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Too Many Walls

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"Too Many Walls"
Single by Cathy Dennis
from the album Move to This
Released23 September 1991 (1991-09-23) (UK)
GenrePop
Length
  • 4:38 (album version)
  • 4:24 (radio edit)
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

"Too Many Walls" is a song by British singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis. A midtempo pop ballad, it 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 by Polydor in the United Kingdom.

The song became Dennis' fourth top-10 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, and directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel.

Content

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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."[1]

Critical reception

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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."[2] 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."[3]

Track listings

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  • 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

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Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 Polydor
United Kingdom 23 September 1991 7-inch vinyl [8]
Japan 6 November 1991 Mini-CD [18]

References

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  1. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications)
  2. ^ Flick, Larry (29 June 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 77. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  3. ^ Frith, Mark (18 September 1991). "Review: Singles". Smash Hits. p. 41. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  4. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 79.
  5. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1636." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1637." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 44. 2 November 1991. p. 35. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Cathy Dennis – Too Many Walls" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  9. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Too Many Walls". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  10. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  11. ^ "Cathy Dennis Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  12. ^ "Cathy Dennis Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  13. ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved 23 November 2017 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  14. ^ "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved 30 April 2020 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  15. ^ "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. 21 December 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  16. ^ "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. 21 December 1991. p. YE-14.
  17. ^ "1991 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. 21 December 1991. p. YE-36. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  18. ^ "トゥー・メニー・ウォールズ | キャシー・デニス" [Too Many Walls | Cathy Dennis] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
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