I'm Talking

An ephemeral Australian dance-pop group firmly rooted in post-disco R&B, I'm Talking nonetheless covered a lot of stylistic ground from their 1983 formation through their 1987 split. Saxophonist Ian Cox, guitarist Robert Goodge, and bassist Barbara Hogarth started the band following the breakup of <a href="spotify:artist:51i7xTdh8FTNMptCHf4PIE">Essendon Airport</a>. Rather than continue playing unorthodox punk-funk that would have been at home on hip underground labels such as <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ZE%22">ZE</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%2299%22">99</a>, the trio opted to go in a comparatively commercial direction with the addition of keyboardist Stephen Charlesworth, drummer Cameron Newman, and vocalists Suzanne Abeyratne (aka Zan) and <a href="spotify:artist:6E4eoLJTZYyIC5cZVg6fDx">Kate Ceberano</a>. Signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Regular+Records%22">Regular Records</a>, distributed in Australia at the time by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22WEA%22">WEA</a>, the band eased across spring-loaded pop-funk, pure R&B balladry, and freestyle with a bright synthesis of played and programmed instrumentation. I'm Talking released a handful of singles and some soundtrack work during 1984 and 1985, a phase highlighted by "Trust Me," "Lead the Way," and their cover of <a href="spotify:artist:1OxJzMLmR9l5zPLap9OxuO">Rose Royce</a>'s "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," all of which registered on the ARIA chart. These releases were followed by the 1986 album Bear Witness. Produced by <a href="spotify:artist:2gaxJ6WzJbs1O6z1mml8SB">Fred Maher</a> (<a href="spotify:artist:7yegFhKemMedsme3entsAW">Material</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:59luKpdal8UwxcuLJNoKwS">Scritti Politti</a>) and Martyn Webster (<a href="spotify:artist:0RSRLPv7ZmcrlyboVGR0hL">Anne Clark</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2s79xe5F6eUQkjwjww27Fh">ABC</a>), it reached number 15 on the ARIA albums chart, bolstered by the Top Ten singles "Do You Wanna Be?" and "Holy Word." Within a year, however, the band had split after a series of lineup changes. Abeyratne and <a href="spotify:artist:6E4eoLJTZYyIC5cZVg6fDx">Ceberano</a> released solo recordings, while other members continued separately and together in varying outlets. Bear Witness was remastered and expanded in 2018. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi