Talking Heads

Talking Heads Headshot

Band

Members: David Byrne

Though Talking Heads rose to prominence as part of the New York underground scene, the band initially took root in Rhode Island, where guitarist/vocalist David Byrne and drummer Chris Frantz had met as students at the Rhode Island School of Design and formed a band called the Artistics in 1973. The pair folded the act the following year and relocated to New York with Frantz's girlfriend, Tina Weymouth, whom they tapped to play bass in a new group they called Talking Heads after a term used by television studios to describe a static shot of an interview participant.

The new band made its debut opening for the Ramones at CBGB in 1975, and soon drew a following with their sound - anxious, rhythmic rock fueled by Byrne's nervous delivery and stream-of-consciousness delivery - which led to a contract with Sire in 1976. The following year, Talking Heads added former Modern Lovers keyboardist Jerry Harrison following the release of their debut album Talking Heads: 77. A collaboration with producer Brian Eno and the addition of several guest musicians such as guitarist Adrian Belew and keyboardist Bernie Worrell led to a string of increasingly dance-oriented albums including Fear of Music and Remain In Light.

The rise of MTV brought the group's inventive videos to mainstream attention, and director Jonathan Demme captured their 1983 stage show for the concert film "Stop Making Sense" (1984). A stripped-down four-piece lineup made a pair of country-tinged albums, Little Creatures and True Stories, the latter a soundtrack of sorts to Byrne's first film as a director, "True Stories" (1986). Although Talking Heads recorded one more album, Naked, tensions within the band, especially between Byrne and Weymouth, led to their quiet dissolution at the end of the '80s.

Credits

80s Hits

Music Performer
Show
2018

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Guest
Talk
2014

Talking Heads in concerto

Music Performer
Show
2014

Sounds of the 70s

Self
Show
2013

Talking Heads: And She Was

Music Performer
Show
1985

Stop Making SenseStream

Original Music
Movie
1984
100%

Stop Making SenseStream

Writer
Movie
1984
100%

Talking Heads: Burning Down The House

Music Performer
Show
1983

Talking Heads: This Must Be the Place

Music Performer
Show
1983

CBS News Sunday MorningStream

Guest
News
1979

The Blank Generation

Actor
Movie
1976

Saturday Night LiveStream

Music Performer
Series
1975