Invisible (Alison Moyet song)

"Invisible"
Single by Alison Moyet
from the album Alf
Released November 1984
Format 7", 12"
Recorded 1984
Genre Pop
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Lamont Dozier
Alison Moyet singles chronology
"All Cried Out"
(1984)
"Invisible"
(1984)
"That Ole Devil Called Love"
(1985)

"All Cried Out"
(1984)
"Invisible"
(1984)
"That Ole Devil Called Love"
(1985)

"Invisible" is a song recorded by Alison Moyet in 1984, written by Lamont Dozier (of the songwriting team Holland–Dozier–Holland), from her album Alf.

Reaching #21 on the UK Singles Chart, the song went as high as #6 in Ireland, and gave Moyet her third Irish top 10 hit of the year. The single went even higher in New Zealand, peaking at #4, her second consecutive top ten hit after "All Cried Out" reached #6. The song is also the first American release from the album and is Moyet's most successful single in that country, reaching #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1985 and becoming her only US Top 40 hit, either solo or with Yazoo, thus far.

There are two versions of the music video for the song. In the first version, Moyet is seen at a party surrounded by friends, all of whom appear to have partners of various forms. She walks into another room to perform the song. Moyet is often seen singing alone outside, or in what appears to be a cupboard. There are also many cutaways to where Moyet walks through the party unnoticed (hence, she is invisible). The video ends with her drinking a glass of wine and lost in thought. The second version of the video mostly features Moyet performing the song and omits many of the party scenes. It concludes with Moyet walking out of the room and into a white light. In both videos, there are moments when the camera pans on what seems to be a silver rhombus with the letter 'i' in the middle.

The lyrics are about being in love with someone who continues to cheat and lie, despite proclaiming their 'invisible' love for her.

The b-side was the Marvin Gaye song "Hitch Hike" on which she receives backing from Darts.

Critical reception

In the 1 December 1984 issue of Number One magazine, Phil McNeill reviewed the single, commenting: ""Invisible", written by soul veteran Lamont Dozier, is a turgid song brought to life by Alison's brilliance. When someone writes Alison Moyet a song as good as "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" or "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me", we'll feel the earth move."[1]

Chart performance

Chart (1984-85) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 15
Belgian Singles Chart (V)[3] 34
Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart[4] 9
Canadian Singles Chart[4] 25
German Singles Chart[5] 22
Irish Singles Chart[6] 6
New Zealand Singles Chart[7] 4
Swedish Singles Chart[8] 18
Swiss Singles Chart[9] 25
UK Singles Chart[10] 21
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[11] 31

Episode 5 of the 2004 BBC miniseries Blackpool featured the recording, accompanied on screen by the singing and dancing of the characters, as part of the story.

References

  1. McNeill, Phil (1 December 1984). "Single reviews". Number One magazine.
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. "Alison Moyet - Invisible". ultratop.be. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  4. 1 2 "Results: RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  5. Steffen Hung. "germancharts.com - Alison Moyet - Invisible". Germancharts.de. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  6. Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd (1 October 1962). "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 1 February 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  7. Steffen Hung. "Alison Moyet - Invisible". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  8. Steffen Hung. "Alison Moyet - Invisible". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  9. Steffen Hung. "Alison Moyet - Invisible". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  10. "ALISON MOYET | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  11. "Alison Moyet". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
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