Released on 3 August 1979, ‘Fear of Music’ caught Talking Heads at a fascinating crossroads, the moment the band stopped worrying about hit singles and started chasing something stranger and bolder. Produced alongside Brian Eno, the album turned David Byrne’s anxious, dystopian lyrics into one of the most acclaimed records of its era, landing on best-of-1979 lists everywhere. Behind its famous black cover, though, sits a string of unusual choices and offbeat stories. Here are five facts worth knowing.
Most Of It Was Recorded In A Loft With Cables Run Through A Window
Rather than book a conventional studio, the band returned to drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth’s loft in Long Island City. An audio crew parked a Record Plant van outside the building and ran cables up through the loft window. On just two days, 22 April and 6 May 1979, Talking Heads laid down the album’s basic tracks with Eno.
The Cover Was Designed To Feel Like A Manhole Cover
The completely black sleeve was designed by Jerry Harrison and embossed with a pattern resembling tread plate metal flooring. The texture deliberately echoed the album’s gritty, urban subject matter. The striking package earned a nomination for the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package.
“I Zimbra” Borrows Its Lyrics From A Dadaist Poem
The Afrobeat-tinged opener features guitar from King Crimson’s Robert Fripp, but its words came from somewhere unexpected. The nonsensical lyrics are based on “Gadji beri bimba,” a sound poem by German Dadaist Hugo Ball. Jerry Harrison later said the track pointed directly toward the direction the band would take on ‘Remain in Light.’
The Bird Sounds On “Drugs” Came From An Australian Koala Sanctuary
The closing track “Drugs” features bird sounds that weren’t pulled from a generic sound library. They were recorded at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia, during the band’s Pacific tour. It’s a small detail that captures just how far Talking Heads were willing to go for texture.
The Title Was Suggested As A Joke
Jerry Harrison pitched the “ludicrous” title ‘Fear of Music’ to the rest of the band almost in jest. According to Tina Weymouth, they accepted it because it simply fit, matching both the record’s uneasy themes and the stress the quartet felt while making it. Sometimes the offhand idea turns out to be the perfect one.