Jump to content

Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Against All Odds (disambiguation) § Music.

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
Single by Phil Collins
from the album Against All Odds: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side"The Search"
Released
  • February 1984 (US)
  • 26 March 1984 (UK)[1]
Recorded1983
Genre
Length3:23
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Phil Collins
Producer(s)Arif Mardin
Phil Collins singles chronology
"Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning"
(1983) 		"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
(1984) 		"Easy Lover"
(1984)
Audio sample
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (also titled "Against All Odds") is a song by English drummer, singer and songwriter Phil Collins. It was recorded for the soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. It is a power ballad in which its protagonist implores an ex-lover to "take a look at me now", knowing that reconciliation is "against all odds", but worth the gamble. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, the first of seven US No. 1s for Collins in his solo career.[4] "Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now)" also topped the charts in Canada, Ireland, and Norway, while peaking at No. 2 in the United Kingdom.

The song has been covered by several singers, some versions of which have been successful in both the US and UK markets. The song has twice reached No. 1 in the UK singles chart: the pairing of Mariah Carey and boyband Westlife, in September 2000,[5] and then again by Steve Brookstein, the first winner of The X Factor, in January 2005.[6] In 2022, an Italian version called "Impossibile" was released by German singer and TV-personality Giovanni Zarrella.

Background and development

[edit]

Collins was approached to write the title song to the film Against All Odds while it was still in its preliminary "rough cut form".[7] At the time the soundtrack was being completed, Collins was on tour with Genesis. Director Taylor Hackford flew into Chicago to see one of the band's concerts. Collins watched the movie on a videocassette recorder in his hotel room and agreed to appear on the soundtrack.[8]

Originally titled "How Can You Just Sit There?", the song's music was written by Collins during sessions for his debut solo album Face Value (1981), but it fell by the wayside as it was his least favourite of the several ballads he wrote at the time.[9][10] Nor was it included on Hello, I Must Be Going!, as many newer songs were written for it. Eventually, Collins presented the demo to Taylor Hackford when approached to write a song for the Against All Odds movie, which he loved. Then Collins penned the lyrics, which were for the film.[10] Due to lack of time available (as he was on tour with Genesis), he had arranger Arif Mardin produce it, and they worked on it over two days.[10] The piano performance is by New York musician Rob Mounsey. Piano, keyboard bass and a string section arranged and conducted by Mardin were recorded at RCA Studios, New York, while Collins recorded vocals and drums in Los Angeles.[11]

On episode 339 of This American Life, "Break Up", Collins relays that the song was inspired and written shortly after the breakup between him and his first wife. In the interview he says that the divorce transformed him from being a musician into also being a lyricist.

The song was first included on a Collins album on the 1998 compilation Hits, and it also appeared on his compilation Love Songs: A Compilation... Old and New (2004). A live performance of the song also appears on the Serious Hits... Live! album. In 2015, Collins released the original demo recording from the Face Value sessions as part of his Take A Look At Me Now project.

Use and association with the film

[edit]

"Against All Odds" was created explicitly for the movie,[11] although it was based on an earlier unreleased song Collins had written in 1981. Hackford, who previously used a song for the 1982 American drama film An Officer and a Gentleman, planned the same for the neo-noir 1984 film Against All Odds,[11] which is a remake of Out of the Past. When he signed with Atlantic Records, he was provided with a roster of artists, among whom Collins was chosen to render the film's theme song based on the quality of his voice.[11] Hackford said that it was a "textbook case of designing a song to reflect what the film is".[11] The song appears in the movie as background music during the closing credits.[12]

Writing for the soundtrack's review, Allmusic editor Heather Phares claimed that the film is best remembered for the inclusion of Collins' "classic theme song".[13] Phares added that the song "remains not only one of Collins' definitive singles, but one of the 1980s' best love songs".[13] Director Hackford also had the same view, stating that it "decidedly" helped the film: people identified the song with the film and came to watch it.[11] When the single reached the top five, it contributed to the increased box office sales of the movie.[11]

Reception

[edit]

"Against All Odds" won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male in 1985, was nominated for Song of the Year and for an Academy Award as well as for a Golden Globe both in the Best Original Song categories. At the Academy Awards ceremony, Collins was not invited to sing his song on stage and instead sat in the audience as dancer Ann Reinking gave a mostly lip-synced vocal performance accompanied by a dance routine. Reinking's performance was poorly received by critics from the Los Angeles Times and People,[14][15] as well as by Collins himself in a Rolling Stone interview.[16]

When another song Collins performed for a movie, "Separate Lives", was being nominated for an Academy Award, in interviews about the original snub by the academy for "Against All Odds", Collins would jokingly say "the hell with him – I'm going up too", referring to what he would do if the Stephen Bishop-written song were to win the award.[17] Collins lost to the Stevie Wonder song "I Just Called to Say I Love You".

