| I Hear Talk | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 November 1984 [1] | |||
| Recorded | 1983–1984 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 41:26 | |||
| Label | RCA Records | |||
| Producer |
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| Bucks Fizz chronology | ||||
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| Singles from I Hear Talk | ||||
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I Hear Talk is the fourth studio album by the pop group Bucks Fizz and their last under contract to RCA Records. Released in November 1984, the album featured the singles "Talking in Your Sleep", "Golden Days" and "I Hear Talk".
Bucks Fizz had been consistently in the public eye for three years by the end of 1983 and so decided to keep a low profile for the first half of 1984 following the low-charting performance of their last single Rules of the Game. During this time recording sessions were held for their fourth album as well as the group embarking on a 40-date UK tour.
The group made a comeback in August with the single "Talking In Your Sleep" - a cover of a song by US band The Romantics. The single revitalised the group's career with its harder-edged rock sound and became a top twenty hit in the UK. [2] Another single "Golden Days" (a reworking of a recent Cliff Richard song) [3] was released in October, but failed to chart as highly. The album followed soon after and also received a tepid response, peaking at #66 - their lowest charting album to this point. [4] A third and final single (the title track) was released in December, but coincided with a coach crash that the group suffered while on tour. [5] Promotion for the single was limited due to this and although performed better in the charts than the previous single, it didn't restore them to their former glory.
During recording sessions for this album in early 1984, the group recorded the song "What's Love Got To Do With It" for possible inclusion. Around the same time the song was also recorded by US star, Tina Turner, who went on to have an International hit with it. [6] The Bucks Fizz version went unreleased until 2000, when it was included as a bonus track on a CD re-release of their album, Are You Ready. The group recorded many of the tracks in Zurich. According to member Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston didn't attend these sessions, with her vocals being recorded later in the UK.
The album's sleeve featured a sepia-toned photograph of the group on the beach at Camber Sands, surrounded by a wide black border. The inside sleeve featured more shots taken at the same location. A review made mention that the album cover was "sophisticated and moody" but lamented that the girls were wearing less "revealing clothes". [7] This was the group's final album both with their original record company, RCA and member Jay Aston, who quit the line-up the following year. [8] It would be two years before the next album release.
I Hear Talk was re-released on Compact Disc in 2004 with additional bonus tracks. [9] In 2006, alternate versions of tracks "Indebted to You", "Tears On the Ballroom Floor", "Cold War", "Breaking Me Up", "She Cries" and "Thief In the Night" were released on The Lost Masters - a collection of unreleased Bucks Fizz tracks. Two years later, a follow-up compilation gave further alternate versions of "Indebted to You", "Tears On the Ballroom Floor", "Golden Days", "Talking in Your Sleep" and "Breaking Me Up". More importantly however, the first of these albums produced an entirely new song taken from the I Hear Talk sessions - "Every Dream Has Broken". It is unknown why this song was never released, but fans of the group rated it as one of Bucks Fizz's favourite songs in a 2006 online poll. [10]
While Bucks Fizz were generally criticised in the media for producing lightweight pop music, their albums usually received favourable reviews. However, of their five studio albums, I Hear Talk seemed to gain the least recommendations. Record Mirror criticized the album by being "not much to shout about" and that it was "the same old bill of fare that you've heard at least 100 times before". [7] The same magazine however said that alongside new albums by Wham!, Culture Club, Duran Duran and Frankie Goes to Hollywood it was a contender for the top 10. [11]
Reviewing their single "I Hear Talk", pop group Bananarama said that the song was their best in a long time, stating "it has something the last few singles didn't". [12] In a Smash Hits review, Morrissey said that the song "Golden Days" was "inexcusably dim", [13] but received a rave review in Number One , saying "the sultry lead vocal is backed by the usual perfect three-part harmonies and a chorus that you'll not be able to get rid of for days. Great stuff". [14] Number One also credited "Talking in Your Sleep" as being "raunchy". Journalist Mark Frith complimented the title track, labelling it "euphoric" and saying that it deserved to reach No.1. [15]
