Frequently Asked QuestionsThis FAQ contains questions frequently asked about Talking Heads and the individual members. If you have any questions you want to see answered in this FAQ or if you have any additional information, please contact me. Please check this FAQ page first before asking questions by e-mail. Top 5 questions I receive by e-mail (click on the question to jump to the answer)
Other frequently asked questions are catogorized in five sections: About the bandWho were the members of the Talking Heads ? The original line-up consists of 4 band members: singer, guitarist and writer of most of the songs David Byrne, bassist Tina Weymouth, her husband Chris Frantz on drums and Jerry Harrison on keyboards and occasionally on guitar as well. Who started Talking Heads and how did it began? It all started with David and Chris forming the band 'The Artistics'. Tina joined the band slightly later, and before they actually went to stage they changed their name to Talking Heads. Jerry Harrison joined the band after the first single was released. How did the band get its name? From the Talking Heads you see talking on TV. Why did the band split up ? None of the former band member ever gave a clear explanation for the split in public, but it had to do with a lot of arguing during the last tours and different musical ideas. Will Talking Heads reunite one day ? David once suggested that TH would do a reunion LP in 2000 and that they would sound exactly the same as they did way back then. It's been 2000, and nothing happened. The band cam e back together for their induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. They played four songs there, of which two were broadcasted. It's very unlikely that the band will ever reunite in the original 4-piece strenght ever again. Who are `The Heads` ? The Heads is a band by former Talking Heads Chris, Jerry and Tina. They made one album, `No Talking Just Head`, with 12 different singers taking care of the vocals. What has the band Dinosaur to do with Talking Heads ? Rumours said that Dinosaur was a pseudonym for Talking Heads in their early days. Fact is, that David Byrne played guitar on the only Dinosaur release ever, 'Kiss Me Again' (released as 7" and 12" only). What books have been written about Talking Heads ? 'The Name Of This Book Is Talking Heads' by Krista Reese, 'Talking heads' by Gans, 'Talking Heads' by Miles, 'Talking heads' by Jerome Davis. There is also a lyric book with artistic interpretations of Talking Heads songs by many modern artists, called 'What the Songs look like'. Check out the books page on this web site.
About the musicI'm looking for the album "The Name of this Band is Talking Heads" on CD - where can I get it ? This used to be one of the most frequently asked questions - in 2004 though, the original double vinyl-only live album of the band finally got the treatment it deserved: a digitally remastered 2CD package, packed with bonus tracks (all previously unreleased live recordings) was released through Rhino records. Where can I buy some of the bootlegs mentioned in the web site's Bootleg Survey ? I can't provide much useful tips on this matter. A lot of bootlegs have been counterfeited on CD-recordable and tape and those are being traded among fans. The best place to try to find fellow fans who are willing to copy/trade their bootlegs is the 'marketplace section' on the Talking Heads bulletin board If you're a real collector and want the `real` bootlegs rather than copies on CDrecordable, you may want to try magazines for record collectings such as GoldMine and Record Collector. Auction sites (such as ebay) are sources to look for bootlegs as well, but make sure you buy `the real thing` and not copies on CD-recordable (because those have no value at all to the real collector). Black market sites like eBay often list live CDs too, but before you bid, make sure you bid on a factory pressed bootleg, not some home-made CD-recordable (often from bad MP3 sources)! I'm making a film or record and I want to use some of Talking Heads/David Byrne's music in it - where can I get permission ? If you are serious about this, you will have to try to get written permission from those who own the rights to the music you want to use. This is not something you can arrange through me or some other web site. For Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, try Warner Brothers music, for David Byrne try Luaka Bop/Todo Mundo. If you have an agent or production company you work for, they should know how and where to approach the right party to settle things. What was the first-ever Talking Heads release ? A 7" single with 'Love -> Building On Fire' on side A and 'New Feeling' on the flipside. This single is the only release of a 3-piece Talking Heads; Jerry Harrison wasn't part of the band yet. Are there any other 'rare' or hard to get -official- Talking Heads albums around ? Besides the regular albums and compilations there's a promo-only live album available with recordings made back in 1979. Only 5,000 copies of this album where pressed and it comes in a red 'Warner Brothers Music Show' sleeve. This album has been heavily bootlegged over the years. Other rarities or hard to find records can be found in the collection overview. What's 'I Zimbra' on Fear Of Music about ? The text is part of a phonetic poem by Hugo Ball that has no meaning whatsoever. What do the french lyrics in 'Psycho Killer' mean? Ce que j'ai fait ce soir la -> The things I did
on that night Are there any non-album tracks available ? Besides a couple of remixes made in the second half of the eighties, there are no non-album tracks released as B-sides or 12"-fillers. A couple of live-recordings were used as vinyl filler, but most of them are from 'The Name Of This Band', 'The Warner Brothers Music Show' or the video version of 'Stop Making Sense. What producers have Talking Heads used on their albums? Tony Bongiovi ('one of the biggest assholes I've ever met'-David Byrne) and Lance Quinn did '77', Brian Eno did the next 4 albums (including the `Live on Tour` promo), Talking Heads did 'Speaking In Tongues' on their own, Gary Goetzman did 'Stop Making Sense', Eric 'E.T.' Thorngren took care of 'Little Creatures', 'True Stories' was done by Talking Heads again, and 'Naked' was a co-production of Steve Lillywhite and Talking Heads. What albums did Brian Eno perform on ? On "Remain in Light" he performed on bass, keyboards, percussion and vocals. As well he co-writing some songs, arranged vocals, mixed and produced the album. On "Fear of Music", he is credited with "treatments," as well as background vocals. On "More Songs About Building and Food" Eno is credited with "synthesizers, piano, guitar, percussion and background singing" Rumours says he played with Talking Heads live a couple of times in 1979/1980 and appears on 'The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads', but he's not creditted for that... It it true that The Lady Don't Mind was originally written for 'Speaking in Tongues' ? Yes. It was a leftover from the 'Speaking In Tongues' sessions, and re-recorded for 'Little Creatures'. You can download the demo version from the samples page on this website. What are these 'Oblique Strategies' mentioned in the inlay of 'Fear Of Music' ? A set of cards, made by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt with all kind of quotes and considerable thoughts on it. See the Oblique strategy questions at the Brian Eno page.
