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ARTICLE
In the world of music, very few acts find that holy trinity of critical acclaim, commercial success and artistic freedom. But in the 1980s, at the height of their creativity, the legendary New York band Talking Heads became one of those acts.
Led by the eccentric David Byrne – a tall, slightly gawkish chap who didn’t fit the rock frontman stereotype – the group was founded in 1975 by Byrne and his fellow art-school drop-outs, drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth. That same year they played their first gig as an opening act for punk icons The Ramones, before they solidified their line-up with the addition of keyboard player and guitarist Jerry Harrison in 1977.
Known for their distinctive fusion of rock, funk and world music, as well as their sonic experimentation and disassociated lyrics, Talking Heads’ early albums helped pioneer the sound of new wave, whilst later efforts saw them move further up the charts with hits like ‘Once In a Lifetime’, ‘Burning Down the House’, ‘And She Was’ and ‘Road to Nowhere’.
With Byrne, Frantz and Weymouth all holding backgrounds in visual art, there was always a focus on artwork and the emerging world of music videos when it came to Talking Heads releases. So it’s probably no surprise that, in 1984, the band released a film that pushed the boundaries of what a live concert film could be: ‘Stop Making Sense’.
Directed by Jonathan Demme and shot over three nights at the Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, the film featured songs from throughout the band’s career to that point. Unlike any concert film before, it took the novel approach of starting with one band member on stage and adding members with each song, so that both the band and the sound expanded as the performance progressed.
At the film’s beginning, David Byrne walks out to an empty stage carrying only an acoustic guitar and a portable radio. A drum-machine beat starts and Byrne launches into the chords of the group’s first hit, ‘Psycho Killer’, stumbling about the stage whenever the beat skips and jitters. Song by song, he’s joined by Weymouth (for ‘Heaven’), Frantz (for ‘Thank You for Sending Me an Angel’) and Harrison (‘Found a Job’), before the supporting musicians kick things up a gear for a standout version of ‘Burning Down the House’. Things only get better from there, with synchronised dance moves, instrument swapping, precariously balanced lamps, and one of the show’s most iconic moments – an exceedingly large business suit worn by Byrne for the track ‘Girlfriend is Better’.
Now, almost 40 years later, this cult classic is set for a re-release by renowned production team A24, the company behind ‘Midsommar’, ‘Uncut Gems’, ‘The Witch’ and the award-sweeping ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’.
The news was announced with a clever 40-second trailer, in which frontman David Byrne turns up at a dry cleaners and hands over a ticket to the man behind the counter. “I’m picking up,” he says. “It’s been here for a while.” After digging around in the back, the man returns with the unusually large suit from the film and hands it over. The video closes with Byrne, back home, trying it on and attempting to dance.
For fans of the band, this is all very exciting. Not being ones for nostalgia, when Talking Heads broke up in 1991, it really was for good.
The closest thing to a reunion was when the original members performed together for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2002. But aside from that, Byrne has no interest in working with the others again, claiming that they’re “miles apart” musically. A remastered, 4K version of ‘Stop Making Sense’ could well be the next best thing.
In an age of constant...
To read the full article, you’ll need to have a physical copy of the magazine which you can sign up for here for 6 issues delivered to your door from just £16!
https://store.promobile.online/products/pro-mobile-magazine-6-issue-1-year-subscription
You’ll also get full interactive access to this and the last year of magazines via the Pro Mobile Magazine App which is available from both the Apple App Store and Android PlayStore
Led by the eccentric David Byrne – a tall, slightly gawkish chap who didn’t fit the rock frontman stereotype – the group was founded in 1975 by Byrne and his fellow art-school drop-outs, drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth. That same year they played their first gig as an opening act for punk icons The Ramones, before they solidified their line-up with the addition of keyboard player and guitarist Jerry Harrison in 1977.
Known for their distinctive fusion of rock, funk and world music, as well as their sonic experimentation and disassociated lyrics, Talking Heads’ early albums helped pioneer the sound of new wave, whilst later efforts saw them move further up the charts with hits like ‘Once In a Lifetime’, ‘Burning Down the House’, ‘And She Was’ and ‘Road to Nowhere’.
With Byrne, Frantz and Weymouth all holding backgrounds in visual art, there was always a focus on artwork and the emerging world of music videos when it came to Talking Heads releases. So it’s probably no surprise that, in 1984, the band released a film that pushed the boundaries of what a live concert film could be: ‘Stop Making Sense’.
Directed by Jonathan Demme and shot over three nights at the Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, the film featured songs from throughout the band’s career to that point. Unlike any concert film before, it took the novel approach of starting with one band member on stage and adding members with each song, so that both the band and the sound expanded as the performance progressed.
At the film’s beginning, David Byrne walks out to an empty stage carrying only an acoustic guitar and a portable radio. A drum-machine beat starts and Byrne launches into the chords of the group’s first hit, ‘Psycho Killer’, stumbling about the stage whenever the beat skips and jitters. Song by song, he’s joined by Weymouth (for ‘Heaven’), Frantz (for ‘Thank You for Sending Me an Angel’) and Harrison (‘Found a Job’), before the supporting musicians kick things up a gear for a standout version of ‘Burning Down the House’. Things only get better from there, with synchronised dance moves, instrument swapping, precariously balanced lamps, and one of the show’s most iconic moments – an exceedingly large business suit worn by Byrne for the track ‘Girlfriend is Better’.
Now, almost 40 years later, this cult classic is set for a re-release by renowned production team A24, the company behind ‘Midsommar’, ‘Uncut Gems’, ‘The Witch’ and the award-sweeping ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’.
The news was announced with a clever 40-second trailer, in which frontman David Byrne turns up at a dry cleaners and hands over a ticket to the man behind the counter. “I’m picking up,” he says. “It’s been here for a while.” After digging around in the back, the man returns with the unusually large suit from the film and hands it over. The video closes with Byrne, back home, trying it on and attempting to dance.
For fans of the band, this is all very exciting. Not being ones for nostalgia, when Talking Heads broke up in 1991, it really was for good.
The closest thing to a reunion was when the original members performed together for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2002. But aside from that, Byrne has no interest in working with the others again, claiming that they’re “miles apart” musically. A remastered, 4K version of ‘Stop Making Sense’ could well be the next best thing.
In an age of constant...
To read the full article, you’ll need to have a physical copy of the magazine which you can sign up for here for 6 issues delivered to your door from just £16!
https://store.promobile.online/products/pro-mobile-magazine-6-issue-1-year-subscription
You’ll also get full interactive access to this and the last year of magazines via the Pro Mobile Magazine App which is available from both the Apple App Store and Android PlayStore
The full review can be found in Pro Mobile Issue 119, Pages 50-55.
