Last updated February 22, 1998
The ex-Talk Talk singer/songwriter has returned. This time he's going it alone. But where has he been ? Asks HAYLEY BARTLETT
Piano-pop gods Talk Talk jangled their way through the last decade with hits like 'Today' (1982) and 'Life's What You Make It' (1986). After a seven-year break, frontman Mark Hollis has returned, with a self-produced and co-written solo album. File this one under your 'Interesting Easy Listening' section ladies and gentlemen. As an attempt to produce an eclectic hybrid of jazz, folk, and country, 'Mark Hollis' has come up trumps.
As a teenager in the 70s, Mark grew up with two great influences in his life. Older siblings are always influential and big brother Ed Hollis was no exception. As manager and producer for Eddie and the Hot Rods, he was to introduce his little brother to the wonderful world of music, as Mark confirms : "Ed was an extremely important influence, even before the Hot Rods. He was such an intensive collector of albums, he educated me in different forms of music." The Hot Rods were also important because of their links with the phenomenal punk movement: "It's the most important musical thing that has ever happened in my lifetime. There was so much emphasis on enthusiasm and energy - as opposed to ability. To me, the possibility of being in a band was so remote, but that whole movement opened it up."
Hollis started his pop path in 1978 fronting new wave band the Reaction. A one-off 45, "I Can't Resist" (Island Records), is now a modest hit with revival collectors. It was in 1981 that Ed introduced Mark to some session musicians he was working with - Lee Harris (Drums) and Paul Webb (Bass) - who, along with Simon Brenner on keyboards, formed Talk Talk. Stints supporting those glossy Duran Duran boys led to the gang gaining relative success with albums "The Party's Over", "Spirit Of Eden" and "The Colour Of Spring".
For Hollis, the 80's is a phase best forgotten. The electro-pop music of Talk Talk was recorded in what feels like a different lifetime. Sixteen years down the line, Mark has developed a passion for the quieter side of life. He's also oblivious to what's been going on music-wise for the past seven years: "With such an incredible wealth of music being made over the years, you don't need to listen to contemporary music". But what's he been doing since the demise of Talk Talk ? Well there's no saucy scandal, and no mammoth project to speak of, just a few woodwind pieces written for personal pleasure and a few years working on the new album.
The album is heavily influenced by jazz, and has a disjointed feel to it - a feeling that makes sense in an incoherent kind of way. Has he always been an admirer of the old jazz masters ? "I'm a real fan of the late 50s/mid 60s jazz, especially Miles Davis and Gil Evans. Two albums, "Porgy and Bess" and "Sketches of Spain", were important to me. They had a good balance between looseness and careful structure." Hollis acknowledges that during different periods you get into different areas of music and, as he explains, "elbow stuff along the way". He wanted his solo work to have a very real sound to it :"I needed it to feel calm, to be absolutely minimal and to work with space, as much as you can work with space." The theory behind the man is not to do anything unless there is a reason for it.
Hollis has co-written the album with pianist Phil Ramekin, guitarist Dominic Miller, and Warne Livesey, whose previous credits include Julian Cope, Midnight Oil, and Deacon Blue. With all these people approaching him for work, does he feel there was that sense of control missing with Talk Talk ? "Absolutely not, as a producing role didn't really exist for me then. Where I am now is very distanced to where I began and I'm glad of that. Not because I'm bothered by anything that I have done, but I have moved on."
There won't be any live sets showcasing the new talents of Hollis, as it would apparently be impossible to perform live : "To get the instruments to balance, nobody would be able to hear them." When asked about the first single from the album, Hollis smiled a knowing smile : "What is a single ? Something you boil an egg by ?" A fair point. So there won't be any singles from Hollis, merely a delicate collection of laid-back vibes - the perfect musical accompaniment to a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Yes, Mark Hollis really does believe that life is what you make it. For him, it's a quiet one, one filled with good music made with good friends, for no other reason than because he wants to. You get the feeling that it's really quite an honour that we will ever hear it at all.