Talking Heads Announce New Authorized Book Talking Heads New Feeling
Talking Heads members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, and Chris Frantz have officially collaborated on their first authorized band book, titled Talking Heads: New Feeling, scheduled for release on May 18 via Abrams Books.
Inside the 400-Page Coffee-Table Book
The large-format, 400-page release arrives during the 50th-anniversary year of the group’s debut album, Talking Heads: 77. According to the publisher, the volume pairs hundreds of images with original essays from all four members, annotated concert playlists, and graphic design by Eric Skillman featuring bold edge printing. Archival material gathered for the book includes the original handwritten lyrics to “Psycho Killer” and “Life During Wartime,” alongside original album sketches and private photos.
“For this book, we pulled out handwritten lyrics, original album sketches, and private photos, some of which haven’t left our archive in over 40 years,” Harrison told Abrams Books. In an Instagram video released by the publisher, Weymouth described the project as an opportunity for the four members to write and curate a comprehensive coffee-table book about the group’s history. Frantz framed the narrative as the story of three art students who met at the Rhode Island School of Design before finding themselves at CBGB, the central hub of New York City’s 1970s punk and new wave scene, where Harrison later joined them prior to their signing with Sire Records.
In addition to contributions from the band members, the publication features essays from Lorde, Debbie Harry, Karl Ove Knausgaard, and Jeff Bridges. The book also incorporates behind-the-scenes photographs from the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense, which experienced a theatrical reissue via a limited engagement in 2023. Ahead of that re-release, Harrison remarked to Pitchfork that seeing the film again revived the collective joy the band shared, noting that it tugged at the heartstrings regarding how much he loved everyone involved. Prior to promoting the film’s remaster, the core members had not made a public appearance together in decades.
Rhino Releases Remastered Fear of Music Super Deluxe Edition
The upcoming book follows a string of archival treatments for the band’s catalog. On October 1, the group detailed plans for a freshly remastered, super-deluxe edition of their third album, Fear of Music, slated for a November 13 release via Rhino. That LP expands the original track list with alternate versions, studio outtakes, and previously unreleased full concert recordings from the era. The release coincides with the launch of a dedicated SiriusXM channel.
Previously, Talking Heads: 77 received a super deluxe edition featuring an unreleased recording of the group’s October 10, 1977 performance at CBGB, accompanied by an 80-page hardcover book. Individual members have also previously documented their history, with Frantz publishing the memoir Remain in Love and Byrne exploring his creative process in How Music Works. However, New Feeling stands as the first book authorized collectively by all four members. Alongside the standard release, Abrams Books is preparing a Collector’s Edition housed in a clamshell box featuring a 19-piece wooden puzzle built into the cover.