Too Many Walls

"Too Many Walls" is a song by British singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis. "Too Many Walls" is a midtempo pop ballad and was co-written by Dennis and Anne Dudley, member of the avant-garde synthpop musical group Art of Noise. The song was originally a composition of Dudley's with strings but no lyrics, until Dennis adapted the song and added words before it appeared on her debut album. The song was then remixed into a more radio-friendly version before being released as a single on 23 September 1991.

"Too Many Walls"
Single by Cathy Dennis
from the album Move to This
Released23 September 1991[1]
Recorded1990
GenrePop
Length
  • 4:38 (album version)
  • 4:24 (radio edit)
  • 3:42 (acoustic version)
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Cathy Dennis
  • Phil Bodger
Cathy Dennis singles chronology
"Touch Me (All Night Long)"
(1991)		 "Too Many Walls"
(1991)		 "Everybody Move"
(1991)
Music video
"Too Many Walls" on YouTube

The song became Dennis' fourth top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number eight and lasted for 20 weeks on the listing. "Too Many Walls" also spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart in October, and in Canada, it peaked at number 10 in September. The music video was filmed at the newly opened Stansted airport. It was directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel.

Content

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Dennis stated that she thinks the ballad is "the best song on the album, especially in terms of lyrics. The other songs are fun, but they can be quite vacant." She said the song is "about when you want to be together with someone, but other people's opinions and prejudices get in the way."[2]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "After a pair of top 10 dance tunes, Dennis drops the tempo for a nicely sung, sugary ballad. Will likely keep popsters in tow, while broadening base to include AC programmers."[3] Mark Frith from Smash Hits commented, "...this is Cathy's big ballad, a perfect end-of-summer song whether you're pining for Pedro from the Spanish swimming pool or that person with the nice eyes you met in Bridlington. Too Many Walls is a lush, low-key ballad that is the high-spot of her album and quite obviously from the heart as well."[4]

Track listings

UK CD single

  1. "Too Many Walls"
  2. "Too Many Walls" (L'autre Mix)
  3. "Too Many Walls" (a cappella)

US cassette single

  1. "Too Many Walls" (Radio Mix)
  2. "Too Many Walls" (a cappella)

Charts

References
  1. "Cathy Dennis – Too Many Walls on hitparade.ch".
  2. Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  3. Flick, Larry (29 June 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 77. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  4. Frith, Mark (18 September 1991). "Review: Singles". Smash Hits. p. 41. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  5. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 79.
  6. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1636." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  7. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1637." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  8. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8 no. 44. 2 November 1991. p. 35. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  9. "Offiziellecharts.de – Cathy Dennis – Too Many Walls". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Too Many Walls". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  12. "Cathy Dennis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  13. "Cathy Dennis Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  14. "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  15. "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  16. Nielsen Business Media, Inc (21 December 1991). "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 103 no. 51. p. YE-14.
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