Chinese Wall (album)

Chinese Wall is the third solo album by Philip Bailey, released on the Columbia Records label in October 1984. Chinese Wall has been certified gold in the US on March 11, 1985.[5] The album reached number 22 and number 10 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts respectively and it was ranked as the 63rd most successful album of 1985 on the Billboard 200.[6][7][8] In 1986 the album gave Bailey a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, while "Easy Lover", the duet with Phil Collins (who produced the album), earned a nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.

Chinese Wall
Studio album by Philip Bailey
Released	October 1984
Recorded	Townhouse Studios, London, England. The Complex and Ocean Way Recording , Los Angeles.
Genre	Pop, soul, rock
Length	50:17
Label	Columbia
Producer	Phil Collins
Philip Bailey chronology
The Wonders of His Love (1984) Chinese Wall (1984) Triumph (1986)
Singles from Chinese Wall
"Easy Lover" Released: November 20, 1984 (US) 14 February 1985 (UK) "Photogenic Memory" Released: 1984 "Walking on the Chinese Wall" Released: 1985

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[2]
Washington Post	(favourable)[3]
Musician	(favourable)[4]

Background

According to remarks by Phil Collins, "Bailey got a lot of flak for being produced by someone who is white. There was this paranoia that the album would not be played by black stations...The reason I was on the video for "Easy Lover" is that I knew it wouldn't be shown if it was just Phil Bailey."[9]

Track listing

Chinese Wall – Standard edition[10]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Photogenic Memory"	Jerry Knight, Davitt Sigerson, Lillie Mae Clarke	5:26
2.	"I Go Crazy"	Philip Bailey, Glen Ballard, Marti Sharron	4:48
3.	"Walking on the Chinese Wall"	Billie Hughes, Roxanne Seeman	5:08
4.	"For Every Heart That's Been Broken"	Glen Ballard, Clif Magness	4:15
5.	"Go"	Nathan East, Ralph Johnson	4:30
6.	"Easy Lover" (Duet with Phil Collins)	Philip Bailey, Phil Collins, Nathan East	5:04
7.	"Show You the Way to Love"	Philip Bailey, Glen Ballard, Marti Sharron	4:41
8.	"Time Is a Woman"	Barry Blue, Julian Littman, Robin Smith	4:31
9.	"Woman"	Steve Mitchell, Marti Sharron, Gary Skardina	5:04
10.	"Children of the Ghetto"	Chris Amoo, Eddie Amoo	6:49
Total length:			50:16

Chinese Wall – 2011 remastered edition (bonus tracks)[11]

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Easy Lover" (Extended Dance Remix)	6:19
Total length:		56:35

Personnel

• Philip Bailey – lead and backing vocals, percussion (10)
• Carl Carwell – backing vocals (7, 10)
• Phil Collins – drums (1-9), vocoder (1), LinnDrum (1, 3, 5), Simmons (2, 8, 9), keyboards (3, 6), backing vocals (3, 6, 8), lead vocals (6), percussion (10)
• Paulinho da Costa – percussion (7, 10)
• Rahmlee Michael Davis – trumpet (3, 5, 7, 8, 9)
• Nathan East – bass guitar (1-10), bass pedals (4), kalimba (4), keyboards (5)
• Winston Ford – backing vocals (7, 10)
• Michael Harris – trumpet (3, 5, 7, 8, 9), trumpet solo (9)
• Josie James – backing vocals (3, 4, 8)
• Arif Mardin – string arrangements (5, 7, 9)
• Nigel Martinez – backing vocals (8)
• George Massenburg – synthesizer programming
• The Phenix Horns – horns (3, 5, 7, 8, 9)
• Don Myrick – saxophone (3, 5, 7, 8, 9), sax solo (5)
• Louis Satterfield – trombone (3, 5, 7, 8, 9)
• Daryl Stuermer – guitar (1-10), guitar solo (4, 6)
• Tom-Tom 84 – horn arrangements (3, 5, 7, 8, 9)
• Godfrey Wang – synthesizer programming
• Lesette Wilson – keyboards (1-10), acoustic piano solo (10)

Production

• Producer – Phil Collins
• Engineer – George Massenburg
• Assistant Engineers – Steve Chase, Judy Clapp, Murray Dvorkin and Tom Perry.
• Art Direction and Design – Tony Lane and Nancy Donald
• Cover Photography – Ellen Land-Weber and Randee St. Nicholas
• Management – Cavallo, Ruffalo and Fargnoli Management.

[10]

Uses in Other Media

"Children of the Ghetto" has been featured in the movie Clockers.[12]

Charts and certifications

Album — weekly charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[13]	13
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[14]	12
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15]	39
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16]	30
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[17]	45
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[18]	22
UK Albums (OCC)[19]	29
US Billboard 200[6]	22
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[7]	10

Album – year-end charts

Chart (1985)	Position
US Billboard 200[8]	63

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[5]	Gold	500,000^^
Canada (Music Canada)[20]	Gold	50,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Singles

Year	Single	Chart [21][22][23][24][25]	Position
1984	"Easy Lover"	The Billboard Hot 100	2
1984	"Easy Lover"	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	3
1984	"Easy Lover"	Mainstream Rock Songs (Billboard)	5
1985	"Easy Lover"	Adult Contemporary (Billboard)	15
1985	"Easy Lover"	Dance Club Songs (Billboard)	7
1985	"Easy Lover"	Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)	3
1985	"Easy Lover"	UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	1
1984	"Photogenic Memory"	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	61
1985	"Walking on the Chinese Wall"	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	56
1985	"Walking on the Chinese Wall"	The Billboard Hot 100	46

External links

• "Chinese Wall" at discogs

References

1. Ruhlmann, William. "Philip Bailey: Chinese Wall". allmusic.com. Allmusic.
2. Christgau, Robert (1990). "B". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved August 16, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
3. Brown, Joe (March 1, 1985). "Five Solo Soul Outings". washingtonpost.com. Washington Post.
4. Considine, J.D. (January 1, 1985). "ROCK SHORT TAKES". proquest.com. No. 75. Musician. p. 92.
5. "American album certifications – Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 19, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
6. "Philip Bailey Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
7. "Philip Bailey Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
8. "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End 1985". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
9. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1986-09-06). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
10. Chinese Wall (Album liner notes). Philip Bailey. CBS. 1984. CDCBS 26161.CS1 maint: others (link)
11. "Chinese Wall (Bonus Track) by Philip Bailey on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
12. Phillip Bailey on imdb.com
13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
14. "Dutchcharts.nl – Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
16. "Charts.nz – Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
17. "Swedishcharts.com – Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
18. "Swisscharts.com – Philip Bailey – Chinese Wall". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
19. "Philip Bailey | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved August 19, 2017.
20. "Philip Bailey: Chinese Wall". musiccanada.com. Music Canada.
21. "Philip Bailey - Chart history (The Hot 100) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
22. "Philip Bailey - Chart history (Mainstream Rock Songs) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
23. "Philip Bailey - Chart history (Dance Club Songs) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
24. "Philip Bailey - Chart history (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
25. "PHILIP BAILEY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.