
. The other keyboards used on this song are a Sequential Circuits
Prophet-10 for organ pads and a Synclavier
II for the organ
solo
in the middle section. The coda
lapses into a somewhat dischordant guitar solo
played by Mike Rutherford, as the drum beat intensifies, before the song fades away.
The video
depicts the band as homeless men playing cards and keeping warm at an open fire. It was the first time Genesis used director Jim Yukich (Phil's former director) for one of their promos.
, The Way We Walk
, and Calling All Stations
(with Ray Wilson
on vocals) Tours.
The song was played only during the first few shows of the Calling All Stations tour, before it was completely dropped.
A live version appears on their albums The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts, and their DVD Genesis Live at Wembley Stadium
, as well as their home video
The Mama Tour
;
The first verse of the song is also part of the "Old Medley" featured on The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs and The Way We Walk - Live in Concert
.
in 2007.
Canadian country music group, Doc Walker
, covered the song on their 2008 album Beautiful Life
. It was released as the second single from the project and peaked at #68 on the Canadian Hot 100
.
Canadian indie rock band, Zeus
, covered the song on their 2009 debut EP Sounds Like Zeus.
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. The song, a group composition with lyrics written by lead singer/drummer Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, appears as the second track on their 1983 album Genesis, and was its second single after "Mama
Mama (Genesis song)
"Mama" was the first single from Genesis' 1983 self-titled album. It is recognizable for its harsh drum machine introduction composed by Mike Rutherford, which leads into minimalist synthesizer lines in minor keys and finally Phil Collins' reverb-laden voice. It remains the band's biggest...
".
The U.S. single, which went to number six in early 1984 (making it their first U.S. top-10 hit), included "Second Home by the Sea" as the B-side. The UK single featured "Taking It All Too Hard
Taking It All Too Hard
"Taking It All Too Hard" is the sixth track from the 1983 album Genesis by Genesis. It is known for Tony Banks' work on his Yamaha CP-70 electric piano....
" as the flipside, and went to number 16. Another single version included a live section of "Firth of Fifth
Firth of Fifth
"Firth of Fifth" is a progressive rock song by progressive rock band Genesis, from their 1973 album Selling England by the Pound. The title is a pun on the estuary of the River Forth in Scotland, commonly known as the Firth of Forth....
".
The song was intended as an attempt to write a simple pop song with a melody in the style of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Phil Collins acknowledged in subsequent interviews that the song also features one of his attempts at a "Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
drum part".
The song begins with Tony Banks playing the main riff of the song on a Yamaha CP-70 Electric Grand Piano
Electric grand piano
An electric grand piano is a particular type of piano manufactured and marketed by Yamaha, Kawai and Helpinstill during the 1970s and 1980s, although experimental instruments of similar type were made as early as the late 1920s...
. The other keyboards used on this song are a Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits
Sequential Circuits Inc. was a California-based synthesizer company that was founded in the early 1970s by Dave Smith and sold to Yamaha Corporation in 1987. The company, throughout its lifespan, pioneered many groundbreaking technologies and design principles that are often taken for granted in...
Prophet-10 for organ pads and a Synclavier
Synclavier
The Synclavier System was an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation, manufactured by New England Digital Corporation, Norwich, VT. The original design and development of the Synclavier prototype occurred at Dartmouth College with the collaboration of...
II for the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
in the middle section. The coda
Coda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
lapses into a somewhat dischordant guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
played by Mike Rutherford, as the drum beat intensifies, before the song fades away.
The video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
depicts the band as homeless men playing cards and keeping warm at an open fire. It was the first time Genesis used director Jim Yukich (Phil's former director) for one of their promos.
Live performances
The song was played live during the Mama, Invisible TouchInvisible Touch
Invisible Touch is the 13th studio album by the band Genesis, released in 1986. It reached No.1 in the UK where it remained in the charts for 96 weeks, making it by far the most commercially successful album of their career, eventually selling over 15 million copies worldwide...
