Talk Talk

Talk Talk

A history of a forgotten group from the eighties

For ten tears, from 1981 to 1991, this group went from celebrity to obscurity, despite their musical evolution and depth. What started out as a stable mate to boy’s band Duran-Duran, and a sound that was decidedly mainstream, this group slowly evolved over ten years and five studio albums into one of the best groups of the eighties. Laughing stock, their last album, sold less than half a million copies, but is one of the best albums of the last 25 years.

Personnel

Mark Hollis, Lee Harris, Paul Webb ,Simon Brenner, de facto member Tim Freise-Green along with Henry Lowther, the jazz legend , the career of whom spans from Hawkwind to Keef Hartley to Talk Talk appears on three albums. This then was the nucleus of Talk Talk.

Five albums, ranging from pop to new wave to jazz.

The party’s over- hit single ‘talk talk’

Its my life – hits ‘such a shame’, ‘its my life’

The colour of spring hit ‘life’s what you make it’

Spirit of Eden had no singles

Laughing stock had no singles

The last album was 1991

Then silence for 6 years and the lead singer launched a solo album, Mark Hollis. The group had broken up, become Portishead, O.rang and Heligoland. Hollis ‘retired’ from music and left behind these classics to treasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWSPopbVavw&list=PLCB1940DBB59F0812

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGHwWwQw3tc&list=PL169FE4304299DB21