Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis 1998

 

The frontman of the influential new wave-era band Talk Talk, singer/songwriter Mark Hollis finally mounted his long-awaited solo career during the late '90s. The younger brother of Ed Hollis, a disc jockey and producer who went on to manage bands such as Eddie & the Hot Rods, Hollis originally planned to become a child psychologist but in 1975 left university to relocate to London,

eventually forming a band called the Reaction. In 1977, the Reaction recorded a demo for Island Records; among the tracks was a Hollis original titled "Talk Talk" that later surfaced on the Beggars Banquet punk compilation Streets. After just one single, 1978's "I Can't Resist," the Reaction disbanded, and through his brother, Hollis was first introduced to musicians Paul Webb, Lee Harris, and Simon Brenner, with whom he formed Talk Talk in 1981; they soon signed to the EMI label.
                      

TALK  TALK

With their 1982 debut The Party's Over, Talk Talk emerged as an archetype of new wave ideals, but with each successive record their sound grew more atmospheric and complex, moving further away from conventional pop structure. Records like 1986's The Colour of Spring and 1988's brilliant Spirit of Eden increasingly represented the vision of Hollis and producer Tim Friese-Green, who together steered

away from the electronic pop of Talk Talk's early work toward a more organic, often acoustic sound textured by elements of jazz and ambient music. Despite lavish critical praise, relations with EMI disintegrated; personality conflicts within Talk Talk's ranks were growing as well, and after completing 1991's Laughing Stock, the group was essentially finished. Hollis then disappeared from sight for the next seven years; finally, in early 1998, he issued a self-titled solo album, a beautiful continuation of the final Talk Talk records.
                                

Achingly gorgeous and hauntingly stark, Mark Hollis' self-titled debut picks up where he left off with Talk Talk's Laughing Stock seven years earlier, re-emerging at the nexus point where jazz, ambient, and folk music collide. It's quite possibly the most quiet and intimate record ever made, each song cut to the

bone for maximum emotional impact and every note carrying enormous meaning. Hollis paints his music in fine, exquisite strokes, with an uncanny mastery of atmosphere that's frequently devastating. And if anything, his singularly resonant voice has grown even more plaintive with the passage of time, which -- combined with the understated artistry and minimalist beauty of tracks like "The Colour of Spring" and "Watershed" -- makes Mark Hollis a truly unique and indelible listening experience.
                       

Hollis died from cancer in February 2019, aged 64. Initial reports of his death included a tweet from

his cousin-in-law, the paediatrician Anthony Costello, and a tribute by Talk Talk's bassist Paul Webb, before his former manager, Keith Aspden, confirmed Hollis's death to the media on 26 February.
                       

Mark Hollis – Mark Hollis
Label: Polydor – 537 688-2
Format: CD, Album, Stereo, PMDC Pressing
Country: Europe
Released: Jan 26, 1998
Genre: Rock
Style: Post Rock, Acoustic

TRACKS

                         

01. The Colour Of Spring    3:52
02. Watershed    5:45
03. Inside Looking Out    6:21
04. The Gift    4:22
05. A Life (1895 - 1915)    8:10
06. Westward Bound    4:18
07. The Daily Planet    7:19
08. A New Jerusalem    6:49

LINE - UP

                         

Bass – Chris Laurence
Bassoon – Julie Andrews, Maggie Pollock
Clarinet – Iain Dixon, Tim Holmes
Drums, Percussion – Martin Ditcham
Flute – Andy Penayi
Guitar – Dominic Miller, Robbie McIntosh
Guitar, Vocals – Mark Hollis
Harmonica – Mark Feltham
Piano, Harmonium – Lawrence Pendrous
Trumpet – Henry Lowther

Flac Size: 242 MB

Talk Talk on Urban Aspirines HERE

Talk Talk: The Colour Of Spring 1986 + Spirit Of Eden 1988

 

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 "Talk Talk", "Today • It's So Serious", "It's My Life", "Such A Shame", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living In Another World". They moved away from synth-pop to a more experimental form with the album The Colour Of Spring in 1986, and their critical reputation increased. Their final two albums, Spirit Of Eden (1988) and Laughing Stock (1991), are highly acclaimed and remain influential to experimental alternative rock genres.
                    

With Simon Brenner out, Tim Friese-Greene was recruited to assist with the recording of their second

album It's My Life (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 The Colour Of Spring (1986), Spirit Of Eden (1988) and Laughing Stock (1991). Although a major contributor to the band's studio output, Tim Friese-Greene did not regularly play with the touring band, and was absent from the band's publicity material.
                      