In 2017, Classic Pop reviewed the album, saying that "Talking in Your Sleep" had "pre-echoes of Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer", while the title track was "slinky". It gave favourable mention to tracks "Indebted to You", "Breaking Me Up" and "She Cries", saying they were "mid-80s pop epics". [16]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Hear Talk" | Andy Hill, Pete Sinfield | Andy Hill | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Indebted to You" | Andy Hill, Warren Bacall | Andy Hill | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Tears on the Ballroom Floor" | Anthony Phillips, Roy Hill | Brian Tench | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Cold War" | Dominic Bugatti | Brian Tench and Bobby G | 3:52 |
| 5. | "Golden Days" | Terry Britten, Sue Shifrin | Terry Britten | 4:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Talking in Your Sleep" | Marinos, Palmar, Skill, Canler, Pete Solley | Andy Hill | 4:18 |
| 7. | "Breaking Me Up" | Andy Hill, Frank Musker | Andy Hill | 4:16 |
| 8. | "January's Gone" | Andy Hill, Ian Bairnson | Andy Hill | 4:45 |
| 9. | "She Cries" | Nik Kershaw | Pip Williams | 3:37 |
| 10. | "Thief in the Night" | Andy Hill, Warren Bacall | Brian Tench | 3:47 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Don't Think You're Fooling Me" | Bobby G | Bobby G | 3:50 |
| 12. | "Where Do I Go Now" | Cheryl Baker | Cheryl Baker, Adrian Sheppard, Richard Cottle | 4:30 |
| 13. | "One Touch Too Much" | Andy Hill, Sue Shifrin | Big Note | 3:49 |
| 14. | "Pulling Me Under" | Bobby G | Bobby G | 4:15 |
| 15. | "Invisible" | Andy Hill, Mike Batt | Big Note | 4:35 |
| 16. | "Evil Man" | Jay Aston | Big Note | 3:54 |
| 17. | "Here's Looking At You" | Andy Hill, Pete Sinfield | Big Note | 5:52 |
| 18. | "Young Hearts" | Andy Hill | Nick Tauber | 4:05 |
| Release date | Single title | UK Chart position |
|---|---|---|
| August 1984 | "Talking in Your Sleep" | 15 |
| October 1984 | "Golden Days" | 42 |
| December 1984 | "I Hear Talk" | 34 |
| Release date | Album title | UK Chart position |
|---|---|---|
| November 1984 | I Hear Talk | 66 |
| June 2004 | I Hear Talk (CD re-issue) | - |
| June 2015 | I Hear Talk (double CD edition) | - |
Bucks Fizz were an English pop group that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston. They received attention for the dance routine which accompanied the song, in which the male members of the group ripped the female members' outer skirts off to reveal much shorter mini-skirts beneath. The group went on to have a successful career around the world, but the UK remained their biggest market, where they had three No.1 singles with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s. They also had UK Top 10 hits with "Now Those Days Are Gone" (1982), "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982), "When We Were Young" (1983) and "New Beginning " (1986). Bucks Fizz have sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Bucks Fizz is the eponymous debut studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 July 1981, it features their Eurovision-winning song "Making Your Mind Up" as well as the two follow-up singles "Piece of the Action" and "One of Those Nights". The album was produced by Andy Hill and released on RCA Records. Bucks Fizz has been re-released twice on CD, first in 2004 with bonus tracks and as a two-disc edition in 2015.
Are You Ready is the second studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 26 April 1982 and features the UK No. 1 singles "The Land of Make Believe" and "My Camera Never Lies" as well as the follow-up "Now Those Days Are Gone". It was produced by Andy Hill and released by RCA Records. It was the group's most successful album. It went on to be re-released on compact disc three times between 2000 and 2015.
Hand Cut is the third studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 1 March 1983 and features the UK top 20 hits, "If You Can't Stand the Heat" and "Run for Your Life".
Writing on the Wall is the fifth and latest studio album by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released on 24 November 1986 and featured the comeback top ten single "New Beginning ". It was their first and only album to feature then new member Shelley Preston and their only album released on Polydor Records. Despite the album being initially unsuccessful in the charts, it was re-released twice — first in 2004 and again in 2012, both times with different track listings. It was the group's final studio album until The Lost Masters series (2006–2013).
The Ultimate Anthology is a compilation album by pop group Bucks Fizz.
"Talking in Your Sleep" is a song by American rock band the Romantics. Released in September 1983, It became the band's most successful single in the US, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984. The song would have a release two months later in Australia and New Zealand, a release later that year in Japan, and in January 1984 in the UK. It failed to chart in both countries. It became a UK hit in August that year for British group Bucks Fizz. The song is in natural minor.
