RIchard Skinner: This is a new band now called Talk Talk. They come from London and this is Mirror Man.
(Mirror Man plays)
RS: If you’ve just joined us, this is Roundtable with Richard Skinner here, Kid Jensen as well, Robert Palmer and from Japan, David Sylvian.
The music there provided by Talk Talk, it’s called Mirror Man.
I’ll turn to you first Kid, coz I know that this is something that you’ve been involved in a sense, hasn’t it, the band.
KJ: Yes, I’m rather pleased that they made their Radio One debut on my show with a session, several weeks ago, it was amazing because a couple of nights after that they announced that they had signed to EMI Records, because the following day there had been all the major companies onto them they were so impressed, and up to that point they’d only done about 5 gigs! It sounded like some strange hype. I got more letters about the Talk Talk session than any other session I’ve ever broadcast, and I thought, this really is major hype at work here but then they toured with Duran Duran, and again I got a lot of response from people who had gone to see Duran Duran, had seen the support act and were asking me to play more of Talk Talk.
Now, about this single, I don’t think this is one of their better songs, some of the numbers from our session were more obvious, but I think this will be successful for them because they have certainly a big following already.
RS: Mark Hollis, who writes the songs, also sings, says he wants to write songs to last a decade. Robert? You know, I assume they don’t last that long, but you know, still stand up in ten years.
RP: That’s very ambitious.
RS: Do you think he’s over reaching himself here or what?
RP. Um well. As I say, I heard this last night and it didn’t make any impression on me at all, last night, and listening to it there, I know why – the mix is awful. It don’t think it’s bad but …
RS You’re straining to hear the words there aren’t you?
RP It wasn’t the lyrics. It sounds quiet and I bet if you turn it up really loud it’ll still sound quiet. The drummer’s really going for it, and there is no sensation of it. The part he’s playing is real strong. It’s probably good.
RS. David Sylvian, have you met this lot before? Are you aware of them?
DS. No, no.
RS First impressions then.
DS I quite like the song actually. I think, had it been produced differently, maybe a different arrangement, it could have been quite good. As it is, it doesn’t offend me. But you know. It should do maybe.
RS. I have to give mention to producer Colin Thurston here, who put the record together.
RP Is he on the phone?
RS I don’t think so, he probably will be in a minute!
I like the twiddly bits of violins, that’s what really got me.
KJ Maybe it’s coz the song was on their session, it was more immediate in our studio somehow.
RS. Because they just put it together, in what? 2 or 3 hours?
KJ Yeah.
RS Allright, I think they’ve got a big future anyway. Talk Talk.