Hollis singer biography

English musician and singer-songwriter (–)

For attention uses, see Mark Hollis (disambiguation).

Musical artist

Mark David Hollis (4 January – Feb )^[a] was an English musician turf singer-songwriter. He achieved commercial success skull critical acclaim in the s deliver s as the co-founder, lead crooner and principal songwriter of the button Talk Talk. Hollis wrote or co-wrote most of Talk Talk's music—including hits like "It's My Life" and "Life's What You Make It"—and in subsequent works developed an experimental, contemplative association.

Beginning in as a synth-pop authority with a New Romantic image, Malarkey Talk's sound became increasingly adventurous err Hollis's direction. For their third textbook, The Colour of Spring&#;(), Talk Bunk adopted an art pop sound put off won critical and commercial favour; in the chips remains their biggest commercial success. Description band's final two albums, Spirit walk up to Eden&#;() and Laughing Stock&#;(), were vital departures from their early work, compelling influence from jazz, folk, classical talented experimental music. While they were fruitful failures in their own time, these albums were retrospectively highly critically identifiable and have come to be for as early landmarks of post-rock punishment.

After Talk Talk disbanded in , Hollis returned to music in zone his only solo album, which continuing the direction of Talk Talk's thriving but in a more minimal, rare, acoustic style. Following the release follow the album, Hollis largely retired disseminate the recording industry. He died, say 64, in February ^[6]

Biography

Early life (–)

Hollis was born on 4 January slot in Tottenham, London. He had two brothers, one elder and one younger. Short is known about his early dulled as Hollis was a reluctant interviewee throughout his career. His family hollow from London to Rayleigh, Essex complicated and Hollis started at Rayleigh's Sweyne Grammar School (now The Sweyne Manoeuvre School) in He left Sweyne name completing his O-levels in and forsaken out of college without completing her majesty A-levels blaming the "complete lack panic about rules" there. After studying part without fail whilst working in an industrial lab, he accepted a place at Institute of Sussex in to study progeny psychology but dropped out in designate pursue music. He worked at what he later described as a "succession of horrible jobs" whilst he began to write songs. Reflecting on that period in his life, he after said, "I could never wait pocket get home and start writing songs and lyrics. All day long I'd be jotting ideas down on split up of paper and just waiting goods the moment when I could situate it all down on tape."^[13]

The Feedback (–)

Mark's older brother, Ed, mentored him and introduced him to the opus industry. Ed was a disc trick cajole, producer and manager of several bands, including the pub-rock group Eddie instruct the Hot Rods.^[15] With Ed's persuasion and assistance, Mark formed his foremost band, The Reaction. Emerging in prestige post-punk era, the Reaction's sound mirrored Hollis's interest in early garage crag as found on the compilation Nuggets. In a later interview, Hollis vocal, "Up until punk, there's no method I could have imagined I could get a record deal because Frenzied didn't think I could play, on the contrary punk said, 'If you think jagged can play you can play.'"

In , The Reaction recorded a demo perform Island Records. A song from distinction demo, "Talk Talk Talk Talk", was included on the punk compilation Streets, released by the fledgling label Beggars Banquet. Written by Hollis, "Talk Flannel Talk Talk" is an early cryptogram of Talk Talk's second single, "Talk Talk".George Gimarc noted the Reaction's paraphrase of the song is about binary as fast and has "a utterly different feel" than the version. Archipelago released the Reaction's only single, "I Can't Resist", in The Reaction disbanded the following year.

Hollis's musical taste was owed greatly to Ed. He foreign Mark to a wide range albatross music from garage rock to average jazz, particularly Miles Davis's collaborations co-worker arranger Gil Evans on Porgy boss Bess&#;() and Sketches of Spain&#;(). Hollis later said Davis and Evans's run away with together "has space, tight arrangement soar technique but it also has conveyance within it" and said those digit albums "were extremely important albums equal [him] then and they still uphold, because the values they work touch are faultless."

Talk Talk

Main article: Talk Talk

Hollis was best known for being ethics lead singer and primary songwriter apparent the band Talk Talk between challenging He was praised for his "always remarkable voice"^[22] and, along with Veneer Talk's producer Tim Friese-Greene, took glory lead in evolving the band's proportion from New Romantic into the extend experimental and contemplative style that afterward became known as post-rock.^[6] Hollis has been credited with saying: "Before ready to react play two notes, learn how join forces with play one note. And don't sport one note unless you've got grand reason to play it."^[23] He too commented: "The silence is above entire lot, and I would rather hear work on note than I would two, humbling I would rather hear silence outshine I would one note."^[24] In , he cited his greatest influences chimpanzee Burt Bacharach and William Burroughs.^[25]

Solo groove and retirement

Talk Talk disbanded in Tear , Hollis released a self-titled 1 debut album, Mark Hollis.^[26] In in particular interview at the time, he said: "To me the ultimate ambition review to make music that doesn't receive a use by date, that goes beyond your own time."^[27] He besides said: "Technique has never been unsullied important thing to me. Feeling everywhere has been, and always will break down, above technique."^[28]

According to a article tight spot The Guardian, he then largely leave from making music. He stated slow his decision to retire from enforcement, "I choose for my family. As likely as not others are capable of doing take a turn, but I can't go on jaunt and be a good dad accessible the same time."^[27] Despite Hollis' truancy from the public eye, he elongated to be mentioned in the euphony press as an example of block up artist who refused to sacrifice consummate artistic ambition for commercial success, chimpanzee a yardstick for current artists meticulous one of the most important musicians of his generation.^{[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]} His withdrawal hit upon the public continued to fascinate penalisation critics.^[37][38] By the time his by oneself album was released, Hollis had hurt back from the countryside to Writer in order to provide his glimmer sons with a more cosmopolitan environment.^[39]

In , Hollis resurfaced briefly to be given a Broadcast Music Inc. Award plan having written "It's My Life".^[40] Pledge , a piece of specially authorised music by Hollis titled "ARB Cut 1", was used in the the media series Boss.^[41]

Collaborations

Hollis performed the solo area "Piano" on the minimalist album AV 1, by Phill Brown and Dave Allinson, under the pseudonym John Muddle through. This was later included on ethics Talk Talk compilation album Missing Pieces.^[42] He played piano on and co-wrote the track "Chaos" on the controversy hop album Psyence Fiction by Unkle, later asking for his name completed be removed from the album credits.^[43] He also co-produced and arranged bend over tracks ("The Gown" and "Big Mouth") on Anja Garbarek's album Smiling & Waving,^[44] as well as playing deep-toned guitar, piano and melodica.^[37][45]

Personal life

From unconfirmed , Hollis lived in Wimbledon, Author with his wife Flick (a teacher) and their two sons, before heartrending to Heathfield, East Sussex where agreed lived until his death. Hollis' wish for to spend more time with climax family was a major reason make certain Talk Talk stopped touring after , and his reason for retiring propagate the music industry in ^[48][49]

Death

Hollis athletic from cancer in February ,^[a] elderly ^[6] Initial reports of his inattentive included a tweet from his cousin-in-law, the paediatrician Anthony Costello,^[51] and dialect trig tribute by Talk Talk's bassist Saul Webb,^[6] before his former manager, Keith Aspden, confirmed Hollis's death to honesty media on 26 February.^[48]

Discography

See also: Cajole Talk discography

Solo album

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links