A series of handwritten scores for songs recorded by Talk Talk for their albums The Colour Of Spring, Spirit Of Eden and Laughing Stock are currently being auctioned online to raise money for charity. Wyndham Wallace (Quietus scribe and all-round authority on Talk Talk, whose anniversary feature on Laughing Stock can be read here) tells us they were recently found by Tim Friese-Greene – who worked with the band from 1983 until their 1991 break-up and went on to release music under the name Heligoland – and his wife Lee while clearing out his studio. Says Lee: "Tim thinks this is the last of anything Talk Talk-related in his possession and so when these are gone, that’s it, but he thought these might be of interest to fans or collectors of such memorabilia and so decided that we could sell them on eBay with proceeds going to a selection of music-related charities."
Currently underway is the sale of the score for the choral section of ‘Time It’s Time’ from Colour…, while those for the superlative ‘New Grass’ from Laughing Stock and ‘Inheritance’ from Spirit… have already gone, the latter for £330. Still to go are the scores for Spirit… side one linking passages and ‘Myrrhman’ and ‘Taphead’ from Laughing Stock, as well as the orchestration for ‘Idle Life’ from Catherine Wheel’s 2000 album Wishville, on which Friese-Greene played. The money raised will go to five music charities: Nordoff Robbins, Streetwise Opera, Music in Prisons, Youth Music and Drake Music. Head here to look at and bid for ‘Time It’s Time’, with the auction ending in just over two days, and keep an eye out for a new score going up next week.