Joined by producer and keyboardist Tim Friese-Greene in 1983, the band began to experiment with jazz and classical influences, at times evoking late-60's psychedelic explorers CAN and PINK FLOYD.

With a cut-and-paste style of production, Hollis and Friese-Green utilized recordings of many and diverse guest musicians to create atmospheric compositions of startling uniqueness. By the early 90s, the band's internal pressures and total lack of record company support (added to their refusal to do interviews, make videos, or even tour regularly) led Hollis to venture out on his own, where he continued to explore music in its most abstract and minimalist forms, until his death in February 2019.
                  

TALK TALK - THE COLOUR OF SPRING 1986

                       

This would be the last 'pop' influenced TALK TALK album. Hollis had begun to follow his

musical calling.This is where the real magic started, but it's not always easy to find. The 'modern' pop sound of the 80s dominates this album, albeit at a level of creativity that most synth-pop or new romantic bands never approached. The raw, articulate desperation and spirituality is becoming more apparent, on "Happiness is Easy", "I Don't Believe in You", and "Living in Another World". "Life's What You Make It" is a classic pop song, sounding much less dated than one would expect.
                   

The true herald of the band's imminent breakthrough is the shifting, otherworldly beauty of "April 5th"-

a hushed precursor to the unique opus to come in the following two albums. The simplicity of the songs and Mark Hollis's voice make this album just incredible," Mr. Wright had explained to Record Collector magazine. "The first tune, 'Happiness Is Easy', says it all--nothing but a bass, a snare and a weird chord. That's Talk Talk all over, great songs and simplicity with a twist ...
                        

Talk Talk – The Colour Of Spring
Label: Warner Music Group – none
Format: CD, Album
Country:
Released: Sep 3, 2014
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: New Wave, Synth Pop

TRACKS

                       
                    

 
01. Happiness Is Easy    6:31
02. I Don't Believe In You    5:03
03. Life's What You Make It    4:30
04. April 5th    5:52
05. Living In Another World    6:59
06. Give It Up    5:18
07. Chameleon Day    3:21
08. Time It's Time    8:17

BONUS TRACK

09. It's Getting Late In The Evening    5:50

LINE - UP

Mark Hollis / lead vocals, guitar (8), keyboards (1), organ (4), piano (3,5-7), Mellotron (6), melodica (8), Variophon synth (4,7), cello (1)
Paul Webb / bass (2,5,6,8), backing vocals (3,5)
Lee Harris / drums, percussion

WITH:

Tim Friese-Greene / piano (1,2,4,8), organ (3,6,8), Mellotron (3), Kurzweil electric piano (1), Variophon synth (4,7), producer
Robbie McIntosh / guitar (1,2,5), dobro (4,6), acoustic guitar (8)
David Rhodes / guitar (3,5,6)
Ian Curnow / keyboards
Steve Winwood / organ (1,2,5)
David Roach / soprano saxophone (2,4,5)
Mark Feltham / harmonica (5)
Alan Gorrie / bass (1)
Danny Thompson / acoustic bass (1)
Gaynor Sadler / harp (2)
Martin Ditcham / percussion (1,3,5,6,8)
Morris Pert / percussion (1,2,5,8)
Phil Reis / percussion (1)
Children From The School Of Miss Speake / chorus vocals (1)
Ambrosia Choir / chorus vocals (8)

Flac (24 bit/96 khz) Size: 1.02 GB

TALK TALK - SPIRIT OF EDEN 1988

                  

Completely removed from the pop crowd hang-over and synth-driven work they were so well

known worldwide for, TALK TALK reversed the tide with this release. This album contains no syth work, but instead relies totally on the organ and the piano. The "Spirit Of Eden" is very involved and delicate music which explores some pretty heavy aspects of life. At the time of recording, Hollis insisted on using only the original instruments in recording this very personal album.
                       

Acoustic guitar, double bass, mexican bass, trumpet, clarinet, bassoon, violin, oboe and the choir of

Chelmsford Cathedral help create the most captivating musical landscape you have ever experienced. The study of this album would be the study of sound and Hollis and Co. make it of primary mission here to challenge the listener.
                           