Rapper RZA named "Against All Odds" as his favourite power ballad in an article on such songs in Spin.[18] The Guardian and American Songwriter both named "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" as Collins' second-best solo song behind "In the Air Tonight".[19][20]

Commercial performance

[edit]

"Against All Odds" became Collins' third top-ten single in the UK, peaking at #2 for three weeks in 1984. It was kept from the top spot by Lionel Richie's "Hello" for the first of these three weeks, and Duran Duran's "The Reflex" for the next two. It was ranked 14th in the year-end best-seller chart. In the U.S. and Canada, it peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for three weeks in the spring of 1984 and four weeks on the Canadian RPM charts.[8] Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1984 and RPM ranked it at No. 2.[21]

Music video

[edit]

The single's music video was directed by Taylor Hackford, produced by Jeffrey Abelson through Parallax Productions and cinematographed by Daniel Pearl.[22] Hackford was paid US$20,000 (out of a total budget of US$45,000)[23] for a complete Collins clip. The music video was released in February 1984.[11] A No. 1 MTV video for several weeks, MTV ranked it as No. 4 four in its 1984 year-end top 20 video countdown.[24] Gary LeMel, music supervisor at Columbia, felt the music video on MTV increased Against All Odds' box office takings by at least US$5 million.[23]

The concept for the video was created by Keith Williams, a Welsh-born writer who had already worked with Abelson on the video for "Dancin' With Myself" (Billy Idol), and who would go on to also create concepts for "Holding Out for a Hero" (Bonnie Tyler) and "Ghostbusters" (Ray Parker Jr.) for the same producer as well as "Say You Say Me" (Lionel Richie) from White Nights, which Taylor Hackford also directed.[25]

Personnel

[edit]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[61] Gold 45,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[62] Gold 35,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[63] Gold 25,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[64] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[65] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[66] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Mariah Carey (solo or featuring Westlife) version

[edit]
Main article: Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) (Mariah Carey recording)

American singer Mariah Carey recorded and co-produced her version of the song with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for her seventh studio album Rainbow (1999). It was released on 29 May 2000, as the fourth single from the album, by Columbia Records.[67] Carey later released a new version of the song, featuring new vocals by Irish pop group Westlife, which served as the first single from the band's second album, Coast to Coast (2000).

Steve Brookstein version

[edit]
"Against All Odds"
Single by Steve Brookstein
from the album Heart and Soul
Released20 December 2004
Recorded2004
GenrePop rock
Length3:12
LabelSony BMG
Songwriter(s)Phil Collins
Steve Brookstein singles chronology
"Against All Odds"
(2004) 		"Fighting Butterflies"
(2006)

English singer and The X Factor winner Steve Brookstein included "Against All Odds" on his debut studio album, Heart and Soul (2005). It was released as his debut single on 20 December 2004 by Sony BMG proceeds went to the Asian Tsunami Fund.[68]

Background

[edit]

In 2004, Brookstein won the televised UK talent competition The X Factor, and recorded a cover of the Phil Collins 1984 hit "Against All Odds" as his debut single. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number two behind "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid 20, and then climbed to number one, where it stayed for one week from 2 January 2005 to 8 January 2005 and was replaced by Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock". "Against All Odds" was later included on Brookstein's debut album Heart and Soul.

Chart performance

[edit]

"Against All Odds" debuted at number two in the United Kingdom, behind Band Aid 20's version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", and at number 11 in Ireland. It charted at number one in the UK the following week. "Against All Odds" sold 127,701 copies in its first week in the UK, the lowest first-week sales for an X Factor winner's single until 2015.[69] Brookstein's version has sold 204,000 copies in the UK to date, making it the lowest-selling X Factor winner's single.[70] It has sold fewer than half the copies of Leon Jackson's "When You Believe" and Little Mix's "Cannonball", a third of Joe McElderry's "The Climb", a quarter of Leona Lewis's "A Moment Like This", and a fifth of those of Matt Cardle's "When We Collide", Shayne Ward's "That's My Goal", James Arthur's "Impossible" and Alexandra Burke's "Hallelujah". The next fewest sales from a winner's song was Sam Bailey's version of "Skyscraper", which had first-week sales of 149,000 copies, 26,000 more than "Against All Odds".[70] However, Louisa Johnson, Matt Terry and Rak Su would all have lower first week sales in later years.

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Against All Odds" – 3:17
  2. "Smile" (The X Factor performance) – 1:55
  3. "Help Me Make It Through the Night" (The X Factor performance) – 2:00

Charts

[edit]
[edit]

Film

[edit]

The song is featured in the 2024 action comedy film The Fall Guy during the scene where Jody Moreno thinks her ex-boyfriend, Colt Seavers, stood her up. She sings the song at a karaoke bar.

