David Byrne discography

David Byrne discography

David Byrne speaking at the 2006 Future of Music Policy Summit hosted by the McGill University Schulich School of Music in Montreal, Canada
Releases
↙Studio albums 9
↙Live albums 5
↙Singles 14
↙Soundtracks 12
↙Remix albums 1

This page contains a comprehensive collection of information related to recordings by Scottish-American composer, musician, and producer David Byrne, former singer for Talking Heads.

Talking Heads

Byrne appeared on every release by Talking Heads, including their studio albums:

Year Album details
1977 Talking Heads: 77
  • Released: September 16, 1977
1978 More Songs About Buildings and Food
  • Released: July 14, 1978
1979 Fear of Music
  • Released: August 3, 1979
1980 Remain in Light
  • Released: October 8, 1980
1983 Speaking in Tongues
  • Released: May 31, 1983
1985 Little Creatures
  • Released: July 15, 1985
1986 True Stories
  • Released: October 7, 1986
1988 Naked
  • Released: April 3, 1988

And the live albums:

Year Album details
1982 The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads
  • Released: March 24, 1982
1984 Stop Making Sense
  • Released: October 15, 1984

Solo career

While recording with Talking Heads, Byrne started working on collaborations and albums with the band.

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Notes
US UK
1981 My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
  • Released: February 1981
  • Labels: Sire
44 29 Recorded with Brian Eno. Re-released in 2006 with bonus tracks.
1989 Rei Momo 71 52 β€”
1992 Uh-Oh 125 26 β€”
1994 David Byrne
  • Released: 1994-05-24
  • Labels: Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.
139 44 β€”
1997 Feelings
  • Released: 1997-06-17
  • Labels: Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.
155 91 Cover art by Stefan Sagmeister
2001 Look into the Eyeball
  • Released: 2001-05-08
  • Labels: Virgin
120 58 Re-released with bonus tracks. First album with Mauro Refosco.
2004 Grown Backwards
  • Released: 2004-03-16
  • Labels: Nonesuch/Warner Bros.
β€” 88 β€”
2008 Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
  • Released: 2008-08-18
  • Labels: Self-released
174
[1]
153 With Brian Eno. Cover art by Stefan Sagmeister.
2012 Love This Giant
  • Released: September 10, 2012
  • Labels: 4AD, Todo Mundo
23 40 Recorded with St. Vincent.

Soundtracks

Year Album details Peak chart positions Notes
US UK
1981 The Catherine Wheel
  • Released: December 1981
  • Labels: Sire
104 β€” Soundtrack to the 1981 Twyla Tharp dance production of the same name.
1985 Music for "The Knee Plays"
  • Released: May 1985
  • Labels: ECM
141 β€” Soundtrack to Philip Glass and Robert Wilson's play The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down. Re-released as The Knee Plays in 2007.
1986 Sounds from True Stories
  • Released: 1986
  • Labels: Sire
β€” β€” Soundtrack to the film True Stories.
1987 The Last Emperor
  • Released: 1987
  • Labels: Virgin
152 β€” Score to the film The Last Emperor, composed with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su.
1991 The Forest
  • Released: June 1991
  • Labels: Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.
β€” β€” Score to the 1988 Robert Wilson theatre piece of the same name.
1999 Your Action World
  • Released: 1999-01-01
  • Labels: Self-released
β€” β€” Soundtrack to Byrne's art presentation of the same name.
1999 In Spite of Wishing and Wanting
  • Released: 1999
  • Labels: Self-released
β€” β€” Soundtrack to the Ultima Vez dance production of the same name.
2003 E.E.E.I. (Envisioning Emotional Epistemological Information)
  • Released: 2003-07-02
  • Labels: Self-released
β€” β€” Soundtrack to Byrne's speaking tour and PowerPoint presentation of the same name.
2003 Lead Us Not into Temptation
  • Released: 2003-09-30
  • Labels: Thrill Jockey
β€” β€” Soundtrack to the film Young Adam.
2008 Big Love: Hymnal β€” β€” Soundtrack to the second season of Big Love.
2010 Here Lies Love
  • Released: April 6, 2010
  • Labels: Todomundo/Nonesuch
96 76 With Fatboy Slim. A disco song cycle occasionally given staged performances.

In addition to the scores and soundtracks that have been released as albums, Byrne has written music for several other productions:

Live albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Notes
US
UK
1993 Between the Teeth
  • Released: 1993
β€” β€” Released on VHS
2001 David Byrne Live at Union Chapel
  • Released: 2004-10-26
  • Labels: Nonesuch
β€” β€” Released on DVD.
2007 Live from Austin, Texas β€” β€” Recorded on 2001-11-28 for Austin City Limits. Released on DVD and Compact Disc.
2009 Everything That Happens Will Happen on This Tour – David Byrne on Tour: Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno β€” β€” Recorded in 2008 during the Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour. Released on Compact Disc and digitally.
2012 Live at Carnegie Hall
  • Released: 2012-03-12
  • Labels: Nonesuch
β€” β€” Recorded in 2004 with Caetano Veloso.

Remix albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Notes
US UK
1998 The Visible Man
  • Released: 1998
  • Labels: ?
β€” β€” Remixes of songs from Feelings.

