First, if you are unaware of this music, you are in for a rare treat. I am not going to repeat here the story of how a synth-pop group with rare sensibilities morphed into one of the most incredible expressions of pure music imaginable. Instead, just obtain the following catalogue. I've even indicated my suggested purchase order, which defers the first rather slick albums until after you've heard the masterworks.
5. Talk Talk: The Party's Over (EMI, 1982)
6. Talk Talk: It's My Life (EMI, 1984)
1. Talk Talk: The Colour of Spring (EMI, 1986)
2. Talk Talk: Spirit of Eden (Parlophone, 1988)
3. Talk Talk: Laughing Stock (Verve, 1991)
4. Mark Hollis: Mark Hollis (Polydor, 1998)
Two compilations are also valuable:
Talk Talk: Asides Besides (EMI, 1998)
Talk Talk: Missing Pieces (Pond Life, 2001)
If you already have all those records, here are the rarities...
This is a rehearsal cassette from "Eden", posted online by Tim Friese-Green, Talk Talk collaborator and producer.
"Recorded shortly before going into the studio, probably at John Henry rehearsal rooms. This is Mark on guitar, Lee on drums, and myself on piano and organ (the bass was always addressed in the studio once the basic track was down, which is why it doesn't feature here)."
The remainder are all links to music on YouTube, so I won't bother embedding code.
Demo by Mark Hollis, from 1979 (!) Might have been recorded at the time of The Reaction.
Crying in The Rain
The Reaction was a pre-Talk Talk band with radically different arrangements of familiar songs. These three tracks are from a set of nine recorded as a demo at Nashville Rooms Studios, 1979.
Candy
Have You Heard The News
Renée
300 Cubs was another version of the same band. More synths now.
Renée
Strike Up The Band
Further information would be much appreciated in the comments. At least eight additional early demos plus three BBC Sessions are out there somewhere.
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12 comments:
I previously posted an appreciation here:
https://www.theatreofnoise.com/2019/02/mark-hollis-1955-2019.html
From the set of nine recorded as demos in 1979, which were the other songs not mentioned aside from Candy, HYHTN & Renée?
This is the listing I have, though I don't know where it came from.
The Reaction at Nashville Rooms Studios (1979):
Mirror Man
Carolyn
I Keep On Telling You
Renée
Crying In The Rain
It's A Question Of Time
Have You Seen The News?
Candy
Souled Out
That's really cool.
Did The Reaction ever write demos for Living In Another World and Happiness Is Easy?
No idea!
I think this one is missing:
"Talk Talk Talk Talk" by The Reaction released on Beggars Banquet compilation "Streets" in 1977
https://youtu.be/xDK5tk5iZlw
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Streets/release/710024
And here's a YouTube link to Carolyn by The Reaction:
https://youtu.be/jW_5n5lsvSw
I have a demo called Caroline which contains sections of Living In Another World.
Older link to Caralyn on Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/373790810
Seems those Reaction links are broken but searching on YT I found this at least: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEBASiJyGY
Spellbinding stuff.
What's the source of a lot of these demos? It'd also be nice to have them in better quality, the YouTube compression really makes them sound bad. Anyone know where the original downloads are?
https://soundcloud.com/user-350905251/talk-talk-1982-10-23-le-palace-paris-france
all are here : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC31Lg5iYLz17Xq-BQAoNPCg/videos
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