Talk Talk
Encyclopedia
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".
In their later years the band's commercial appeal receded, but their critical reputation increased as they moved from synthpop to a more experimental form. Their final two albums, Spirit of Eden
and Laughing Stock, were highly acclaimed and remain influential to experimental alternative rock genres, especially post-rock
.
(drums) and Paul Webb
(bass guitar). They were generally associated with the New Romantic
movement; more specifically, in their early years, they were often compared with Duran Duran
, as both bands sported a name which was a single word repeated twice, a Roxy Music
-inspired musical direction, and shared the same record label (EMI
) and producer (Colin Thurston
).
Talk Talk's first line-up released a self-titled debut EP in 1982 which was quickly expanded into a full-length album entitled The Party's Over, typical for what Allmusic called a "slavishly derivative, Duran Duran-styled, new romantic synthpop band." The band charted in the UK Top 40 with the singles "Talk Talk
" (a remake of the 1977 song "Talk Talk Talk Talk" by The Reaction, released on Beggars Banquet Records
' compilation album "Streets") and "Today", both produced by Thurston (whose other production credits include The Human League
, Duran Duran
and Kajagoogoo
). The album itself was not a huge success upon release, but was later certified Silver by the BPI
for sales of 60,000 copies by 1985.
They were introduced to a much wider live audience in October 1982 when they supported a Genesis
reunion concert in Milton Keynes Bowl, England.
Brenner left after the 1983 non-LP single "My Foolish Friend", which was produced by frequent Roxy Music
collaborator Rhett Davies
. At this point, the band replaced Brenner with unofficial fourth member Tim Friese-Greene
, who became Talk Talk's keyboard player, producer
, and Hollis' frequent songwriting partner. Although a major contributor to the band's studio output, Friese-Greene did not regularly play with the band during live shows or appear in publicity material.
, with the album It's My Life
, which Allmusic reviewed as a "cohesive album" which showed improved songwriting. The accompanying single "Such a Shame" (a song inspired by the book The Dice Man
) became a Top 5 hit in Austria
, Germany
, Italy
and Switzerland
during this period. The title track of the album was also a top 10 hit in Italy, and made the U.S., Canadian, French
, German, New Zealand
and Netherlands
Top 40 and a third single, "Dum Dum Girl", was a success in some European countries and in New Zealand ; though the LP and its single
s were largely - and strangely - ignored in their native UK. However, the album reflected Friese-Greene's more fluid and melodic keyboard arrangements and far more expansive production, whilst working with Hollis to create more cerebral and effectual songwriting for a more mature audience.
The artist James Marsh
designed the first cover image for It's My Life based on the band's name. He followed the theme for subsequent singles, remaining the band's artistic frontman and creating all their covers and posters throughout their career.
They eventually abandoned the New Wave style completely with The Colour of Spring
in 1986. This became their biggest studio album success in the UK, making the Top 10 (and certified Gold by the BPI
for sales over 100,000 copies), in part due to the Top 20 single "Life's What You Make It". The album was also a hit internationally, featuring another Top 40 single, "Living in Another World". By this time, all Talk Talk songs were being written by Hollis and Friese-Greene. Guests on the album included Steve Winwood
.
The extended line-up for the 1986 tour consisted of Hollis, Webb and Harris plus John Turnbull (guitars), Rupert Black and Ian Curnow (keyboards), Phil Reis and Leroy Williams (percussion) and Mark Feltham
(harmonica). Most notable among these concerts was the Montreux Jazz Festival
, released on DVD
in 2008 as Live at Montreux 1986
.
was released in 1988, on EMI's Parlophone
label. The album was assembled from many hours of improvised instrumentation that Hollis and Friese-Greene had edited and arranged using digital equipment. The result was a mix of rock, jazz, classical, and ambient music. While critically praised, the album was not as commercially viable as its predecessors (though it was certified Silver by the BPI
for sales of over 60,000 copies). Although the album made the UK Top 20 upon release, the band declared they would not tour in support of it.
