Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)

	Chart positions ; Explanation of the data
	Singles
	Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)

Against All Odds ; (Take a Look at Me Now)
Phil Collins
publication	February 1984 (US) ; March 26, 1984 (UK)
length	3:23
Genre (s)	Pop , soft rock
Author (s)	Phil Collins
Producer (s)	Arif Mardin
Label	Atlantic Records
album	Against All Odds

Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) is a song by Phil Collins from 1984. It comes from the soundtrack to the film Against Every Chance , Phil Collins' first soundtrack work.

history

The song was originally called How Can You Just Sit There? and came from the recordings for the Phil Collins album Face Value . The song was produced by Arif Mardin , Rob Mounsey played the piano and the keyboard bass , Collins sang and played the drums .

In a 1985 interview with Dan Neer , Collins said, “We recorded the song in two days: one in New York and the other in Los Angeles . It was mixed by phone and the song reached number one. I couldn't believe it. "

Against All Odds reached number two in the UK . The song became Collins' third top ten single and stayed at number one on the Billboard charts for three weeks from April 15 to May 5, 1984 . He replaced Footloose from Kenny Loggins and was in turn replaced by Hello from Lionel Richie .

Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) won at the Grammy Awards in the category Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1985 and was for the Academy Awards 1985 in the category Best Song nomination. Collins was the only category nominee not invited to sing his song on stage. Instead, he had to sit in the audience and watch Ann Reinking sing the song. The play ultimately lost against I Just Called to Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder .

When another Collins song was nominated for an Oscar in 1986, Separate Lives (here for White Nights ), Collins jokingly said, referring to his snub at Against All Odds, "To hell with him, I'll go with you." up “, the song written by Stephen Bishop should win.

The song also appeared on the 1998 album ... Hits and is also included on the 2004 Love Songs: A Compilation ... Old and New .

song lyrics

The protagonist begs his ex-lover to reconcile, knowing full well that the reconciliation has almost no chance.

Music video

The music video was directed by Taylor Hackford , who also directed the music video for Separate Lives . The producer of the music video was Jeffrey Abelson. The video shows Phil Collins singing the song while standing with his back to a wall of rainwater that is illuminated in changing colors . Furthermore you can see the three main characters of the film Against Any Chance , arranged around a triangle of neon tubes (to clarify the theme of the film, a triangular relationship ), as well as some scenes from the film.

The concept of the music video comes from Keith Williams, who also worked on the music videos for Dancing with Myself (by Billy Idol ), Holding Out for a Hero (by Bonnie Tyler ), and Ghostbusters (by Ray Parker, Jr. ).

Live recording

A live version of the song appeared on the album Seriously Hits ... Live! , this was used as the B-side when the song Do You Remember? used.

Awards for music sales

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
United States (RIAA)	gold	500,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	Gold (Physical) + Silver (Digital)	700,000
All in all	1 × silver 2 × gold	1,200,000

Cover versions

1986: The Shadows
1987: José Feliciano feat. Vienna Symphony Orchestra
1988: VSOP
1997: Dune feat. The London Session Orchestra
2000: Mariah Carey feat. Westlife
2001: Montell Jordan
2002: Dana Winner
2002: Ute Freudenberg ( dad )
2003: Bonnie Tyler
2004: The Postal Service
2004: Steve Brookstein
2004: Richard Sanderson
2006: Kira
2008: Barry Manilow

swell

↑ Charts DE Charts AT Charts CH Charts UK Charts US
↑ BPI Awards. bpi.co.uk, accessed July 22, 2018 .

Web links

Against All Odds at Songfacts.com (English)
Official music video on YouTube

[1] Charts DE Charts AT Charts CH Charts UK Charts US

[2] BPI Awards. bpi.co.uk, accessed July 22, 2018 .

Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)
Phil Collins
publication	February 1984 (US) March 26, 1984 (UK)
length	3:23
Genre (s)	Pop , soft rock
Author (s)	Phil Collins
Producer (s)	Arif Mardin
Label	Atlantic Records
album	Against All Odds


Singles	In the Air Tonight (1981) • I Missed Again (1981) • If Leaving Me Is Easy (1981) • Thru These Walls (1982) • You Can't Hurry Love (1982) • I Know There's Something Going On (feat. Frida ) (1982) • Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning (1983) • I Don't Care Anymore (1983) • Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away (1983) • Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) (1984) • Easy Lover (feat. Philip Bailey ) (1984) • Sussudio (1985) • One More Night (1985) • Don't Lose My Number (1985) • Take Me Home (1985) • Separate Lives (feat. Marilyn Martin) (1985) • In the Air Tonight ('88 Remix) (1988) • A Groovy Kind of Love (1988) • Two Hearts (1988) • Another Day in Paradise (1989) • I Wish It Would Rain Down (1990) • Do You Remember? (1990) • Something Happened on the Way to Heaven (1990) • That's Just the Way It Is (1990) • Hang In Long Enough (1990) • Do You Remember? (Live) (1990) • Who Said I Would (Live) (1991) • Both Sides of the Story (1993) • Hero (feat. David Crosby ) (1994) • Everyday (1994) • We Wait and We Wonder (1994 ) • Somewhere (1996) • Dance into the Light (1996) • It's in Your Eyes (1997) • No Matter Who (1997) • Wear My Hat (1997) • The Same Moon (1997) • True Colors (1998) • You'll Be in My Heart (1999) • Strangers Like Me (1999) • Son of Man (2000) • Two Worlds (2000) • In the Air Tonite (feat. Lil 'Kim ) (2001) • Can't Stop Loving You (2002) • Come With Me (2003) • The Least You Can Do / Wake Up Call (2003) • Look Through My Eyes (2003) • Home (feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony ) (2003) • No Way Out (2004) • You Touch My Heart (2005) • (Love Is Like A) Heatwave (2010)