Revisit the moment Talking Heads recorded ‘Femme Fatale’ with Lou Reed
For a period of time, Talking Heads were one of the biggest bands of the 1980s, effortlessly blending a unique mixture of punk, art rock, pop and funk, making them pioneers of the new wave genre. They were fronted by oversized suit-wearing David Byrne, who captivated audiences with his strange stage presence. Byrne would often appear awkward and jittery before descending into madness, throwing himself around the stage and pulling the greatest shapes you’ll ever see a frontman pull.
This is best exemplified in the concert film Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme. Easily the most enjoyable concert film ever recorded, the whole crowd are seen grinning ear to ear as Byrne dances with the backing singers and puts his all into a performance of some of their greatest hits.
The band played their first gig supporting the Ramones at CBGB in 1975, releasing their debut single ‘Love → Building on Fire’ two years later. Shortly after, their debut album Talking Heads: 77 was released, which included their successful single ‘Psycho Killer’.
The following year, the band collaborated with Brian Eno as producer on the first of three albums together. Their collaborations opened the band’s eyes to new influences, such as Fela Kuti and Parliament-Funkadelic, which led Talking Heads to incorporate greater elements of afrobeat and funk into their music.
Byrne once explained that “the record collection was filled with Hamilton Bohannon, James Brown, Roxy Music, Funkadelic, and P-Funk, that whole world during this period. George Clinton and his whole crazy P-Funk philosophy was great; they were doing these kind of spectacles.”
The band have also cited musicians such as David Bowie, Chic, Kraftwerk, Miles Davis, The Stooges, and The Velvet Underground as major influences on their sound. Describing his love for The Velvet Underground, one of the most influential bands of all time, Byrne described how discovering them was “a big revelation.” Detailing further, he continued: “I realised, Oh, look at the subject of their songs: There’s a tune and a melody, but the sound is either completely abrasive or really pretty. They swing from one extreme to the other. ‘White Light/White Heat’ is just this noise, and then, ‘Candy Says’ is incredibly pretty but really kind of dark.”
Therefore, Byrne was undoubtedly excited to collaborate with The Velvet Underground’s very own Lou Reed. Talking Heads had the pleasure of meeting Reed in the 1970s, as he was a regular visitor to CBGB, often attending to check out new bands. Reed gave the band advice whilst they were in their infant stages, telling Byrne “that he should never go onstage in a short-sleeved shirt because his arms were too hairy.”
Fast-forward to 1988, and members of the band had employed the help of Reed to play guitar on a cover of the iconic Velvet Underground track ‘Femme Fatale’ from their 1967 debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico. It wasn’t technically a Talking Heads cover; instead, the track was recorded for a Tom Tom Club album, the side-project of drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth.
Still, their version of the song employed Byrne on slide and rhythm guitar and Jerry Harrison on keys – so it was really just Talking Heads plus Lou Reed. However, Weymouth took over lead vocal duties, with everyone else on backing duties. The cover can be found on the Tom Tom Club album Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom.
Listen to the band put their new wave spin on the track below.