During the making of Spirit of Eden, Talk Talk manager Keith Aspden had attempted to free the band from their recording contract
with EMI
. "I knew by that time that EMI was not the company this band should be with", Aspden said. "I was fearful that the money wouldn't be there to record another album." EMI, however, wished to keep the band on their roster. After many months of litigation, the band ultimately succeeded in extracting themselves from the contract. EMI then sued the band, claiming that Spirit of Eden was not "commercially satisfactory", but the case was thrown out of court.
With the band now released from EMI, the label released the retrospective compilation Natural History in 1990. It peaked at number 3 on the UK album chart and was certified Gold by the BPI
for sales of over 100,000 copies. It was also an international success and eventually went on to sell more than 1 million copies worldwide. The 1984 single "It's My Life" was also re-released, and this time became the band's highest charting single in their native country, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart
. A re-release of the single "Life's What You Make It" also reached the Top 30. Following up on this renewed popular interest in the band, the label then released History Revisited
in 1991, a compilation of 12 inch singles and alternative versions which made the UK Top 40, an unusually high placing for what was effectively a remixes album (it also reached the Netherlands Top 75). The band sued EMI for releasing the remixed material without their permission.
In 1990, Talk Talk signed a two-album contract with Polydor Records
. They released Laughing Stock on Polydor's Verve Records
imprint in 1991. By this time, Webb had left the group and Talk Talk had morphed into what was essentially a brand name for the studio
recordings
of Hollis and Friese-Greene, along with a bevy of session studio players (including long-term Talk Talk drummer Harris, who featured intermittently). Laughing Stock crystallised the experimental sound the band started with Spirit of Eden (which has been retroactively categorised as "post-rock
" by some critics). Laughing Stock adopted an even more minimalist style than its predecessor, and peaked at #26 in the UK Albums Chart
.
, while Tim Friese-Greene started recording under the name Heligoland
. In 1998, Mark Hollis released his self-titled solo début Mark Hollis
, which was very much in keeping with the minimalist post-rock sound of Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Hollis retired from the music industry shortly afterwards.
Webb also collaborated under the name of Rustin Man with Portishead lead singer Beth Gibbons
and released Out of Season in 2002, while Lee Harris featured on the Bark Psychosis
2004 album, ///Codename: Dustsucker
.
, Talk Talk are credited with inventing post-rock
in their last two albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Sigur Ros
has played Talk Talk songs before their shows.
Bands and artists that have claimed to be influenced by and/or a fan of Talk Talk include Portishead, Bark Psychosis
, The Catherine Wheel, Lights, Radiohead
and DJ Shadow
. The band Weezer
covered their song "Life's What You Make It" and No Doubt
scored a hit with a cover of "It's My Life" in 2003. John Taylor of Duran Duran
also has expressed fondness for the group; Talk Talk opened for Duran Duran back in 1982.
Talk Talk (song)
"Talk Talk" is a 1982 song by the British New Wave band Talk Talk. The second single from their debut album, The Party's Over , it topped at #52 in the United Kingdom upon initial release. It was reissued later in the same year where it peaked at #23 in the UK and #75 in the United States. The...
", "It's My Life
It's My Life (Talk Talk song)
"It's My Life" is a song by the British synthpop band Talk Talk. Written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, it was the title track on the band's second album in 1984. The song was released as a single in January 1984, then again in 1985, and a third time in 1990 when it finally became a hit and...
", "Such a Shame
Such a Shame
12" maxi7" single - 1990 release*James Marsh - Cover art-Peak positions:-Year-end charts:-Sandra version:German singer Sandra covered "Such a Shame" for her seventh studio album The Wheel of Time in 2002. Sandra's version was produced by Michael Cretu and Jens Gad...
", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It
Life's What You Make It (Talk Talk song)
"Life's What You Make It" is a song by the English band Talk Talk.It was released as a single in late 1985, the first from the band's album The Colour of Spring. Noted for its distinctive piano hook and drum programming, the single reached #16 in the UK...
" and "Living in Another World".
In their later years the band's commercial appeal receded, but their critical reputation increased as they moved from synthpop to a more experimental form. Their final two albums, 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...
and Laughing Stock, were highly acclaimed and remain influential to experimental alternative rock genres, especially post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
.
Beginnings (1981–1983)
Talk Talk began as a quartet consisting of Mark Hollis (vocals), Simon Brenner (keyboards), Lee HarrisLee 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...
