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"I Talk to the Wind" is the second track from the British progressive rock band King Crimson's debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King.

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"I Talk to the Wind"
Song by King Crimson
from the album In the Court of the Crimson King
Released	12 October 1969 (1969-10-12)
Recorded	29 July 1969
Genre	Folk[1] progressive rock[2]
Length	6:05
Label	Atlantic
Composer(s)	Ian McDonald
Lyricist(s)	Peter Sinfield
Producer(s)	King Crimson

Starting immediately after the cacophony that ends "21st Century Schizoid Man", the mood of this song is a stark contrast; it is serene, simple and peaceful. Ian McDonald's flute begins the song, and is one of the lead instruments throughout.[3] He also plays a classical-inspired solo in the middle of the song as a "C" section and a longer one at the end as a coda.

An earlier demo version of this song may be found on the now out-of-print LP A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson, which featured Robert Fripp (guitar), Peter Giles (bass), Michael Giles (drums), and Ian McDonald (flute), along with Judy Dyble (formerly of Fairport Convention) on vocals.[4] This version was more up-tempo and lighter in instrumentation. The Young Person's Guide recording and another demo of the same song were recorded in 1968 by Giles, Giles and Fripp. However, the song did not actually appear on a Giles, Giles and Fripp record until The Brondesbury Tapes (1968) was released on CD in 2002.[5] There are actually two recordings of "I Talk to the Wind" on this CD; one features vocals by Judy Dyble, and the other features vocals by Peter Giles.

Personnel

• Ian McDonald – flute, clarinet, organ, piano, vocals
• Robert Fripp – electric guitar
• Greg Lake – bass guitar, vocals
• Michael Giles – drums
• Peter Sinfield – lyrics

Opus III version

"I Talk to the Wind"
Single by Opus III
from the album Mind Fruit
B-side	"Sea People"
Released	15 June 1992 (1992-06-15)[6]
Studio	Fluffy Trees PWL The Bunker
Genre	Dance house synth-pop trance
Length	4:06
Label	PWL International
Songwriter(s)	Ian McDonald Peter Sinfield
Producer(s)	Opus III
Opus III singles chronology
"It's a Fine Day" (1992) "I Talk to the Wind" (1992) "When You Made the Mountain" (1994)
Music video
"I Talk to the Wind" on YouTube

In 1992, the song was covered by English electronic music group Opus III, whose lead vocalist was Kirsty Hawkshaw. It was released as the follow-up to their successful "It's a Fine Day" and the second single from the album, Mind Fruit. The single reached number six in Finland, number 52 in the United Kingdom and number 162 in Australia. The accompanying music video for "I Talk to the Wind" is similar to the video for "It's a Fine Day", featuring Hawkshaw with her head shaved and dressed in a silvery bodysuit with silver boots and silver make-up.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor MacKenzie Wilson said that their "crafty version" of King Crimson's "I Talk to the Wind" "composes a dreamy synthetic wave." He also noted Kirsty Hawkshaw's "dove-like vocals transcended into freewheeling soundscapes".[7] Randy Clark from Cashbox wrote that her "childlike and breathy voice blows through this dance track like a gentle breeze."[8] Andy Beevers from Music Week stated that the song "is similar in style" to "It's a Fine Day".[9] Sian Pattenden from Smash Hits commented that "the flutes whisper along merrily with the bubbly syntheramic background".[10]

Track listings

• Europe 7-inch single (1992)

1. "I Talk to the Wind" (edit) – 4:06
2. "Sea People" – 6:00

• UK 12-inch single (1992)

1. "I Talk to the Wind" (extended mix) – 6:11
2. "Sea People" – 5:33

• UK CD single (1992)

1. "I Talk to the Wind" (edit) – 4:06
2. "I Talk to the Wind" (12-inch extended mix) – 6:11
3. "Sea People" – 6:00

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)	162
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11]	88
Finland (IFPI)[12]	6
UK Singles (OCC)	52
UK Dance (Music Week)[13]	48

References

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