Houses in Motion

"Houses in Motion"
Single by Talking Heads
from the album Remain in Light
Released 5 May 1981
Format 7", 12"
Recorded July–August 1980
Genre New Wave, worldbeat
Length 4:33
Label Sire
Producer Brian Eno, David Byrne
Talking Heads singles chronology
"Once in a Lifetime"
(1981)
"Houses in Motion" (alternate mix)
(1981)
"Life During Wartime" (Live)
(1982)
Remain in Light track listing
"Once in a Lifetime"
(4)
"Houses in Motion"
(5)
"Seen and Not Seen"
(6)

"Houses in Motion" is the second and final single from Remain in Light, the fourth studio album from American New Wave band Talking Heads. An alternate mix of the song was released in vinyl form on 5 May 1981 and peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart.[1]

Contents

Recording and style

Talking Heads frontman and chief lyricist David Byrne remixed the song created with Remain in Light producer Brian Eno at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas in the summer of 1980. "Houses in Motion" features brass performances by Jon Hassell.[2] The B-side "Air" is from the band's third studio album Fear of Music. The cover artwork is by designer Thomi Wroblewski.

Track listing

  1. "Houses in Motion" – 4:33
  2. "Air" – 3:34

Chart positions

Chart (1981) Peak
position
Irish Singles Chart 26
UK Singles Chart[3] 50

Covers

A faster paced version of the track performed by Helen White was featured in the Plunkett & Macleane soundtrack (scored by Craig Armstrong).

Phish covered Houses in Motion at their October 31, 1996 Halloween show. At this show they played the entire Remain in Light album for their second set.

References

  1. ^ "Chart Stats - Talking Heads". Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=3405. Retrieved 13 August 2011. 
  2. ^ Bowman, David (2001). This Must Be the Place: The Adventures of Talking Heads in the Twentieth Century. HarperCollins. p. 176. ISBN 0-3809-7846-6. 
  3. ^ Rees, Dafydd; Crampton, Luke (1991). Rock Movers & Shakers. Billboard Books. p. 519. ISBN 0-8230-7609-1.