Happy Birthday to former [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Talking Heads[/lastfm]’ keyboardist/guitarist [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Jerry Harrison[/lastfm]!!
And to mark the occasion, Jack FM is making “Road to Nowhere” our Song of the Day!!
Does [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]David Byrne[/lastfm] remind anyone else of their high school math teacher?
Formed in New York City, Talking Heads first found success in the late ’70s with albums such as More Songs About Buildings and Food, Fear of Music and Remain in Light. Singles like “Psycho Killer,” “Take Me to the River,” “Life During Wartime” and “Once in a Lifetime” were modest hits on the Billboard Hot 100, earning the band a small, yet devoted fanbase.
After a brief hiatus, Talking Heads released their fifth studio album, Speaking in Tongues, in May 1983. It broke the band into the mainstream, peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and selling over a million copies. “Burning Down the House” became their highest-charting single in North America when it landed in the Top 10 in both Canada and the U.S.
Little Creatures followed in ’85. The single “And She Was” was a hit overseas, while “Road to Nowhere” went to No. 25 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The video for the latter was also a success on MTV, garnering a nomination for Best Video of the Year at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. “Road to Nowhere” is Jack’s Song of the Day.
Talking Heads released two more albums, True Stories and Naked, before officially announcing their breakup in 1991. Five years later, [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Tina Weymouth[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type=”artist_info”]Chris Frantz[/lastfm] and Jerry Harrison reunited for the album No Talking, Just Head. More albums and tours were to follow, but David Byrne quelled those plans when he sought legal action against his ex-bandmates to prevent them from using the name “Talking Heads.”
In 2002, Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Check out Talking Heads performing their 1977 hit “Psycho Killer.” Who knew a song about a psycho killer could be so upbeat and groovy?!
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