The Colour of Spring

The Colour of Spring is commonly viewed as a bridge between Talk Talk's earlier, synthesized pop sound, and their later, more improvisation-based work. Despite the extensive use of synthesizers on the previous two albums, Hollis was vocal in his distaste for them, stating that they were used primarily for economic reasons and that “if they didn’t exist, I’d be delighted.”{{cite web |url=https://www.classicpopmag.com/2021/02/classic-album-talk-talk-the-colour-of-spring/ |website=Classic Pop |access-date=4 October 2022 |date=25 February 2021 |last=Crossley |first=Neil |title=Making Talk Talk – The Colour Of Spring}} During the recording of the album, Hollis frequently listened to the music of composers such as Erik Satie, Claude Debussy, and Béla Bartók, with the latter being a particularly significant influence on the album.{{cite web |url=https://longlivevinyl.net/2019/07/29/classic-album-talk-talk-colour-of-spring/ |website=Long Live Vinyl |title=Talk Talk — The Colour of Spring |access-date=4 October 2022 |date=29 July 2019 |last=Crossley |first=Neil}}

Like other Talk Talk albums, outside musicians were heavily utilized. Guests contributing to the album include Robbie McIntosh adding guitar, and Steve Winwood, who played organ on the hit "Living in Another World", alongside "Happiness is Easy" and "I Don't Believe in You".{{cite web |url= https://www.rhino.com/aod/the-colour-of-spring-talk-talk |website=Rhino |title=Album of the Day – The Colour of Spring |access-date=5 October 2020}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-colour-of-spring-mw0000650865 |title=The Colour of Spring – Talk Talk |website=AllMusic |accessdate=6 August 2015 |last=Woodstra |first=Chris}}

| rev2 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Talk Talk |chapter-url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195313734.001.0001/acref-9780195313734-e-40277 |accessdate=26 August 2016 |chapter-url-access=subscription |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=4th online |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-199-72636-3}}

| rev3 = Mojo

| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Lost Horizon |magazine=Mojo |location=London |issn=1351-0193 |issue=222 |date=May 2012 |last=Eccleston |first=Danny |page=100}}

| rev4 = Q

| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |title=Talk Talk: The Colour of Spring |magazine=Q |location=London |issue=211 |date=February 2004 |page=119}}

| rev5 = Uncut

| rev5score = 9/10{{cite magazine |title=Mark Hollis: Buyer's Guide |magazine=Uncut |location=London |issue=264 |date=May 2019 |last=Thomson |first=Graeme |page=53}}

}}

The Colour of Spring became the band's highest selling non-compilation studio album, reaching the Top 20 in numerous countries (topping the Dutch charts), including the UK, where it reached No. 8 and stayed in the UK charts for 21 weeks. It did not quite match the sales of its predecessor in the United States but was nonetheless their last album to enter the Billboard 200, reaching number 58. With the international hit "Life's What You Make It", Talk Talk expanded their fan base. The song became the band's fourth of four American hits, along with 1982's "Talk Talk" and 1984's "It's My Life" and "Such a Shame".

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.{{cite book|author1=Robert Dimery|author2=Michael Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|date=23 March 2010|publisher=Universe|isbn=978-0-7893-2074-2}}

{{tracklist

|headline = Side one

| all_writing = Tim Friese-Greene and Mark Hollis

| title1 = Happiness Is Easy

| length1 = 6:30

| title2 = I Don't Believe in You

| length2 = 5:02

| title3 = Life's What You Make It

| length3 = 4:29

| title4 = April 5th

| length4 = 5:51

}}

{{tracklist

|headline = Side two

| title5 = Living in Another World

| length5 = 6:58

| title6 = Give It Up

| length6 = 5:17

| title7 = Chameleon Day

| length7 = 3:20

| title8 = Time It's Time

| length8 = 8:14

|total_length = 45:40

}}

Credits per album notes.{{Cite AV media notes |title=The Colour of Spring |others=Talk Talk |year=2012 |pages=2-5 |type=Liner notes |publisher=EMI Records}}

;Talk Talk

• Mark Hollis — lead vocals, piano (tracks 3, 5, 6, 7), Variophon (tracks 1, 4 and 7), organ (track 4), Mellotron (track 6), electric guitar (track 8), melodica (track 8)
• Lee Harris — drums (except 4, 7)
• Paul Webb — bass guitar (tracks 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8), backing vocals (tracks 3 and 5)

;Additional personnel

• Tim Friese-Greene — producer, piano (tracks 1, 2, and 8), Kurzweil Synthesizer (tracks 1, 4 and 7), organ (tracks 3, 6 and 8), Variophon (tracks 4 and 7), Mellotron (track 3)
• Ian Curnow — synthesizer solos (tracks 2 and 6)
• Martin Ditcham — percussion (tracks 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8)
• Mark Feltham — harmonica (track 5)
• Alan Gorrie — electric bass (track 1)
• Robbie McIntosh — guitar (tracks 1, 2, 5 and 8), Dobro (tracks 4 and 6)
• Morris Pert — percussion (tracks 1, 2, 5, and 8)
• Phil Reis — percussion (track 1)
• David Rhodes — guitar (tracks 3, 5, and 6)
• David Roach — soprano saxophone (tracks 2, 4, and 5)
• Gaynor Sadler — harp (track 2)
• Danny Thompson — acoustic bass (track 1)
• Children from the school of Miss Speake — children's choir (track 1)
• Ambrosian Singers — choir (track 8)
• Steve Winwood — organ (tracks 1, 2, and 5)

;Technical

• Dennis Weinrich — engineer
• Dietmar Schillinger — engineer
• Paul Schroeder — engineer
• Pete Wooliscroft — engineer
• James Marsh — cover art

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{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Canada|artist=Talk Talk|title=The Colour of Spring|award=Gold|certyear=1986|relyear=1986|accessdate=24 August 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Netherlands|artist=Talk Talk|title=Colour of Spring|award=Gold|certyear=1986|relyear=1986|accessdate=24 August 2019}}

{{certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United Kingdom|artist=Talk Talk|title=The Colour of Spring|award=Gold|certyear=1986|relyear=1986|accessdate=24 August 2019|id=6853-1381-2}}

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Category:Talk Talk albums

Category:1986 albums

Category:EMI Records albums

Category:Progressive pop albums

Category:Experimental pop albums

Category:Art pop albums

Category:Albums produced by Tim Friese-Greene