Hear Talking Heads Perform Songs From Talking Heads: 77, Released 42 Years Ago Today
Music Features Talking Heads
Talking Heads: 77 was the seminal New York City band’s formal introduction to the world and a bold statement, even if it didn’t fly up the charts. Talking Heads’ debut album spawned one of their biggest hits, “Psycho Killer,” and it marked the formal start of one of the most important art-punk bands ever.
Just a few months before the album’s release, Talking Heads performed in the hole-in-the-wall, now legendary NYC venue, CBGB, which was a breeding ground for influential groups of the late 1970s like the Ramones, Patti Smith, Blondie, Television and others. On May 31, 1977, Talking Heads performed a selection of songs that would end up on their debut album like the aforementioned “Psycho Killer,” “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town” and “Don’t Worry About The Government.”
That night, frontman David Byrne slightly tweaked the famous “Psycho Killer” lyrics, and the band’s classic four-piece lineup also tore into a funky version of Al Green’s “Take Me To The River,” which would later appear on their 1978 LP More Songs About Buildings and Food.
Read: Listen to Talking Heads, Pretenders Share an Amazing Festival Bill in 1980
Listen to Talking Heads perform “Psycho Killer” and “Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town” in 1977 via the Paste vault below.