Telecommunication (song)

"Telecommunication"
"Telecommunication"
Single by A Flock of Seagulls
from the album A Flock of Seagulls
B-side	"Intro"; "Tanglimara";
Released	September 1981
Studio	Battery, London
Genre	New wave
Length	2:31
Label	Jive
Songwriter(s)	Mike Score; Ali Score; Frank Maudsley; Paul Reynolds;
Producer(s)	Bill Nelson
A Flock of Seagulls singles chronology

"Telecommunication" is a song by A Flock of Seagulls from their debut album A Flock of Seagulls, released in 1982. The song was released in 1981 as the band's second single. Although it did not chart on either the traditional United Kingdom or United States charts, it received considerable time on the dance charts. It peaked at number 19 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1981, along with "Modern Love Is Automatic".^[3] The uptempo beat featuring power chords and heavy synth, along with the futuristic lyrics, has enabled the song to reach cult status. The song is noteworthy because the band eschewed the guitar-laden choruses many songs of this period had (e.g. power ballad), and instead relied on percussion arpeggios and multi-layered sounds.

Formats and track listing

7": Jive. / Jive 4 United Kingdom

"Telecommunication" – 2:31
"Intro" – 3:23

12": Jive. / Jive T 4 United Kingdom

"Telecommunication" – 2:31
"Intro" – 3:23
"Tanglimara" – 4:33

Lyrics

The song details types of energy transmitted across time and space. The first line mentions "ultraviolet..radio light..to your solar system..." indicating someone or something is attempting to communicate across the galaxy. In astronomy, UV light is emitted by very hot objects. A motif in the band's lyrics is alien life forms (with their debut album being essentially a rock opera about alien abduction) and futuristic technology.^[4] The song also includes references to nuclear energy and wireless communication.

References

^ "A Flock of Seagulls singles".
^ Prato, Greg. "A Flock of Seagulls – Essential New Wave". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
^ "A Flock of Seagulls – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
^ Fitchett, James A.; Fitchett, David A. (2001). "Drowned Giants: Science Fiction and Consumption Utopias". Science Fiction and Organization. Routledge.

External links

A Flock of Seagulls reviewed in 1982

[1] "A Flock of Seagulls singles".

[2] Prato, Greg. "A Flock of Seagulls – Essential New Wave". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 June 2013.

[3] "A Flock of Seagulls – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 June 2013.

[4] Fitchett, James A.; Fitchett, David A. (2001). "Drowned Giants: Science Fiction and Consumption Utopias". Science Fiction and Organization. Routledge.

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v t e A Flock of Seagulls
Mike Score Pando Kevin Rankin Gord Deppe Frank Maudsley Ali Score Willie Woo Mark Edmondson Paul Reynolds Chris Chryssaphis Gary Steadnin Ed Berner Dave Maerz Kaya Pryor Mike Radcliffe Mike Railton Jonte Wilkins Mike Marquart A.J. Mazzetti Dean Pichette Joe Rodriguez Darryl Sons Rob Wright Michael Brahm
Studio albums	A Flock of Seagulls (1982) Listen (1983) The Story of a Young Heart (1984) Dream Come True (1986) The Light at the End of the World (1995) Ascension (2018) String Theory (2021)
Compilation albums	The Best of A Flock of Seagulls (1987) I Ran: The Best of A Flock of Seagulls (2004)
Extended plays	Modern Love Is Automatic
Singles	"Talking" "Telecommunication" "I Ran (So Far Away)" "Space Age Love Song" "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" "The More You Live, the More You Love" "Who's That Girl (She's Got It)" "Heartbeat Like a Drum"
Other songs	"D.N.A." "Modern Love Is Automatic"
Related	Discography
Category