Album · Thompson Twins
Quick Step & Side Kick by Thompson Twins
Quick Step & Side Kick is an album by Thompson Twins, released in 1983. 4 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 37 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Lies”, on 25 lists with a best position of #50.
Quick Step & Side Kick, the Thompson Twins' third album, came out on Arista on 18 February 1983, and it's the one where the Sheffield band, named after the bumbling detective doubles in Tintin, shed its sprawling lineup and came back as a lean trio with its eyes on the pop charts. It was cut at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas with producer Alex Sadkin, their first time working with him, and the new wave clatter of old gives way to glossy synth-pop that bounces and gleams.
"Lies" and "Love on Your Side" are all nervy, springy hooks, "If You Were Here" drifts in on a dreamy haze, and Grace Jones turns up on "Watching", though her part was dropped when the track was remixed as a single. In America and Canada it went out simply as Side Kicks, and at home it climbed to number 2 and went platinum.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Quick Step & Side Kick on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lies | 25 | #50 | – | 1983–2014 | |
| 2 | If You Were Here | 6 | #58 | – | 1988–2026 | |
| 3 | Love on Your Side | 5 | #279 | – | 1989–2003 | |
| 4 | Watching | 1 | #53 | – | 1983 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.