About the membersHow can I contact David, Chris, Tina and Jerry ? Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth can be contacted through their web site at www.tomtomclub.com. They also drop by at the bulletin board at this site sometimes, and answer questions there too. David Byrne has a message board on the Luaka Bop site where he leaves messages/answers questions once in a while. He cannot be contacted by email. For business matters, try contacting Luaka Bop or Todo Mundo. Their addresses may not be published here. Jerry Harrison has no fan-contact. Is it true Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth are married with children? Yes, they have two boys and have been married since the first Talking Heads album came out. Is it true all four members lived in a loft in NYC that didn't have a toilet ? Well, David, Chris and Tina shared an appartement together in New York in the early days of Talking Heads, and according to the introductions David Byrne made during his 'Constant Motion World Tour', they didn't had a toilet there... (who wants to know anyway ?!) Is it true Jerry Harrison went to Harvard ? Yes. Is David Byrne married ? Current status: probably not. But maybe he is.
About sleevesIs it true Fear Of Music was nominated for a Grammy ? Well, the sleeve was (designed by Jerry Harrison). Talking Heads won an MTV award for the 'Road To Nowhere' video and David Byrne has an Oscar on his mantelpiece for the soundtrack of 'The Last Emperor'. Did the band members all paint the cover sleeve of Little Creatures ? No, the painting was done by Rev. Howard Finster. What is the story behind the Speaking in Tounges Limited Edition LP package ? It was designed by artist Robert Rauschenberg (born Port Arthur, Texas). As the sleeve design was too expensive, David Byrne painted another sleeve for the regular release of the album.
About life after Talking HeadsWhen will Talking Heads/David Byrne/Tom Tom Club play in a club just around my corner ? Believe it or not, but Talking Heads are not going to play anywhere near you. That's because they split upit in 1992. As for the former bandmembers: Chris and Tina are still rockin' @ funky places with the irresistible Tom Tom Club and David Byrne climbs on stages as well every once in a while with a massive tour. Jerry sometimes joins whoever asks him to join (Tom Tom Club, Live). As soon as shows are officially announced, you will find the dates and places here in talking-heads.net. The headlines are the best place to look. If it's not on the site, I don't know about it (which doesn't have to mean there's nothing scheduled...) What exactly is the Tom Tom Club ? Tom Tom Club is Chris and Tina's band (with temporary members for every album). The club had bigger single hits than Talking Heads ever had. ("Genius of Love", "Under the Boardwalk" and "Wordy Rappinghood"). Is David Byrne better off alone ? That's a matter of personal taste. Fact is, that none of David Byrne's solo-albums ever sold as much as any Talking Heads album did. But it's unlikely that he cares about this; he has completely artistic freedom now and doesn't have to share the profit of his sales any longer. The other band members where not very happy with the split; they reunited as The Heads in 1996 and proved their right to exist with an album and tour. What happend to David Byrne's big suit after Stop Making Sense ? It stayed in a cardboard box in David's basement for years, but nowadays it's part of a rock 'n' roll exhibition. What books did David Byrne write ? 'True Stories', containing the complete script + a lot of sketches and photos from the film, and 'Strange Ritual' with a compilation of his photoworks and some poems. Maira Kalman made a childrensbook based on the lyrics of 'Stay Up Late' in 1987, for which David Byrne wrote a foreword. He also published the photobook "Your Action World" in 1999. What movies has David Byrne appeared in ? His own 'True Stories', Talking Heads' 'Stop Making Sense', Jonathan Demme's short comedy 'Trying Times', and 'Checking Out'. Where can I send my unanswered questions to ? You can post your questions on the bulletin board or send them to the Talking Heads mailing list. You may also try me, but I can't guarantee a satisfying answer -I'm just the guy who made this website... |
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