"The Land of Make Believe" is a 1981 single by British band Bucks Fizz. It reached No.1 in the UK in early 1982 - the second single by the band to do so. The song was produced by Andy Hill with music by Hill and lyrics by ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Despite the apparent sugar-coated style of the song, Sinfield later claimed it was a subtle attack on Margaret Thatcher and her government's policy at the time. "The Land of Make Believe" became a big hit across Europe in early 1982, topping the charts in Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland as well as the UK. The song was later covered by pop band allSTARS* for a 2002 single release.
The Lost Masters is the name given to an album project to release unheard, rare and extended remixes of songs by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. Two albums were originally released: The Lost Masters in 2006, and The Lost Masters 2 - The Final Cut in 2008. A third single-disc volume was released in April 2012 as a double-pack which included a re-release of the group's 1986 album Writing on the Wall. Finally, The Best of The Lost Masters, a 25-track compilation was released in April 2013, which also included a number of previously unreleased mixes.
"Love the One You're With" is a song by American folk rock musician Stephen Stills. It was released as the lead single from his debut self-titled studio album in November 1970. The song, inspired by a remark Stills heard from musician Billy Preston, became his biggest hit single, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1971. David Crosby and Graham Nash, Stills's fellow members of Crosby, Stills & Nash, provide background vocals on the song. Also providing the backups are Rita Coolidge, her sister Priscilla Jones, and John Sebastian. They all sing the "Do Dos" that come before the instrumental portion and the outro. The song was also recorded by the Isley Brothers, The Meters, Bucks Fizz, Luther Vandross, Bob Seger and Richard Clapton, among others.
The Very Best of Bucks Fizz is a compilation album of the hits of pop group Bucks Fizz. The album was released in 2007 and was coupled with a DVD of the group's Promotional Videos. This was the first time the group's videos had been available on DVD. The album reached No.40 in the UK Charts - the first time Bucks Fizz had appeared on the album charts since 1986. Allmusic gave the album a favourable three and a half stars out of five, but commented on the fact that Bucks Fizz were always more successful as a singles band. A review in the Nottingham Post bemoaned the fact that while Bucks Fizz are usually remembered for their Eurovision winner, their later songs were much better, naming "My Camera Never Lies", "I Hear Talk" and "New Beginning" as particularly strong.
Live at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon is a live album released in 1991 by pop group Bucks Fizz. It was their first and only release with Jet Records.
The Story So Far is a compilation album by British pop group Bucks Fizz, released in 1988. The album collects together 18 of the group's biggest hit singles spanning the years 1981 to 1988, including their three number ones.
"Run for Your Life" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was written by Andy Hill and Ian Bairnson and became the group's eighth consecutive top 20 hit in the UK. It featured on the group's third album Hand Cut.
"London Town" is a 1983 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was their first single not to reach the UK top 20, breaking a run of nine consecutive top 20 hits. The song was written and produced by Andy Hill.
"The Golden Days are Over" or "Golden Days" is a 1983 song, popularized a year later by the UK pop group Bucks Fizz. Written by Terry Britten and Sue Shifrin, it was the follow-up to their top 20 single "Talking in Your Sleep", but failed to chart as highly. A month later it was featured on the band's fourth studio album I Hear Talk. "Golden Days" was originally recorded by Cliff Richard.
"I Hear Talk" is a 1984 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz, written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield, the team responsible for the group's biggest hit in the UK, "The Land of Make Believe". It was also produced by Hill. Released as a single in December 1984, it is the title track from the group's fourth studio album. In 2010, the song was chosen as the first single by the Original Bucks Fizz in a live jazz-style reworking.
"You and Your Heart So Blue" is a single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. Released in June 1985, the song was written by Andy Hill and Peter Sinfield and was produced by Hill. This single was the last to feature member Jay Aston, who quit the group the same month.
"Magical" is a song written by American musician Meat Loaf and British musician John Parr, and it was released as a 1985 single by Parr as a part of his self-titled debut album. A few months later, an alternative version of the song was released in the U.K. as a single by pop group Bucks Fizz. It entered the charts by both artists in the U.S. and U.K. respectively but was not a big hit for either, although Parr's version managed to rise into the top 40 of Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.
"Now Those Days Are Gone" is a single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It became a UK top ten hit in July 1982 and featured on the group's album Are You Ready. The song was nominated for an Ivor Novello award the following year.
