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"Life's What You Make It"
Original release
Single by Talk Talk
from the album The Colour of Spring
B-side	"It's Getting Late in the Evening"
Released	November 1985 (EU) 6 January 1986 (UK)
Recorded	1985
Studio	Battery, London Videosonics
Genre	New wave
Length	4:29
Label	EMI Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Mark Hollis Tim Friese-Greene
Producer(s)	Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk UK singles chronology
"Dum Dum Girl" (1984) "Life's What You Make It" (1986) "Living in Another World" (1986)
Music video
"Life's What You Make It" on YouTube

"Life's What You Make It" is a song by the English band Talk Talk. It was released as a single in 1985, the first from the band's album The Colour of Spring. The single was a hit in the UK in January 1986, peaking at No. 16, and charted in numerous other countries, often reaching the Top 20.

Artist James Marsh created the single's cover illustration. The track was re-released as a single in 1990, charting for a second time.

Conception

The song was one of the last to be conceived for The Colour of Spring, following concern from the band's management at the lack of an obvious single among accumulated work. Initially unwilling, Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, the principal source of original material for the band, accepted the task as a challenge. Friese-Greene: "I had a drum pattern loosely inspired by Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' and Mark was playing 'Green Onions' organ over the top." (Making No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart, "Running Up That Hill" had been released in August 1985.) The track was embellished with David Rhodes' guitar hook.

Personnel

Credits as per The Colour of Spring album notes.

Talk Talk

• Mark Hollis – lead vocal, piano
• Paul Webb – backing vocals
• Lee Harris – drums

Additional musicians

• Martin Ditcham – percussion
• Tim Friese-Greene – organ, Mellotron
• David Rhodes – guitar

Track listings

Charts

Remix

Certifications

Cover versions

The song is covered in 1994 by The Divine Comedy with a string quartet during the Promenade album sessions, and released in several occasions.

In 2009, "Life's What You Make It" was covered by Australian rock musician Rowland S. Howard for his final solo album Pop Crimes.

For the 2012 benefit tribute album Spirit of Talk Talk, "Life's What You Make It" was covered by singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik in a duet with Rachael Yamagata. In 2011 the Danish band Dúné recorded the song for the film ID:A.

More recently, a Placebo cover version of "Life's What You Make It" featured on both a double A-side (with "Jesus' Son") and the band's Life's What You Make It EP in 2016. American rock band Joywave covered the song for a Spotify Singles release for the music streaming service in 2018.

In popular culture

The track appeared in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, where it plays on the fictional in-game pop radio station Flash FM.

References

1. "Talk Talk singles".
2. Unwin, Neville; Goodyer, Tim (April 1986). "Talkback". Home and Recording Studio.
3. Marsh, James; Roberts, Chris; Benjamin, Toby (2015). Spirit of Talk Talk (Paperback ed.). London: Rocket 88. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-90661-595-6.
4. Phillips, Amy (31 August 2012). "Talk Talk's Mark Hollis Resurfaces with New Music for the Kelsey Grammer TV Show "Boss"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
5. Sendra, Tim. "Various Artists – Pop & Wave, Vol. 3". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
6. Irvin, Jim (April 2006). Mojo. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
7. The Colour of Spring (liner notes). Talk Talk. EMI Records. 2012. p. 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. Marsh, James; Roberts, Chris; Benjamin, Toby (2015). Spirit of Talk Talk (Paperback ed.). London: Rocket 88. p. 220. ISBN 978-1-90661-595-6.
9. Neiss, James (December 1991). "Talk Talk". Record Collector. London: Diamond Publishing Group. p. 23.
10. Neiss, James (December 1991). "Talk Talk". Record Collector. London: Diamond Publishing Group. p. 22.
11. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
12. "Talk Talk – Life's What You Make It" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0670." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
14. "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. 3 (10). 8 February 1986. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
15. "Talk Talk – Life's What You Make It" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
16. "Talk Talk – Life's What You Make It" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
17. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Life's What You Make It". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
18. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Talk Talk".
19. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 1, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
20. "Talk Talk – Life's What You Make It" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
21. "Talk Talk – Life's What You Make It". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
22. "Talk Talk – Life's What You Make It". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
23. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
24. ^ "Talk Talk – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
25. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 8, 1986". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012.
26. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 38. 22 September 1990. p. IV.
27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
28. "British single certifications – Talk Talk – Life's What You Make It". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
29. Schurr, Maria (21 October 2014). "Rowland S Howard: Pop Crimes". PopMatters. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
30. Wert, Thaddeus (14 October 2012). "Spirit of Talk Talk: A Well-Deserved and Respectful Tribute". Progarchy. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
31. "dunesite". Archived from the original on 30 November 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
32. "Life's What You Make It". Placeboworld.co.uk. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
33. Fleisher, Grace (12 January 2018). "Joywave reveals exclusive Spotify Singles ahead of 2018 tour dates". Dancing Astronaut. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
34. Phares, Heather. "Original Game Soundtrack – Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Vol. 4: Flash FM". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 June 2013.

• 1985 songs
• 1985 singles
• 1986 singles
• 1990 singles
• EMI Records singles
• Songs written by Mark Hollis (musician)
• Songs written by Tim Friese-Greene
• Song recordings produced by Tim Friese-Greene
• Talk Talk songs
• Music videos directed by Tim Pope