Living in Another World
| "Living in Another World" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Seven-inch picture disc | ||||
| Single by Talk Talk | ||||
| from the album The Colour of Spring | ||||
| B-side | "For What It's Worth" | |||
| Released | 3 March 1986[1][2] | |||
| Recorded | 1985, London | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | New wave[5][6] | |||
| Length |
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| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Tim Friese-Greene | |||
| Talk Talk singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Living in Another World" on YouTube | ||||
"Living in Another World" is a song by English band Talk Talk, released by EMI on 3 March 1986 as the second single from the band's third studio album The Colour of Spring. The single made the top 40 in Germany,[7] Switzerland,[8] the Netherlands[9] and Flanders.[10]
The track was one of those selected to promote contentious 1991 remix album History Revisited.[11] The artwork for the single was by James Marsh. Hammond organ is played by guest musician Steve Winwood. Harmonica is played by guest musician Mark Feltham.
Composition
[edit source]The song has been noted for its cyclical musical structure. Kenny Anderson, a.k.a. King Creosote: "I never tire of [the song], and yet I don't quite understand how they managed to make it sound like a musical version of that famous Escher staircase."[12] Songwriter Mark Hollis was inspired by the modal jazz of Miles Davis.[13] In an interview on Italian TV in 1987, Hollis explained that the studies of Jean-Paul Sartre inspired the lyrics.[citation needed]
Artwork
[edit source]The illustration for the song continued the "moth" theme developed by James Marsh for the Colour of Spring album and singles.[14] It was the only painting in the series to have pre-existed, having been created by Marsh for his first book. It appeared opposite a verse entitled "Tiger Moth".[15]
Music video
[edit source]A promotional video for "Living in Another World" was directed by long-time collaborator Tim Pope. It features the band being suspended 20ft in the air (shot upside down but filmed the right way round), hanging onto a grand piano whilst a wind machine blows violently in their faces.
Cover versions
[edit source]"Living in Another World" was covered by Lights featuring Darkstars for the 2012 tribute album Spirit of Talk Talk.[16]
References
[edit source]- ↑ "News Digest". Record Mirror. 1 March 1986. p. 46. Retrieved 3 December 2025 – via Flickr.
- ↑ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 1 March 1986. p. 10. Retrieved 3 December 2025 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ Unwin, Neville; Goodyer, Tim (April 1986). "Talkback". Home and Recording Studio.
- ↑ Marsh, James; Roberts, Chris; Benjamin, Toby (2015). Spirit of Talk Talk (Paperback ed.). London: Rocket 88. p. 74. ISBN 9781906615956.
- ↑ Terich, Jeff (2 March 2009). "The 90-Minute Guide: New Wave". Treble. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ↑ Phillips, Amy (31 August 2012). "Talk Talk's Mark Hollis Resurfaces with New Music for the Kelsey Grammer TV Show "Boss"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
- ↑ "Talk Talk Living in Another World". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ↑ "Talk Talk - Living in Another World". Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ↑ "Talk Talk - Living in Another World". Media Markt Top 40. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
- ↑ "Talk Talk - Living in Another World". ultratop.be. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
- ↑ Neiss, James (December 1991). "Talk Talk". Record Collector. London: Diamond Publishing Group. p. 22.
- ↑ Marsh, James; Roberts, Chris; Benjamin, Toby (2015). Spirit of Talk Talk (Paperback ed.). London: Rocket 88. p. 126. ISBN 9781906615956.
- ↑ Myers, Ben (28 February 2011). "How Talk Talk spoke to today's artists". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
- ↑ Marsh, James; Roberts, Chris; Benjamin, Toby (2015). Spirit of Talk Talk (Paperback ed.). London: Rocket 88. p. 178. ISBN 9781906615956.
- ↑ Marsh, James (1991). Bizarre Birds & Beasts. London: Pavilion Books. ISBN 1851457178.
- ↑ "Living in Another World". 8tracks.com. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
