"Give It Up"
Single by Talk Talk
from the album The Colour of Spring
B-side	"Pictures of Bernadette"
Released	6 May 1986[1]
Length	5:16
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Mark Hollis Tim Friese-Greene
Producer(s)	Tim Friese-Greene
Talk Talk singles chronology
"Living in Another World" (1986) "Give It Up" (1986) "I Don't Believe in You" (1986)

"Give It Up" is a song by English band Talk Talk, released by Parlophone in 1986 as the third single from their third studio album The Colour of Spring. The song was written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene, and produced by Friese-Greene. "Give It Up" peaked at number 59 in the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

Upon its release as a single, Jim Reid of Record Mirror described "Give It Up" as "well polished, airbrushed even" and commented that "I can see their appeal as light purveyors of ambient pop". He added, "Trouble is, the mood, the sound never seems to change. They're better than Tears for Fears though."^[2] The Huddersfield Daily Examiner felt the song's elevation to single status resulted in the band "continu in the laidback psychedelic groove" and commented, "'Give It Up' takes a few listens, and as such might not have the impact of 'Life's What You Make It'. Still, it's a goodie."^[3] In his 2019 retrospective "Celebrating the Genius of Mark Hollis in 15 Songs", Ryan Leas of Stereogum described it as "emblematic of the soulful and organ-drenched sound" of The Colour of Spring and noted Hollis' voice for how "he could take a simple and empty phrase like 'give it up' and make it feel profound in his reading of it".^[4]

Track listing

7–inch single (UK, Europe and New Zealand)^[5][6][7]

1. "Give It Up" – 5:16
2. "Pictures of Bernadette" – 5:00

7–inch single (Canada)^[8]

1. "Give It Up" (Edited version) – 4:59
2. "Pictures of Bernadette" – 5:00

12–inch single (UK, Europe, Canada and New Zealand)^{[9][10][11][12]}

1. "Give It Up" – 5:16
2. "Pictures of Bernadette" (Dance-Mix) – 8:00
3. "Pictures of Bernadette" (7" version) – 5:00

12–inch promotional single (US)^[13]

1. "Give It Up" (Edited version) – 4:59
2. "Give It Up" – 5:16

Personnel

Credits are adapted from The Colour of Spring CD liner notes and the 12-inch single sleeve notes.^[14][9]

"Give It Up"

• Mark Hollis – vocals, piano, mellotron
• Paul Webb – bass
• Lee Harris – drums
• Robbie McIntosh – dobro
• David Rhodes – guitar
• Tim Friese-Greene – organ
• Ian Curnow – instrumental
• Martin Ditcham – percussion

Production

• Tim Friese-Greene – producer

Other

• James Marsh – illustration

Charts

References