| "Talking Out of Turn" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Moody Blues | ||||
| from the album Long Distance Voyager | ||||
| B-side | "Veteran Cosmic Rocker" | |||
| Released | 10 November 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 19 February 1980 – Mid-April 1981 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 7:18 (Album version) 4:12 (Single version) | |||
| Label | Threshold | |||
| Songwriter(s) | John Lodge | |||
| Producer(s) | Pip Williams | |||
| The Moody Blues singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Talking Out of Turn" is a 1981 single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was the third and final single released from their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager.
The song became a hit in the United States, reaching #65 on the Billboard Hot 100[1] and #60 Cash Box.[2] It did better in Canada, where it reached #27.[3]
Written by bassist John Lodge, it lasts nearly seven and a half minutes, only five seconds short of "Nights in White Satin." It was later released as a single in November 1981, with "Veteran Cosmic Rocker" on the B-side.
Billboard called it a "soothingly melodic song highlighted by John Lodge's vocal."[4] Record World said that "space-age synthesizers introduce Justin Hayward's relaxed vocal" and commented on the "rich harmony choruses."[5] Allmusic critic Dave Connolly called it a "winning number."[6]
The instrumental final minute of the song closes the first hour of The Mike Malloy Show each weekday evening.
Chart history
| Chart (1981–82) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles[7] | 27 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 65 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[9] | 60 |
Personnel
- John Lodge – lead vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, bass
- Justin Hayward – backing vocals and acoustic & electric guitars
- Ray Thomas – backing vocals
- Patrick Moraz – Polymoog, Yamaha CS80, vocoder and Minimoog
- Graeme Edge – drums, overdubbed cymbals and Simmons drums
References
- ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 5, 1981
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1981-12-19. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ↑ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. November 7, 1981. p. 81. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 31, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
- ↑ Connolly, Dave. "Long Distance Voyager". Allmusic. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1981-12-19. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ↑ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ↑ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 5, 1981