Talk Talk – Spirit Of Eden
Label: Warner Music Group – none
Format: CD, Album
Country:    
Released: Mar 9, 2014
Genre: Rock
Style: Abstract, Post Rock, Ambient

TRACKS

                   

01. The Rainbow    8:05
02. Eden    7:39
03. Desire    7:00
04. Inheritance    5:18
05. I Believe In You    6:10
06. Wealth    6:42

BONUS TRACK

07. John Cope    4:44

LINE - UP

Mark Hollis / vocals, piano, organ, guitar
Paul Webb / electric bass
Lee Harris / drums

WITH:

Tim Friese-Greene / harmonium, piano, organ, guitar, producer
Robbie McIntosh / dobro, 12-string guitar
Mark Feltham / harmonica
Henry Lowther / trumpet
Andrew Stowell / bassoon
Michael Jeans / oboe
Andrew Marriner / clarinet
Christopher Hooker / cor Anglais
Nigel Kennedy / violin
Hugh Davis / "shozygs"
Simon Edwards / Mexican bass
Danny Thompson / double bass
Martin Ditchman / percussion
Chelmsford Cathedral Choir / chorus vocals (5)

Flac (24 bit/96 khz) Size: 861 MB

Talk Talk: The Party Is Over 1982 + It's My Life 1984 on Urban Aspirines HERE
Talk Talk: The Ultra Collection 2005 on Urban Aspirines HERE

Talk Talk: The Party's Over 1982 + It's My Life 1984

 

Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). 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". They achieved widespread critical success in Europe and the UK with the album The Colour of Spring (1986) and its singles "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World". 1988's Spirit of Eden moved the group towards a more experimental sound informed by jazz and free improvisation, pioneering what became known as post-rock; it was critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful.
                         

With the exception of a handful of common threads -- chief among them the plaintive vocals and haunting lyrics of frontman Mark Hollis -- there is little to suggest that the five studio LPs that make up the Talk Talk oeuvre are indeed the work of the same band. After beginning their career with records

virtually epitomizing the new wave era that spawned them, the British group never looked back, making significant strides with each successive album on its way to discovering a wholly unique and uncategorizable sound informed by elements of jazz, classical, and ambient music; their masterful final recordings, while neglected commercially, possess a timelessness rare among music of any genre, and in retrospect they seem the clear starting point for the post-rock movement of the 1990s.
                      

After Laughing Stock, Talk Talk disbanded in 1991; Hollis said that he wished to focus on his family. Paul Webb rejoined Lee Harris, and the two went on to form the band .O.rang, while Tim Friese-Greene

started recording under the name Heligoland. In 1998, Mark Hollis released his self-titled solo début Mark Hollis, which was much in keeping with the minimalist post-rock sound of Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, but he 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, Drift Code in 2019 and Clockdust in 2020. Harris also featured on the Bark Psychosis 2004 album, ///Codename: Dustsucker.
                         

Talk Talk's influence upon musicians has exceeded the band's visibility among the general public. Along with the band Slint, Talk Talk are credited with inventing "post-rock" in their last two albums,

Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. The artists who have praised the band or cited them as an influence include Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament, Tears for Fears, Matthew Good, Radiohead, Doves,Elbow, Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. The bands Placebo, Weezer, the Divine Comedy and the Gathering covered their song "Life's What You Make It" and No Doubt scored a global hit with a cover of "It's My Life" in 2003 which reached number 20 on the UK charts.
                        

Mark Hollis died on 25 February 2019, aged 64.

                                

TALK TALK - THE PARTY'S OVER 1982

                         

The Party's Over is the debut album by Talk Talk. It was released in 1982 and produced by Colin Thurston, who was a former engineer for David Bowie but was better known for producing Duran Duran's first two albums.
                         

Talk Talk – The Party's Over
Label: EMI – CDP 7463662, EMI – CDP 7 463662
Format: CD, Album, Stereo
Country: UK
Released: Mar 1987
Genre: Electronic, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

TRACKS

                       

01. Talk Talk    3:20
02. It's So Serious    3:19
03. Today    3:28
04. The Party's Over    6:10
05. Hate    3:56
06. Have You Heard The News?    5:05
07. Mirror Man    3:18
08. Another Word    3:12
09. Candy    4:40

LINE - UP

Bass – Paul Webb
Design – Bill Smith
Drums – Lee Harris
Keyboards – Simon Brenner
Vocals – Mark Hollis

MP3 @ 320 Size: 89 MB
Flac Size: 246 MB

TALK TALK - IT'S MY LIFE 1984

                    

It's My Life is the second studio album by English band Talk Talk, released in 1984. Mike Oldfield's bass player, Phil Spalding made an uncredited appearance on the album, substituting for Paul Webb on "The Last Time" – "Paul was exclusively a fretless bass player and they needed a fretted bass on this particular track."
                          

