Fiona's Talk To Me: A Lost Rock Gem from the 80s

Fiona’s Talk To Me: A Lost Rock Gem from the 80s

Rock and Roll history is full of lost gems from every decade. While some of these lost treasures enjoyed success during their original release periods, for various reasons they have seemed to vanish over time. Young audiences in the 2000s are unaware of so many great rock records from the latter part of the twentieth century. Many of these records were released by lesser-known artists of the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. In a new series from ClassicRockHistory.com, we will list some of these lost treasures we believe our younger readers should discover. At the same time, we hope that we bring back some old-time rock and roll memories for those of you who grew up with us in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

One of our favorite artists from the 1980s was a New Jersey-born singer named Fiona Flanagan. The singer dropped her last name and recorded and performed under the stage name Fiona. She released five solo albums and also appeared in the film “Hearts on Fire,” with Bob Dylan. Her first album was produced by the legendary Peppi Marchello of the band The Good Rats. From that album came the song that so many of us fell in love with. The song “Talk To Me” featured Fiona’s powerful, passionate vocals. There were many female rock singers who sang with passion and energy, but Fiona had that extra kick that distinguished her from so many other singers.

Fiona’s “Talk To Me” was the only single released from Fiona’s debut album. It was released in 1985 and climbed to Number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. It landed at Number 12 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Charts. Regardless of the recording’s chart success, the song’s hook and Fiona’s performance qualify it as one of those great lost rock and roll gems that need to be resurrected.