Talking Back to the Night

1982 studio album by Steve Winwood

Studio album by

Steve Winwood

Released

2 August 1982

Recorded

November 1981 — June 1982

Studio

Netherturkdonic Studios, Gloucestershire, England

Genre

Electropop
synthpop

Length

40:32

Label

Island

Producer

Steve Winwood

Steve Winwood chronology

Arc of a Diver
(1980)

Talking Back to the Night
(1982)

Back in the High Life
(1986)

Singles from Talking Back to the Night

"Valerie"
Released: October 1982
"Still in the Game"
Released: 1982

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s	C^[2]
Rolling Stone	^[3]

Talking Back to the Night is the third solo studio album by English recording artist Steve Winwood. Released less than two years after the top 3 hit Arc of a Diver, it failed to see as much success as its predecessor, reaching #28 on the Billboard 200. "Valerie" was a minor hit in 1982, but when it and the title track were remixed and re-released in 1987 for Chronicles, the newer version of Valerie became a top 10 hit, while the remix of "Talking Back to the Night" hit the Billboard Hot 100, but failed to crack the Top 40. The track "Help Me Angel" was also remixed for Chronicles, and was then released for the first time as a single.

Winwood performed all of the instruments on this album.

Critical reception

Reviewing for Rolling Stone in 1982, Parke Puterbaugh said the album is "for the most part a bland, easy-listening electropop rut".^[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Valerie"	4:05
2.	"Big Girls Walk Away"	3:51
3.	"And I Go"	4:12
4.	"While There's a Candle Burning"	3:08
5.	"Still in the Game"	4:49

Side two
No.	Title	Length
6.	"It Was Happiness"	4:59
7.	"Help Me Angel"	5:05
8.	"Talking Back to the Night"	5:43
9.	"There's a River"	4:40
Total length:		40:32

Personnel

Steve Winwood – lead and backing vocals, Prophet-5, Multimoog (also used for fretless bass), Hammond B3 organ, Linn LM-1 programming
Nicole Winwood – backing vocals (tracks 2 and 5)

Production

Steve Winwood – producer, engineer, mixing
John "Nobby" Clarke – assistant engineer
Lynn Goldsmith – photography
Tony Wright – artwork

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1982)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[4]	21
Canadian RPM Albums Chart^[5]	12
Dutch Mega Albums Chart^[6]	9
New Zealand Albums Chart^[7]	19
Norwegian Albums Chart^[8]	7
Swedish Albums Chart^[9]	17
UK Albums Chart^[10]	6
United States Billboard 200^[11]	28
West German Media Control Albums Chart^[12]	9

Year-end charts

Chart (1981)	Position
Canadian Albums Chart^[13]	59

Certifications


Region	Certification
Canada (Music Canada)^[14]	Gold

References

^ Ruhlmann, William (2011). "Talking Back to the Night - Steve Winwood | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "W". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 10 July 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
^ ^a ^b Puterbaugh, Parke (2011). "Steve Winwood: Talking Back To The Night : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 342. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 37, No. 7". RPM. 2 October 1982. Archived from the original (PHP) on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
^ "dutchcharts.nl Steve Winwood – Talking Back to the Night" (ASP). dutchcharts.nl. MegaCharts. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
^ "charts.nz Steve Winwood – Talking Back to the Night" (ASP). Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
^ "norwegiancharts.com Steve Winwood – Talking Back to the Night" (ASP). Retrieved 10 October 2013.
^ "swedishcharts.com Steve Winwood – Talking Back to the Night" (ASP). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
^ "Steve Winwood > Artists > Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
^ "allmusic ((( Talking Back to the Night > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
^ "Album Search: Steve Winwood – Talking Back to the Night" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 10 October 2013.^{[dead link]}
^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1982". RPM. 25 December 1982. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Steve Winwood – Talking Back to the Night". Music Canada. Retrieved 10 October 2013.