"Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" is the second track on the 1986 album '' Invisible Touch'' by the English rock band Genesis, released in January 1987 as the fourth single from the album. It peaked at No. 3 in the US and No. 18 in the UK.

Background and composition

In a documentary on the making of ''Invisible Touch'',

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

revealed that the song originated from a LinnDrum pattern he created. Tony Banks added an ominous chord progression, establishing the song's dark tone and inspiring its lyrics, which depict a drug addict’s struggle to contact their dealer for another fix. The lyrics explore themes of addiction ("a load on your back that you can't see," "shake it loose"), desperation ("I've got to get it to you," "I keep calling but you're never home"), and eventual anguish ("now I'm in too deep," "please get me out of here!") . Collins intensified the emotional climax with dramatic drum fills featuring his signature gated reverb. The album version extends to nearly nine minutes, including a refrain and keyboard solo, which were cut from the single and radio edit. The song's working title was "Monkey, Zulu".

Versions

The single included an edited version (at 4:32) and the first part of " Domino" ("In the Glow of the Night") as the B-side. A new edit of the single version was released on the 1999 compilation '' Turn It On Again: The Hits'' (as well as its "sequel" '' The Tour Edition'') and later on ''The Platinum Collection''. This revised edit features a different cross fade and different edit points as compared to the original 1987 edit version. Some singles that included the full version of the song included the second part of "Domino" ("The Last Domino") as the B-side. Other releases contained the song " Paperlate" and a 12"

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

of "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight". The full live version from the '' Live at Wembley Stadium'' video was included as a B-side on the "Never A Time" CD single. The song was performed on the Invisible Touch Tour. A shorter version (which segued into " Invisible Touch") was played on the

We Can't Dance ''We Can't Dance'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis, released on 11 November 1991 by Virgin Records in the UK and a day later by Atlantic Records in the US. It is their last studio album recorded wit ...

, Turn It On Again, and The Last Domino? tours, albeit transposed down a key to account for the deepening of

's voice.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said it has a "remote, eery...ambiance that features Phil Collins' emotional singing and propulsive drumming."

In popular culture

The song was used in a commercial for Michelob, who sponsored the Invisible Touch Tour. In 2019, Andy Greene of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' remarked, "You don't hear the 1986 Genesis song 'Tonight Tonight Tonight' very often these days, but back then it was absolutely inescapable. This was a weird period of time where seemingly half the songs on the radio were either by Genesis or one of the many offshoot acts like Phil Collins,

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...

Mike and the Mechanics Mike and the Mechanics (stylised as Mike + The Mechanics) are a British rock supergroup formed in Dover in 1985 by Mike Rutherford, initially as a side project during a hiatus period for his other group Genesis. The band are known for the hit ...

, or GTR."

Music video

The music video for the song was shot in the Bradbury Building in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Track listing

7": Virgin / GENS 4 United Kingdom # "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (Edit) – 4:32 # "In The Glow of the Night" 12": Virgin / GENSG 4–12 United Kingdom # "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (Edit) – 4:32 # "In The Glow of the Night" # "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (12" Potoker Remix) * gatefold sleeve 12": Virgin / GENS 4–12 United Kingdom # "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (Edit) – 4:32 # "In The Glow of the Night" # "Paperlate" # "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (12" Potoker Remix) CD: Virgin / CDEP1 United Kingdom # "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (Edit) – 4:32 # "In The Glow Of The Night" ''(Domino 'Part One')'' # "Paperlate" # "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (12" Potoker Remix) Note: A rare withdrawn UK CD-single contained "Invisible Touch" (Extended Remix)" instead of "Paperlate"

Personnel

Genesis * Tony Banks – keyboards, synth bass *

– vocals, drums, LinnDrum, Simmons SDS-V, percussion *

Mike Rutherford Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is an English guitarist, bassist and songwriter, best known as co-founder, lead guitarist and bassist of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis. He and keyboardist Tony Banks (musici ...

– electric guitars

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

Music Video
at VH1 Classic {{Authority control 1986 songs 1987 singles Genesis (band) songs Song recordings produced by Hugh Padgham Songs about drugs Songs written by Phil Collins Songs written by Mike Rutherford Songs written by Tony Banks (musician) Atlantic Records singles Virgin Records singles