The Thin Wall
| "The Thin Wall" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Ultravox | ||||
| from the album Rage in Eden | ||||
| B-side | "I Never Wanted to Begin" | |||
| Released | 14 August 1981[1][2][3] | |||
| Recorded | 1981 at Conny’s Studio in Cologne, West Germany | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop[4] | |||
| Length | 4:25 (single edit) 5:39 (album version) | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Songwriters | Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie, Midge Ure | |||
| Producers | Ultravox and Conny Plank | |||
| Ultravox singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The Thin Wall" is a song by British new wave band Ultravox, released in 1981 as the lead single from their fifth studio album Rage in Eden. It was recorded in Conny Plank's Studio in Cologne, Germany and released on Chrysalis Records on 14 August 1981.
The music video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, features Midge Ure struggling to cope among strange and nightmarish imagery, similar to a haunted house setting, while the other band members seemingly plot his demise.
It peaked at No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart.[5]
Track listings
7" vinyl
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Thin Wall" (single edit) | 4:25 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Never Wanted to Begin" | 3:31 |
12" vinyl
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Thin Wall" | 5:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Never Wanted to Begin" (12" version) | 6:17 |
Chart performance
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[6] | 14 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 95 |
| Irish Singles Chart[7] | 16 |
References
- ^ "Bitz - Ultravox". Smash Hits. 6–19 August 1981. p. 12. Retrieved 1 November 2025 – via Flickr.
- ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Record Business. 10 August 1981. p. 19. Retrieved 1 November 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Music & Video Week. 15 August 1981. p. 22. Retrieved 1 November 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Classic Pop Staff (27 March 2025). "Top 40 synth-pop songs". Classic Pop. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ "officialcharts". Official Charts Company. 1 August 2021.
- ^ "The Official Charts Company – Ultravox – The Thin Wall". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
- ^ "irishcharts.ie search results". Retrieved 10 January 2009.