Such a Shame

"Such a Shame"
Single by Talk Talk
from the album It's My Life
B-side "Again, a Game...Again"
Released March 1984
Format
Recorded 1983
Genre
Length
  • 3:59
  • 6:54 (12" single, A-side)
  • 5:43 (12" single, B-side)
Label
Songwriter(s) Mark Hollis
Producer(s) Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk singles chronology
"It's My Life"
(1984)		 "Such a Shame"
(1984)		 "Dum Dum Girl"
(1984)

"It's My Life"
(1984)		 "Such a Shame"
(1984)		 "Dum Dum Girl"
(1984)
Audio sample
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"Such a Shame"
Single by Talk Talk
from the album Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk
A-side "Such a Shame" (Original Version)
B-side "Dum Dum Girl"
Released 30 November 1990
Format
Recorded 1983
Genre
Length
  • 4:28 (7" single, 12" single B-side, cassette single and CD single track 1)
  • 5:40 (12" single)
  • 5:44 (CD single track 2)
Label Parlophone
Songwriter(s) Mark Hollis
Producer(s) Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk singles chronology
"Life's What You Make It"
(1990)		 "Such a Shame"
(1990)		 "Living in Another World '91"
(1991)

"Life's What You Make It"
(1990)		 "Such a Shame"
(1990)		 "Living in Another World '91"
(1991)

"Such a Shame" is a song written by Mark Hollis for the English band Talk Talk's second album It's My Life (1984).

Lyrics

"Such a Shame" was inspired by Luke Rhinehart's The Dice Man,[1] one of composer Mark Hollis' favourite books. When asked what drove him to respond to Rhinehart's book, Hollis replied, "A good book, not a lifestyle I'd recommend."[2]

Single

It was released as the album's second single in 1984 (see 1984 in music) and became a big hit in continental Europe in 1984 and 1985, reaching the Top 10 in several countries, and becoming a number one in certain territories (their third number one single after the remixed version of their song "Talk Talk" which topped the South African charts in 1983 and the single "It's My Life" which was number one in the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in 1984); but strangely this single was largely ignored in the UK. In the US, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100, and was a Top 20 hit in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.

The song was also released in 2004. It was also featured in a European TV commercial for the French car Peugeot 205.[3]

Reception

Writing in the NME, Richard Cook slated it, describing it as "faceless regret coaxed from lurex trashcan."[4]

Track listings

Original release

7" EMI 5433
No.TitleLength
1."Such a Shame"3:59
2."Again, a Game...Again"4:06
7" with extra single, The Talk Talk Demos EMID 5433
No.TitleLength
1."Such a Shame"3:59
2."Again, a Game...Again"4:06
3."Candy" (recorded in June 1981)4:20
4."Talk Talk" (recorded in June 1981)3:24
5."Mirror Man" (recorded in June 1981)3:28
12" 12EMI 5433
No.TitleLength
1."Such a Shame" (extended version)6:54
2."Such a Shame"5:43
3."Again, a Game...Again"4:06

1990 release

7" R 6276
No.TitleLength
1."Such a Shame" (Original Version)4:28
2."Dum Dum Girl" (live from 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival)3:39
12" 12R 6276
No.TitleLength
1."Such a Shame" (remixed by Gary Miller)5:40
2."Such a Shame" (Original Version)4:28
3."Dum Dum Girl" (live from 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival)3:39
Cassette TCR 6276
No.TitleLength
1."Such a Shame" (Original Version)4:28
2."Dum Dum Girl" (live from 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival)3:39
CD CDR 6276
No.TitleLength
1."Such a Shame" (Original Version)4:28
2."Such a Shame" (remixed by Gary Miller)5:40
3."Talk Talk" (live from 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival)3:30
4."Dum Dum Girl" (live from 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival)3:39

Charts

Weekly charts

Sandra version

"Such a Shame"
Single by Sandra
from the album The Wheel of Time
Released 25 March 2002
Format CD single
Genre Synthpop
Length 4:18
Label Virgin
Songwriter(s) Mark Hollis
Producer(s)
Sandra singles chronology
"Forever"
(2001)		 "Such a Shame"
(2002)		 "I Close My Eyes"
(2002)

"Forever"
(2001)		 "Such a Shame"
(2002)		 "I Close My Eyes"
(2002)

German singer Sandra covered "Such a Shame" for her 7th studio album The Wheel of Time in 2002. Sandra's version was produced by Michael Cretu and Jens Gad. This cover version was released as the album's second single in March 2002, where it reached number 76 on the official German charts.

Track listing

  1. "Such a Shame" – 4:18
  2. "Such a Shame" (Straight Dance Mix) – 7:54
  3. "Such a Shame" (Cool Club Mix) – 5:22
  4. "Such a Shame" (Karaoke Version) – 4:18

Charts

Chart (2002) Peak
position
Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 76

Other cover versions

  • In 1984, "Such a Shame" was covered by James Last.
  • Alles ist die Sekte has "Such a Shame" sampled for their 2003 single "Harmonie (Ausrasten und Pogen)" (English: Harmony (Lashing out and Poging)), released from the album Gar nich so schlimm! (English: Not so bad at all!).
  • It was covered by Nouvelle Vague on their 2009 album 3.
  • In 2012, it was covered by Belgian singer An Pierlé on her album Strange Days.[23]
  • Polish rock band Myslovitz released a cover version in 2012 as a single. It is one of the songs on the tribute album Spirit of Talk Talk.[24]
  • In 2013, Dutch symphonic metal group Delain covered the song on their Interlude album.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Neiss, James (December 1991). "Talk Talk". Record Collector. Diamond Publishing Group Ltd (148): 18–23.
  2. ↑ Aakjaer, Henrik H. "Such a Shame". Within Without. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  3. ↑ PUB 205 collector. YouTube. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  4. ↑ Cook, Richard (31 March 1984). "Singles". NME. p. 18.
  5. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Talk Talk – Such A Shame" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Talk Talk – Such A Shame" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Talk Talk – Such A Shame" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Talk Talk – Such A Shame". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "HitParadeItalia – Top10 del 29 Settembre 1984" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  10. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Talk Talk - Such A Shame" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Talk Talk – Such A Shame" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Charts.nz – Talk Talk – Such A Shame". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Talk Talk – Such A Shame". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  14. 1 2 "Talk Talk: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Talk Talk – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  17. ↑ "I singoli più venduti del 1984" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  19. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  20. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1984" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  21. ↑ "TOP – 1985" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  22. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sandra – Such A Shame". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "An Pierlé's Such a Shame cover of Talk Talk's Such a Shame". WhoSampled. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  24. ↑ "Talk Talk compilation: Spirit of Talk Talk". Fierce Panda. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
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