{{short description | Chris de Burgh album}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox album | name = Man on the Line | type = studio | artist = [[Chris de Burgh]] | cover = Chris de Burgh - Man on the Line.png | alt = | released = 7 May 1984<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1984/Music-Week-1984-04-28.pdf|title=Music Week|page=22}}</ref> | recorded = | studio = Farmyard Studios, [[Buckinghamshire]] | genre = [[Pop rock]]<ref name="AllMusic"/> | length = 41:04 | label = [[A&M Records|A&M]] | producer = [[Rupert Hine]] | prev_title = [[The Getaway (Chris de Burgh album)|The Getaway]] | prev_year = 1982 | next_title = [[The Very Best of Chris de Burgh]] | next_year = 1984 }} {{Album ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/man-on-the-line-mw0000650054 |title=Man on the Line |first=Mike |last=DeGagne |work=allmusic.com |accessdate=8 August 2014}}</ref> }}
'''''Man on the Line''''' is the seventh studio album by British-Irish singer [[Chris de Burgh]], released in 1984 by [[A&M Records]]. It includes guest appearances from American singer [[Tina Turner]] and British musician [[Howard Jones (British musician)|Howard Jones]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Man on the Line|others=Chris de Burgh|year=1984|publisher=A&M|type=liner notes}}</ref>
==Singles== The album produced de Burgh's second UK hit single, "High on Emotion", which entered the chart on 12 May 1984 and peaked at number 44, the same position it reached on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. The follow-up single, "The Ecstasy of Flight (I Love the Night)", reached number 80 in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19831/chris-de-burgh/|title=CHRIS DE BURGH|date=23 October 1982|website=Official Charts|accessdate=20 April 2025}}</ref> "Sight and Sound" was released as the third single from the album, but it failed to chart.
==Commercial performance== ''Man on the Line'' reached number 11 on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and remained on the chart for 24 weeks.<ref name="David Roberts">David Roberts. ''[[British Hit Singles & Albums]]''. Guinness World Records Limited</ref> In Germany and Switzerland, it reached number one on the weekly charts and was the second-best-selling album of 1984 in both countries.
==Track listing== All songs written by Chris de Burgh. {{Tracklist | headline = | total_length = 41:04
| title1 = The Ecstasy of Flight (I Love the Night) | length1 = 4:01
| title2 = Sight and Touch | length2 = 3:14
| title3 = Taking it to the Top | length3 = 4:00
| title4 = The Head and the Heart | length4 = 3:59
| title5 = The Sound of a Gun | length5 = 4:29
| title6 = High on Emotion | length6 = 4:26
| title7 = Much More Than This | length7 = 2:57
| title8 = Man on the Line | length8 = 4:25
| title9 = Moonlight and Vodka | length9 = 3:39
| title10 = Transmission Ends | length10 = 5:59 }}
== Personnel ==
'''Musicians''' * Chris de Burgh – vocals, guitars * [[Rupert Hine]] – keyboards, synthesizers, orchestral arrangements * [[Howard Jones (British musician)|Howard Jones]] – grand piano (4) * [[Phil Palmer]] – electric guitars * [[John Giblin]] – bass guitar (3) * [[Trevor Morais]] – drums (5) * Jeff Phillips – additional drums (10) * [[Tina Turner]] – guest vocals (5)
'''Touring band members''' * Glenn Morrow – keyboards, synthesizers * Ian Kojima – synthesizers, guitars, saxophone * Danny McBride (musician) – electric guitars * Al Marnie – bass guitar, backing vocals * Jeff Phillips – drums, percussion
'''Production''' * Produced by Rupert Hine * Engineering and mixing – Stephen W. Tayler * Assistant engineer – Andrew Scarth * Mastering – Frank DeLuna at [[A&M Studios|A&M Mastering Studios]] (Hollywood, California, USA) * Photography – [[Brian Griffin (photographer)|Brian Griffin]] * Art direction – Michael Ross * Assistant art director – Dave Margereson * Design – Simon Adamczewski and Jerry Williams
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1984–1985) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|Austria|9|artist=Chris De Burgh|album=Man on the Line|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 June 2021}} |- {{album chart|Netherlands|46|artist=Chris De Burgh|album=Man on the Line|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 June 2021}} |- {{album chart|Germany|1|id=113|artist=Chris De Burgh|album=Man on the Line|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 June 2021}} |- {{album chart|Norway|6|artist=Chris De Burgh|album=Man on the Line|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 June 2021}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|12|artist=Chris De Burgh|album=Man on the Line|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 June 2021}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|1|artist=Chris De Burgh|album=Man on the Line|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 June 2021}} |- {{album chart|UK2|11|date=1984-05-20|artist=Chris De Burgh|rowheader=true|accessdate=7 June 2021}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1984) ! scope="col"| Position |- ! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1984|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|language=de|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment]]|accessdate=7 June 2021}}</ref> | 2 |- ! scope="row"| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hitparade.ch/charts/jahreshitparade/1984/alben|title=Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984|website=hitparade.ch|accessdate=7 June 2021}}</ref> | 2 |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1985) ! scope="col"| Position |- ! scope="row"| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1985|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|language=de|publisher=[[GfK Entertainment]]|accessdate=7 June 2021}}</ref> | 56 |} {{col-end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Chris de Burgh}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Chris de Burgh albums]] [[Category:1984 albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Rupert Hine]] [[Category:A&M Records albums]] [[Category:Albums recorded at Henson Recording Studios]]