Favorite "Talk" Songs #7 - "Talk Talk"
@teamfreak16 (43595)
Denver, Colorado
July 8, 2017 12:12pm CST
It's a very simple theme for this particular music series, my Favorite "Talk" Songs countdown, which is songs with "talk," or a variation, in the title. We are at #7: "Talk Talk" by Talk Talk.
Best known for their 1984 hit "It's My Life" (No Doubt scored big with their cover,) Talk Talk were an underrated synth pop trio from London. 1982's "Talk Talk" was a single from their debut album, The Party's Over.
The energetic dance song stalled at #52 in the UK, after which a remix was issued. The remix fared much better, reaching #23 in the UK, and #1 in South Africa. It's performance in the US was a different story, however, peaking at #75 on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune did receive copious amounts of airplay on Los Angeles' legendary alternative station, KROQ, however. Still, it simply failed to catch on over here with the mainstream, although it was quite popular with the modern rock crowd.
Vocalist Mark Hollis first performed "Talk Talk" with his previous band, The Reaction. That version, a punky, new wave ditty titled "Talk Talk Talk Talk," is available, if you can find it, on a Beggar's Banquet punk compilation called Streets (or you can listen to it on You Tube, like I did.)
I've attached a live performance of the synth pop version below.
Enjoy!
(Info verified by Wikipedia)
Top quality video recorded from Top Of The Pops 1982. Talk Talk was an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of internation...
9 people like this
9 responses
@FourWalls (86703)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Oh, yeah, I remember this one. Nothing like naming the band and the song the same thing, which gives you more publicity. Also sounds like an Abbott and Costello "who's on first" thing: "what's the song?" "Talk Talk." "Who sings it?" "Talk Talk." "No, not the name of the song, the name of the band." 
3 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
I could see Costello getting more and more frustrated as the sketch goes on. Hilarious!
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jul 17
Wasn't Silence is Golden a companion song to Talk Talk?
2 people like this
@asfarasiknow (3340)
• Bournemouth, England
8 Jul 17
Very respected here, they had a few hits, plus some repeated success with 90s reissues ('Life's What You Make It) plus, of course, that big No Doubt cover in the Noughties. I always wondered why we never heard more from them as they did some very good stuff.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
I love "Life's what You Make It." I wish they would have caught on more over here, because they were a great band.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
8 Jul 17
interesting use of band name as song title
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
11 Jul 17
@teamfreak16 A few album covers do use the band name but not many singles - Madness did it, and I think Go West too
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@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
Off the top of my head, I can only think of a few bands that have done it.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
11 Jul 17
@arthurchappell - Then there's the Butthole Surfers, who took their name, by accident, from their song "Butthole Surfer."
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Yes remember these guys Scotts..the fun of the 80s!
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
8 Jul 17
@teamfreak16 Yes I miss it a lot. Nothing like it now.
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@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
@TiarasOceanView - I know. I'm glad I went through them at the age I did.
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@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
A lot of great music came out of that decade.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 Jul 17
Did the band members go on to other groups and continue recording?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 Jul 17
@teamfreak16 We watched Part 1 of the Eagles documentary last night. It was interesting to see the dynamics and personnel changes going on with them. Really good show.
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@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Jul 17
@JamesHxstatic - That would be interesting. I do know that there's no love lost between them and Don Felder.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Jul 17
The vocalist put out one solo album and retired. The drummer is in a band called Bark Psychosis. That's about the extent of my knowledge.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
8 Jul 17
I do not remember this one at all, but I know No doubt`s music.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
I liked No Doubt's cover of "It's My Life," and even though I've seen them twice, I'm not really a big fan.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Jul 17
Yes!!! The awesomeness of classic 80s synthpop. I can attest to Talk Talk being played a billion times on KROQ.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
In the 80's, Manitou had an alternative station, KIIQ. They played this all the time.
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@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Jul 17
Yes, this was definitely 80's. Funny how each decade had it's own sound.
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@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Jul 17
@Ronrybs - I never thought about it that way. I just assumed that it just happened.
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@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
10 Jul 17
@teamfreak16 I always feel the following generation wants to sound as different as possbile from the last one.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
8 Jul 17
I thought I had a comment but I forgot
. It's hard for us classic rockers to remember a lot of the 80's music.
If it is on your list I'm sure the track is a good one!
. It's hard for us classic rockers to remember a lot of the 80's music. If it is on your list I'm sure the track is a good one!1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
I did the 80's in my 20's, so I do love the alternative music that came out of that decade. But I do like classic rock as well.
@teamfreak16 (43595)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Jul 17
@dgobucks226 - They started out as an alternative group, but managed to cross over into the mainstream.
1 person likes this
@dgobucks226 (37621)
•
8 Jul 17
@teamfreak16 I like some of the alternative stuff also. Not sure if REM is considered strictly alternative, but they are an 80's band I really like them.
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