Harri, if you haven't yet watched the concert film, "Stop Making Sense", do yourself a favor and do take it in. It's peak 'Heads, beautifully filmed and with great audio. There are not many concerts that were better filmed and produced.
The rhythm section for the Talking Heads are a married couple, Chris Frantz on the Drums and Tina Weymouth on Bass. Along with Lead Singer and Guitarist David Byrne and Keyboardist and sometimes Guitarist Jerry Harriston are all graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design, except Harriston who is a Harvard graduate. Ms. Weymouth is my all-time favorite female rock star, she is all business all the time, but in a fun way.
All these decades and I didn't know this was a cover version. Still a classic rendition. It's somewhat minimalist but it works. Talking Heads have a unique, timeless sound. Not to everyone's taste but you certainly can't pigeonhole them and they are catchy in a quirky way. Harri, for more Talking Heads try Pschyo Killer, Life During Wartime, Burning Down The House, Once In A Lifetime and And She Was.
In the '80s I used to bump into David a couple a times a month digging through the crates of our favorite record shop in the Village in NYC. He was really into Brazilian artists like Caetano Veloso and he introduced me to an African artist named William Onyeabor. He was also picking up records by Hamilton Bohannon and, of course, Al Green and Parliament.
This is the most distinctive song on the first record I ever bought new-Take Me to the River played as if underwater. It remains my favourite Talking Heads song.
I loved this song from the moment it first came out from Talking Heads. Interesting metaphor about how it is when we get deep into the love feeling... I am going to have to listen to Al Green now. Thank you.
This one and Psycho Killer were the 2 that introduced me to Talking Heads when they hit the music scene in the late 70s .. Fantastic songs and I've been a huge fan of theirs ever since .. Glad you enjoyed and appreciated their version of this Al Green song .. I only discovered it was a cover many years later.
I just learned it was an Al Green cover about 5 seconds into the video when Harri said so! I saw the "Al Green" on the thumbnail & didn't have a clue why it was there. 🤨🤔
@@kellyhoward6941 Yes, to me it is a Talking Heads song, and although I don't mind Al Green's original, it doesn't hit me the way TH does .. But over the years I've found out that many, many songs I've loved were actually covers, and only rarely does the original sound better to me when I eventually hear it .. I guess that whatever you hear first will usually make the bigger impact on you .. Still it's always interesting to discover who did it first.
@@rebeccalipps23 I suspect it's the same for many other people too .. The internet and UA-cam make it much easier now to find out this kind of information.
@@wayne_twentyfive you're right about usually preferring the first one ya heard. I had sometheng of a shock when I finally got around to listening to Disturbed's cover of "Sound of Silence." I was sure I'd hate it, the idea seemed almost blasphemous. But. By about 2/3 of the way thru the video, I had goosebumps & was all teared up. I don't know if it's better, but they sure took a song I've loved for almost 50 years & cranked it up to fury levels, which seemed real appropriate. They're both just GREAT. I only discovered reaction videos a few months ago, & it's been great fun learning artists I never heard of, new music, & learning that sometimes covers can be FANTASTIC, too. Best to ya!
Thank you for the reaction. You are possibly the most authentic "reactor" on here - only one other even comes close. I hope you keep on doing what you're doing! Blessed be.
This song was the Talking Heads' debut song. The song peaked at the #26 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the early winter of 1979. Originally, this song was recorded by Al Green back in 1974. Al Green's version peaked at the #7 spot on the Billboard Soul chart.
I was lucky enough to see The Talking Heads in a club called The Rox in 1979. 20/20 did a story wondering if us "hicks" in West Texas could handle their sound. I've been a huge fan ever since and consider it the second best (Queen was #1) concert I ever saw.
Nice reaction, Harri! I'm the opposite of you with this song. I got hooked on the Talking Heads version and didn't even know Al Green sang one. So after I watched your video I went and listened to Al Green's version, I liked it, two completely different ways with this song. Makes me ashamed of myself for not knowing Al Green did this song. You got a thumbs up from me.
ha! we had the exact same reaction when many of us saw them for the first time performing this song on SNL. some shock. "this is weird. this is different". and then we loved it.
Just a great version of this song. Definitely contains vibes of The Talking Heads with some funkiness. This song was also covered by Annie Lennox, Leon Helm and Bryan Ferry. Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Brandon. So entertaining. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
I haven’t heard the Al Green version but this is the one that I grew up with. It always gives me a biblical vibe of someone wanting to be baptized in a river.
Mine too. Naive Melody brought me to tears every time I saw the Heads sing it live. Lots of songs could be second place, depends on my mood. The Book I Read and Don’t You Worry about me just popped into my head. I love the entire canon.
