The Beatles and Talking Heads have each obtained a place in the history of music. The former spent the 1960s catapulting rock and roll into the mainstream and pioneering the modern music industry, securing their place as the most influential band of all time. The latter, like all bands who followed them, took inspiration from the Fab Four as they pioneered post-punk and new wave in the 1970s and ’80s.
Alongside their innovation within music recording and genre, The Beatles transformed the culture surrounding music, particularly for the youth. Their music represented a generation and influenced listeners and budding musicians alike, including the members of Talking Heads.
Frontman David Byrne has previously shared the influence of the Liverpool foursome on his outlook on music, telling Simon Reynolds: “Not only was I hearing stuff that seemed directed towards me and my friends, but it was all over the map. Anything seemed possible. It seemed like you could make music out of anything, as long as it adhered to a vague pop structure.”
The influence of The Beatles wasn’t just limited to Talking Heads’ quirky frontman, drummer Chris Frantz has also shared his love for the band from an early age. In an interview with The Line of Best Fit, he recalled the generational transcendence of their music, beginning, “Was I put off that even my mom was into the Beatles? Not in the least bit! I mean, I was amused.”
Frantz’s first encounter with the revolutionary band came when he was just 12 years old, with ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. Released in 1963, the song marked their first hit in the US, as Frantz recalls: “I think I must have been about 12 years old when that song came out. They came to the US in 1964, right? So I was 13, and like Elvis, they were just a phenomenon”.
The Beatles quickly found success, and suddenly, “everybody, whether they were hip, square, or whatever, were enjoying the Beatles, especially people in my age group. But girls were just wild for them. I mean, really wild, ”Frantz gushes. “And so this was the first Beatles song I heard, and they continued, as everybody knows, to write great songs and get more and more interesting as they went along.”
He particularly admires “the quantum leaps they made every couple of years, kind of like Talking Heads. Ha!” It’s a bold comparison to make, but it’s not entirely invalid. Talking Heads were pioneers in their own right, pushing the theatrics of their performance, experimenting with genre, and inventing and reinventing post-punk. Both have earned places in the history of music, in their own right.
