(It's Not Me) Talking

Infobox Single
Name = (It's Not Me) Talking


Caption = Re-release cover
Artist = A Flock of Seagulls
Album = Listen "(re-release)'
A-side =
B-side = "Factory Music" (1981) "Tanglimara" (1983)
Released = 1981 (original release) 1983 (re-release)
Format = 7", 12"
Recorded = 1981
Genre = New Wave
Length = 5:00 (album version) 3:34 (single version)
Label = Jive
Writer = A Flock of Seagulls
Producer = Bill Nelson
Certification =
Last single = "Modern Love Is Automatic" EP (1981)
This single = "(It's Not Me) Talking" (1981)
Next single = "Telecommunication" (1981)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Last single = "Transfer Affection" (1983)
This single = "(It's Not Me) Talking" (re-release) (1983)
Next single = "The More You Live, The More You Love" (1984)Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = single


Lower caption = Original release cover

"(It's Not Me) Talking" is the first single by New Wave band A Flock of Seagulls recorded in 1981 from their second album Listen. The song describes about a man who keeps hearing voices in his head and that he is being contacted from outer space and he cannot run away from his emotions, wherever he goes it is there.

Track listing

Original release

# "(It's Not Me) Talking" (Remix)
# "(It's Not Me) Talking" (Instrumental)
# "Factory Music"

Re-release

# "(It's Not Me) Talking" - 3:34
# "Tanglimara" - 4:30

Music video

The Music video takes place in the 1950s and had some infamous guest stars. The video starts off as Duane (Paul Reynolds) is watching his friend (Played by Peter Reynolds) listening to music and reading a comic book. Just then, the radio broadcaster interrupts for a Special Bulletin. Suddenly a 1980s-New-Wave-drum sound plays and wakes up the startled radar operator, "Sparks" Hopkins (Played by Jason Sapan). In a panic he grabs at the control.

Peter then hears the sound and gives the headphones to Duane, this explains that they were awaiting for this to happen. Duane says that "He hears the voices but there's no one there. They're speaking to me in another language." Just then, the Detective Rex Nolan (Frank Maudsley) and Professor Scottie (Ali Score) arrive at the radar shack. Then the Army arrives at the place where the aliens could've contacted Duane from. One of the soldiers tells Rex that he made contact with another world. This is when the Alien (Mike Score) appears from his U.F.O. and holds a laser-like gun. Duane then goes close to the alien, as do Frank and Ali. They make symbolic hand gestures that appear to communicate with the alien. They go into the U.F.O. and its door closes behind them. At this point they show credits. Towards the end, it shows the Radar Operator, "Sparks" Hopkins waking up seemingly thinking it had all been a dream, when suddenly a laser points at him scaring him. The words "To Be Continued" then appear over his freeze framed image.

Aliens and lasers

This music video was based on an old science fiction classic film called "The Day the Earth Stood Still". The producers wanted to use special effects that would be current, yet recall the look of 1950's cinema. The music video was filmed at Dawn's Animal Farm in New Jersey. With hundreds of acres of land and many exotic animals used in television commercials and film, it made for an interesting shoot. They hired Talking Dog Productions to build the spaceship. Talking Dog built the props used by Pink Floyd. For the lasers they retained the services of holographic pioneer Jason Sapan of Holographic Studios in New York City. At that time Sapan was also doing laser light effects. As they negotiated the laser effects they realized that Sapan himself had the right look to act in the music video and hired him right there. Jason Sapan built the red laser ray gun that Mike Score used. If you look very carefully you can also see his blue and green argon laser beams shooting from the spaceship.

First credits in a music video on MTV

This was the first music video shown on MTV to use on screen credits for the actors. The credits were shown next to the images of the actors at the end of the video. The first actor seen with a credit was Jason Sapan as "Sparks Hopkins".

Chart positions

Re-release