If anyone's weird enough to hang with David Byrne, it's bassist Tina Weymouth. .... I'm surprised to hear that it's a remake. They gave it such a Talking Heads sound that I'd always assumed it was original.
This is good but kind of pales in comparison to the Stop Making Sense version where the band expanded to about twice as many members. That's a concert film that is really worth watching from beginning to end
I can't tell you if Al Green had a hit with this song in the UK, but he did not here in the states. The 1st version to chart here was by a guy named Syl Johnson.
Usually, the best track is of the singer who wrote the song and that would be Reverend Al Green and Al is pretty awesome doing his song. My Mom loved Al Green music and so I was raised on Al. And I love the Talking Heads too. React to: Talking Heads "Naive Melody - this Must be the Place". I think you would love that one too, Harri.
I got this album like 40 years ago brand new - and, to me, it's the Go To version of this song. I'll suggest BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE, and ONCE IN A LIFETIME.
Please react to the version of this song from their Stop Making Sense tour. It's different than this, much higher energy. It's my favorite version of the song
I bloody love this song. Whisper it; I prefer this to the Reverend's original. Curiously Bryan Ferry had another version (From The Bride Stripped Bare) in the same year - 1978, which is ok, but obviously not in the same premier league as the 2 above - ua-cam.com/video/QYCgS-OPWAg/v-deo.html Was great to see you reacting so positively to this.
I imagine after this I'll be getting used to Al Green's voice since the Talking Heads version is the only one I've heard but I'm going to listen to the original now Harri !!
The version from More Songs About Buildings and Food is 100x better. The keys are funkier and everything’s just way better. Tina Weymouth on bass and her husband on drums are always rock solid.
This song seems to a story about a guy in his twenties having trysts with a 16 year old girl. He feels guilty and is appealing to an old gospel church tradition of being cleansed in the waters of a river.
It is an interesting cover that I'd never heard before and I like it, oc course it can't compete with the original but then not much can one of my favourite songs. But it is sufficiently different for them both to coexist in my playlist. I love the staccato style, a bit like Telex did with their cover of Rock Around The Clock or The Flying Lizards cover of Money, I do quite like that emphasising each note staccato sound.
Talking heads are cool live but this wasn't there best performance, the tempo dragged a little bit until the end where they sped up a little bit, The original studio version is better.
I almost went to work with these kids, They asked me to when they first got started to do their sound I was already doing other things every night of the week and Sat and Sun after noon's I turned them down That was my second chance at the Show and I missed it
Pretty much anything by Talking Heads is worth your time. It's my opinion that their music is timeless.
Al Green loved this cover.
"Stop Making Sense"'s rendition is even better !
I love Talking Heads, started listening to them in the 80’s. I feel they did a great job covering this classic also
Harri, if you haven't yet watched the concert film, "Stop Making Sense", do yourself a favor and do take it in.
It's peak 'Heads, beautifully filmed and with great audio. There are not many concerts that were better filmed and produced.
Thank you for recognizing the FUNK in Talking Heads.
Have really grown to love their CRAZY sound. Gets better with age which to me is a sign of great music.
I never knew Al Greene did this song. I will have to give it a listen now.
The rhythm section for the Talking Heads are a married couple, Chris Frantz on the Drums and Tina Weymouth on Bass. Along with Lead Singer and Guitarist David Byrne and Keyboardist and sometimes Guitarist Jerry Harriston are all graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design, except Harriston who is a Harvard graduate. Ms. Weymouth is my all-time favorite female rock star, she is all business all the time, but in a fun way.
There are many versions of this song, and they're all good. It's a testament that this a great example of an incredible piece of songwriting.
All these decades and I didn't know this was a cover version. Still a classic rendition. It's somewhat minimalist but it works. Talking Heads have a unique, timeless sound. Not to everyone's taste but you certainly can't pigeonhole them and they are catchy in a quirky way.
Harri, for more Talking Heads try Pschyo Killer, Life During Wartime, Burning Down The House, Once In A Lifetime and And She Was.
In the '80s I used to bump into David a couple a times a month digging through the crates of our favorite record shop in the Village in NYC. He was really into Brazilian artists like Caetano Veloso and he introduced me to an African artist named William Onyeabor. He was also picking up records by Hamilton Bohannon and, of course, Al Green and Parliament.
Ive been considering requesting "fantastic man" by onyeabor.
This is the most distinctive song on the first record I ever bought new-Take Me to the River played as if underwater. It remains my favourite Talking Heads song.
First time I heard this song I was in the 8th grade - instantly became a huge fan of The Heads! Best band ever!
One of the best concerts I ever saw back in the 80’s! ❤️❤️ Tina one of the best if not the best bass players to date!!
