By Ryan J. Nims
In the mid 90’s, I got my first turntable–a basic Radio Shack model–which lasted me a good 25 years before it finally gave out. With that new piece of equipment in my room, I started my collection of records by hitting up the local Half Price Books. Along with classics by Elvis Costello and Pink Floyd, I found a promo copy of Talk Talk’s third album, The Colour of Spring (EMI America, 1986). Though I listen more to the band’s later albums these days, this album is probably my favorite overall: it’s pop-oriented, yet they made space for minimalism and, in some cases, silence to interact with the music. Released in February of 1986, The Colour of Spring remains Talk Talk’s best selling record.
The Colour of Spring marked the point where the band shifted from the synthpop of their earlier albums, The Party’s Over (EMI, 1982) and It’s My Life (EMI, 1984) into the more ethereal, experimental work on later albums Spirit of Eden (Parlophone/EMI, 1988) and Laughing Stock (Verve/Polydor, 1991).
For The Colour of Spring, the band eschewed synthesizers altogether, opting instead to explore organic sounds from mostly acoustic instruments. According to band leader Mark Hollis, classical music played a role in shaping the album’s sound: “[Béla] Bartók has an impact on the arrangements on The Colour Of Spring.” He was also listening to composers like Eric Satie, Darius Milhaud, and Claude Debussy around the time of recording.
The album opens with Lee Harris’s extended drum intro on “Happiness is Easy.” This song features organs by Steve Winwood (of Traffic, Spencer Davis Group, et al), Pentangle bassist Danny Thompson, and a boy’s choir backing up on the refrain. The bridge features Mark Hollis soloing on the Variophon, an obscure electronic wind instrument which features prominently throughout the band’s later albums.
“I Don’t Believe in You” also credits Winwood with organ, and begins with a harp that brings to mind the pastoral color of spring referenced in the album’s title. Incidentally, the following album, Spirit of Eden featured a heartbreaking song called “I Believe In You,” which may or may not be a play on this song title, as Hollis was known to rhyme titles throughout albums (see “Mirror Man” and “Myrrhman” or “Renee” and “Runeii” for example)
Next up is the hit song “Life’s What You Make It” which reached number 16 on the UK Singles Charts and peaked at 90 on the Billboard Top 100. Driven by Hollis’s energetic piano, Harris’s propulsive drumming, and skronky guitar from guest David Rhodes (Peter Gabriel’s long time guitarist). This song was the one that really made me a fan of Talk Talk.
“April 5th” is where things get a bit more minimal and experimental; the Variophon and piano take center stage. The song—written for Hollis’s wife, Flick—is a slow and thoughtful number which serves as a breather between two pop-centric tracks.
“Living in Another World” was another hit for the band in Europe, and is the third song on which Winwood plays organ. The label released a wild video filmed in a wind tunnel with the band suspended upside down.
“Give It Up” was the third single released from the album, and peaked at 59 on the UK Singles Chart. Showcasing bassist Paul Webb’s dexterity with his fretless bass, the song is a lively pop song.
“Chameleon Day” is the song that most points in the direction the band would move toward with their next two albums; gone is any semblance of pop, being closer instead to jazz in its composition. Sparse and emotional, this piano-forward song transitions seamlessly into the album’s final track “Time It’s Time.” Like the first song, “Time It’s Time” is pop-oriented, and features a choir on the chorus.
Following the success of the Colour of Spring, EMI allowed Talk the space to create whatever music they wanted to create with their next album. The band ended up going in a completely non-commercial direction with Spirit of Eden, didn’t tour in support of the album, and eventually left EMI for jazz label Verve to record their equally uncommercial final album, Laughing Stock. The final pair of albums have taken on near legendary status over the years, despite mixed critical reception at the time.
In the mid-1990s, childhood friends Webb and Harris created the short-lived post-rock band .O.rang, and have continued working together on Webb’s Rustin Man project. Hollis released his self-titled solo album in 1998, then quit music entirely to spend time with his family. He died of cancer in February 2019 at the age of 64.
Rhino and Parlophone are set to reissue The Colour of Spring in September, with a remaster overseen by drummer Lee Harris and Mark Hollis’s son Charlie.
Fans of Be Kind Rewind on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. are probably already familiar with Talk Talk, but a deeper dive is definitely recommended.