Singles

Collaborations

Year Artist Release Notes
1978 Dinosaur "Kiss Me Again" single Guitar
1980 Love of Life Orchestra "Extended Nicities" single Guitar
Robert Fripp God Save the Queen/Under Heavy Manners Vocals on "Under Heavy Manners"
1984 The Staple Singers "Slippery People" single Guitar, Talking Heads cover version
1986 Philip Glass Song from Liquid Days Lyrics on "Liquid Days" and "Open the Kingdom"
1988 Tom Tom Club Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom Vocals on "Femme Fatale"
Tom Tom Club "Femme Fatale" Vocals, also features Marshall Jefferson remix
1990 Margareth Menezes ElegibΓ΄ Vocals and production on "Canto pra Subir" and "Abra a Boca"
Bernie Worrell Funk of Ages Co-writing and vocals on "Sing"
1992 Richard Thompson An Acoustic Evening Recorded live at St. Ann & The Holy Trinity, Brooklyn Heights, March 24, 1992. (Red Phantom: RPCD 1100)
Balanescu Quartet Byrne/Moran/Lurie/Torke Composition on "High Life for Strings"
Tom ZΓ© Brazil Classics, Vol. 5: The Hips of Tradition Vocals and guitar on "Jingle do Disco", released on Luaka Bop
1995 Selena Dreaming of You Vocals, co-writing, and production on "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)"
1996 CafΓ© Tacuba Avalanche de Exitos Vocals on "No Controles"
2000 Peret and Carol C Tributo a Peret Vocals on "Si Fulano"
2001 Vinicius CantuΓ‘ria Vinicius Lyrics and vocals on "Rio"
2002 X-Press 2 "Lazy" single Co-writing and vocals, later released on Grown Backwards
2004 10,000 Maniacs Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings Vocals "Let the Mystery Be", originally recorded for 1993's MTV Unplugged, along with cover versions of "Dallas" and "Jolene"
Thievery Corporation The Cosmic Game Lyrics and vocals on "The Heart's a Lonely Hunter"
2005 Fischerspooner Odyssey Lyrics on "Get Confused"
2006 Forro in the Dark Bonfires of SΓ£o JoΓ£o Vocals on "Asa Branca" and "I Wish (Bundle of Contradictions)"
La Portuaria La Portuaria Lyrics and vocals on "Hoy no le temo a la muerte"
2007 Baby Elephant Turn My Teeth Up! Vocals on "How Does the Brainwave?"
Marisa Monte Universo Ao Meu Redor Vocals on "State of Liberty"
David Shrigley Worried Noodles Vocals on "For You"
Paul Van Dyk In Between Vocals on "Fall with Me"
2008 The BPA and Dizzee Rascal "Toe Jam" Vocals
2009 N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo Vocals on "The People Tree" and "Money"
Brazilian Girls "I'm Losing Myself" Vocals
2010 If By Yes "Salt on Sea Glass" Vocals on "Eliza"
Maximum Balloon "Maximum Balloon" Vocals on "Apartment Wrestling"
2011 Arcade Fire The Suburbs (Deluxe Edition) Vocals on "Speaking in Tongues"
2014 Anna Calvi Strange Weather Vocals on "I’m the Man, That Will Find You (Connan Mockasin)" and "Strange Weather (Keren Ann)"

Compilation appearances

Year Release Track(s)
1982 Music and Rhythm "His Wife Refused"
1989 The 20th Anniversary Album "America Is Waiting"
Like a Girl I Want You to Keep Coming "Song for the Trees (or) I Know Sometimes the World Is Wrong"
1990 Red Hot + Blue "Don't Fence Me In"
1993 Caged/Uncaged: A Rock/Experimental Homage to John Cage "Cage and the Long Island Expressway" and "Enlightened Whistler"
1994 Beat the Retreat: Songs by Richard Thompson "Just the Motion", originally by Richard Thompson
1995 Blue in the Face soundtrack Co-wrote "Mi Barrio", performed by La Casa, released by Luaka Bop
Afro-Peruvian Classics: The Soul of Black Peru "Maria Lando", released by Luaka Bop and compiled by Byrne
1996 Red Hot + Rio "Waters of March" with Marisa Monte
Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip "It Goes Back"
1997 Red Hot + Latin "Yolonda Niguas" with CafΓ© Tacuba
1998 Red Hot + Lisbon "Dreamworld: Marco de Canavezes" with Caetano Veloso
2000 Mantra Mix "Ain't Got so Far to Go"
2002 The Only Blip Hop Record You Will Ever Need, Vol. 1 "Pocket Monster"
Hear Music Volume 7: Waking "Walk on Water"
2004 In Good Company soundtrack "Glass, Concrete & Stone"
Future Soundtrack for America "Ain't Got so Far to Go"
The Wired CD "My Fair Lady"
2005 The Wired CD: Ripped. Sampled. Mashed. Shared. "My Fair Lady"
2007 Plum "Ex-Guru", originally by The Fiery Furnaces
The Simpsons: Testify "Everybody Hates Ned Flanders" medley
2009 Dark Was the Night "Knotty Pine", with Dirty Projectors
2010 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps "Sleeping Up", "Tiny Apocalypse", and "Lazy"; "Home", "I Feel My Stuff", "Life Is Long", "My Big Nurse", and "Strange Overtones" with Eno; and "This Must Be The Place (NaΓ―ve Melody)" by Talking Heads

Production

Talking Heads produced or co-produced all their own music; in addition, Byrne has produced:

Year Artist Release Notes
1982 The B-52's Mesopotamia β€”
1983 Fun Boy Three Waiting β€”
1986 Various artists Something Wild Co-produced, also co-write and sang on "Loco de Amor"
1990 Margareth Menezes ElegibΓ΄ "Canto pra Subir" and "Abra a Boca" also performs vocals
1995 Selena Dreaming of You "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)" also performs vocals and co-wrote

Other projects

Byrne has released a handful of books - including Arboretum a collection of sketches of some of his favorite trees and The New Sins about sin in the 21st century. He has also made several public art installations, speaking engagements on art and technology, and PowerPoint presentations. In addition to a recording career as a solo artist, he also founded the record labels Luaka Bop and Todo Mundo.

References