Listen to Q Lazzarus’ previously unreleased full version of Talking Heads’ ‘Heaven’

Q Lazzarus’ full version of the Talking Heads classic ‘Heaven’ has been released for the first time – listen below.

The mysterious cult musician, best known for her 1988 song ‘Goodbye Horses’, first recorded the cover for her appearance in Jonathan Demme’s 1993 film Philadelphia, but the full track was never released.

Lazzarus herself – real name Diane Luckey – appeared in the movie, singing the song, in what proved to be a rare public appearance during her lifetime. She passed away in 2022 at the age of 61.

Now, the track has been shared in full, as a preview of ‘Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives Of Q Lazzarus’, a compilation of tracks recorded by the artist between 1985 and 1995. The album will be released on February 21 via Sacred Bones, on what would have been Lazzarus’ 64th birthday.

Check out Q Lazzarus’ version of ‘Heaven’, as well as a clip of her performing the song in Philadelphia, here:

‘Heaven’ was first released on Talking Heads’ third album ‘Fear Of Music’ in 1979 and was memorably performed by David Byrne and Tina Weymouth in the legendary concert film Stop Making Sense, also directed by Demme.

As well as the new compilation, there is also a documentary about Lazzarus coming out, which the musician herself worked on in her final years. Directed by Aridjis Fuentes, the film will also be titled Goodbye Horses: The Many Lives Of Q Lazzarus and is expected to be released in the coming months.

The 21 tracks that make up the album are all drawn from Lazzarus’ own archive of digital tapes and cassettes and will include a new wave version of ‘Goodbye Horses’, the only commercial single released during Lazzarus’ lifetime. The song was also memorably included in Demme’s The Silence Of The Lambs in 1991.

‘Goodbye Horses’ has been subsequently covered by the likes of Bloc Party‘s Kele Okereke, Chino Moreno’s ††† (Crosses) side project, MGMT, Jon Hopkins and Wild Beasts’ Hayden Thorpe.

Lazzarus retreated from the public eye in the mid-90s. After being approached by Dazed in 2019, she confirmed that she had retired from music and was working as a bus driver in Staten Island.

The post Listen to Q Lazzarus’ previously unreleased full version of Talking Heads’ ‘Heaven’ appeared first on NME.