History Revisited
Encyclopedia
History Revisited: The Remixes is a 1991 album
comprising remix
es of hit Talk Talk
songs. It followed the successful greatest hits collection Natural History, released the year before. The band itself did not take part in the making of the album and condemned its release; consequently, they sued their former record label EMI
for using Talk Talk material without permission.
. Around the time of Spirit of Eden
(1988), the band attempted to extract themselves from their recording contract
with EMI. 18 months of litigation followed. Ultimately, Talk Talk won the case on appeal, and in 1990 they left EMI and moved to Polydor. Soon after, EMI released the compilation Natural History, a retrospective of Talk Talk's career up until that point. The compilation was surprisingly successful: it spent 21 weeks on the UK Albums Chart
, peaking at #3, and went on to sell over one million copies worldwide.
.
Some versions of the reissued singles included remix
es of earlier Talk Talk songs. These remixes, prepared by relatively unknown musicians outside of the band, became the basis for History Revisited. They were collected together, and two more tracks were added to complete the compilation: a remix of "Happiness is Easy" that Talk Talk members Lee Harris
and Paul Webb
had made in 1986, and a previously unreleased remix of "Dum Dum Girl" by Justin Robertson.
The remixes collected on History Revisited modified the source material liberally. Keith Aspden, the band's manager, observed, "They haven't just remixed what is already there. They have practically replaced all the instruments with new poppy
dance sounds from other people's records, even including an African chant."
thought otherwise, saying, "Talk Talk got most of their complex originals right first time around. The songs simply don't work with a different beat slung underneath." Chris Woodstra of Allmusic gave it a poor rating, saying, "A nice companion piece for fans, but probably the least essential of their catalog."
:
Before it was released, Hollis sent letters requesting that the compilation be stopped, but EMI did not respond. In November 1991, Talk Talk sued EMI, delivering four writ
s against their former record label. The band claimed that material had been falsely attributed to them and that they were owed money from unpaid royalties. Talk Talk won the case in 1992, and EMI agreed to withdraw and destroy all remaining copies of the album. Manager Keith Aspden hoped that the case would set a precedent for future recording contracts.
Laughing Stock, released in 1991, ended up being Talk Talk's final studio album. EMI released several more Talk Talk compilations throughout the 1990s and 2000s, though History Revisited remains out of print.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
comprising remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es of hit Talk Talk
Talk Talk
Talk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
songs. It followed the successful greatest hits collection Natural History, released the year before. The band itself did not take part in the making of the album and condemned its release; consequently, they sued their former record label EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
for using Talk Talk material without permission.
Background
Talk Talk formed in 1981 and released four albums with EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. Around the time of Spirit of Eden
Spirit of Eden
Spirit of Eden was the fourth album by the English band Talk Talk. The songs were written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, and performed by numerous musicians using a diverse combination of instruments. In 2008, Alan McGee of the Guardian wrote: "Spirit of Eden has not dated; it's remarkable...
(1988), the band attempted to extract themselves from their recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with EMI. 18 months of litigation followed. Ultimately, Talk Talk won the case on appeal, and in 1990 they left EMI and moved to Polydor. Soon after, EMI released the compilation Natural History, a retrospective of Talk Talk's career up until that point. The compilation was surprisingly successful: it spent 21 weeks on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, peaking at #3, and went on to sell over one million copies worldwide.
Remixes
The success of Natural History prompted EMI to rerelease more Talk Talk material. They reissued the singles "It's My Life", "Life's What You Make It", "Such a Shame", and "Living in Another World" in 1990 and 1991. Each of the reissues peaked within the top 100 of the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Some versions of the reissued singles included remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es of earlier Talk Talk songs. These remixes, prepared by relatively unknown musicians outside of the band, became the basis for History Revisited. They were collected together, and two more tracks were added to complete the compilation: a remix of "Happiness is Easy" that Talk Talk members Lee Harris
Lee Harris (musician)
Lee David Harris is an English drummer and musician. Harris attended secondary school with Paul Webb, and the two became good friends. They played in the reggae band Eskalator before being recruited to form Talk Talk in 1981. Harris played drums for Talk Talk until 1991. In the early 1990s he and...
and Paul Webb
Paul Webb
Paul Douglas Webb is an English musician.Webb attended secondary school with Lee Harris, and the two became good friends. They played in the reggae band Eskalator before being recruited to form Talk Talk in 1981. Webb played bass for Talk Talk until 1988.In the early 1990s he and Harris formed...
had made in 1986, and a previously unreleased remix of "Dum Dum Girl" by Justin Robertson.
The remixes collected on History Revisited modified the source material liberally. Keith Aspden, the band's manager, observed, "They haven't just remixed what is already there. They have practically replaced all the instruments with new poppy
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
dance sounds from other people's records, even including an African chant."
Critical reception
History Revisited was released throughout the world in March 1991. It spent two weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at #35. Barry Mcllheney of Q magazine called the album an "interesting example of how anyone with a good tune under their belts can be made instantly danceable with the application of the correct knobs at the appropriate moments." James Neiss of Record CollectorRecord Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
thought otherwise, saying, "Talk Talk got most of their complex originals right first time around. The songs simply don't work with a different beat slung underneath." Chris Woodstra of Allmusic gave it a poor rating, saying, "A nice companion piece for fans, but probably the least essential of their catalog."
Band response and lawsuit
Talk Talk leader Mark Hollis was very unhappy when he found out about History Revisited. He told Melody MakerMelody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
:
I've never heard any of this stuff and I don't want to hear it . . . but to have people putting this stuff out under your name which is not you, y'know, I want no part of it. It's always been very important to me that I've got on with the people we've worked with. People's attitude has always been really important to me. So much of why someone would exist on one of our albums is what they are like as a person. So to find you've got people you've never given the time of day to going out as though it's you . . . it's disgusting.
Before it was released, Hollis sent letters requesting that the compilation be stopped, but EMI did not respond. In November 1991, Talk Talk sued EMI, delivering four writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
s against their former record label. The band claimed that material had been falsely attributed to them and that they were owed money from unpaid royalties. Talk Talk won the case in 1992, and EMI agreed to withdraw and destroy all remaining copies of the album. Manager Keith Aspden hoped that the case would set a precedent for future recording contracts.
Laughing Stock, released in 1991, ended up being Talk Talk's final studio album. EMI released several more Talk Talk compilations throughout the 1990s and 2000s, though History Revisited remains out of print.
Track listing
- "Living in Another World - '91" – 4:40
- Remixed by Julian Mendelsohn
- "Such a Shame" – 5:41
- Remixed by Gary Miller
- "Happiness is Easy (Dub)" – 7:02
- Remixed by Paul Webb and Lee Harris
- "Today" – 3:24
- Remixed by Gary Miller
- "Dum Dum Girl (Spice Remix)" – 4:59
- Remixed by Justin Robertson
- "Life's What You Make It" – 6:14
- Remixed by BBG
- "Talk Talk" – 5:22
- Remixed by Gary Miller
- "It's My Life (Tropical Rainforest Mix)" – 5:58
- Remixed by Dominic Woosey and JJ Montana
- "Living in Another World (Curious World Dub Mix)" – 7:48
- Remixed by 4 to the Floor
- "Life's What You Make It (The Fluke Remix)" – 6:16
- Remixed by Fluke