Such a Shame

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"Such a Shame"
Single by Talk Talk
from the album It's My Life
B-side "Again, a Game... Again"
Released July 6, 1984
Format 7" single, 12" maxi
Recorded 1983
Genre Synthpop, New Wave
Length 3:59
Label EMI, Parlophone
Writer(s) Mark Hollis
Producer Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk singles chronology
"It's My Life"
(1984)		 "Such a Shame"
(1984)		 "Dum Dum Girl"
(1984)
Alternative cover
Music sample
"Such a Shame"
"Such a Shame"
Single by Talk Talk
from the album Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk
A-side Such A Shame (Original Version)
B-side Dum Dum Girl (Live From 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival)
Released November 30, 1990
Format 7" single
Recorded 1983
Genre Synthpop, New Wave
Length 4:28
Label Parlophone
Writer(s) Mark Hollis
Producer Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk singles chronology
"Life's What You Make It"
(1991)		 "It's My Life"
(1992)		 "Living in Another World '91"
(1992)

"Such a Shame" is a song written by Mark Hollis for the English band Talk Talk's second album It's My Life (1984).

It was released as the album's second single in 1984 (see 1984 in music), and became a big hit in continental Europe in 1984 and 1985, reaching the Top 10 in numerous countries, and becoming a number one in certain territories (their third number one single after the remixed version of their song "Talk Talk" which topped the South African charts in 1983 and the single "It's My life" which was #1 in the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in 1984); but strangely this single was largely ignored in the UK. In the U.S., the song entered the Billboard Hot 100, and was a Top 20 hit in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.

"Such a Shame" was inspired by Luke Rhinehart’s The Dice Man, one of composer Mark Hollis' favourite books. When asked what drove him to respond to Rhinehart’s book, Hollis replied, "A good book, not a lifestyle I'd recommend."[1]

The song was also released in 2004. It was also featured in a European TV commercial for the French car Peugeot 205.[2]

Contents

[edit] Music video

In the music video the band performs the song with instruments. There are also recordings of telephone boxes, houses, cars, trees and a bank in one sitting by a projector shown.

[edit] Track listings

All songs written and composed by Mark Hollis.

7" single
No. Title Length
1. "Such a Shame"   3:59
2. "Again, a Game... Again"   4:10
12" maxi
No. Title Length
1. "Such a Shame" (12" Mix) 6:55
2. "Such a Shame"   4:27
3. "Again, a Game... Again"    
7" single - 1990 release
No. Title Length
1. "Such a Shame" (Original version) 4:28
2. "Dum Dum Girl" (live from 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival) 3:39

[edit] Charts

[edit] Peak positions

Chart (1984/1985) Peak
position
Austrian Singles Chart[3] 2
Dutch Singles Chart[3] 9
French SNEP Singles Chart[3] 7
German Singles Chart[4] 2
Italian Singles Chart 4
New Zealand Singles Chart[3] 39
Swiss Singles Chart[3] 1
UK Singles Chart[5] 49
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] 89
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[6] 12
Chart (1990) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[7] 78

[edit] Year-end charts

Chart (1984) Position
Austrian Singles Chart[8] 17
Swiss Singles Chart[9] 3
Preceded by
"Self Control" by Laura Branigan		 Swiss number-one single
26 August – 23 September 1984		 Succeeded by
"Careless Whisper" by George Michael

[edit] Sandra version

"Such a Shame"
Single by Sandra
from the album The Wheel of Time
Released 25 March 2002
Format CD single
Genre Synthpop
Length 4:18
Label Virgin
Writer(s) Mark David Hollis
Producer Michael Cretu
Jens Gad
Sandra singles chronology
"Forever"
(2001)		 "Such a Shame"
(2002)		 "I Close My Eyes"
(2002)

German singer Sandra covered "Such a Shame" for her seventh studio album The Wheel of Time in 2002. Sandra's version was produced by Michael Cretu and Jens Gad. This cover version was released as the album's second single in March 2002, where it reached number 76 on the official German charts, number 21 Czech Republic Singles Chart and number 19 in the Hungarian Singles Chart.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Such a Shame" — 4:18
  2. "Such a Shame" (Straight Dance Mix) — 7:54
  3. "Such a Shame" (Cool Club Mix) — 5:22
  4. "Such a Shame" (Karaoke Version) — 4:18

[edit] Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
German Singles Chart 76
Czech Republic Singles Chart 21
Hungarian Singles Chart 19

[edit] Other Cover versions

  • In 1984, "Such a Shame" was covered by James Last
  • In 2002, the song was covered by Moonwalker as a dance version
  • Alles ist die Sekte has "Such a Shame" sampled for their 2003 single "Harmonie (Ausrasten und Pogen)" (English: Harmony (Lashing out and Poging)), released from the album Gar nich so schlimm! (Englisch: Even not so bad).
  • Polarkreis 18 covered the song in various live shows in 2009.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://users.cybercity.dk/~bcc11425/IntWW0998.html
  2. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oeP8srruRw Youtube, last seen at January 2, 2010
  3. ^ a b c d e "Such a Shame", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  4. ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved February 15, 2008)
  5. ^ "Such a Shame", UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved September 17, 2008)
  6. ^ a b Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved September 17, 2008)
  7. ^ "Such a Shame", UK Singles Chart (1990 release) Chartstats.com (Retrieved September 17, 2008)
  8. ^ 1984 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved September 17, 2008)
  9. ^ 1984 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved September 17, 2008)
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