Radio Free Elsewhere BulletinExtra
Talk Talk
English music group (1981–1991)
Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981 by Mark Hollis, Lee Harris (drums), Paul Webb (bass), and Simon Brenner (keyboards). Initially a synth-pop group, Talk Talk's first two albums, The Party's Over (1982) and It's My Life (1984), reached top 40 in the UK and produced the international hit singles "Talk Talk", "Today", "It's My Life", and "Such a Shame".
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Talk Talk
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- until
- 1991
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- still after
- 1 song
File card: Talk Talk
members: Mark Hollis
formed in: London
labels: EMI, Parlophone, Polydor Records, Verve Records
genres: alternative rock, art rock, synth-pop, post-rock
Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.
new wavepost-rockart popnew romanticart rockchamber pop
The Elsewhere GazetteExtra
1981–1983: Formation
Talk Talk began as a quartet consisting of Mark Hollis, formerly from the Reaction (vocals/main songwriter), Lee Harris (drums), Paul Webb (bass guitar), and Simon Brenner (keyboards). In their early years they were often compared with Duran Duran. In addition to a band name consisting of a repeated word, the two shared a Roxy Music-inspired musical direction, as well as the same record label (EMI) and producer (Colin Thurston). The band also supported Duran Duran on tour in 1982.
The Glitch WeeklyExtra
Musical style and legacy
Talk Talk's early work was new wave and synth-pop. They are subsequently described as art rock and post-rock. Their influence upon musicians exceeded the band's visibility among the general public. Along with the American band Slint, they are credited with inventing post-rock in their last two albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock.
British synth pop / art rock band founded in 1981 in London and disbanded in 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "22872", "22902", "25562", "25278", "25824" and "26166".
They moved away from synth-pop to a more experimental form with the album 26239 in 1986, and their critical reputation increased.
Their final two albums, 26436 (1988) and 26553 (1991), are highly acclaimed and remain influential to experimental alternative rock genres.
With Simon Brenner out, was recruited to assist with the recording of their second album 25599 (1984) and he soon became the band's producer and de facto fourth member. He played keyboards and became Hollis' frequent songwriting partner, co-writing all the songs on 26239 (1986), 26436 (1988) and 26553 (1991). Although a major contributor to the band's studio output, did not regularly play with the touring band, and was absent from the band's publicity material.
Also known as: Talch Talch, Talk Tlk, Talk, Talk, Talk-Talk, Τοκ Τοκ
From Discogs (free to use). Their entryLiner notes
Talk Talk, the records, oldest first
The Party’s Over
1982 album
- wanted
The Colour of Spring
1986 album
The Big Mouth Mega-mix / The Knock-out Mix
1991 ep
Records from MusicBrainz; covers from the Cover Art Archive.
The Night Owl Edition
It's My Life
1984 single by Talk Talk
"It's My Life" is a song by the English band Talk Talk. Written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, it was the title track on the band's second album, It's My Life (1984), and released as its first single on 3 January 1984.
It became a moderate hit in many countries, reaching number 46 on the UK Singles Chart, number 33 in Germany, number 32 in New Zealand, number 25 in France, number nine in Italy, and number 30 in Canada. In the United States, it reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Music video
There are two versions of the video for "It's My Life". The first, envisioned by director Tim Pope as a statement against the banality of lip-synching, consists almost entirely of footage from the 1979 BBC wildlife documentary Life on Earth, interspersed with shots of Talk Talk lead singer Mark Hollis standing in various places throughout the London Zoo. Hollis deliberately avoids performing to the camera: He keeps his hands in his coat pockets and his mouth is taped shut, the latter often obscured by hand-drawn animated lines that occasionally appear in the documentary footage sequences as well.