Hello, I Must Be Going! (album)

Hello, I Must Be Going!
Studio album by
Phil Collins
Released5 November 1982 (1982-11-05)
RecordedMay–June 1982
Studio
Genre
Length45:10
LabelVirgin
Producer
Phil Collins chronology
Face Value
(1981) 		Hello, I Must Be Going!
(1982) 		No Jacket Required
(1985)
Singles from Hello, I Must Be Going!
  1. "Thru These Walls"
    Released: October 1982 (UK)[1]
  2. "You Can't Hurry Love"
    Released: November 1982 (UK and US)
  3. "I Don't Care Anymore"
    Released: February 1983 (US)
  4. "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away"
    Released: March 1983 (UK)
  5. "I Cannot Believe It's True"
    Released: April 1983 (US)
  6. "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning"
    Released: May 1983 (UK)
  7. "It Don't Matter to Me"
    Released: August 1983 (NL)
Alternative cover
2016 reissue cover

Hello, I Must Be Going! is the second solo studio album by the English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released on 5 November 1982[2][3] on Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and on Atlantic Records in North America, and named after the Marx Brothers' song of the same name. After Genesis took a break in activity in late 1981, Collins started work on a follow-up to his debut solo studio album Face Value (1981).

Hello, I Must Be Going! received a more reserved commercial reaction than Face Value, but it nonetheless reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 8 in the United States. In total, Collins released eight singles from the album, with various tracks released as singles in different countries. The most successful was the first US and second UK single, a cover of "You Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes, which went to No. 1 in the United Kingdom and No. 10 in the United States. Collins supported the album with his 1982–1983 tour, which was his first as a solo artist. The album earned Collins a Brit Award nomination for British Male Artist in 1983,[4] and "I Don't Care Anymore" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male.

Background and recording

In December 1981, Collins's band Genesis entered an eight-month break in activity after touring their eleventh studio album Abacab (1981). He started work on a follow-up to his first solo studio album, Face Value (1981), which mainly concerned events in his personal life including his divorce from his first wife.[5] Collins was aware that Hello, I Must Be Going! contains even greater amounts of material concerning his private life, and reasoned its concentration down to feeling guilty regarding the divorce and "to be purely sentimental about it".[6] He described the album years later: "If my first album was 'I'm divorced and I'm miserable' ... my next one was 'I'm going to kick this fucker to bits'".[7] However, upon meeting his second wife Jill Tavelman and releasing Hello, I Must Be Going!, Collins noted a change in his songwriting: "[I'm] happier [...] I write happy songs now".[6]

The album features elements of groove pop that Collins would utilise further with his next solo studio album, No Jacket Required (1985).[5] "I Cannot Believe It's True" has been compared to "I Missed Again" from Face Value (1981) "right down to the undulating rhythms and swaying brass".[5] Collins confessed to "a distinct lack of judgement" in recording the drums for "Thru These Walls" as the drum fill he used matched what he had done for "In the Air Tonight" from Face Value (1981). To him, that is the sole comparison between the two albums, despite being called out for rehashing similar material for Hello, I Must Be Going![6] In addition to this, according to Collins, "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" and "Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning" were leftovers from the Face Value sessions in 1978-79.[8]

Artwork

The album's sleeve contains various photographs from Collins's family life, which he had also done for Face Value (1981). Collins wanted both albums to be a "matching set, something that felt like it was from the same bloke".[6] Included is a picture of his young son Simon in a Superman costume, which Collins found humorous to include but later found that some people misinterpreted it as focusing the album too much on his personal life.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
Mojo[11]
PopMatters7/10[12]
Q[13]
Record Collector[14]
Rolling Stone[15]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[16]
Sounds[17]
Uncut8/10[18]

Hugh Fielder of Sounds praised Hello, I Must Be Going! as "a broader, stronger and better executed follow-up to Face Value", writing, "The original inspiration may be second-hand but the execution and character is entirely his."[17] In Rolling Stone, John Milward said of the record: "Despite its trend-bucking boast of an eight-track recording, the album's rich luster is of the old classical-rock school. In fact, the LP sounds like stripped-down Genesis, ornamental but not too ostentatious."[15] NME writer Graham K. Smith was less enthused, criticising the lyrics as excessively self-pitying and the music as steeped in "blatant textbook commercialities"; he found that the album "resoundly collapses between the two stools of 'meaningful rock' and disposable pop, wallowing in all the worst aspects of both with none of the saving graces".[19]

Retrospectively, AllMusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated that Collins "began to inject his highly melodic pop songwriting with more soul and R&B influences" on Hello, I Must Be Going!, with mixed results: "While some of the material was successful, much of it showed that he was still coming to grips with how to incorporate R&B techniques into his style."[20] In a later review of the album for AllMusic, Tim Sendra was more favourable, deeming it "a winning follow-up that shows Collins to be in full control of songwriting and production".[9]

Tour

Main article: The Hello, I Must Be Going Tour

Collins supported the album with a concert tour of Europe and North America between November 1982 and February 1983. He performed with a nine-piece band[6] that included Genesis touring musicians Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer, and the Phenix Horns.

