Talking Heads

I'm fairly certain Chris + Tina are set for life or can at least plan a decent retirement thanks to "Fantasy" and the numerous rap samples of "Genius of Love." This is when artists still made coin pre-streaming.

I read an interview published in the mid '00s where Frantz-Weymouth admitted they made "close to" a million bucks in royalties from "Fantasy" in the last ten years. Admittedly, this ain't Mariah Carey money, but it's a LOT of money for two punks who earned little to no publishing income from the Heads and depended on touring.

They also seem to live quiet lives in Connecticut, and their children are all grown up and on their own now (and I think doing well) - given their age, I imagine the enticement of a big payout is no longer that great, not unless they want to make their kids enormously wealthy or suddenly adopt an extravagant lifestyle.

They've been shockingly inactive compared to the other two, so clearly whatever they're getting is "enough." But there's comfortable, and then there's really rich, and I bet Chris and Tina would prefer to be the latter.

I don’t think it’s possible to look up the members of Tina Weymouth’s family and think anything other than “there is family money here”

Who's in her family? I thought she, like Chris, was a military kid?

Like, raised upper middle class?

Katharine Weymouth was the publisher of the Washington Post.

Her father was a vice admiral in the navy, her great-grandfather won the French legion of honor then married the sister of a banking tycoon

That’s technically through her brother, who married into the Graham publishing family

That’s technically through her brother, who married into the Graham publishing family

Novelist John Nichols is a cousin or uncle, and he’s related to the former governor of Massachusetts, etc

After a half-dozen wiki clicks from Tina’s page, I stopped worrying if she and Chris were doing okay on royalties from “Genius of Love”

She’s technically a “military kid,” but in the same way that like John McCain was a military kid

well, I live a mile away from them, and have interacted with them… while I did not discuss this with then the time I interacted with them, it's pretty clear to me they would want to do things like tour or do Coachella as the TH or do shows as TTC because they want to, not because they have to… their lifestyle around where I live, shall we say, is conducted in a manner that I don't think they would want to flaunt in front of Roberta Bayley or Cheetah Chrome…she is from a very very fancy family…

She was in a very bad car accident in 2020 or 2021…

Together, right?

https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Former-Talking-Heads-drummer-says-drunken-driver-17037087.php

This is a cool discussion, even as Tina’s biggest skepticfan

I still maintain that Franz and Weymouth came from upper middle class backgrounds but not, like, deep pocket money. Her dad was a Vice Admiral in the Navy, which ain't nothing; he gets a Wiki blue link, for historical reasons. Her mom was named Laure Bouchage and fwiw does not get a wiki blue link; Bouchage was apparently the granddaughter of a well-regarded poet named Anatole Le Braz; he was the one who married the sister of a banker. Tina was one of 8 kids, and some of those siblings went on to make or marry into money - her brother, for example, is a famous architect - but what that has to do with her I don't know. Franz's dad was a West Point and Harvard Law graduate who became a JAG in the Army Reserve.

Again, nothing to sniff at, but we're not talking never have to work again family money. I'm sure the Talking Heads provided that, though whether or not Franz and Weymouth were smart with their money, I dunno. It's only interesting to me because I've heard repeatedly that Tina is somehow royalty or something, but I've never seen evidence. Veronica Moser has better insight into how they live, but here's a nice article on Fairfield, Connecticut. Sounds lovely!

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/realestate/fairfield-conn-a-relaxed-beach-town-where-theres-plenty-to-do.html

FWIW, I think it's in Franz's book (which, like much of his and Weymouth's post-Heads life, features an obnoxious, antagonistic fixation on Byrne) where he describes *Byrne's* upbringing as better off than the singer implied. (Projection/irony.) I think Byrne's dad was a Westinghouse engineer. Harrison, I think, was the son of a teacher and an advertising exec. Of the four, I think he's the only one that finished college (Harvard, of course).

Actually, I don't know if Frantz and Weymouth graduated from RISD. Bryne dropped out, I know that much.

Maybe I'm not sufficiently cynical, but the divergent attitudes towards reuniting held by the band members all seem to make complete sense without even considering the financial motives. Whatever else they've accomplished, I imagine Tina and Chris have fond memories of being in one of the most lauded bands in the world, and it could be fun to dip back into that experience. TH is for sure how they will be publicly remembered, feels like a very natural instinct to want to keep engaging with that part of your life and identity. Byrne meanwhile has proven himself time and again to have an insatiable appetite for trying new things, exploring different artistic directions and endeavors, whatever one might think of the results. He just seems wired in a way that pushes his instinct in the opposite direction.

I think that's true. Current health aside, though, I do wonder why Chris and Tina didn't tour much as the Tom Tom Club. Or did they? I'm trying to think when they last played Chicago (for example). 2011?

It might just be that they're older and the financial payoff isn't worth it. Playing the drums night after night in a different city in your 60s, easy to imagine why one would choose not to do that if they didn't have to.

for the record I don't think tina is "royalty." There is a lot of evidence of her family and extended family being entrenched in elite circles, which is usually correlated with wealth but not always. Doesn't change the value or any of her work or achievements.

For the good of the thread, I'll stop pocket-watching them now.

idk I love discussing the wealth of musicians. It fascinates me.

In Frantz's book he tells a story about being on a yacht in the Caribbean, then needing to fly back for drug rehab.

I am sure they are doing OK now but it may be that quite a lot of their money went up his nose.

Tina's dad had an interesting life story (enough so that his famous musician daughter isn't mentioned in that obit, and it doesn't feel incomplete).

She obv came from a "prominent" family, but (like Josh) I don't necessarily see evidence of enough "you'll never have to work" generational wealth to be spread across 8 kids.

