The Talking Heads: Pop & Funk to New Wave

     From their more grassroot origins as a West Village New York band, to their evolution onto the big stages and screens, Talking Heads is a band definitely worth still talking about. Their emergence from the ashes of the post punk era allowed them to assume a leading role in the art-pop scene, blending R&B grooves, funk and more.

     Formed in the mid 70s, guitarist/vocalist David Byrne, drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Wemouth all met at the Rhode Island School of Design, where their decision to move to New York opened plenty of doors for them, such as landing the opening for The Ramones at the renowned CBGB club. The band did not fail to attract a large fanbase of traditional rock fans who fell in love with their eccentric tunes. They have often qualified as the strangest band to come out of the New Wave music movement in the '80s.

     Here is a pair of our favorite Talking Heads track of the New Wave Period:

• “And She Was” from the album Little Creatures (1985): The first track on Talking Heads' sixth album, which also happens to be the album's most successful single (despite peaking at No. 54), served as a clear indication of the band's new, streamlined approach, following the extensive world tour featuring an expanded lineup for their previous 1983 album, Speaking in Tongues While the song revolves around psychedelics, it's worth noting that the LP remains the band's top-selling studio album.

• “Burning Down the House” from the album Speaking In Tongues (1983): Talking Heads' smash hit from their breakout album expands on the diverse musical styles and global sounds that the band had eagerly explored on their previous record, Remain in Light. The track essentially reimagines P-Funk's slippery beats and rhythms through the lens of art-school/post-punk.. Unfortunately, 'Burning Down the House' was the band's lone Top 10 hit.

     Need more Talking Heads? A Deluxe Edition of the legendary concert film soundtrack, Stop Making Sense, will be released on a limited edition 2-LP Set and digitally with two previously unreleased songs on August 18.