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Doctor! Doctor!

This article is about the Thompson Twins song from 1984. For other songs of a similar name, see Doctor Doctor § Music. For all other uses, see Doctor Doctor.

"Doctor! Doctor!" is a song performed by the British new wave band Thompson Twins. It is the second single from the band's fourth studio album, Into the Gap (1984). It was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, and prominently features a keyboard solo. Following the successful chart performances of the Into the Gap single "Hold Me Now", "Doctor! Doctor!" was released in the UK on 27 January 1984 as the album's second single.[1]

"Doctor! Doctor!"
Single by Thompson Twins
from the album Into the Gap
B-side"Nurse Shark"
Released27 January 1984 (1984-01-27)
RecordedLate 1983
Genre
Length3:46 (Promo Version)
4:39 (Album/Single Version)
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Thompson Twins singles chronology
"Hold Me Now"
(1983) 		"Doctor! Doctor!"
(1984) 		"You Take Me Up"
(1984)

Background and recording

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In 1983, after the commercial success of their third album Quick Step & Side Kick, the Thompson Twins collaborated again with producer Alex Sadkin to record Into the Gap at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas.[2] Bailey and Sadkin co-produced the album's tracks, including "Doctor! Doctor!".

Release

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The single peaked at #3 in the United Kingdom and #11 in the United States in July 1984. The song also peaked at #18 on the US Dance chart in the same year, and the Top 20 in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. In the UK, it was the 29th best-selling single of 1984.[3]

Sleeve photography was by Peter Ashworth.[citation needed]

Music video

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Bailey in the music video for "Doctor! Doctor!".

The promotional music video was directed by Dieter 'Dee' Trattmann. It was released in 1984 and received heavy rotation on MTV.

The video opens on a scene of darkness, shifting clouds and a rising moon. Electronic music begins to play. A keyboard with hands playing superimposes over the silhouette of blocks like buildings. People appear against the backdrop of moon and clouds with a couple on ice skates just behind Tom Bailey as he begins to sing. The scene shifts quickly to a woman standing alone (Alannah Currie), then to Currie playing drums and Joe Leeway playing keyboard. As Bailey sings, the characters behind him act out the lyrics, intercut with shots of the band playing their instruments. As the song continues, Bailey, Currie and Leeway join the characters to act out the lyrics around blocks emitting smoke. The skaters and actors perform during the synthesizer solo. The scene continues to shift between the singer, the band playing, the actors and the ice skaters moving and turning. The video fades out in the same sequence it began, changing from the characters to the blocks against the sky, and then to the distant moon and shifting clouds.

An alternative edit of the video features more of the band playing instruments (e.g., Currie playing percussion and Bailey playing the synthesizer while the ice skaters dance) and less interaction with the other characters.[4]

Track listing

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  • 12" Single (601 182)
  1. "Doctor! Doctor! (Extended Version)" – 7:50
  2. "Nurse Shark" – 4:05
  • 7" Single Arista (ARI 8366)
  1. "Doctor! Doctor!" – 4:30
  2. "Nurse Shark" – 4:07
  • 7" Promo Single Arista (AS 1–9209)
  1. "Doctor! Doctor!(Short Edit)" – 3:46
  2. "Doctor! Doctor!"-4:29

Official versions

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  1. Promo Version – 3:46
  2. Album Version – 4:39
  3. Extended Version – 7:50
  4. Live from Thompson Twins Live – 5:53
  5. Introduction sample (from The Thompson Twins Adventure) – 0:50

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Record News". NME. London, England: IPC Media: 36. 17 March 1984.
  2. ^ Into the Gap: Expanded Edition (Back cover). Thompson Twins. London: Demon Music Group. 2008. EDSD2009.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "The Official Top 40 best-selling songs of 1984". Official Chart Company.
  4. ^ "Thompson Twins Doctor Doctor – Video Dailymotion". Dailymotion. 20 May 2007.
  5. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Thompson Twins – Doctor! Doctor!" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Radio 2 Top 30" (in Dutch). Top 30. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6758." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  9. ^ "CHART NUMBER 1440 – Saturday, August 04, 1984". Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 15 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). CHUM.
  10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Doctor! Doctor!". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Thompson Twins – Doctor! Doctor!" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 13, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  13. ^ "Thompson Twins – Doctor! Doctor!". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  14. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1965 – 1989 Acts T". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Thompson Twins – Doctor! Doctor!". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  17. ^ "Thompson Twins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  18. ^ "Thompson Twins Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Thompson Twins Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Billboard July 21, 1984" (PDF). Billboard. New York, NY, USA. 21 July 1984. p. 43. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  21. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JULY 14, 1984". Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Cash Box magazine.
  22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Thompson Twins – Doctor! Doctor!" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  23. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9638." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  24. ^ "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. 26 January 1985. p. 37.
  25. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984". Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.. Cash Box magazine.
  26. ^ "British single certifications – Thompson Twins – Doctor Doctor". British Phonographic Industry.
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