(drums) 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...
(bass guitar). They were generally associated with the New Romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
movement; more specifically, in their early years, they were often compared with Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, as both bands sported a name which was a single word repeated twice, a Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
-inspired musical direction, and shared the same 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...
) and producer (Colin Thurston
Colin Thurston
Colin Thurston was a British recording engineer and producer.Born in Singapore, Thurston played in bands in London before he "bluffed his way" into audio engineering...
).
Talk Talk's first line-up released a self-titled debut EP in 1982 which was quickly expanded into a full-length album entitled The Party's Over, typical for what Allmusic called a "slavishly derivative, Duran Duran-styled, new romantic synthpop band." The band charted in the UK Top 40 with the singles "Talk Talk
Talk Talk (song)
"Talk Talk" is a 1982 song by the British New Wave band Talk Talk. The second single from their debut album, The Party's Over , it topped at #52 in the United Kingdom upon initial release. It was reissued later in the same year where it peaked at #23 in the UK and #75 in the United States. The...
" (a remake of the 1977 song "Talk Talk Talk Talk" by The Reaction, released on Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
' compilation album "Streets") and "Today", both produced by Thurston (whose other production credits include The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
and Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
). The album itself was not a huge success upon release, but was later certified Silver by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales of 60,000 copies by 1985.
They were introduced to a much wider live audience in October 1982 when they supported a Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
reunion concert in Milton Keynes Bowl, England.
Brenner left after the 1983 non-LP single "My Foolish Friend", which was produced by frequent Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
collaborator Rhett Davies
Rhett Davies
Rhett Davies is an English record producer and engineer.Rhett Davies' father was trumpet player Ray Davies; they are no relation to Ray Davies of The Kinks. Davies became a studio engineer at Island Records studios in the early 1970s, and his first session was the recording process for Brian Eno's...
. At this point, the band replaced Brenner with unofficial fourth member Tim Friese-Greene
Tim Friese-Greene
Timothy Alan Friese-Greene is an English musician and producer. From 1983 to their breakup in 1992, he worked with the band Talk Talk. He currently releases solo albums under the name "Heligoland".-Producer:...
, who became Talk Talk's keyboard player, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and Hollis' frequent songwriting partner. Although a major contributor to the band's studio output, Friese-Greene did not regularly play with the band during live shows or appear in publicity material.
Worldwide success (1984–1986)
Talk Talk achieved considerable international success in 1984/85, particularly in continental EuropeContinental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
, with the album It's My Life
It's My Life (album)
-Personnel:*Mark Hollis - vocals*Lee Harris - drums *Paul Webb - bass guitar*Tim Friese-Greene - keyboards*Ian Curnow - keyboards*Phil Ramocon - piano*Robbie McIntosh - guitar*Morris Pert - percussion*Henry Lowther - trumpet*James Marsh - cover art-Charts:...
, which Allmusic reviewed as a "cohesive album" which showed improved songwriting. The accompanying single "Such a Shame" (a song inspired by the book The Dice Man
The Dice Man
The Dice Man is a novel published in 1971 by George Cockcroft under the pen name Luke Rhinehart and tells the story of a psychiatrist who begins making life decisions based on the casting of dice. Cockcroft wrote the book based on his own experiences of using dice to make decisions while studying...
) became a Top 5 hit in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
during this period. The title track of the album was also a top 10 hit in Italy, and made the U.S., Canadian, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, German, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Top 40 and a third single, "Dum Dum Girl", was a success in some European countries and in New Zealand ; though the LP and its single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s were largely - and strangely - ignored in their native UK. However, the album reflected Friese-Greene's more fluid and melodic keyboard arrangements and far more expansive production, whilst working with Hollis to create more cerebral and effectual songwriting for a more mature audience.
The artist James Marsh
James Marsh (artist)
James Marsh is an English visual artist, illustrator, Designer & Author with a 'National Diploma in Design' amongst other qualifications. He has worked in all areas of the media, from Advertising, Publishing to Editorial commissions...
designed the first cover image for It's My Life based on the band's name. He followed the theme for subsequent singles, remaining the band's artistic frontman and creating all their covers and posters throughout their career.
