Talk to Me (Kiss song)
Encyclopedia
"Talk to Me" is a song by American
hard rock
band Kiss
, released in 1980 on their eighth studio album Unmasked. The song, never released as a single in the US, was released as a single worldwide on November 1, 1980. The song broke the top 40 in several countries, reaching the highest position in Switzerland
, at #10. "Talk to Me" was played only when Ace Frehley
was a member of the band.
was released. Although Paul Stanley
and Gene Simmons
decided to make a pop-rock album(unusual for Kiss), Frehley's compositions remained hard rock
, as much as they could be. After Peter Criss
' departure, Frehley would be often out-voted 2-1 by Simmons and Stanley (Eric Carr
wasn't a partner in the band as others were, but rather an employee), who then decided to make a pop-rock album. "Talk to Me" is one of only two songs from the album not to be co-written by producer Vini Poncia
, with other being another Frehley song "Two Sides of the Coin". Frehley also played bass guitar
on the song, instead of Simmons, who is the bassist in the band. Simmons didn't play bass guitar on any of Frehley's compositions and on some of Stanley's.
"Talk to Me" was never released as a single in the US, but was a top 40 hit in Australia
, Holland, Germany
, and Switzerland
(#10). The song would be usually released with "Naked City" as a B-side. In Japan
, it was released with "Easy As It Seems" as a B-side because "Naked City" was already released as a B-side for "Tomorrow". The band filmed a lip-synched performance video for West German television. On November 21, the band performed at Sydney Showground
. The concert was filmed and broadcast as "The Inner Sanctum". Although the concert was never released as a live album, performances of "Talk to Me" and "New York Groove
" have appeared on Kiss albums ("Talk to Me" on The Box Set and "New York Groove" on You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!
).
and, like the whole album, was ignored during the '80s. During the Asian and Australian leg of the Kiss Farewell Tour
, Kiss performed the song. The song hadn't been performed ever since. Frehley also performed the song while on a tour across Australia
.
Covers:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, released in 1980 on their eighth studio album Unmasked. The song, never released as a single in the US, was released as a single worldwide on November 1, 1980. The song broke the top 40 in several countries, reaching the highest position in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, at #10. "Talk to Me" was played only when Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
was a member of the band.
Background
"Talk to Me" is one of three songs from the album Ace Frehley wrote and sings on. The album also features most of Frehley's material, who got more involved in songwriting after his solo albumAce Frehley (album)
Ace Frehley is a 1978 solo album from the lead guitarist and vocalist of American hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978....
was released. Although Paul Stanley
Paul Stanley
Stanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
and Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
decided to make a pop-rock album(unusual for Kiss), Frehley's compositions remained hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, as much as they could be. After Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
' departure, Frehley would be often out-voted 2-1 by Simmons and Stanley (Eric Carr
Eric Carr
Paul Charles Caravello , also known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Caravello was selected as the new Kiss drummer after Peter Criss left in 1980...
wasn't a partner in the band as others were, but rather an employee), who then decided to make a pop-rock album. "Talk to Me" is one of only two songs from the album not to be co-written by producer Vini Poncia
Vini Poncia
Vini Poncia is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.In the 1960s, Poncia formed a songwriting team with Peter Anders. An album of songs co-written by these childhood friends The Anders & Poncia Album, was produced by Richard Perry and released in 1969...
, with other being another Frehley song "Two Sides of the Coin". Frehley also played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on the song, instead of Simmons, who is the bassist in the band. Simmons didn't play bass guitar on any of Frehley's compositions and on some of Stanley's.
"Talk to Me" was never released as a single in the US, but was a top 40 hit in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Holland, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(#10). The song would be usually released with "Naked City" as a B-side. In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, it was released with "Easy As It Seems" as a B-side because "Naked City" was already released as a B-side for "Tomorrow". The band filmed a lip-synched performance video for West German television. On November 21, the band performed at Sydney Showground
Sydney Showground (Moore Park)
The former Sydney Showground at Moore Park was the site of the Sydney Royal Easter Show in New South Wales, Australia from 1882 until 1997, when the Show was moved to the new Sydney Showground at Homebush Bay, which was built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics...
. The concert was filmed and broadcast as "The Inner Sanctum". Although the concert was never released as a live album, performances of "Talk to Me" and "New York Groove
New York Groove
"New York Groove" is a song written by Russ Ballard and first recorded by Hello in 1975 and later by Ace Frehley in 1978.-Hello:The British glam rock band Hello first recorded the song in 1975, for their debut album, Keeps Us Off The Streets...
" have appeared on Kiss albums ("Talk to Me" on The Box Set and "New York Groove" on You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! is a Live hits album released by American hard rock band Kiss. The album was issued to coincide with the group's 1996–97 Alive/Worldwide Tour. All of the songs on the album are live versions. Most were taken from Alive! or Alive II but four recordings had...
).
Live performances
"Talk to Me" was performed during the Unmasked TourUnmasked Tour
The Unmasked Tour was a 1980 concert tour by the hard rock group Kiss. It was the first tour not to feature original drummer Peter Criss, and the touring debut of his replacement Eric Carr. The Unmasked tour was the first time that Kiss only played in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, with only...
and, like the whole album, was ignored during the '80s. During the Asian and Australian leg of the Kiss Farewell Tour
Kiss Farewell Tour
The Kiss Farewell Tour was a concert tour performed by the rock group Kiss four years after they reunited the group's original line up for a record-breaking Reunion Tour in 1996, "Kiss Worldwide Alive". A follow up tour in 1998 in support of their cd "Psycho Circus" saw lower ticket sales in the...
, Kiss performed the song. The song hadn't been performed ever since. Frehley also performed the song while on a tour across Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Appearances
"Talk to Me" has appeared on following albums:- Unmasked - studio version
- The Box Set - live version
- GoldGold (KISS album)Gold is a 2005 greatest hits collection from hard rock band Kiss. This two-disc set covers the band's recordings from 1974 to 1982. All tracks are previously available.-Track listing:Disc 1:#"Strutter"...
- studio version - IkonsIkonsIkons is a 4 CD box set compilation album by Universal Music Group, featuring material recorded by American hard rock band Kiss. Each CD in the set is named after one of the original band members, collecting songs that represent his contribution to the band. In 1996 the 'KISS-Ikons' concept was...
- studio version
Covers:
- Peppermint CreepsPeppermint CreepsPeppermint Creeps are a Glam metal band from Hollywood, California, formed in 1997. Their music can be compared to KISS' style and J-Rock styles with a Pop-Punk sound...
have covered the song for their cover album Cover Up.
Credited personnel
- Ace FrehleyAce FrehleyPaul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, lead vocals - Paul StanleyPaul StanleyStanley Harvey Eisen , better known by his stage name Paul Stanley, is an American hard rock guitarist, singer, musician, painter and songwriter best known for being the rhythm guitarist and primary lead vocalist of the rock band Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of many of the band's...
- rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Gene SimmonsGene SimmonsGene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Peter CrissPeter CrissGeorge Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
- drums
Charts
| Country | Chart (1980) | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
34 |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
39 |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Media Control Charts Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
32 |
| Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Swiss Singles Chart | 10 |