Bono’s favourite Talking Heads song
While U2 have been selling out stadiums for many decades, like every other band to climb the ladder, they had to work their way to superstardom and began as an opening act. Their first experience of playing in a significantly sized room was an eye-opening experience and offered them a chance to learn from one of the best in the business, Talking Heads.
At this stage in their career, U2 had played every town there was to play in their native Ireland but had yet to establish themselves over the Irish Sea. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to support Talking Heads at the Electric Ballroom in Camden and select European shows, they were eager to witness how David Byrne commands a crowd.
Both bands soon outgrew venues of this size, going on to bigger things. Although by the end of the decade, Talking Heads had all but fallen apart, and U2 had become the most-talked-about group in the world thanks to the success of The Joshua Tree, Bono has never allowed himself to forget their jaunt together.
When the U2 singer turned 60 in 2020, he reflected upon this pivotal moment in the history of his band, which helped introduce them to a wider audience and generate a buzz from their association with Talking Heads.
In an open letter addressed to the band, Bono named their early single ‘Love Goes to Building on Fire’ as his favourite from their catalogue, recalled hearing it for the first time, and expressed his gratitude for Talking Heads showing early faith in U2.
The rock vocalist began his letter by writing: “I think this came out on a compilation, NEW WAVE… it certainly never made it onto a Talking Heads original studio album. I borrowed the compilation from my friend, Gavin Friday, who said when I returned it that it had jam on it, and perhaps some breadcrumbs… as if someone had been eating toast whilst reading the track list. I told him it was a punk thing to do.”
“Truth is, you were never a punk-sounding band…. your mettle was much more rarefied. That said, I don’t think there’s anything more punk than witnessing your arrival in the UK to play the Old Grey Whistle Test dressed as American tourists in London for the first time. One of you might’ve been carrying a camera.”
“That’s when we start to understand that revolt – if it truly is that – probably doesn’t dress up as that,” he continued.
Bono then praised Byrne for how he developed as an artist from ‘Love Goes to Building on Fire’ to the larger-than-life character he portrayed in the boundary-breaking concert film Stop Making Sense. He also revealed ‘Life During Wartime’ and ‘Once In A Lifetime’ as other favourites but explained the “tender lack of cleverness” in ‘Love Goes to Building on Fire’ warranted the song’s selection as his preferred choice.
To conclude, he earnestly wrote: “Thank you all for letting U2 support you on our very first tour of the UK… that was a very big break for us. Your opening act, Bono.”
Listen to ‘Love Goes to Building on Fire’ below.