Radio

[edit]

The song also features heavily in the first act of the This American Life episode "Break Up". The segment featured an interview with Collins, as well as narration from a woman who listened to the song to get over a break-up and vowed to write her own break-up song.[75]

Video games

[edit]

A cover of the song by Deja Vu featuring Tasmin was featured in the 2001 game Dance Dance Revolution 5thMix for the Japanese arcade and PlayStation 2, and in the 2005 game Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2 for the North American PlayStation 2.[76]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "BPI > Certified Awards > Search results for Phil Collins (page 3)". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  2. ^ Eler, Alicia (13 August 2013). "Artist uses Phil Collins, Skype to construct online personae". Salon. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  3. ^ Danis, Kirsten (25 July 1999). "Phil Collins employee now his Swiss missus". New York Post. New York. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  4. ^ Taylor, Chuck. "At AC Radio, Phil Collins' Take on 'True Colors' Is Shining Through". Billboard. 14 November 1998.
  5. ^ Stark, David (16 November 2002). "Collin's Writing Yields Hits For Many". Billboard. p. 38. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  6. ^ "X Factor star ends Band Aid reign". BBC News. 2 January 2005. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  7. ^ Morris, Chris (6 December 1986). "Early Music-Film Ties Best". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  8. ^ a b Hogan, Ed. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  9. ^ Tobler, John. "The Progressive Reign of Genesis" Archived 25 August 2005 at the Wayback Machine. Billboard Magazine. 7 March 1987.
  10. ^ a b c Considine, JD (June 1985). "The Second Coming of Phil Collins". Musician.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Denisoff & Romanowski 1991, p. 406.
  12. ^ Denisoff & Romanowski 1991, p. 408.
  13. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Against All Odds [Original Soundtrack]". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  14. ^ "Down The Academy". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. 31 March 1985. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  15. ^ Wolmuth, Roger (8 July 1985). "Short, Pudgy and Bald, All Phil Collins Produces Is Hits". People. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  16. ^ Hoerburger, Rob (23 May 1985). "Phil Collins Beats The Odds". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  17. ^ Williams, Stephen (4 October 1985). "A Phil Collins Special And 'Miami Vice' on Record". Newsday.
  18. ^ Aaron, Charles. "Don't Fight the Power". Spin. November 2001.
  19. ^ Hann, Michael (13 August 2020). "Phil Collins' greatest solo songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  20. ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (13 January 2022). "Top 10 Phil Collins Solo Songs". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  21. ^ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1984
  22. ^ Daniel Pearl. "Resumé". Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  23. ^ a b Denisoff, R. Serge; Romanowski, William D. (1990). "Synergy in 1980s Film and Music: Formula for Success or Industry Mythology?". Film History. 4 (3): 257–276, here p. 259. JSTOR 3815137.
  24. ^ "Remember back when MTV used to be cool?". Platypus Comix. Archived from the original on 1 September 2006. Retrieved 18 August 2006.
  25. ^ "Keith Williams IMVDb". IMVDb. Archived from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  26. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 71. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and 19 June 1988.
  27. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  28. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  29. ^ "Las canciones más escuchadas en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 24 June 1984. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  30. ^ "RPM Top 50 Singles – April 21, 1984" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 19 May 1984. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  32. ^ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  33. ^ "Danish Chart Archive – Singles 1979 – ____ (B.T./IFPI DK)". Ukmix.org. 28 November 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  34. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  35. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (in French). Les classement single.
  36. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Against All Odds". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  37. ^ "Israel Singles Charts 1987–1995". Ukmix.org. 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  38. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 18, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  39. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  40. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". Top 40 Singles.
  41. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". VG-lista.
  42. ^ "Canciones más populares de Latinoamérica". La Opinión. 21 July 1984. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  43. ^ "Top 3 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. 13 August 1984. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  44. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website – SA Charts 1965–1989 Songs (A-B)". Archived from the original on 8 November 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  45. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". Singles Top 100.
  46. ^ "Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". Swiss Singles Chart.
  47. ^ "Phil Collins: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  48. ^ "Las canciones más escuchadas en Latinoamérica". La Opinión (Los Angeles) (in Spanish). 24 June 1984. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  49. ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  50. ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  51. ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  52. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  53. ^ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via Imgur.com.
  54. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  55. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles of 1984- January 5, 1985" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  56. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  57. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  58. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984". hitparade.ch. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  59. ^ "Talent Almanac 1985: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 51. 22 December 1984. p. TA-19.
  60. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  61. ^ "Danish single certifications – Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  62. ^ "Italian single certifications – Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  63. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 January 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Against All Odds in the search box.
  64. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  65. ^ "British single certifications – Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  66. ^ "American single certifications – Phil Collins – Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  67. ^ "Mariah Carey – Against All Odds" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  68. ^ Copsey, Rob (1 May 2020). "Every Number 1 charity single on the Official Chart". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  69. ^ Plunkett, John (19 December 2011). "X Factor: Little Mix have lowest-selling winner's single since 2004". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  70. ^ a b Myers, Justin (9 December 2015). "The biggest selling X Factor winner's singles revealed". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  71. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  72. ^ "Steve Brookstein: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  73. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2004" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  74. ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart 2005" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  75. ^ "339: Break-Up". 24 August 2007. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  76. ^ "Song Lists and Difficulties – DDR 5th Mix". DDR Freak. 20 September 2001. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Against_All_Odds_(Take_a_Look_at_Me_Now)&oldid=1261946383#Steve_Brookstein_version"