I loved this song from the moment it first came out from Talking Heads. Interesting metaphor about how it is when we get deep into the love feeling... I am going to have to listen to Al Green now. Thank you.
Ok...I just listened to Al Green do his song for the first tume ever thanks to you...and that was great...thank you Harri.😍
LOVE IT
This one and Psycho Killer were the 2 that introduced me to Talking Heads when they hit the music scene in the late 70s .. Fantastic songs and I've been a huge fan of theirs ever since .. Glad you enjoyed and appreciated their version of this Al Green song .. I only discovered it was a cover many years later.
I just learned it was an Al Green cover about 5 seconds into the video when Harri said so! I saw the "Al Green" on the thumbnail & didn't have a clue why it was there. 🤨🤔
@@kellyhoward6941 Yes, to me it is a Talking Heads song, and although I don't mind Al Green's original, it doesn't hit me the way TH does .. But over the years I've found out that many, many songs I've loved were actually covers, and only rarely does the original sound better to me when I eventually hear it .. I guess that whatever you hear first will usually make the bigger impact on you .. Still it's always interesting to discover who did it first.
I'm there with you on found out this a cover a couple decades later.
@@rebeccalipps23 I suspect it's the same for many other people too .. The internet and UA-cam make it much easier now to find out this kind of information.
@@wayne_twentyfive you're right about usually preferring the first one ya heard. I had sometheng of a shock when I finally got around to listening to Disturbed's cover of "Sound of Silence." I was sure I'd hate it, the idea seemed almost blasphemous. But. By about 2/3 of the way thru the video, I had goosebumps & was all teared up. I don't know if it's better, but they sure took a song I've loved for almost 50 years & cranked it up to fury levels, which seemed real appropriate. They're both just GREAT. I only discovered reaction videos a few months ago, & it's been great fun learning artists I never heard of, new music, & learning that sometimes covers can be FANTASTIC, too. Best to ya!
Thank you for the reaction. You are possibly the most authentic "reactor" on here - only one other even comes close. I hope you keep on doing what you're doing! Blessed be.
Me too..never retire Harri!
I have never been a fan of 80’s music, but Talking Heads are definitely an exception to that. This song is great. Nice reaction Harri 🌺✌️
The recorded version is more upbeat, but you can’t go wrong with Talking Heads! 😁❤️
David Byrne is a brilliant musician and he’s a deep dive of preforming
Love this one Brandon! The bass in this song is awesome! Thanks for choosing it, and as always, thanks to Harri for his Best Reactions!✌👍🎶🎧
You should've been a talent scout for a record label!
You see a market where a lot of people would not.
Oh Brandon I love Talking Heads. ✌️
Loved their concert film and this rendition of "Take Me to the River."
This song was the Talking Heads' debut song. The song peaked at the #26 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the early winter of 1979. Originally, this song was recorded by Al Green back in 1974. Al Green's version peaked at the #7 spot on the Billboard Soul chart.
I was lucky enough to see The Talking Heads in a club called The Rox in 1979. 20/20 did a story wondering if us "hicks" in West Texas could handle their sound. I've been a huge fan ever since and consider it the second best (Queen was #1) concert I ever saw.
Nice reaction, Harri! I'm the opposite of you with this song. I got hooked on the Talking Heads version and didn't even know Al Green sang one. So after I watched your video I went and listened to Al Green's version, I liked it, two completely different ways with this song. Makes me ashamed of myself for not knowing Al Green did this song. You got a thumbs up from me.
I agree, it's better in your own style. This is funky, I like the instrumental sound, & the funky beat💖 another winner Harri
ha! we had the exact same reaction when many of us saw them for the first time performing this song on SNL. some shock. "this is weird. this is different". and then we loved it.
My sentiments exactly today ... I feel somewhat dismayed and yet vindicated that I finally know a great song by David Byrne!
Just a great version of this song. Definitely contains vibes of The Talking Heads with some funkiness.
This song was also covered by Annie Lennox, Leon Helm and Bryan Ferry.
Great reaction Harri. Thanks Harri and Brandon. So entertaining. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
And The Commitments.
Yes, How did I forget The Commitments?
One of my favourite movies. Thank you 👍✌️🇨🇦
Hi.A very good third version is done by Foghat.Thanks.
Thank you for the thoughtful reaction. This song came out when I was in Highschool.
Good one Harri. One of their best i think.
Great version..
Haha only time I've heard this song was from a singing Billy Bass hanging on the wall.
I haven’t heard the Al Green version but this is the one that I grew up with. It always gives me a biblical vibe of someone wanting to be baptized in a river.
Tina Weymouth is a goddess among bass players and I will hear no argument. This song is among the top pieces of evidence for that claim.
And just so damn cute to boot.
