Into the Gap

Into the Gap is the fourth studio album by the British pop group Thompson Twins. The album was originally released on 17 February 1984[1] on Arista Records (worldwide). The album was recorded during 1983 at Compass Point Studios, in Nassau, Bahamas, and was produced by Alex Sadkin who had produced the band's previous album.

Into the Gap
Studio album by Thompson Twins
Released	17 February 1984 (1984-02-17)
Recorded	1983–1984
Studio	Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas RAK Studios, London, UK
Genre	New wave synth-pop
Length	42:33
Label	Arista
Producer	Alex Sadkin Tom Bailey
Thompson Twins chronology
Quick Step & Side Kick (1983) Into the Gap (1984) Here's to Future Days (1985)
Singles from Into the Gap
"Hold Me Now" Released: 11 November 1983 "Doctor! Doctor!" Released: 27 January 1984 "You Take Me Up" Released: 23 March 1984 "Sister of Mercy" Released: June 1984 "The Gap" Released: November 1984

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; in the UK the album sold over 600,000 copies and was certified 2× platinum. It became one of the year's biggest sellers, with five million copies sold 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

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]
Smash Hits	2½/10[6]
The Village Voice	B−[7]

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."[6] 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?".[7] 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] 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.

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
6. "The Gap" - 4:44
7. "Hold Me Now" - 4:46
8. "Storm on the Sea" - 5:26
9. "Who Can Stop the Rain" - 5:46

Some pressings of the album (usually U.S.) have a different order and a shorter version of the final track
"Doctor! Doctor!" - 4:39 "You Take Me Up" - 4:26 "Hold Me Now" - 4:46 "Day After Day" - 3:50 "No Peace for the Wicked" - 4:09 "The Gap" - 4:44 "Sister of Mercy" - 5:09 "Storm on the Sea" - 5:32 "Who Can Stop the Rain" - 5:16

The UK cassette version of Into the Gap contained an additional side of remixes and B-sides, most of which were previously unreleased
"Leopard Ray" (an original instrumental composition) - 3:18 "Doctor! Doctor!" (extended version) - 7:49 "Panic Station" (remix of "Day After Day") - 4:40 "Down Tools" (remix of "You Take Me Up") - 4:23 "Hold Me Now" (extended version) - 9:45 "Funeral Dance" (remix of "No Peace For The Wicked") - 3:12 "Compass Points" (remix of "The Gap") - 5:00 "Still Water" (remix of "Storm on the Sea") - 5:40

2008 expanded edition

Disc one "Doctor! Doctor!" - 4:38 "You Take Me Up" - 4:23 "Day After Day" - 3:50 "Sister of Mercy" - 5:04 "No Peace for the Wicked" - 4:04 "The Gap" - 4:43 "Hold Me Now" - 4:42 "Storm on the Sea" - 5:32 "Who Can Stop the Rain" - 5:48 "Leopard Ray" - 3:15 "Doctor! Doctor!" - 7:50 "Panic Station" - 4:40 "Down Tools" - 4:18 "Hold Me Now" - 9:45 "Funeral Dance" - 3:14 Disc two "Compass Points" - 5:00 "Still Water" - 3:40 "You Take Me Up (Machines Take Me Over)" - 7:33 (12" version of "You Take Me Up") "Sister of Mercy (12” Version)" - 9:26 "Let Loving Start (12” Version)" - 9:09 (B-Side of "Hold Me Now" 12" single) "You Take Me Up (High Plains Mixer)" - 8:30 (Originally released as a limited edition white label UK 12" single in Spring 1984) "Nurse Shark" - 4:05 (B-Side of "Doctor! Doctor!" 7" and 12" singles) "Passion Planet" - 3:42 (B-Side of "You Take Me Up" 7" single) "You Take Me Up (Instrumental)" - 6:20 (B-Side of the "High Plains Mixer" UK 12" single of "You Take Me Up") "Out of the Gap (Megamix Extended Version)" - 8:57 (B-Side of "Sister of Mercy" 12" single, incorporating "Love on Your Side", "In the Name of Love", "Tears", "Doctor! Doctor!", "We Are Detective", "Lies", "Hold Me Now", and "The Gap")

Personnel

Thompson Twins

• Tom Bailey – vocals, synthesizers, pianos, guitars, bass guitar, double bass, melodica, harmonica, drum programming
• Joe Leeway – synthesizers, congas, backing vocals
• Alannah Currie – acoustic drums, percussion, marimba, xylophone, backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Dinesh Pandit – tablas on "The Gap"

Production

• Tom Bailey – producer
• Alex Sadkin – producer, engineer
• Phil Thornalley – recording, mixing
• Chris Dickie – assistant engineer
• Frank Gibson – assistant engineer
• Steve Dewey – assistant engineer
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Alannah Currie – art direction
• Nick Marchant – art direction
• Satari Graphic – design
• Paul Cox – front cover photography
• Peter Ashworth – inside photography

Studios

• Recorded at Compass Point Studios (Nassau, Bahamas).
• Mixed at RAK Studios (London, UK).
• Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York, USA).

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1984) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[11] 4 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] 3 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[13] 23 European Albums (Music & Media)[14] 8 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] 21 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[16] 6 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[17] 1 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[18] 16 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[19] 14 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] 7 UK Albums (OCC)[21] 1 US Billboard 200[22] 10

Year-end charts Chart (1984) Position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[23] 26 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[24] 14 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] 30 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[26] 12 UK Albums (OCC)[27] 12 US Billboard 200[28] 37

Sales and certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[29]	2× Platinum	200,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[30]	2× Platinum	600,000^^
United States (RIAA)[31]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[32]	Platinum	15,000^^
^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. "Record News". NME. IPC Media: 29. 21 January 1984.
2. Promis, Jose F. "Into the Gap – Thompson Twins". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
4. Puterbaugh, Parke (29 March 1984). "Thompson Twins: Into The Gap". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 1 July 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
5. DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. (1992). "Thompson Twins". The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. ISBN 0-679-73729-4. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
6. Rimmer, Dave (16 February 1984). "Album Reviews (Thompson Twins - "Into The Gap")". Smash Hits. EMAP. 6 (4): 29.
7. Christgau, Robert (26 June 1984). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
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 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
12. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6750a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
13. "Dutchcharts.nl – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
14. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 1 no. 6. 7 May 1984. p. 12. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 17 April 2020 – via American Radio History.
15. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
16. "Offiziellecharts.de – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
17. "Charts.nz – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
18. "Norwegiancharts.com – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
19. "Swedishcharts.com – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
20. "Swisscharts.com – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
21. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
22. "Thompson Twins Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
23. "ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – 1984". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
24. "Top 100 Albums of 1984". RPM. Vol. 41 no. 17. 5 January 1985. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 17 April 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
25. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1984" (in German). Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
26. "Top Selling Albums of 1984". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
27. "Top 100 Albums". Music Week. London. 26 January 1985. p. 42. ISSN 0265-1548.
28. "Top Pop Albums". Billboard. Vol. 96 no. 51. 22 December 1984. p. TA-17. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 17 April 2020 – via Google Books.
29. "Canadian album certifications – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
30. "British album certifications – Thompson Twins – Into the Gap". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 May 2015. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Into the Gap in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
31. "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. 
32. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 June 2020.

External links

• Into the Gap at Discogs (list of releases)