Twenty-nine years ago this week, Melissa Manchester was spending a third week at #5 with “You Should Hear How She Talks About You.” Known for her ballads, including “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” the song marked a stylistic departure for Manchester, who put up a bit of a fuss when it came time to cut the track.

Written by Dean Pitchford and Tom Snow (both later knee-deep in the Footloose soundtrack), another female artist, British singer Charlie Dore, had done “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” the year before. But in the hands of legendary producer Arif Mardin, the song became less lite pop and more new wave. Besides some fantastic backing vocal bits (“Out of her head!”) and a bright sax solo, Mardin added a brilliant breakdown before the final chorus, the one that goes, “Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk!”

Despite Manchester’s initial reluctance, “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” became the biggest pop hit of her career (the aforementioned #5 showing) and won the singer a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance the following year. Here she is performing the song on Solid Gold, a show whose theme song was co-written by Dean Pitchford:

I’m not the only one with fond childhood memories of the uber-catchy “You Should Hear How She Talks About You.” Abe Sylvia, writer and director of the new ’80s-set film, Dirty Girl, included it and four other Melissa Manchester songs on the soundtrack. Also making the cut? Sheena Easton’s 1984 hit “Strut,” co-written by none other than Charlie Dore.

Purchase Melissa Manchester – “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” via iTunes.