You Take Me Up Explained

You Take Me Up
Cover:	YTMUTwins.jpeg
Type:	single
Artist:	Thompson Twins
Album:	Into the Gap
Released:	^[1]
Length:	3:55
Label:	Arista
Producer:	Alex Sadkin, Tom Bailey
Prev Title:	Doctor! Doctor!
Prev Year:	1984
Next Title:	Sister of Mercy
Next Year:	1984

"You Take Me Up" is a song by British pop group Thompson Twins, released as the third single from their fourth studio album, Into the Gap (1984), on 19 March 1984. It was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway and prominently features the harmonica and a melodica solo. In addition to the regular 7-inch and multiple 12-inch releases, Arista Records also released four different shaped picture discs for the single, three of which were part of a jigsaw.

The single peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, making it their highest-charting song, and spent 11 weeks on the chart. It was the UK's 57th-highest-selling single of 1984 and was certifified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) the same year. In the United States, the single spent nine weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 44 in October 1984. The promotional music video for this single was directed by Dieter Trattmann.^[2]

"Passion Planet"

The B-side of the single is a non-album track entitled "Passion Planet". This song became especially popular in Los Angeles, receiving "heavy" rotation on several radio stations (e.g., KROQ-FM) which preferred it instead of "You Take Me Up". It became one of the top songs of 1984 in Los Angeles.^[3]

Track listings

7-inch single^{[4] [5]}

A. "You Take Me Up" – 3:55

B. "Passion Planet" – 3:42

UK 12-inch single^[6]

A1. "You Take Me Up" (Machines Take Me Over) – 7:33

A2. "Down Tools" – 4:18

B1. "Leopard Ray" – 3:50

B2. "Passion Planet" – 3:05

UK limited-edition 12-inch single^[7]

A1. "You Take Me Up" (High Plains Mixer) – 8:30

B1. "You Take Me Up" (instrumental) – 6:20

B2. "Passion Planet" – 3:44

Australian cassette single^[8]

A1. "You Take Me Up / Machines Take Me Over" – 8:26

A2. "Down Tools" – 3:25

B1. "You Take Me Up" (U.S. dance mix) – 8:30

B2. "Passion Planet" – 3:44

Personnel

Thompson Twins

• Tom Bailey – writing, vocals, synthesizer, contrabass, harmonica, melodica, drum programming
• Alannah Currie – writing, percussion, marimba, xylophone, backing vocals, lyrics
• Joe Leeway – writing, congas, Prophet V, backing vocals

Other

• • Produced by Alex Sadkin with Tom Bailey Recorded and mixed by Phil Thornalley
• Photography – Paul Cox
• Artwork/Design – Satori (Andie Airfix)
• Art Direction – Alannah and Nic Marchant

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[9]	47
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)^[10]	14
US Billboard Hot 100^[11]	44

Year-end charts

Notes and References

1. New Singles. Music Week. 14. 17 March 1984.
2. Book: Weiss, Paulette . The Rock Video Book . 1985 . J. Messner . 9780671553401.
3. Web site: KROQ-FM Top Songs for 1984. . Old KROQ and KMET Jingles and Tapes. . 16 December 2023.
4. You Take Me Up. Thompson Twins. 1984. UK 7-inch single sleeve. Arista Records. TWINS 4.
5. You Take Me Up. Thompson Twins. 1984. US 7-inch single vinyl disc. Arista Records. AS1-9244.
6. You Take Me Up. Thompson Twins. 1984. UK 12-inch single vinyl disc. Arista Records. TWINS 124.
7. You Take Me Up. Thompson Twins. 1984. UK limited 12-inch single vinyl disc. Arista Records. TWINS 224.
8. You Take Me Up. Thompson Twins. 1984. Australian cassette single cassette notes. Arista Records. C 14069, X 14069.
9. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book. St Ives, NSW. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
10. European Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 1. 7. 8. 14 May 1984.
11. Billboard Hot 100. Billboard. 6 October 1984. 11 June 2022.
12. Top 100 Singles. Music Week. 37. 26 January 1985.