, The Way We Walk
We Can't Dance
Rolling Stone chiefly commented on the album's lyrics. They criticized "Tell Me Why" and "Way of the World" for being soulless and impersonal social commentaries, but regarded most of songs as outstanding, and summarized "Although We Can't Dance doesn't quite achieve the vulnerable grace of Duke or...
, and Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations
Calling All Stations, is the 15th studio album by rock band Genesis. It was recorded following Phil Collins's departure from the band in 1996, and was released in 1997...
(with Ray Wilson
Ray Wilson (musician)
Ray Wilson is a Scottish musician, best known as vocalist in the post-grunge band Stiltskin, and in Genesis between 1996 and 1998.Wilson started off in a band called Guaranteed Pure in the early 1990s...
on vocals) Tours.
The song was played only during the first few shows of the Calling All Stations tour, before it was completely dropped.
A live version appears on their albums The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts, and their DVD Genesis Live at Wembley Stadium
Genesis Live at Wembley Stadium
Live at Wembley Stadium is a 2003 DVD featuring concert footage from a sold out Genesis concert at the titular London venue on 4 July 1987. It was first released in 1988 as The Invisible Touch Tour....
, as well as their home video
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
The Mama Tour
The Mama Tour
Genesis Live – The Mama Tour is a 1985 home video featuring footage from a Genesis concert in February 1984. It was filmed at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, and directed by Jim Yukich....
;
The first verse of the song is also part of the "Old Medley" featured on The Way We Walk, Volume Two: The Longs and The Way We Walk - Live in Concert
The Way We Walk - Live in Concert
Genesis – The Way We Walk – Live in Concert is a 2001 double DVD9 featuring live performances from the We Can't Dance tour by Genesis. The footage was filmed on 8 November 1992 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London, and first released on VHS in March 1993 as Genesis Live – The Way We Walk – In...
.
Chart performance
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
6 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
16 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
6 |
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 15 |
Other versions
Keane performed a live version of the song as a tribute to Genesis at the VH1 Rock HonorsVH1 Rock Honors
The VH1 Rock Honors were an annual ceremony paying homage to bands who influenced the sound of rock music. The events began in 2006, and the final event took place in 2008. The general format of each show is for modern bands to "pay tribute" to classic greats of the rock/metal world , after which...
in 2007.
Canadian country music group, Doc Walker
Doc Walker
Doc Walker is a country music group from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They have won Canadian Country Music Awards and had radio hits with the songs "I Am Ready" and "The Show is Free" from the 2003 album Everyone Aboard. In 2001 they released the album Curve...
, covered the song on their 2008 album Beautiful Life
Beautiful Life (Doc Walker album)
Beautiful Life is the fifth studio album by Canadian country music group Doc Walker. The album was named Album of the Year at the 2008 Canadian Country Music Association Awards...
. It was released as the second single from the project and peaked at #68 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
.
Canadian indie rock band, Zeus
Zeus (band)
Zeus is a Toronto-based Canadian indie rock band signed to the Arts & Crafts record label. Its members include Rob Drake, Carlin Nicholson, Mike O'Brien, and Neil Quin...
, covered the song on their 2009 debut EP Sounds Like Zeus.
Personnel
- Phil CollinsPhil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Tony BanksTony Banks (musician)This article is about the musician. For other people named Tony Banks, see Tony BanksAnthony George "Tony" Banks is a British composer, and multi-instrumentalist, who performs as a keyboardist and a guitarist...
- keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Mike RutherfordMike RutherfordMichael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford is an English musician. He is a founding member of Genesis, initially as a bassist and backup vocalist. In later incarnations of Genesis, he assumed the role of lead guitarist. He is one of only two constant members in Genesis . He also fronts Mike + The...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
External links
- Music Video at VH1 ClassicVH1 ClassicVH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
- Music Video on You Tube