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"Invisible Touch"
Single by Genesis
from the album Invisible Touch
B-side	The Last Domino
Released	May 19, 1986
Format	Compact Disc
Recorded	1985
Genre	Pop rock, New Wave
Length	3:27
Label	Atlantic Records Vertigo Records
Producer	Genesis, Hugh Padgham
Genesis singles chronology
"Taking It All Too Hard" (1984) "Invisible Touch" (1986) "Throwing It All Away" (1986)
Genesis chronology "Jesus He Knows Me" (Live) (1992) "Invisible Touch (Live)" (1992) "Tell Me Why" (1993) Invisible Touch track listing "Invisible Touch" (1) "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (2)

"Invisible Touch" is the title track of the 1986 Genesis album of the same name. It is their most successful single of all time and was the band's first (and, to date, only) number-one single in the United States.^[1] It marked the first instance of a group following an individual band member to the top of the chart. Prior to this song, Phil Collins had notched the first four of his seven U.S. number-one solo singles.^[2] It went to number four in Canada, but only reached number 15 in the United Kingdom. It is a meditation on intangibility, speaking of a woman whose qualities go beyond what only meets the eye.

Its B-side is the second part of "Domino", titled "The Last Domino".

History

The song came about during a jam for the second parts of another album tracks "Domino/The Last Domino," Mike apparently playing a riff while Phil improvises the line "She seems to have an invisible touch". It was recorded at the band's studio Fisher Lane Farm during 1985 and 1986.

"Invisible Touch" was bumped out of the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 by "Sledgehammer", performed by the former lead singer of Genesis, Peter Gabriel.

Live versions

A live version appears on their albums The Way We Walk, Volume One: The Shorts, and Live over Europe 2007. As well as on their DVD's Genesis Live at Wembley Stadium, The Way We Walk - Live in Concert and When in Rome 2007.

"Invisible Touch" was performed during the Invisible Touch, We Can't Dance, Calling All Stations (with Ray Wilson on vocals) and Turn It On Again tours. On later tours the song segued from "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" albeit transposed down a key to account for the deepening of Phil Collins's voice over the years. During the latest tour, the song was the finale featuring fireworks going off as the song ended.

Personnel

• Phil Collins: Vocals and drums.
• Tony Banks: Keyboards.
• Mike Rutherford: Guitar and Bass.

Live single

"Invisible Touch (Live)"
Single by Genesis
B-side	Abacab (Live) The Brazilian (Live)
Released	9 November 1992
Format	7", CD
Genre	Pop rock
Label	Virgin
Writer(s)	Tony Banks, Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford.
Producer	Nick Davis, Robert Colby, Genesis
Genesis singles chronology
"Jesus He Knows Me" (1992) "Invisible Touch (Live)' (1992) "Tell Me Why" (1993)

Genesis Live - Invisible Touch was a single by Genesis, released on limited edition 7" and CD near the end of their 1991-1992 world tour in support of We Can't Dance. Both formats were numbered and came with a booklet; the CD was housed in a box and the vinyl edition in a gatefold sleeve.

The A-side was recorded during this tour, and is the same version found on the accompanying live album The Shorts but for some minor edits. The B-sides "Abacab" and "The Brazilian" come from the Invisible Touch Tour video.

The 7" featured an edited version of "Abacab" (it faded out) while the CD included whole versions of both songs.

Like the albums The Shorts and The Longs, and the home video The Way We Walk - In Concert, the title of the record was prefixed by "Genesis Live", with "(Live)" appearing as a suffix on the back sleeve and on the disc itself.

During live performances of "Invisible Touch" Phil Collins substituted the line "And though she will mess up your life" with "And though she will fuck up your life". Consequently the swear word was bleeped out on the single.

Unlike the original recording of the song, this live version was a Top 10 hit in the UK, reaching number seven. In one of the interview sections on the Way We Walk - Live in Concert DVD, Phil Collins jokes about re-releasing the song until it finally becomes a hit.

References