We Don't Talk Anymore
b/w Count Me Out
When this song hit the airwaves, I had never heard of Cliff Richard and was unaware of his massive earlier successes in the UK. For all I knew, he was a new, emerging artist. Regardless, I liked all the hooks in this piece, so I picked up the 45 at the local Radio Shack. In spite of having the single, I have no memory of the b-side.
This is a break-up song, but the peppy music hardly matches the lyrical content. The lyrics suggest the singer's woman is leaving him and the imminent break-up doesn't seem to bother him in the least ("I ain't losing sleep and I ain't counting sheep"). While he seems to expect a split, it's hinted that he might be a little in denial. Being 13 at the time, I had no frame of reference for these sort of relationship lyrics, so I just naïvely sang along with Cliff and enjoyed the synth parts as well as the bouncy bass line.
The songwriter, Alan Tarney, would continue to work with Richard (as well as Norwegian group A-ha) throughout the '80s.
The video for this single was the 6th video played on MTV in the early hours of August 1, 1981. Not your typical MTV fare, but they were desperate for videos at the time.
b/w Count Me Out
| Released: October 1979 (EMI) Written by: Alan Tarney Produced by: Bruce Welch Album: We Don't Talk Anymore |
| U. S. Billboard Charts: | |
| Hot 100 | 7 |
| Adult Contemporary | 5 |
When this song hit the airwaves, I had never heard of Cliff Richard and was unaware of his massive earlier successes in the UK. For all I knew, he was a new, emerging artist. Regardless, I liked all the hooks in this piece, so I picked up the 45 at the local Radio Shack. In spite of having the single, I have no memory of the b-side.
This is a break-up song, but the peppy music hardly matches the lyrical content. The lyrics suggest the singer's woman is leaving him and the imminent break-up doesn't seem to bother him in the least ("I ain't losing sleep and I ain't counting sheep"). While he seems to expect a split, it's hinted that he might be a little in denial. Being 13 at the time, I had no frame of reference for these sort of relationship lyrics, so I just naïvely sang along with Cliff and enjoyed the synth parts as well as the bouncy bass line.
The songwriter, Alan Tarney, would continue to work with Richard (as well as Norwegian group A-ha) throughout the '80s.
The video for this single was the 6th video played on MTV in the early hours of August 1, 1981. Not your typical MTV fare, but they were desperate for videos at the time.
Mark, like you I thought Cliff Richard was a "new artist" when I heard this in 1979. I was 14 at the time. What did we know? Not like we had the Internet to research things like this. We had to rely on Casey Kaseem, Dick Clark, or any reliable talk show host to give us little facts about musicians back in the day.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new blog as well. I definitely love that decade as it was a formative period for my music love.
First off, congratulations on claiming another chunk of cyberspace as your own. I look forawrd to all the goodness you will be sharing.
DeleteSecondly, come on, guys.
Where were you in 1976 when Cliff's "Devil Woman" was a #6 Hot 100, Gold certified hit? That was my first introduction to the man and his music. Still a rockin' song with a dark vibe which explains it's meager #30 showing on the Adult Contemporary chart. Shows up on my Halloween playlist every year, too. Seem to recall someone on the radio or telly back then saying Richard was the "British Elvis" which made no sense to me at that time but looking back th the British charts of the 50s and 60s, the man was HUGE.
For the record, I was listening to WLS during 1976-1980 and "Devil Woman" peaked at #2 on their weekly surveys while "We Don't Talk Anymore" peaked at #4.
I bought the "Devil Woman" single - it was on Elton John's Rocket label which featured a picture of a train instead of a rocket - but took a pass on 'We Don't Talk Anymore". I think it was on one of the K-Tel albums I had.
{runs over to shelf to check}
Nope, it is on Ronco's Jukebox Explosion from 1979, one of several albums on the label with "Explosion" in the title I see.
The song "Devil Woman" is on Vol. 20, one of eight unreviewed volumes in a certain series you've been working your way through over at The CD Project. So it will be interesting to me to hear what you have to say about it. {attempts Jedi mind trick}
I do like "We Don't Talk Anymore" a lot. The keyboard riff especially - is that an organ? I don't know - and I agree he's in denial over the break-up. We've all been there. Thematically similar to John Waite's "Missing You" which would come along five years later.
I never put it together that Cliff Richard sang Devil Woman. In my defense, I was 10 years old and, while I really like Devil Woman, it is night-and-day different from We Don't Talk anymore.
DeleteEven though I never passed the bar exam, I know there's no legal counterl to the "I was 10 years old defense" - you win. Game, set and match. Good job, counselor.
DeleteAnd musically, the songs are very different. So you get points for that as well.
But I was 10 years old as well (being just six weeks older than you) and I bought the single after hearing it maybe three times on the radio.
Knowing that your first single purchase was "Theme From S.W.A.T." I was wondering when the regular purchasing of 45s became a habit for you like it had become for me in 1976, pushing aside most of my comics purchases and reducing my former three sports (basketball, baseball and football) card collecting habit to just football.
Is this the kind of thing we'll be learning about here on your shiny new blog?
Hope so.
Like Mike, I too forgot about Devil Woman as well - and I was an AM/FM radio-aholic in the late 70's and early 80's. That being said, I do enjoy Devil Woman, sing along to it every time it comes on 70's on 7, have it in my digital library and even have it on my Halloween Party playlist.
DeleteOne day at a time, Martin.
DeleteThe first step is to admit you are powerless over the short-sighted playlists foisted upon you by the program directors on radio, wheteher it be AM or FM, satellite or online.