Talking Heads | Artist
Talking Heads were an American New-Wave band formed 1975 in New York City by David Byrne (vocals, guitar), Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth (bass, vocals), and Jerry Harrison (keyboards, guitar). They emerged from the creative CBGB's scene and landed a recording contract with Sire Records. Their unique blended of Pop/Punk/Funk coupled with David Byrne's creative lyrics and stage presence, won them worldwide critical acclaim. The formation of the band dates back to 1973 when David Byrne and Chris Frantz, both students at Rhode Island School of Design, formed a band the Artistics. Fellow student Tina Weymouth, Frantz's girlfriend, eventually joined them as bass player once she learned how to play by listening to Suzie Quatro albums. The three moved to New York City, sharing a communal loft, renaming themselves Talking Heads. Their first gig as a trio was opening for the Ramones at CBGB on June 5, 1975. In March 1977, they added Jerry Harrison, formerly of Jonathan Richman's Modern Lovers, on keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals. Their debut album Talking Heads: 77 attracted widespread critical acclaim and delivered their first charting single, "Psycho Killer". The period 1978-80 was a creative peak for the band when, in collaboration with Brian Eno, they recorded three of their masterpiece albums: More Song About Buildings and Food, Fear of Music and Remain in Light. Their next album Speaking in Tongues (1983) was another masterpiece, this time without Eno's involvement. The band went on to release a total of eight studio albums, plus a handful of superb live albums, and many successful singles. Their first five albums are classics and absolutely indispensable in any record collection. Other standout albums include The Name of This Band is Talking Heads (live) and Stop Making Sense (soundtrack). Also highly recommended are the 1992 compilation Popular Favorites 1976-1992: Sand in the Vaseline, and Once in a Lifetime - Boxed Set, issued 2003 by Rhino. The band drifted apart in 1992 with David pursuing a solo career, Chris and Tina forming Tom Tom Club, and Jerry forming the Casual Gods. In 2002, the Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of their albums appear in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and three of their songs ("Psycho Killer", "Life During Wartime", and "Once in a Lifetime") were included among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
Artist Website: davidbyrne.com talking-heads.nl
Featured Albums: Talking Heads
Related Artists: David Byrne, Tom Tom Club