They eventually abandoned the New Wave style completely with The Colour of Spring
The Colour of Spring
-Personnel:* Mark Hollis - Organ, Keyboards, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Melodica, Mellotron* Lee Harris - Percussion, Drums* Paul Webb - Bass, vocals, backing vocals* Tim Friese-Greene - producer, Piano, keyboards, Mellotron, Kurzweil synthesizer...
in 1986. This became their biggest studio album success in the UK, making the Top 10 (and certified Gold by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales over 100,000 copies), in part due to the Top 20 single "Life's What You Make It". The album was also a hit internationally, featuring another Top 40 single, "Living in Another World". By this time, all Talk Talk songs were being written by Hollis and Friese-Greene. Guests on the album included Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
.
The extended line-up for the 1986 tour consisted of Hollis, Webb and Harris plus John Turnbull (guitars), Rupert Black and Ian Curnow (keyboards), Phil Reis and Leroy Williams (percussion) and Mark Feltham
Mark Feltham (musician)
Mark Feltham is an English musician best known for his harmonica playing. Feltham is a long term member of the British rhythm and blues band, Nine Below Zero, and Rory Gallagher's band; and is often utilised as a session musician.-Albums:*Nine Below Zero: Live at the Marquee ; Don't Point Your...
(harmonica). Most notable among these concerts was the Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
, released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in 2008 as Live at Montreux 1986
Live at Montreux 1986
Live at Montreux 1986 is a concert video release by the British band Talk Talk of a concert at 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival. The show was part of a tour that started in April 1986 to promote the band's recent album The Colour of Spring, and was to be their only appearance at Montreux, from their...
.
Later period (1988–1991)
The success of The Colour of Spring afforded the band a bigger budget and schedule for the recording of their next album. About a year in the making, and featuring contributions from many outside musicians, Spirit of EdenSpirit 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...
was released in 1988, on EMI's Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
label. The album was assembled from many hours of improvised instrumentation that Hollis and Friese-Greene had edited and arranged using digital equipment. The result was a mix of rock, jazz, classical, and ambient music. While critically praised, the album was not as commercially viable as its predecessors (though it was certified Silver by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales of over 60,000 copies). Although the album made the UK Top 20 upon release, the band declared they would not tour in support of it.
During the making of Spirit of Eden, Talk Talk manager Keith Aspden had attempted to free the band 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
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...
. "I knew by that time that EMI was not the company this band should be with", Aspden said. "I was fearful that the money wouldn't be there to record another album." EMI, however, wished to keep the band on their roster. After many months of litigation, the band ultimately succeeded in extracting themselves from the contract. EMI then sued the band, claiming that Spirit of Eden was not "commercially satisfactory", but the case was thrown out of court.
With the band now released from EMI, the label released the retrospective compilation Natural History in 1990. It peaked at number 3 on the UK album chart and was certified Gold by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
for sales of over 100,000 copies. It was also an international success and eventually went on to sell more than 1 million copies worldwide. The 1984 single "It's My Life" was also re-released, and this time became the band's highest charting single in their native country, reaching number 13 on the UK Singles Chart
UK 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 ...
. A re-release of the single "Life's What You Make It" also reached the Top 30. Following up on this renewed popular interest in the band, the label then released History Revisited
History Revisited
History Revisited: The Remixes is a 1991 album comprising remixes of hit Talk Talk songs. It followed the successful greatest hits collection Natural History, released the year before...
in 1991, a compilation of 12 inch singles and alternative versions which made the UK Top 40, an unusually high placing for what was effectively a remixes album (it also reached the Netherlands Top 75). The band sued EMI for releasing the remixed material without their permission.
In 1990, Talk Talk signed a two-album contract with Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. They released Laughing Stock on Polydor's Verve Records
Verve Records
Verve Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded by Norman Granz in 1956, absorbing the catalogues of his earlier labels, Clef Records and Norgran Records , and material which had been licensed to Mercury previously.-Jazz and folk origins:The Verve...
imprint in 1991. By this time, Webb had left the group and Talk Talk had morphed into what was essentially a brand name for the studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of Hollis and Friese-Greene, along with a bevy of session studio players (including long-term Talk Talk drummer Harris, who featured intermittently). Laughing Stock crystallised the experimental sound the band started with Spirit of Eden (which has been retroactively categorised as "post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
" by some critics). Laughing Stock adopted an even more minimalist style than its predecessor, and peaked at #26 in 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...
