Hunters and Collectors – Talking To A Stranger
Talking To A Stranger 1998 (cover)
The 1982 Single
Released In: [Australia / NZ] [Europe] [USA]
Release Date: July 1982.
Australian Chart Position: #59 (AMR).
Single Availability: Moderately rare.
Value: A$6-A$30.
Original 7″ Australian single had a remix of Talking To A Stranger. 7″ UK single includes Alligator Engine. Original 12″ UK and US singles contain a remix of Run Run Run and remixes of Talking To A Stranger.
The 1998 Single
Released In: [Australia / NZ]
Release Date: October 1998.
Australian Chart Position: #204 (ARIA) / [Did Not Enter] (AMR).
Single Availability: Moderately rare.
Value: A$6-A$30.
Hunters and Collectors first single was re-issued as part of Mushroom Records 25th anniversary celebrations in October 1998. B-sides on the CD reissue are remixes and videos (live and studio) of Talking To A Stranger. The artwork on both versions is almost identical.
Note: An Avalanches remix, titled Stalking To A Stranger, was also issued as a one track promotional CD in 2013.
Original Version(s)
| Version | Length | Source | Availability |
Studio [1]  |
7:31 | Australian [self-titled] Hunters & Collectors album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Studio [1] | 7:29 | Natural Selection / Greatest Hits album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD, CD/DVD and digital form. |
| Studio [1] | 7:31 | Crucible album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Studio [1] | 7:31 | UK/US Collection album. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [1] | 7:30 | US 1983 12″ Talking To A Stranger single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [1] | 7:31 | Anthology album. | Moderately common. Available new in digital form. |
| Studio [2] Edit | 3:51 | All except UK versions of the Collected Works album. | Extremely common. Not available new. |
| Studio [2] Edit | 3:56 | UK 1983 7″ Talking To A Stranger single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [2] Edit | 3:56 | US 1983 12″ Talking To A Stranger single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [3] Our Version | 7:18 | Australian 1982 7″ Talking To A Stranger single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [3] Our Version | 7:21 | UK 1983 12″ Talking To A Stranger single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [4] Michael’s Version Edit #4763 | 4:39 | Australian 1982 7″ Talking To A Stranger single. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [5] Video Version | 6:23 | The Way To Go Out video. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [5] Video Version | 6:23 | Australian Collected Works video. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [5] Video Version | 6:23 | 1998 Talking To A Stranger single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Studio [5] Video Version | 6:23 | Natural Selection / Greatest Hits video. | Moderately common. Available new in CD/DVD, DVD and digital form. |
| Live Acoustic | 3:06 | Mark Seymour Titanic album. | Moderately common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Live [1] | 6:10 | Spare Parts album. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Live [1] | 5:58 | Raw Material #01 1981 05 15 Crystal Ballroom album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [2] |
4:52 | Under One Roof / Greatest Hits Live album and video. | Extremely common. Available new in CD, DVD and digital form. |
| Live [2] | 4:52 | 1998 Talking To A Stranger single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Live [3] | 7:01 | Live 2014 box set – Enmore 1 album. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Live [4] | 6:40 | Live 2014 digital album (2017 version). | Moderately common. Available new in digital form. |
| Live [4] | 6:40 | Live 2014 box set – Palais 1 album. | Extremely rare. Not available new. |
| Live [5] | 5:18 | Jack Howard Epic Brass Live At Memo album. | Moderately common. Available new in digital form. |
| Live [6] | 8:14 | Raw Material #02 1981 12 13 Festival Theatre album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [7] | 9:52 | Raw Material #03 1982 03 27 Collendina album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [8] | 7:40 | 1982 08 01 Tivoli, Adelaide, Australia T2 Cassette. | The Vault digital download at True Believers, 27 December 2015. |
| Live [9] | 8:12 | Raw Material #04 1982 09 19 Stranded album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [10] | 4:51 | 1991 01 02 Central Coast Leagues, Gosford, Australia Cassette. | The Vault digital download at True Believers, 15 September 2013. |
| Live [11] | 4:55 | Raw Material #11 1991 01 08 Playroom album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Live [12] | 5:18 | Raw Material #15 1998 01 05 Seagulls album. | The Vault Desk Tape streaming audio. |
| Remix [1] Blue Singlet Mix | 5:19 | Spare Parts album. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Remix [2] Filthy Lucre Mix | 5:19 | 1998 Talking To A Stranger single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Remix [2] Filthy Lucre Mix | 5:19 | Crucible album. | Extremely common. Available new in CD and digital form. |
| Remix [3] Filthy Pub Dub | 5:18 | 1998 Talking To A Stranger single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Remix [4] Temple Mix | 5:11 | 1998 Talking To A Stranger single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Remix [5] Club Mix | 6:33 | 1998 Talking To A Stranger single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
| Remix [6] Dance Mix | 6:32 | 1998 Talking To A Stranger single. | Moderately rare. Not available new. |
Recommended Version.
Cover Version(s)
| Artist | Version | Length | Source |
| The Avalanches (Stalking To A Stranger) [1] | Studio (Planets Collide remix) | 7:14 | Crucible album. |
| The Avalanches (Stalking To A Stranger) [2] | Studio (Planets Collide remix) | 4:34 | The Avalanches – Stalking To A Stranger promo single. |
| Birds of Tokyo | Studio | 4:38 | Crucible album. |
| No Zu | Studio | 4:14 | Talking To A Stranger / Sensation single. |
Comments from the Natural Selection liner notes (by Mark Seymour):
Started with a bass line. Recorded it with a drum machine onto cassette and Geoff Crosby, the original synth player, noodled over it through the lounge room stereo. Much of the early Hunters ‘sound’ was consolidated with this song. Crosby’s dying animal noises, Perano’s wang, and Jack Howard’s first major brass arrangement all intersected for the first time. The lyrics were loosely based on the ‘The Albatross’ by Charles Baudelaire. Lofty stuff. Apocalyptic dread. The end was nigh.
Souvent pour s’amuser les hommes d’equipage
And it’s like talking to a stranger
Remember the panic in its delectable face, when I touched it
It was like talking to a stranger
Venetian candles penetrated its heart
It trembles like talking to a stranger
And Oh Miss Jesus tell me where are your black eyes?
Your baby was talking to a stranger, no no
Souvent pour s’amuser les hommes d’equipage
And it’s like talking to a stranger
You tasted mustard when she painted your face
And it was like talking to a stranger
And Oh Miss Jesus tell me where are your black eyes?
Your baby was talking to a stranger
Souvent pour s’amuser les hommes d’equipage
And it’s like talking to a stranger
Souvent pour s’amuser les hommes d’equipage
And it’s like talking to a stranger
You tasted mustard when she painted your face
And it was like talking to a stranger
Remember the panic in its delectable face, when you touched it
It was like talking to a stranger
And Oh Miss Jesus tell me where are your black eyes?
Your baby was talking to a stranger
You’re talking to a stranger, no no