Talk Talk – It's My Life
Label: EMI – 7243 8 56797 2 8, EMI – RETALK 101
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: Europe
Released: Sep 1997
Genre: Electronic, Rock, Pop
Style: Synth-pop

TRACKS

                          

01. Dum Dum Girl    3:50
02. Such A Shame    5:35
03. Renée    6:22
04. It's My Life    3:53
05. Tomorrow Started    6:00
06. The Last Time    4:23
07. Call In The Night Boy    3:47
08. Does Caroline Know    4:30
09. It's You    4:42

LINE - UP

Bass – Paul Webb
Drums – Lee Harris
Guitar – Robbie McIntosh
Keyboards – Ian Curnow, Tim Friese-Greene
Percussion – Morris Pert
Piano – Phil Ramocon
Trumpet – Henry Lowther
Vocals – Mark Hollis

MP3 @ 320 Size: 105 MB
Flac Size: 270 MB

Talk Talk : The Ultra Collection 2005

Talk Talk were a British musical group that were 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".

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

The story of Talk Talk begins with singer/songwriter Hollis, the younger brother of Ed Hollis, a disc jockey and producer who went on to manage such punk-era bands as Eddie & the Hot Rods. Mark originally planned to become a child psychologist, but in 1975, he left university to relocate to London, eventually forming a band called the Reaction; Ed Hollis called in a few favors, and in 1977, the Reaction recorded a demo tape for Island Records. Among the tracks was a Hollis original titled "Talk Talk," which later surfaced on the Beggars Banquet punk compilation Streets. After just one single, 1978's "I Can't Resist," the Reaction disbanded, and through his brother, Hollis was first introduced to bassist Paul Webb, drummer Lee Harris, and keyboardist Simon Brenner, with whom he formed Talk Talk in 1981.

Talk Talk achieved considerable international success in 1984/85 (particularly in continental Europe) with the album It's My Life, which All Music Guide reviewed as a "cohesive album" which showed improved songwriting.[2] The accompanying single "Such a Shame" (a song inspired by the book The Dice Man) became a number one hit in 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. and Canadian Top 40, though the album and its singles were largely ignored in their native UK.

After Laughing Stock, Talk Talk disbanded. Paul Webb rejoined Lee Harris, and the two went on to form the band .O.rang, 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 Beth Gibbons ( PORSTISHEAD ) and released Out of Season in 2002, while Lee Harris featured on the Bark Psychosis 2004 album, ///Codename: Dustsucker.

Track Listings

1. Talk Talk
2. It's My Life
3. Without You
4. Strike Up The Band
5. Life's What You Make It
6. It's Getting Late In The Evening
7. Pictures Of Bernadette
8. Happiness Is Easy
9. Last Time
10. I Don't Believe You
11. It's You
12. Talk Talk (Demo Version)
13. It's So Serious
14. Party's Over
15. Dum Dum Girl
16. Candy

Bonus Track

17.Such a shame





This is the ticket of the concert " ROCK IN ATHENS " 1985

The Bands :

The Clash
The Stranglers
The Cure
Depeche Mode
Talk Talk
Nina Hagen
Telephone
Culture Club ( ? )


SUCH A SHAME Lyrics

Such a shame to believe in escape
'A life on every face'
And that's a change
Till I'm finally left with an eight
Tell me to relax, I just stare
Maybe I don't know if I should change
A feeling that we share
It's a shame

Such a shame
Number me with rage
It's a shame
Such a shame
Number me in haste
Such a shame
This eagerness to change
It's a shame

The dice decide my fate
And that's a shame
In these trembling hands my faith
Tells me to react, 'I don't care'
Maybe it's unkind that I should change
A feeling that we share
It's a shame

Such a shame
Number me with rage
It's a shame
Such a shame
Number me in haste
Such a shame
This eagerness to change
Such a shame

Tell me to relax, I just stare
Maybe I don't know if I should change
A feeling that we share
It's a shame

Such a shame
Number me with rage
It's a shame
Such a shame
Number me in haste
It's a shame
Such a shame
Write it across my name
It's a shame
Such a shame
Number me in haste
Such a shame
This eagerness to change

Such a shame

Size : 177 MB
Bitrate 320


MP3  Take it HERE

Flac Take It HERE