Anyway, if I were personally a former Talking Head, no matter how disinterested I were in playing Coachella (and didn't "need" the money personally), I feel like I would do it and give the cash to a Good Cause... not that I fault Byrne or any of them for making a different choice, they're not me.

not reuniting is as good for the legacy as reuniting at this point, though. Compare the rerelease of Stop Making Sense vs the latest Blondie tour or album. And I cant imagine recapturing the hunger and finesse of the expanded band, no matter how enthused the core members might be.

not reuniting is as good for the legacy as reuniting at this point, though

100%. Better, even. "God, they were so great; I wish they'd reunite" >>>>>>> "God, they used to be so great; I wish they hadn't reunited".

Bendy, that expanded band was so frkn great that I can't imagine anything that magical happening again. We can just be grateful that it ever existed. I love the quartet too, but let's get real. SMS was a pinnacle.

idk I love discussing the wealth of musicians. It fascinates me.

I am interested in the wealth accrued by musicians through their work, but I'm allergic to investigating any family ties to money. I've seen, once those connections are made, attempts to delegitimise the work of an artist (Arca, i.e.); these attempts at delegitimisation appear to be pursued more fastidiously when the artist is not "a white guy". I know first-hand that some of the wealthiest, and "trust funded" creatives hide it well-enough that they escape scrutiny; it's not part of the discussion of their arc. I also know first-hand that certain creatives have highly visible connections to scion-wealth but benefit not-at-all from that connection. idk. I guess I generally feel that a creative should be allowed to disclose this kind of stuff at their own discretion.

That said, Tina's dad does seem like an interesting character

I am interested in the wealth accrued by musicians through their work, but I'm allergic to investigating any family ties to money. I've seen, once those connections are made, attempts to delegitimise the work of an artist (Arca, i.e.); these attempts at delegitimisation appear to be pursued more fastidiously when the artist is not "a white guy".

yeah ugh this is some bullshit: the starving artist cliche. I hate this. If you suck, no family wealth will disguise it.

Obviously I can't know what it's like to have been in an incredibly famous, popular, and beloved band, but I'm gonna speculate anyway, I feel like if it were me I would really *want* to get back on stage and *visibly see* that people are still overjoyed to hear the songs I wrote, played, and sang 40 years ago. It's one thing to know it in the abstract, another thing for the people to be right there in front of you cheering.

Or do you think if you've already spent years living that lifestyle you get used to it and it's no big deal to be cheered, just another day at the office?

these attempts at delegitimisation appear to be pursued more fastidiously when the artist is not "a white guy"

pretty much every young female artist whose parent(s) have, say, so much as an entertainment- or media-adjacent career is called a "nep0 baby" by a certain online contingent these days, so... yeah

How about if it involves dealing with David Byrne as part of the deal?

xpost

The tribute album seems like such a weird throwback. Has there ever been a great Talking Heads cover, fr?

Plenty of decent to great pastiches (King Crimson, LCD Soundsystem, probably tons in the '80s), but I can't think of a good cover.

I am sure they are doing OK now but it may be that quite a lot of their money went up his nose.

― Washington Post Malone (Ye Mad Puffin)

that was the thing i was thinking - cocaine habits are expensive. they don't necessarily bankrupt a person, though, and they do seem to be doing pretty well

fgti otm about people who aren't white guys getting more scrutiny. privilege absolutely makes a difference in life, and money is _definitely_ a form of privilege. it's a tough thing to navigate... not wanting to cover it up but also not wanting to flaunt it. plus it's a relative thing and it gets taken as absolute.

personally, i don't have to worry about money to the extent that a lot of my friends (many of whom are either homeless or on the verge of being homeless) do, and that definitely helps. it's very possible that if i did have to worry about money on top of all the other shit i worry about, i'd have killed myself by now.

The tribute album seems like such a weird throwback. Has there ever been a great Talking Heads cover, fr?

Plenty of decent to great pastiches (King Crimson, LCD Soundsystem, probably tons in the '80s), but I can't think of a good cover.

― Jordan s/t (Jordan)

that's easy, slippery people by the staple singers

i also like Yasuyuki Okamura's version of "burning down the house"

Living Colour's "Memories Can't Wait."

oh wait, trick daddy, "sugar sugar gimme some", that's a great one too

living colour's "memories can't wait"

angelique kidjo did a fucking great cover of the entire _remain in light_ album

So did Phish

*ducks*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d3BVds9eDk

Real talk though, I like Phish's Cities better than the original.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWmLI72Iv-8

So did Phish

I don't care for Phish, but I liked their live "Remain in Light" recording I heard.

Money stuff, who has it, who doesn't, it's just water cooler talk, but banal though it may be, it does often factor into reunions. Pixies, I know Joey literally said it was the difference between an OK and a great school district for his kid. LCD, iirc Nancy Whang literally said she needed the money. Pavement, I think at least a couple of them said it was all about the money. This isn't a bad thing, mind, nor is it greedy, it's just practical stuff, which is why I appreciate these kind of discussions in the context of people we often consider idols. Rock stars - they're just like us, you know?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7zQAifuyM8

Thanks for the kind responses, it felt like an oddly precarious post to make

My friend and I are chatting on this topic and he offered this simple counterpoint: “I think it’s good for people to know who’s rich” heh

I wonder if there will ever be a streaming-era example of an artist whose reputation grows over time such that they'll be able to do a late career nostalgia/cash-in tour. Maybe if it's based on a surprise algorithmic hit or Stranger Things-esque placement.

Duster!
https://www.songkick.com/artists/9637879-duster

I guess I was thinking of artists starting after say post-2015, starting after the '90s music industry and the blog era.