Talk Talk

In 2003 No Doubt released a cover version of "It's My Life" which became a international hit. It is easy to buy their material on album still and they quite often play concerts and are part of the pop revival shows that tour the UK. Webb also collaborated under the name of Rustin Man with Beth Gibbons and released Out of Season in 2002. Their Me And My Life was a hit in 1974 but they had caused themselves problems by a quote that insulted some of their buying public and had no hits after that. In 1998, Mark Hollis released his eponymous debut Mark Hollis. They include: Cat Stevens's Here Comes My Baby, Suddenly You Love Me, Hello World and My Little Lady. Paul Webb and Lee Harris went on to form the band .O.rang. These songs were popular with younger music fans and parents rather than rock music fans.

After Laughing Stock, the band broke up. A couple of years after Brian Poole left the group they came into their own with regular hits and appearances on BBC's Top Of The Pops TV show. Laughing Stock crystallized the experimental sound the band started with Spirit of Eden (which has been retroactively categorized as "post-rock" by some critics) and both are widely regarded as the group's masterpieces. It is well known that they had been given a record contract by Decca Records while The Beatles had been rejected as unsuitable by the label's executives. The less commercial sound did not go well with their label EMI, so they moved to Verve Records to release Laughing Stock in 1991. They had formed in 1958, and first had hits as Brian Poole And The Tremeloes; (Do You Love Me?, I Can Dance, (1963), etc.). They eventually abandoned the New Romantic style completely with Spirit of Eden (1988), an album founded on improvised structures and diverse, natural instruments (violin, harmonica) instead of a synth-driven, pop song mold. The Tremeloes were a British pop group from Dagenham, Essex.

With the addition of unofficial fourth member Tim Friese-Greene in 1983, replacing Simon Brenner on keyboards and becoming producer for the band, each successive Talk Talk release became more sophisticated and original. Though they were identified with the New Romantic movement and bands such as Duran Duran, Talk Talk had a progressive depth their contemporaries lacked. The band achieved moderate success in the early to mid 1980s with several hit singles, including, "Today" (1982), "Talk Talk" (1982), "Such A Shame" (1984), "Its My Life" (1984) and "Life's What You Make It" (1986). Talk Talk were an English synth-pop group formed in 1981 by Mark Hollis (vocals/guitar/songwriter), Paul Webb (bass), Lee Harris (drums), and Simon Brenner (keyboards).

Ascension Day (1991). New Grass (1991). After The Flood (1991). Living In Another World (1991).

Such A Shame (1990). Life's What You Make It (1990). It's My Life (1990). I Believe In You (1988).

I Don't Believe In You (1986). Give It Up (1986). Living In Another World (1986). Life's What You Make It (1986) (USA #90, UK #16).

Dum Dum Girl (1984). Such A Shame (1984) (USA #89). It's My Life (1984) (USA #31). My Foolish Friend (1983).

Today (1982) (UK #14). Talk Talk (1982) (UK #23). Mirror Man (1982). Remixed (2001).

12X12 Original Remixes (2000). History Revisited (1991). Time It's Time (2003). Introducing (2003).

Essential (2003). Missing Pieces (2001). The Collection (2000). Asides Besides (1998).

The Very Best of Talk Talk (1997). Natural History (1990). London 1986 (live) (1999). Laughing Stock (1991).

Spirit of Eden (1988). The Colour of Spring (1986). It's My Life (1984). The Party's Over (1982).