Living in Another World

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Living in Another World

| cover = Talk Talk Living in Another World picture disc single.jpg

| alt = A vinyl record in the shape and image of an illustrated moth

| caption = Seven-inch picture disc

| type = single

| artist = Talk Talk

| album = The Colour of Spring

| B-side = For What It's Worth

| released = 3 March 1986{{cite magazine|last=Neiss|first=James|date=December 1991|title=Talk Talk|magazine=Record Collector|location=London|publisher=Diamond Publishing Group|page=23}}

| recorded = 1985, London

| studio = {{hlist|Battery Studios{{cite magazine|last1=Unwin|first1=Neville|last2=Goodyer|first2=Tim|date=April 1986|title=Talkback|url=http://www.snowinberlin.com/colourofspring.html|magazine=Home and Recording Studio}}|Videosonics Studios{{cite book|last1=Marsh|first1=James|last2=Roberts|first2=Chris|last3=Benjamin|first3=Toby|title=Spirit of Talk Talk|date=2015|publisher=Rocket 88|location=London|isbn=9781906615956|page=74|edition=Paperback}}}}

| venue =

| genre = New wave{{cite web|last1=Terich|first1=Jeff|title=The 90-Minute Guide: New Wave|url=http://www.treblezine.com/the-90-minute-guide-new-wave/|website=Treble|date=2 March 2009|accessdate=20 August 2017}}{{cite web|url= http://pitchfork.com/news/47680-talk-talks-mark-hollis-resurfaces-with-new-music-for-the-kelsey-grammer-tv-show-boss/ |title= Talk Talk's Mark Hollis Resurfaces with New Music for the Kelsey Grammer TV Show "Boss" |first= Amy |last= Phillips |date= 31 August 2012 |website= Pitchfork |accessdate= 20 August 2017}}

| length = *{{Duration|m=4|s=11}} (7" Version)

  • {{Duration|m=6|s=58}} (Album Version)
  • {{Duration|m=8|s=59}} (12" Version)

| label = {{hlist|EMI|Parlophone}}

| writer = {{hlist|Mark Hollis|Tim Friese-Greene}}

| producer = Tim Friese-Greene

| prev_title = Life's What You Make It

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Give It Up

| next_year = 1986

| misc = {{External music video|{{Youtube|fZQZZf_R434|"Living in Another World"}}}}

}}

"Living in Another World" is a song by English band Talk Talk. It was recorded for the band's 1986 album The Colour of Spring and was the second single from the album, making the top 40 in Germany,{{cite web|title=Talk Talk Living in Another World|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-1425|website=Offizielle Deutsche Charts|accessdate=14 August 2017}} Switzerland,{{cite web|title=Talk Talk - Living in Another World|url=http://www.swisscharts.com/song/Talk-Talk/Living-In-Another-World-1425|website=Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade|accessdate=14 August 2017}} the Netherlands{{cite web|title=Talk Talk - Living in Another World|url=https://www.top40.nl/talk-talk/talk-talk-living-in-another-world-9848|website=Media Markt Top 40|accessdate=15 August 2017}} and Flanders.{{cite web|title=Talk Talk - Living in Another World|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/591/Talk-Talk-Living-In-Another-World|website=ultratop.be|accessdate=15 August 2017}}

The track was one of those selected to promote contentious 1991 remix album History Revisited.{{cite magazine|last=Neiss|first=James|date=December 1991|title=Talk Talk|magazine=Record Collector|location=London|publisher=Diamond Publishing Group|page=22}} The artwork for the single was by James Marsh. Hammond organ is played by guest musician Steve Winwood. Harmonica is played by guest musician Mark Feltham.

Composition

The song has been noted for its cyclical musical structure. Kenny Anderson, aka King Creosote: "I never tire of [the song], and yet I don't quite understand how they managed to make it sound like a musical version of that famous Escher staircase."{{cite book|last1=Marsh|first1=James|last2=Roberts|first2=Chris|last3=Benjamin|first3=Toby|title=Spirit of Talk Talk|date=2015|publisher=Rocket 88|location=London|isbn=9781906615956|page=126|edition=Paperback}} Songwriter Mark Hollis was inspired by the modal jazz of Miles Davis.{{cite web|last1=Myers|first1=Ben|title=How Talk Talk spoke to today's artists|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2011/feb/28/talk-talk-mark-hollis|website=The Guardian|date=28 February 2011|accessdate=14 August 2017}} In an interview on Italian TV in 1987, Hollis explained that the studies of Jean-Paul Sartre inspired the lyrics.{{Citation needed|date=June 2019}}

Artwork

The illustration for the song continued the "moth" theme developed by James Marsh for the Colour of Spring album and singles.{{cite book|last1=Marsh|first1=James|last2=Roberts|first2=Chris|last3=Benjamin|first3=Toby|title=Spirit of Talk Talk|date=2015|publisher=Rocket 88|location=London|isbn=9781906615956|page=178|edition=Paperback}} It was the only painting in the series to have pre-existed, having been created by Marsh for his first book. It appeared opposite a verse entitled "Tiger Moth".{{cite book|last1=Marsh|first1=James|title=Bizarre Birds & Beasts|date=1991|publisher=Pavilion Books|location=London|isbn=1851457178}}

Music video

A promotional video for "Living in Another World" was directed by long-time collaborator Tim Pope. It features the band being suspended 20ft in the air (shot upside down but filmed the right way round), hanging onto a grand piano whilst a wind machine blows violently in their faces.

Cover versions

"Living in Another World" was covered by Lights featuring Darkstars for the 2012 tribute album Spirit of Talk Talk.{{cite web|url=http://8tracks.com/songs/2886869-lights-feat-darkstars-living-in-another-world|title=Living in Another World|publisher=8tracks.com|accessdate=14 August 2017}}

References

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