Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina

This is an essential read for anyone who is a fan of American new wave/post-punk music. It is exceptionally well written and follows a mostly chronological order in telling the story of how Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth met, fell in love, started a band, and ended up living a life in the arts. Every band seems to begin and end the same way. It dissolves into disputes over credit, money, jealousy and drugs. This is, sadly, one of the variations on that theme that you will find. The difference here is that it was dressed up in polo shirts and quirky beats. When Frantz deviates from the chronological telling of the story of Talking Heads, you end up wondering what might be missing from the rest of the story. The book sails along through their initial foray into CBGB and the New York music scene. You get to read the details of how they struggled and how they worked hard to make it. Frantz gives ample credit to everyone who helped and everyone they ran into. And then we go straight through the late 70s and into the early 80s in rapid fire succession. I would have liked to read more of how the middle catalog for Talking Heads was planned, recorded and toured. It seems like that era was a mere blip and over too quickly. When you think about how fast the Police and other contemporaries roared through album after album and tour after tour, you get a sense that the pace of all of this was what burned everyone out and exhausted the band. In the case of Talking Heads, nope. You'll get the straight story as to how David Byrne blew everything up. It does not sugarcoat anything. There are a handful of appearances by Jerry Harrison, and that's about it. Did they roll him around in a road case with wheels? We need an entire book about Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder, and Bez being a nut. We need another book entirely to deal with their first tour of Europe with XTC. The real story, as told here, seems to be the nuts and bolts creation of the sound and style of the band that originated from Frantz and Weymouth. They wrote far more of the material than they were credited. They planned and demoed the songs. They created the visual presentations and talked to people about what they were about (being able to look others in the eye becomes a theme in the book). They put up with David's envy and indifference. And they paid for Remain in Light, which wouldn't have even happened if they had not done the legwork. Stick with the book until the end because there's a bombshell revelation. Most of what's here corrects the historical record. The myth that is punctured is that the rhythm section was just along for the ride. Wrong, they were the creative life blood. Overall, an excellent read.

Chris Frantz’s book is really an excellent reading. Talking Heads is one of my favourite group since my childhood and I had my own view about the group, without enough information. I am grateful to Chris Frantz sharing many interesting and valuable information and stories, not only about their group but about the CBGB’s groups and generally about New York the 70ies in a way I could easily imagine those times and almost be there with them. The descripton of their tours with the Ramones is extremly exciting and colorful. Of course it is not possible, even to visit CBGB today, or… to see the Talking Heads on stage. It was especially interesting how Chris Frantz writing about David Byrne. I always thought that he was the “ only head”, this is definitely changed now. It is always seemed to be the case that Byrne was really a special if not strange guy, but also it was one of his “power” . However this is now quite well known what’s behind of Byrne’s antisocial behaviour. He has Asperger syndrome, it could explain maybe a lot. Because the manner he treated the other Heads is deceptive and sad. I also think that Tina Weymouth is really a great bass player and their songs remain always in light, the music was new and exciting, something that is not really based on rhythm and blues or R&R but is one step beyond...Talking Heads as an avant-gardiste team showed the way to the future. It is one of the group I would even travel a lot to see them on stage. Having read this book I think it will never happen unfortunately. An idea to reconsider it, guys!! Thanks again, Mr Frantz for this book.

