The Gift (Tony Banks song)

Last updated
"The Gift"
Tony Banks featuring Andy Taylor The Gift 1991 single cover.jpg
Single by Tony Banks featuring Andy Taylor
from the album Still
B-side "Back to Back"
Released22 July 1991
Length3:56
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s) Tony Banks
Producer(s)
Tony Bankssingles chronology
"I Wanna Change the Score"
(1991)
"The Gift"
(1991)
"Still It Takes Me by Surprise"
(1992)

"The Gift" is a song by English musician Tony Banks featuring English singer Andy Taylor (formerly of the Jazz Devils). It was released by Virgin on 22 July 1991 [1] as the second single from Banks's third solo studio album, Still . The song was written by Banks and was produced by Banks and Nick Davis. It reached number 110 in the UK Singles Chart.

Contents

Background

Tony Banks collaborated with Andy Taylor on two tracks for his solo album Still, with Taylor providing vocals on "The Gift" and "Still It Takes Me by Surprise". [2] In a 2019 interview with Innerviews , Banks revealed, "I wanted someone with a voice like Ray Charles, but I couldn't find one at the time. So, I used Andy who wasn't really a great singer, but he had a sort of tone to his singing that worked quite well. I think the songs he [sang] stand up with his voice." [3]

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Fife Free Press noted that Banks and Taylor "dovetail to perfection on the catchily commercial 'The Gift'" and predicted it would be "another likely hit" for Banks. [4] Marcus Hodge of the Cambridge Evening News was negative in his review, commenting, "Banks turns out a plodding, polite pub rock number that would have sounded out of date back in 1974. It's about time major labels began exercising some proper quality control." [5]

Track listing

7–inch single (UK) [6]

  1. "The Gift" (featuring Andy Taylor) – 3:56
  2. "Back to Back" (featuring Jayney Klimek) – 4:30

12–inch single (UK) [7]

  1. "The Gift" – 3:56
  2. "Back to Back" – 4:30
  3. "A House Needs a Roof" (featuring Jayney Klimek) – 4:06

CD single (UK) [8]

  1. "The Gift" – 3:56
  2. "I Wanna Change the Score" – 4:30
  3. "A House Needs a Roof" – 4:06
  4. "Redwing" – 5:38

Personnel

"The Gift"

"Back to Back"

Production

Other

Charts

Chart (1991)Peak
position
UK Singles Chart (OCC) [9] 110
UK Playlist Chart ( Music Week ) [10] 58

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References

  1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . 20 July 1991. p. 21. ISSN   0265-1548.
  2. Still (UK and European CD album liner notes). Tony Banks. Virgin Records. 1991. CDV 2658, 261 638.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. Prasad, Anil (2019). "Tony Banks - Beyond the Physical". Innerviews. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  4. "Furs on Form: Singles" . Fife Free Press . 19 July 1991. p. 6. Retrieved 16 August 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. Hodge, Marcus (5 August 1991). "Pop - Singles: Rocking well with no-fudge Trixter" . Cambridge Evening News . p. 16. Retrieved 16 August 2024 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. The Gift (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Tony Banks featuring Andy Taylor. Virgin Records. 1991. VS 1362.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. The Gift (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Tony Banks featuring Andy Taylor. Virgin Records. 1991. VST 1362.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. The Gift (UK CD single sleeve). Tony Banks featuring Andy Taylor. Virgin Records. 1991. VSCDT 1362.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. "Singles - Positions 76 to 200". Charts Plus . Spotlight Publications. 20 July 1991. p. 2.
  10. "Playlist Chart". Music Week . 3 August 1991. p. 18. ISSN   0265-1548.