Released on 15 December 1984, the single coincided with a much-publicised coach crash that the group had experienced earlier in the week.

[3] As a result, promotion for the single was minimal and the song failed to chart as highly as had been expected, reaching No.34 in the UK despite being a fan favourite.

[7] Bucks Fizz had also recorded a performance of the song for TV show Razzamatazz on 11 December, the day of the coach crash, which was transmitted some weeks later.

The second of these weeks saw TV show Top of the Pops feature a clip of the video in the debut of its "breakers" section that would run for many years afterward.

"I Hear Talk", in a slightly different mix, was featured on the group's album of the same name, released a month earlier.

Over the next two years, the song became a popular club hit and reached the Billboard dance charts, the group's only American success.

[10] On 24 May 2010, the Original Bucks Fizz released a jazz-style reworking of "I Hear Talk" as their debut single.