“From the first time I saw Talking Heads live (CBGB, 1976), I’ve had a huge thing for Tina Weymouth. And since then I’ve been biding my time, waiting for the right moment to make my move. But after reading Remain in Love by Chris Frantz, it’s become pretty clear to me that she’s already in a relationship, and what’s more, it looks to be serious. But you know something? That’s okay, I’m happy for Tina, and for Chris, a great drummer who has written a great book.” So goes Bill Murray’s praise on the back cover of Chris’ 2020 book Remain in Love, which chronicles Frantz’s life in the bands Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, as well as his long-time love for and marriage to musician Tina Weymouth. The first quarter of the book details the early days, before Talking Heads even formed, and speaks of an innocent and happy childhood, carefree teenage years culminating in his college experience at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, and meeting Tina there. The second quarter, my favorite, covers starry-eyed days and nights with Tina and David Byrne on the Bowery in New York, forming the band, playing their first shows at CBGB, hanging out with members of other NY bands (The Ramones, Television, Patti Smith Group, Blondie, …), getting signed to Sire Records, and finally releasing a proper album. Midway through the book, Chris and Tina get married in Kentucky and real adulthood begins. Here we get to the rise and growth of a phenomenal rock’n’roll band, the birth of another funky one, parenthood, fame (at least moderately), and the death of aforementioned phenomenal rock’n’roll band. The highlight here is his memories of life at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, where he recounts colorful encounters and friendships with great 80s musical figures like Robert Palmer, Lee Perry, Bernie Worrell, Sly & Robbie, Chris Blackwell, and the deservedly revered Grace Jones, who even served as Frantz's bikini-clad personal trainer, commanding him, "This is for your glutes, man. This is for your ass. Do it! Chris! Do it!" This is also where we get to narratives that seem to divide readers on their opinion of the book and its author. Many, like Bill Murray, already entranced by Frantz’s happy-go-lucky personality and breezy writing style, can’t wait to really dive into the thick of things as Talking Heads take serious flight. Others seem to be forming an opinion of Chris as a spoiled rich white kid who thinks too highly of himself and is starting to get jealous and resentful of David Byrne’s growing control of the band. These folks often also take jabs at the lack of good editing here. While I see shades of what the latter group complains about, I find their viewpoint to be way too critical and harsh. This is a book meant to entertain us first and foremost. If you’re a Talking Heads fan, it does that handily. It is also a rock and roll book, not a sociopolitical thesis. So what if Chris gets a little overly sentimental about a pretty decent chicken salad sandwich he was served at Andy Warhol’s Factory or about Lou Reed pouring massive amounts of syrup on his pancakes when they had breakfast together at a diner once? After all, it’s not without a certain optimistic charm that parallels the joy of Talking Heads in the first place. Let Frantz have his quirky moments as long as he paints a colorful overall portrait of a creative and fun band and weighs in somewhat on meatier matters as well. He does both in spades, but it’s ultimately his thoughts on David Byrne that will draw the most heat from critics. This is where I also somewhat diverge from the author, although not as drastically as what I’m reading some critics spew. What Chris Frantz says about Byrne’s malintent may be (and likely is) true to some extent, but he fails to sufficiently temper it with a mature understanding of the plain truth that Byrne transcends him in terms of innate talent. Still, I can get myself to forgive the author for this infraction, chalk it up to his naivete, and move on with my enjoyment of the rest of the memorable stories he tucks in throughout Remain in Love. And as for Tina’s loveliness? Yeah, Chris is pretty convincing. You know something, Bill? I’m happy for them too!

So, love the Talking Heads soooo much.....truly one of the greatest bands of all time, period. I am trying to stay away from the negative reviews of the book, crying that Chris is disgruntled, upset, etc. The haters will focus on that, but that is also one of the main reasons (did they even read the book?) that he wrote it in the first place! That being that the media always latch onto whatever the canned narrative is...especially as the years go by, and that is that the Talking Heads were David Byrne with Tina, Chris, and Jerry just the "supporting" musicians.....So he is showing that the Heads were a collaborative effort! Regarding the shots or negative comments for Byrne, he also heaps praise on him---which he absolutely deserves---and just perhaps he lets off a little pent up steam and aggravation towards him from all these years, and, in my mind, it is also due to the hurt of Byrne turning his back on their friendship this past 35 years. ANYWAYS, the bottom line, if you are a true fan of the Talking Heads, you will love this read so much! And, if you would like to know more about the Heads, then this is the one and only book (so far) from one of the actual members! all others---even if they may have some interesting information----are just from outsiders. Enjoy!