.
Breakup
After Laughing Stock, Talk Talk disbanded in 1992, as Hollis wished to focus on his children. Paul Webb rejoined Lee Harris, and the two went on to form the band .O.rang.O.rang
.O.rang is a band led by Lee Harris and Paul Webb, formerly of Talk Talk. The group's first album, Herd of Instinct , was recorded similarly to Talk Talk's later albums: guest musicians played hours of improvisational material, then the performances were edited down and pieced together...
, while Tim Friese-Greene started recording under the name Heligoland
Tim Friese-Greene
Timothy Alan Friese-Greene is an English musician and producer. From 1983 to their breakup in 1992, he worked with the band Talk Talk. He currently releases solo albums under the name "Heligoland".-Producer:...
. In 1998, Mark Hollis released his self-titled solo début Mark Hollis
Mark Hollis (album)
Mark Hollis is the only solo album by the former Talk Talk frontman Mark Hollis. It was released on Polydor on 2 February 1998, then reissued on Pond Life on 13 March 2000. In 2003, the album was released in LP format on Universal Records. Its sound is noted for being extremely sparse and minimal;...
, which was very much in keeping with the minimalist post-rock sound of Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Hollis retired from the music industry shortly afterwards.
Webb also collaborated under the name of Rustin Man with Portishead lead singer Beth Gibbons
Beth Gibbons
Beth Gibbons is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist for the iconic British band Portishead.-Early life:...
and released Out of Season in 2002, while Lee Harris featured on the Bark Psychosis
Bark Psychosis
Bark Psychosis are an English post-rock band/musical project from east London formed in 1986. They were one of the bands that Simon Reynolds cited when coining "post-rock" as a musical style in 1994, and are thus considered one of the key bands defining the genre...
2004 album, ///Codename: Dustsucker
Codename: Dustsucker
-Musicians:*Graham Sutton - vocal , guitar, bass guitar, piano, keys, melodica, e-mu*Lee Harris - drums, percussion*Colin Bradley - guitar*Pete Beresford - vibraphone*Rachel Dreyer - piano, vocal *T.J...
.
Legacy and Influence
Talk Talk's influence upon musicians has exceeded the band's visibility among the general public. Along with the band SlintSlint
Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
, Talk Talk are credited with inventing post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
in their last two albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Sigur Ros
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
has played Talk Talk songs before their shows.
Bands and artists that have claimed to be influenced by and/or a fan of Talk Talk include Portishead, Bark Psychosis
Bark Psychosis
Bark Psychosis are an English post-rock band/musical project from east London formed in 1986. They were one of the bands that Simon Reynolds cited when coining "post-rock" as a musical style in 1994, and are thus considered one of the key bands defining the genre...
, The Catherine Wheel, Lights, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
. The band Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
covered their song "Life's What You Make It" and No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
scored a hit with a cover of "It's My Life" in 2003. John Taylor of Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
also has expressed fondness for the group; Talk Talk opened for Duran Duran back in 1982.
Discography
- The Party's Over (1982)
- It's My LifeIt's My Life (album)-Personnel:*Mark Hollis - vocals*Lee Harris - drums *Paul Webb - bass guitar*Tim Friese-Greene - keyboards*Ian Curnow - keyboards*Phil Ramocon - piano*Robbie McIntosh - guitar*Morris Pert - percussion*Henry Lowther - trumpet*James Marsh - cover art-Charts:...
(1984) - The Colour of SpringThe Colour of Spring-Personnel:* Mark Hollis - Organ, Keyboards, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Melodica, Mellotron* Lee Harris - Percussion, Drums* Paul Webb - Bass, vocals, backing vocals* Tim Friese-Greene - producer, Piano, keyboards, Mellotron, Kurzweil synthesizer...
(1986) - Spirit of EdenSpirit of EdenSpirit 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) - Laughing Stock (1991)