Talking (A Flock of Seagulls song)

"(It's Not Me) Talking" is the debut single by British new wave band A Flock of Seagulls, originally recorded in 1981. It was re-recorded in 1983 and is featured on their second album Listen. The song is about a man who hears voices in his head, who believes that he is being contacted by aliens from outer space, and who cannot run away from his emotions; wherever he goes, the voice is there.

"Talking"
Single by A Flock of Seagulls
from the album Listen
ReleasedMay 1981 (1981-05) (First Issue)
12 August 1983 (1983-08-12) (Second Issue)
March 1983 (1983-03) (Re-Release)
Recorded1981
GenreNew wave
Length4:33 (single version 1981)
3:36 (single version 1983)
5:00 (album version 1983)
LabelCocteau Records
Jive
Songwriter(s)Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley, Paul Reynolds
Producer(s)Bill Nelson
A Flock of Seagulls singles chronology
"Talking"
(1981)		 "Telecommunication"
(1981)
"Transfer Affection"
(1983)
"(It's Not Me) Talking"
(1983)
"The More You Live, the More You Love"
(1984)
"(It's Not Me) Talking" (1983)
Music video
"(It's Not Me) Talking" on YouTube

Formats and track listing
7" Cocteau COQ 3 (UK) - 1981
  1. "(It's Not Me) Talking" – 4:33
  2. "Factory Music" – 4:28
7" Jive 47 (UK) - 1983
  1. "(It's Not Me) Talking" – 3:34
  2. "Tanglimara" – 4:30
12" Jive T 47 (UK) - 1983
  1. "(It's Not Me) Talking" – 5:00
  2. "Tanglimara" – 4:30
  3. "The Traveller (Live)" – 3:29 (Recorded live at "The Ace" Brixton, London, 1983)
12" Cocteau COQ T 3 (UK) - 1983
  1. "(It's Not Me) Talking" (Remix) – 4:45
  2. "(It's Not Me) Talking" (Instrumental) – 4:21
  3. "Factory Music" – 4:24

Music video

This music video was based on an old science fiction classic film called The Day the Earth Stood Still.[1] The producers wanted to use special effects that would be current, yet recall the look of 1950's cinema. The music video was filmed at Dawn's Animal Farm in New Jersey. With hundreds of acres of land and many exotic animals used in television commercials and film, it made for an interesting shoot. They hired Talking Dog Productions to build the spaceship. Talking Dog built the props used by Pink Floyd. For the lasers, they retained the services of holographic pioneer, Jason Sapan, of Holographic Studios in New York City.[2] At that time, Sapan was also doing laser light effects. As they negotiated the laser effects, they realized that Sapan himself had the right look to act in the music video and hired him right there. Jason Sapan built the red laser ray gun that Mike Score used. If you look very carefully, you can also see his blue and green argon laser beams shooting from the spaceship.[3]

First credits in a music video on MTV

This was the first music video shown on MTV to use on screen credits for the actors. The credits were shown next to the images of the actors at the end of the video. The credits listed were:

  • Jason Sapan as "Sparks" Hopkins
  • Peter Reynolds as Joey
  • David York as Sergeant McGuire
  • Ali Score as Prof. "Scottie" Frost
  • Paul Reynolds as Duane
  • Larry Friel as Major Dick Docherty
  • Frank Maudsley as Rex Nolan
  • Mike Score as "The Alien"

Chart positions
Chart Peak
position
UK Indie Chart (Cocteau 1981) 45[4]
UK Singles Chart (Jive 1983) 78[5]
UK Indie Chart (Cocteau 1983) 22[4]

Reception
  • "There are a couple of high quality songs. (One) is the Bill Nelson-produced "(It's Not Me) Talking." Nelson's involvement is quite evident, the only flaw being that it drags on for too long." (Henry Everingham, The Sydney Morning Herald, 1983)[6]

References
  1. Flattery, Paul (February 1984). "A Flock of Seagulls – (It's not me) Talking". Optic Music.
  2. "Solarium Gallery". Knox School. 22 October 2010.
  3. "Doctor Laser: Inside the Wondrous Lab of One of the World's Last Holographers". motherboard.tv. 17 August 2010. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010.
  4. "Indie Hits". Cherry Red. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  5. "(It's Not Me) Talking". Official Charts. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  6. Everingham, Henry (8 August 1983). "Seagulls try to get off the ground again". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, Australia. p. 6.
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