Fantastic report on 2 important bands (T-Heads, Tom Tom Club), CBGBies, 70s/80s Manhattan, and the hugely influential Ramones/Talking Heads tour of Europe which spread punk and new wave to the continent. It deserves to be in libraries. It does not matter if you are a bigger David Byrne fan than Chris and Tina, this a valid and entertaining report. Chris Frantz describes encounters and relationships with countless key figures in the music of the time, no surprise, Johnny Ramone was a massive dick. But Chris is usually gracious in describing all the stars. He's a bit cruel on Byrne, saying he couldn't look so-n-so in the eye about 6 times, but that's his awareness and Chris has reason to be hard on Byrne. Sure Byrne was the biggest character and creative player in the T-Heads, but Chris (and Tina) drove the band to success. Despite some cocaine, weed and alcohol use, Frantz was always in control. So the account stays on point and doesn't get bogged down by addiction, sadness and trouble. For a New Englander of about the same age, this was a walk down memory lane. A book and life well done.

I love musicians’ bios, have read probably 40-50. I’ve yet to read one as dull as this. I mean, it read like a 3rd graders report on “what I did for my summer vacation”. Paraphrasing here but it reads like. “Then we toured Europe with the Ramones. Johnny Ramone was mean. We had good food in Paris. Tina is awesome. We flew home. I love Tina. We had a kid. Nassau is a fun place to record.” The guy was a founding member of arguably one of the most innovative and influential bands of the Punk and New Wave era. I was REALLY expecting him to have more to say, especially after I heard him interviewed on Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt’s podcast. I mean, Paul Stanley’s book was WAAAY more interesting, and I think KISS is kind of a joke, musically.

Chris Frantz' story is well written and frank and graciously allows readers to be a fly on the wall along a memorable musical life. It is not your typical "the lead singer is a jerk" book but rather, a telling of truths. It is refreshing and filled with so many facts. Was Byrne not the best bandmate? That's best left to the Talking Heads to decide as it was their band. Was him being on the spectrum (as Byrne himself has mentioned publicly) make it make a bit more sense - sure. At the end of the day, amazing music was made not just by one band but by two (with Tom Tom Club getting a big hit first) and along the way, a geniune love story played out. One that is still going strong. That I feel is the best takeaway of the book (although some of those Ramones and Andy Warhol stories come a close second). Talking Heads were always considered a thinking person's band and the fact that Chris Frantz writes as well as he does should not surprise anyone. This is not a ghost written book and it shows. Looking forward to Tina's book next!

Chris Frantz offers a compelling, detailed and welcome appraisal of Talking Heads and Tom Tom club history, and his loving relationship with Tina Weymouth. One of the great rock ‘n’ roll mysteries is the end of the band known as Talking Heads. David Byrne’s dispensing with his former bandmates at the height of their fame after not touring their final three studio albums has always been one of the most frustrating fan experiences in rock ‘n’ roll history. The real story had never really been told and readers who are expecting a full appraisal of the band’s end will be slightly disappointed by the relatively brief number of pages that Frantz devotes to the end of that band. He disappoints by not getting into more detail of the break up and fails to provide a story of the conversations and feelings amongst he himself, his wife, and fellow bandmate Jerry Harrison in the wake of the 1991 breakup. He does not tell the story of the last time the band played together at the Ritz in New York city in the 1988 and an impromptu gig during a Tom Tom Club show at which David Byrne and percussionist Steve Scales appeared. He also does not discuss the 1996 Heads project that many fans found compelling but which did not sell well and was abandoned after one album and tour. What he does very well is give an inside look at a remarkable career including two bands, Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads, alongside his beloved Tina, a relationship which is a remarkable rock ‘n’ roll success story. Most of the book discusses in rich detail his life’s history and his musical career through the late 70s. The last third of the book involves the period of time following 1980. No band sounded like Talking Heads and as Frantz rightly points out, many people believe that their 1980 album Remain in Light is one of the greatest recordings ever made. There are in-depth stories of many of the band’s recordings, the auxiliary musicians they worked with and the band’s many and varied influences, including early rock ‘n’ roll, disco, and African music. One welcome aspect of the book for hard-core fans is his discussion of just how much credit David Byrne took for Talking Heads group efforts. It always seemed as though the rest of the band was being shoved aside and the credit was being taken by Byrne for things the whole band had done. Please read the book for this reason if no other. This is a five star book that sacrifices one star because it runs out of gas when discussing the end of Talking Heads, despite being a very worthwhile and overdue read.

