Talking Heads’ Tina Weymouth describes David Byrne as “insecure”
Talking Heads’ bassist Tina Weymouth has described frontman David Byrne as “insecure” in a series of essays in the Sunday Times.
Alongside drummer and husband Chris Frantz, who released a memoir titled Remain In Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina in 2020, she opened up about their complicated relationship with Byrne.
“I recently described David Byrne as Trumpian, which didn’t go down well with everybody,” Weymouth wrote. “What I meant was that, from my experience, everything with David is transactional – he will use you until he has no more use for you.
“He always seemed very insecure about himself and would often try to blame other people if things went wrong. Chris and I loved him dearly and we did our best to overlook these disastrous character flaws, but it seemed obvious that Talking Heads wasn’t going to last.”
She continued: “In interviews David always says he’s happy and I’d like to believe that. But if he’s happy, why does he refuse to refer to Chris and I or Jerry by name? He calls us ‘people he used to play with.’ Isn’t that odd? I’ve been around the block a few times and I’ve realized that people act like animals. Some are doves: beautiful and peaceful, like Chris. Unfortunately some are sly foxes.”
Elsewhere, Frantz wrote about the last years of Talking Heads: “The end of the band [in 1991] was messy and sad. David stopped communicating with us. That was another time when having Tina with me was so beneficial. We talked about the future. We continued to make music as Tom Tom Club. And we enjoyed being Mr and Mrs Average Suburban Couple.”
Talking Heads last reunited at the ceremony of their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2002. Speaking to NME last year about a potential reunion, Frantz said: “I did try it a couple of times and the last time was about 20 years ago, and after that, David just said: ‘I never want you to ask me that question again. I’m not going to address that matter.’ It’s a shame and it is what it is.”
In other news, Talking Heads‘ Stop Making Sense documentary is returning to cinemas 39 years on from its original release.
The film, directed by Jonathan Demme, captured the band at the height of their powers in 1983. Stop Making Sense was shot in Hollywood at the Pantages Theater, with the band touring in support of their fifth album, ‘Speaking in Tongues’.
As of yet, the film – which is being remastered in 4K – hasn’t got a release date. However, there has already been an announcement that alongside the film, there will be a new deluxe edition of its soundtrack. This is due out on August 18 via Rhino Records. You can pre-order the soundtrack as of now from the band’s official website – here.
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Arusa Qureshi
NME
