CHRIS FRANTZ AND TINA WEYMOUTH
“CBGBS WAS A WONDeRFUL iNCUBATOR FOR BABY BANDS”
ONE OF THE GREAT LOVE STORIES IN MUSIC, AS WELL AS ONE OF ITS FINEST RHYTHM SECTIONS, TINA WEYMOUTH AND CHRIS FRANTZ ARE PREPARING TO SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF LIFE IN TALKING HEADS AND TOM TOM CLUB. IT’S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE ADVENTURE, AS THEY REVEAL ALL ABOUT THEIR DAYS OF SWEATING WITH RAMONES, FORSAKING POLITICAL POP AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMIND PEOPLE OF THE JOY OF WORKING WITH DAVID BYRNE.
JOHN EARLS
Talking Heads in 1977, the year of their debut album (L-R): David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison Inset: Chris and Tina pictured at their home studio today
© Getty
This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of music’s great romances. Chris Frantz met Tina Weymouth in 1973 at Rhode Island School Of Design. You’ll know already their plans to become artists got railroaded by Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. What’s also obvious is that they’re both still madly in love.
Frantz’s 2020 memoir, Remain In Love, is a beautiful and touching extended paean to Weymouth. Over Zoom from their loft studio – a mishmash of instruments piled against the back wall, a single platinum disc on the shelves, the couple’s cat wandering in and out of shot – their devotion is evident. Chris introduces himself, before going to fetch his wife. “Darling, we’ve got a British interview,” he tells Tina tenderly. Slightly flustered at being less than two minutes late, Tina is full of apologies. If Talking Heads were the coolest band in New York, Chris and Tina are still the coolest and most welcoming couple in music.
The pair are talking because there’s a speaking tour of Britain to promote. Frantz was unable to plug Remain In Love in person because it was released during lockdown. “This tour makes up for not being able to go anywhere for my book,” he explains.
They also want to share what life was really like in Talking Heads. The 32 years since officially splitting in 1991 have seen snarky comments between David Byrne on one side and Tina, Chris and keyboardist Jerry Harrison on the other. A three-song reunion performance when they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002 is one aspect all four can agree on: that was horrible.
As Chris says: “I’d like our tour to convey that Talking Heads was an amazing time. It was very much a shared experience. It was all pretty happy until...” Tina interjects: “...Until our last show.” The couple laugh, until Frantz grimaces at the memory of that final reunion. “Yeah. Talking Heads was great until our last show.”
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