Photo: Gus Stewart / Redferns
The rise of Talking Heads (no he Talking Heads, show a little respect) is, we dare say, such a good story, so enviable – Since then it has become synonymous with the musical folklore of downtown New York: The quartet’s first concert opened for the Ramones at CBGB in the mid-1970s, and as easily as Tina Weymouth can play their strings on bass, they became beloved rock critics with their debut album, Talking Heads: 77. They released a total of eight albums and a seminal concert film before finally disbanding in 1991, a decision that, as fans often lament, was due to the whimsical temperament of leader David Byrne. However, luckily for us, drummer Chris Frantz decided to chronicle everything.
New memories of Frantz, Stay in love (Available now), It frankly details the band’s ups and downs, as well as their decades-long marriage and that of Weymouth and their music collective, Tom Tom Club. There are also plenty of extra gossip to devour. To celebrate the book’s release, Vulture called Frantz from home. in Connecticut to ask you some very specific Talking Heads questions. He was delightful.
I would have to choose “Psycho Killer” as No. 1. It was the first song we wrote. Tina and I were still at the Rhode Island School of Design and sharing a painting studio. We were older. I had a little band with David called Artistics, whose purpose was to entertain our friends and play at parties and student events like that. We were mainly a cover band, although we thought that maybe one day we would write original songs.
This was in the fall of 1973. David came to our studio and had a sketch of the song. He wrote the first verse and the chorus and he said, “I am writing a song in the spirit of Alice Cooper.” He was really great at the time. He played us what he had and it was really promising. He said “I wish the bridge of the song is in a foreign language. ” Tina is fluent in French, so I suggested that we should do it in French. David said, “Great idea, because I asked a Japanese girl, and when she found out it was a song about murder, she ran to the other side.” Tina wrote the bridge in French, very classic, Napoleonic French. I wrote three verses, one of which fell later. In a few hours we had a very good song.
There is a song called “Give Me Back My Name” by Little creatures. It never resonated with me. It was one of David’s “inner thoughts” songs. I’m not sure anyone really has a lot to do with the song, but somehow it has to be on the album. It is a daunting song. The music is good, but the lyrics and the vocal melodies are tearful and sad. I wasn’t into that at that particular moment. I’m not here today either.
“Warning sign.” I co-wrote that song with David. It was never a small hit. Of all our songs, I felt that I was most influenced by the tradition of one of our favorite bands, Velvet Underground. But it also had aspects of the Beatles: That post-psychedelic era of the Beatles when they got a little bit heavier. The lyrics are very heavy but also silly. I thought it was a splendid combination. Those lyrics still resonate with me even today.
“I Zimbra”. The lyrics were taken from the founder of the Dada movement, a man named Hugo Ball. He did it as a poem at Cabaret Voltaire. When we were working on this song, I think it was Brian Eno’s suggestion to use those specific lyrics. The letters don’t really mean anything [see: “Gadji beri bimba clandridi / Lauli lonni cadori gadjam”], but they sound really important. Sounds even more important to me today than it did back then. I have more knowledge on my part about Dada art, music and dance. Also, having played it live, even though it’s been a long time, was a song that people really responded to strongly. He made it a pleasure every time.
It bothers me when people don’t realize, or seem unaware, that Talking Heads was very much a shared experience, a long-time collaboration that was very successful. Some people tend to believe a single bullet theory with David, which is not true. It is very much a unique chemistry. All four members, and some of our extended musical family, contributed. Everyone in the band was a star.
