WALK THROUGH THE FIRE

Peter Gabriel's 'Walk Through the Fire' was a soundtrack-only single released in mid-1984. It appeared on the album Against All Odds: Music from the Original Motion Picture and as a 7" 45 RPM single in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. In most territories, the b-side was 'The Race' by Larry Carlton; in North America, Mike Rutherford's 'Making a Big Mistake' was on the flip side (both of these were also from the Against All Odds soundtrack). 'Walk Through the Fire' was a minor chart hit in the UK, but, it seems, nowhere else. It was not included on any of Gabriel's studio albums.

Gabriel wrote and produced the soundtrack version of 'Walk Through the Fire,' although the single version (sometimes listed as 'remix') was produced by Nile Rodgers. The versions are pretty different, especially considering that the same source material is used for both. Rodgers's mix is slightly superior, in my view, although I prefer the opening section of the original. The title of the song pretty much summarizes its lyrical theme: namely, to proceed without caution. A sampling of the lyrics: 'walk through the fire, through the dust and ashes / while the building crashes ' no trace of indecision.'

'Walk Through the Fire' is a period piece, sounding pretty much like a 1984 pop-rock song, this being the point in time when Rodgers's remix of Duran Duran's 'The Reflex' topped the US pop charts and the Fixx's 'Are We Ourselves?' was a #1 rock song. It is unmistakably a Peter Gabriel song, but doesn't even hint at the sophistication of his next pop album, the multiplatinum So.

As for the b-sides, 'The Race' is run-of the mill AOR with some 1970s southern-rock flavor. It's fast-paced, but otherwise doesn't especially evoke racing. I'm sure it worked well in the movie if there was a race or a chase. Rutherford's synth- and-sequencer driven 'Making a Big Mistake' is similarly unremarkable; it's a one-minute song whose parts are repeated sufficiently to get to 3:49. I was impressed with his vocals, though. According to an Atlantic Records press release, all of the music on the soundtrack (i.e., including 'Walk Through the Fire,' 'The Race,' and 'Making a Big Mistake') was new, although it's unclear how much was written specifically for the movie.

As of this year, 'Walk Through the Fire' is finally available on two Peter Gabriel compilation albums: the single mix on Flotsam and Jetsam and the album version on Rated PG. In the past, this single might've been an essential purchase for fans of Peter Gabriel, that's no longer the case. Neither of the b-sides, however, is easy to find; the Against All Odds soundtrack was released on CD in 1990 and again in 1998, but as far as I can tell it's been out of print since then except for a 2014 Japanese 'limited edition.''

'Walk Through the Fire' is a decent mid-1980s song, though it pales in comparison to his other work from that decade. The North American issue of the single (with Mike Rutherford's 'Making a Big Mistake' on the flip side) is an interesting curio, especially to Genesis fans and collectors.