You really have to do more Talking Heads they're great!!! My faves are This Must Be The Place ....and Cross-eyed and Painless
Mine too. Naive Melody brought me to tears every time I saw the Heads sing it live. Lots of songs could be second place, depends on my mood. The Book I Read and Don’t You Worry about me just popped into my head. I love the entire canon.
If anyone's weird enough to hang with David Byrne, it's bassist Tina Weymouth. .... I'm surprised to hear that it's a remake. They gave it such a Talking Heads sound that I'd always assumed it was original.
It's a shame that their break-up was so ugly.
This is good but kind of pales in comparison to the Stop Making Sense version where the band expanded to about twice as many members. That's a concert film that is really worth watching from beginning to end
I can't tell you if Al Green had a hit with this song in the UK, but he did not here in the states. The 1st version to chart here was by a guy named Syl Johnson.
Like this song by “Texas Allstars” group of blues singers/guitarists got together (inc SRV)
Usually, the best track is of the singer who wrote the song and that would be Reverend Al Green and Al is pretty awesome doing his song. My Mom loved Al Green music and so I was raised on Al. And I love the Talking Heads too. React to: Talking Heads "Naive Melody - this Must be the Place". I think you would love that one too, Harri.
I got this album like 40 years ago brand new - and, to me, it's the Go To version of this song. I'll suggest BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE, and ONCE IN A LIFETIME.
Awesome Harri! Al is hard to beat, but the Heads do it justice! ✌️
They are weirdly good
For my money, any artist covering another's work better bring something extra. They did.
Most people who know this version don’t know it’s a cover.
Don’t want to talk too much but good reaction to a good song👍
Please react to the version of this song from their Stop Making Sense tour. It's different than this, much higher energy. It's my favorite version of the song
Many of us know this song from their version.
I bloody love this song. Whisper it; I prefer this to the Reverend's original. Curiously Bryan Ferry had another version (From The Bride Stripped Bare) in the same year - 1978, which is ok, but obviously not in the same premier league as the 2 above - ua-cam.com/video/QYCgS-OPWAg/v-deo.html
Was great to see you reacting so positively to this.
this is The One
I imagine after this I'll be getting used to Al Green's voice since the Talking Heads version is the only one I've heard but I'm going to listen to the original now Harri !!
The version from More Songs About Buildings and Food is 100x better. The keys are funkier and everything’s just way better. Tina Weymouth on bass and her husband on drums are always rock solid.
They had booty in group they do there best when Live there in rock and roll hull fame watching the 1974 1975 at cb gb live
YOU NEED TO DO THE VERSION BY ( FOGHAT ) HARRI😊 YOU REMEMBER WHAT A GREAT ARENA ROCK BAND THEY WERE, FROM THEIR GREAT ALBUM ( NIGHT SHIFT ) 😊
I'd only heard Bruce Springsteen's performance of this song.
Bryan Ferry does a great version of this one too.
Even Lou Reed sang this song, as part of his “Teach the Gifted Children.” I think Talking Heads version on Stop Making Sense is probably better.
This is an Al Green classic from the 70's that has been watered down!
Tina Bass Goddess
That’s all I have to say
Yep, it’s a Hammond B. No other like it.
Very different from Green's. Slower, a bit more of a pocket. Both are awesome.
Even a bit slower here in this live version, i think.
The singer David Burns and these guys are kind of out there you might dig them
This song seems to a story about a guy in his twenties having trysts with a 16 year old girl. He feels guilty and is appealing to an old gospel church tradition of being cleansed in the waters of a river.
Sometimes the recorded versions are better. Life During Wartime in particular. I went to college with some of TH.
What? You already live in a van down by the river!
It is an interesting cover that I'd never heard before and I like it, oc course it can't compete with the original but then not much can one of my favourite songs. But it is sufficiently different for them both to coexist in my playlist. I love the staccato style, a bit like Telex did with their cover of Rock Around The Clock or The Flying Lizards cover of Money, I do quite like that emphasising each note staccato sound.
Talking heads are cool live but this wasn't there best performance, the tempo dragged a little bit until the end where they sped up a little bit, The original studio version is better.
TH, Elvis Costello,sex pistols,pogues ☘️🥂🚬🖤
The great Tina Weymouth on bass. Check out Psycho Killer, if you haven;t already. ua-cam.com/video/O52jAYa4Pm8/v-deo.html
Studio version is best.
You're listening to the wrong version, should've reviewed the one from "Stop Making Sense" ua-cam.com/video/anjT71N4PGM/v-deo.html
I almost went to work with these kids, They asked me to when they first got started to do their sound I was already doing other things every night of the week and Sat and Sun after noon's I turned them down That was my second chance at the Show and I missed it