Reissue

The album was re-released using a flat transfer done by Steve Hoffman for the Audio Fidelity label in 2011 on Gold CD. The album was also reissued as part of the Take a Look at Me Now series of Collins studio album remasters during 2016, with a new second disc of bonus songs.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Phil Collins, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Don't Care Anymore" 5:00
2."I Cannot Believe It's True" 5:14
3."Like China" 5:05
4."Do You Know, Do You Care?" 4:57
5."You Can't Hurry Love"Holland–Dozier–Holland2:57
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."It Don't Matter to Me"4:12
7."Thru These Walls"5:02
8."Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away"4:43
9."The West Side"4:59
10."Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning"3:01
Total length:45:10

2016 reissue

Hello! Extras bonus disc (Disc two of 2016 deluxe edition)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I Don't Care Anymore" (live 1985) 6:30
2."I Cannot Believe It's True" (live 1982) 5:29
3."Like China" (live 1985) 5:41
4."You Can't Hurry Love" (live 1985) 3:04
5."It Don't Matter to Me" (live 1985) 4:23
6."The West Side" (live rehearsal 1996) 7:37
7."People Get Ready" (live 1982)Curtis Mayfield3:18
8."Thru These Walls" (live 1982) 5:03
9."It's Alright" (live 1985)Mayfield2:22
10."Oddball" (demo "Do You Know, Do You Care?") 4:30
11."Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" (demo) 4:42
Total length:52:39

Personnel

Musicians

Production and artwork

  • Phil Collins – producer
  • Hugh Padgham – assistant producer, engineer
  • Howard Gray – assistant engineer
  • Martyn Ford – engineer (for orchestral tracks)
  • Mike Ross – engineer
  • Ian Cooper – mastering
  • Trevor Key – cover photography

Charts

Chart (1982-1983) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[21] 15
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[22] 1
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23] 3
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)[24] 16
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] 6
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)[26] 12
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[27] 31
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[28] 20
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[29] 4
Spain (Spanish Albums Chart)[30] 3
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[31] 7
UK Albums (OCC)[32] 2
US Billboard 200[33] 8
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[34] 52
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 103
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[36] 60
French Albums (SNEP)[37] 138
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 50

Certifications

Sales certifications for Hello, I Must Be Going!
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[39] Platinum 60,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[40] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BEA)[41] Platinum 50,000*
France (SNEP)[42] 2× Platinum 600,000*
Germany (BVMI)[43] 2× Platinum 1,000,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[44] Gold 50,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[45] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[46] Platinum 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] 3× Platinum 900,000^
United States (RIAA)[48] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Phil Collins singles".
  2. ^ "British album certifications - Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going!". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ^ "American album certifications - Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going!". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  4. ^ "History". BRIT Awards. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Deriso, Nick (10 November 2017). "35 Years Ago: Phil Collins Releases Murky 'Hello I Must Be Going'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Colbert, Paul (11 December 1982). "Then there was... 1". Melody Maker. pp. 13, 36. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  7. ^ Greene, Andy (29 February 2016). "Phil Collins: My Life in 15 Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  8. ^ Considine, J.D. (June 1985). "The Second Coming of Phil Collins". Musician.(subscription required)
  9. ^ a b Sendra, Tim. "Hello, I Must Be Going! – Phil Collins". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  10. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Collins, Phil". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  11. ^ Chick, Stevie (April 2016). "Phil Collins: Hello, I Must Be Going!". Mojo. No. 269. p. 105.
  12. ^ Sawdey, Evan (12 May 2016). "Phil Collins: 2016 Rhino Reissues (Part One)". PopMatters. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  13. ^ Aizlewood, John (June 2016). "Phil Collins: Hello, I Must Be Going! / Dance into the Light". Q. No. 359. p. 119.
  14. ^ Elliott, Mark (April 2016). "Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going, Dance into The Light". Record Collector. No. 452. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  15. ^ a b Milward, John (20 January 1983). "Hello, I Must Be Going". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  16. ^ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Phil Collins". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 181–82. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  17. ^ a b Fielder, Hugh (1982). "Within these walls...". Sounds.
  18. ^ Lewis, John (May 2016). "Phil Collins: Hello, I Must Be Going / Dance into the Light". Uncut. No. 228. p. 90.
  19. ^ Smith, Graham K. (27 November 1982). "Old Groucho". NME.
  20. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Hello, I Must Be Going! – Phil Collins". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  21. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  22. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6187a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  23. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  24. ^ 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.
  25. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 31 May 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Phil Collins".
  27. ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
  28. ^ "Charts.nz – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  30. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  31. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  32. ^ "Phil Collins | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  33. ^ "Phil Collins Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  34. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  35. ^ "Ultratop.be – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  37. ^ "Lescharts.com – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  38. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  39. ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  40. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  41. ^ "Phil Collins' entire solo repertoire has gone platinum in Belgium" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 21. 26 May 1990. p. 15. Retrieved 29 March 2020 – via American Radio History.
  42. ^ "French album certifications – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 5 November 2012. Select PHIL COLLINS and click OK. 
  43. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Phil Collins; 'Hello I Must Be Going')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  44. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 5 October 2012. Enter Hello, I Must Be Going! in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  45. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (PDF) (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. p. 961. ISBN 84-8048-639-2. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  46. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Hello, I Must Be Going!')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  47. ^ "British album certifications – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going!". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  48. ^ "American album certifications – Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 August 2022.