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"This Is the House"
Single by Eurythmics
from the album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Released	2 April 1982
Recorded	1981, 1982
Genre	New wave synthpop
Length	5:02
Label	RCA Records
Songwriter(s)	Annie Lennox David A. Stewart
Producer(s)	David A. Stewart Adam Williams
Eurythmics singles chronology
"Belinda" (1981) "This Is the House" (1982) "The Walk" (1982)
Audio
"This Is the House (Remastered Version)" on YouTube

"This Is the House" is a 1982 song by the British new wave duo Eurythmics. It was their third single, and was included on the band's second album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).

Background

Recorded in early 1982 on their own 8-track home studio in north London (financed with a personal bank loan rather than record company support), the single was commercially unsuccessful and failed to chart. No music video was made for the single.

In Australia, "This Is the House" was released in 1983, following the chart success of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and "Love Is a Stranger". The single was listed on the Kent Music Report chart as receiving 'significant sales reports' outside the top 100, for two consecutive weeks in September 1983. The highest ranking "This Is the House" achieved on this list was fifth place. On its second appearance on this list, the single charted alongside "Who's That Girl?"

The B-side of the 7" single is entitled "Home Is Where the Heart Is", which was exclusive to this single until 2005 when it was released on the remastered CD of the Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) album.

The 12-inch single featured an extended remix of "This Is the House", plus four live tracks. This extended mix, plus the live version of "Your Time Will Come", were omitted from SonyBMG's 2005 remastered releases of Eurythmics' back catalogue, and remain unavailable on CD. However, the live versions of "Never Gonna Cry Again", "4/4 in Leather" and "Take Me to Your Heart" were included on SonyBMG's 2005 remastered release of the In The Garden album.

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Kim Wilde, as guest reviewer for Flexipop, remarked, "Dave Stewart is doing the synthesisers on this. I'm a great fan of his, and this song is really great. I love all the brass in it. Excellent." Paul Du Noyer, writing for NME, described it as a "piece of clean, conventional major label music" and an "unexceptional number glam-up with electronic treatments and trendy Japanese touches". In a negative review, Ian Birch of Smash Hits criticised the band for its reliance on "clever effects" over songcraft. He also said that the song's lyrics, which "crochet obscure words from Bowie and Grace Jones", were unlikely to elicit any interest from the public. Johnny Waller of Sounds was also critical, writing, "Still trying to be too clever and commercial, pretending to be a pop group, without realising you must make pop music and hit singles to qualify." Sunie of Record Mirror noted that, despite their attempt to "use every contemporary trimming from electronics to brass", "This Is the House" is as "conceited, sterile and empty" as the duo's work in their previous band, the Tourists.

Track listing

7"

• A: "This Is the House" – 4:02
• B: "Home Is Where the Heart Is" (non-LP track) – 3:03

12"

• "This Is the House" (extended remix) – 6:11
• "Your Time Will Come" (live) – 7:18
• "Never Gonna Cry Again" (live) – 4:36
• "4/4 in Leather" (live) – 3:05
• "Take Me to Your Heart" (live) – 5:00

Personnel

"This Is the House"

• Annie Lennox: vocals
• Dave Stewart: synthesisers & sequencers, backing vocals
• Andy Brown: bass guitar
• Reynard Falconer: bass section synthesisers
• Dick Cuthell: horns
• John Turnbull: guitar
• Adam Williams: backing vocals
• Maria Elvira Behro-García: South American girl
• Mercedes: special guest
• Chantal Arnaud, Nadine Masseron, Emily McLeod, Pauline Stride: street chorus

"Home Is Where the Heart Is"

• Annie Lennox: vocals
• Dave Stewart: synthesisers and sequencers
• Adam Williams: bass guitar

Live tracks

• Annie Lennox: vocals, flute
• David A Stewart: double-neck electric guitar/bass guitar
• Tim Wheater: synthesizer, oriental flute
• Adam Williams: record (live & direct) and mix (On Stage)
• the other instruments were playing off backing tape.

References

1. "Kent Music Report No. 480 – 5 September 1983 > Singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100". Imgur.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
2. "Kent Music Report No. 481 – 12 September 1983 > Singles receiving significant sales reports beyond the top 100". Imgur.com. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
3. Wilde, Kim (May 1982). "Stars On 45". Flexipop. No. 18. p. 27.
4. Du Noyer, Paul (24 April 1982). "Singles". New Musical Express. p. 14. ISSN 0028-6362.
5. Birch, Ian (15 April 1982). "1982-04-15 - Eurythmics - Smash Hits from the UK ID: 0074 - Ultimate Eurythmics". Smash Hits. p. 32. Retrieved 1 October 2024 – via Ultimate Eurythmics Archives.
6. Waller, Johnny (3 April 1982). "Singles". Sounds. p. 29. ISSN 0144-5774.
7. Sunie (3 April 1982). "Singles". Record Mirror. p. 13. ISSN 0144-5804.
8. "This Is The House (Vinyl) at Discogs [7"]". Discogs. 7 July 2015.
9. "This Is The House (Vinyl) at Discogs [12"]". Discogs. 7 July 2015.

• 1982 songs
• 1982 singles
• Eurythmics songs
• RCA Records singles
• Songs written by Annie Lennox
• Songs written by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)
• Song recordings produced by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)