I remember buying the Talking Heads '77 album as an import back in... well 1977 on the basis of having read a single paragraph in one of the music papers of the day that raved enthusiastically about them. I was seeking a "different" sound. Well it took me several spins of the somewhat weighty American vinyl on my turntable for my ears to adjust to David Byrne's unusually harsh staccato..esq vocalisations. However I persisted with the album solely on the basis of my immediate admiration for the impressive rhythm section the band had. Clean, neat and funky. For me it was this rhythm section that made the band something extra special and unique. Talking Heads soon became, and to this day still are, one of my favourite bands. This book is essentially the inside story of that great rhythm duo. Told by Mr Franz from his perspective, but without any of the over elaboration, self promotion or self importance so many of these auto biographies tend to suffer from. Franz comes across as a real Gent, who worked hard to achieve his dream.......both in music and in love. Generous to, and appreciative of those around him, while not sulking or pontificating with unproductive bitterness over some of the injustices he and Tina put up with during their Talking Heads days........just a little clarification here and there...... and the odd dig! Chris Franz writes in a very straight forward and unpretentious style, relaying lots of inside stories about himself, Tina Weymouth and the various supporting characters they've encountered throughout their musical and romantic journey together. Impressively Mr F appears to have an exceptional memory for detail, as he recalls just about every meal eaten, every street walked down and every hotel he stayed in from the 1970's onward. While writing this review I realise that Chis and Tina have been together as lovers, and in parallel as a musical team, for the best part of 50 years. A pretty amazing achievement in the hedonistic world of rock n roll. There must be something in those rhythms and beats they create! Well done both.....and thank you Chris for a great read.

For an art-school grad who was a founder and key member of two massively influential bands, Chris has chosen a very direct and homespun way to tell the story of his love, life, and career (in that order). But that doesn't mean it's not a great read. I've known Chris on Facebook for a decade, and this is his authentic voice. Like the golf shirts he wore in the early Talking Heads days, Chris' style is anti-pretentious, wikedly smart, and a lot of fun. As with similar rock star autobiographies, like Keith Richards' or Bruce Springsteen's, Chris Frantz's life story is front-loaded with a focus on his childhood and early days. As the years pass, the pace increases, and there are times you wish you could interrupt him and get more detail about CBGB or recording and touring Remain In Light, but at other times the speed is refreshing because the book never drags. If I were to look at the book thematically, it's about Chris Frantz's relationship with two people: His formative bandmate David Byrne, and his other original bandmate, love, and later life partner Tina Weymouth. You can feel the conflict between David and Tina throughout much of the book, with Chris often caught in the middle. But as the title of the book suggests, Chris always sided with Tina. That such a tight romantic couple were the core of the band caused lots of conflict, even when Jerry Harrison joined as the fourth member, and Chris makes no bones about his loyalty or biases. It can be a bit uncomfortable at times, when you imagine how David might feel if he read the book, but if Chris' portrayal of David is accurate, David will probably never read it, nor even acknowledge any questions about it that come up in future interviews. That said, Chris' negative memories and feelings about his longtime bandmate and onetime friend don't come off as bitterness so much as hurt, frustration, and disappointment. Chris isn't without self-criticism. He acknowledges mistakes, regrets, and even low periods in his life when he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse that threatened his relationship with Tina. But as the book revolves around her, you know it will have a happy ending. The voice that Chris Frantz has found here is that of a mature storyteller. It's basically one anecdote after another, mostly chronological but with occasional jumps forward or back. The name-dropping is entertaining, since pretty much everyone Chris is so thrilled or curious to meet is at his own level of celebrity (now), yet he tells about their encounters with self-deprecating humour. When it comes to sex, drugs, and rock and roll: the sex is monogamous, the drugs are pretty low-key, and the rock and roll is arty and often funky rather than raw and dirty. It's not a scandalous book. If you're a fan one one or both of his bands, or you just love reading how creative stars grow up and live their lives, it's worth cracking this one open. It's also getting great press.

Love this book. Some revelations about my favourite band: talking heads.

A great read. Mr Franz's generous, lighthearted and honest recounting of his work in Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and as a producer sheds light on an oft-overlooked aspect of TH's brilliance: THE GROOVE. Also offers interesting counterpoints and context comparisons to the sections of Byrne's TH memoirs embedded in 'How Music Works'..

The inside story