As bassist Tina Weymouth once said, “When Talking Heads started, we called ourselves Thinking Man’s Dance Music.”

Talking Heads were one of the most original acts to emerge from New York’s CBGB’s in the mid-70s. Their art school sensibilities set them apart; but with the emotional rhapsody of David Byrne’s lyrics and vocal delivery, crafted around the rhythm section’s mechanical, juggernaut speed, a spiritually extolling sound that was stood up any of their leather-clad peers was created.

The early clip below captures Talking Heads’ reserved riotous spirit performing “Girls Want To Be With The Girls” live in New York City in 1976. However, it would be two years before the song was officially released on their 1978 album, More Songs About Buildings and Food. By then it had more or less disappeared from their live set, making this footage an even rarer gem. Enjoy below!

Talking Heads | “Girls Want To Be With The Girls [1976]

More Songs About Buildings and Food was the second studio album released by the Talking Heads, in July 1978. It was the first of three albums the band recorded with legendary producer Brian Eno as they moved towards a danceable sound, driven by the unbreakable rhythm section of bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz.  

The album also established the New Wave icons as a critical success, giving them their first top-thirty single with a cover of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” that climbed to # 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Watch a flashback of them performing the track live on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1979, here. 

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