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Tina Weymouth
- Thread starter Munjibunga
- Start date
Forgive me of any display of ignorance because I'll admit that I haven't listened to much of their early music, but I sort of lost respect after hearing them talk about one of my favorite songs: "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"
All she played on that great song was a dumb little two or three note guitar thing that repeats throughout the entire song, but she actually gets writing credit for the song! To me, she added nothing to that song. Nothing. Especially when the other guy filling in instrumentally adds so much more, and he doesn't even get credit as a band member!
Basically it seems that her role in the band is to hang out with talented people because she happens to be married to the drummer.
All she played on that great song was a dumb little two or three note guitar thing that repeats throughout the entire song, but she actually gets writing credit for the song! To me, she added nothing to that song. Nothing. Especially when the other guy filling in instrumentally adds so much more, and he doesn't even get credit as a band member!
Basically it seems that her role in the band is to hang out with talented people because she happens to be married to the drummer.
It's been awhile since I watched (I listen to it frequently) but I recall she only used a Höfner Club and the blue Veilette Citron.
Here's to 17 years on talkbass!!
But you have no idea what input she had in the band or in that song behind the scenes. All you know is what she played at that moment.
Holy Thread Necromancy Batman!
Tina Waymouth may or may not have been a great bass player but she was the right bass player for the Talking Heads.
Tina Waymouth may or may not have been a great bass player but she was the right bass player for the Talking Heads.
Tina is legend - great groove, inventive lines and five foot nothing (okay, maybe that last wasn't relevant).
Who cares what her technique looks like - she did suffer from tendonitis so her hands probably were struggling - especially on that big bass she played on that ( usually she played short scale basses) - lots of players have "proper" technique and can't groove their way out of a paper bag.
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I saw Stop Making Sense today (on the big screen!) and, man, is it great. I don't know if Tina Weymouth wrote those bass parts, but she's playing 'em and they are groovy!
Dear @ElectroVibe asked and answered: I am happy to forgive 
because, as you suggested, you don't know the history of the band.
First off, she didn't just "hang around with talented people" -- she met Byrne and Frantz at RISD and helped catalyze the band. Read her bio ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) and read This Must Be The Place -- she was initially considered more key to the TH than Byrne... Oh, and she formed a second band, with Frantz, the Tom Tom Club, that produced multiple top-20 hits.
Sure, her stuff is often minimal and spare, but she is nonetheless a great musician and contributor to the post-punk/new-wave sound of the 'Heads. To suggest otherwise is to show you nothing about the band or what they were trying to do.
And yes @cbuck66 she wrote the lines!
because, as you suggested, you don't know the history of the band.First off, she didn't just "hang around with talented people" -- she met Byrne and Frantz at RISD and helped catalyze the band. Read her bio ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) and read This Must Be The Place -- she was initially considered more key to the TH than Byrne... Oh, and she formed a second band, with Frantz, the Tom Tom Club, that produced multiple top-20 hits.
Sure, her stuff is often minimal and spare, but she is nonetheless a great musician and contributor to the post-punk/new-wave sound of the 'Heads. To suggest otherwise is to show you nothing about the band or what they were trying to do.
And yes @cbuck66 she wrote the lines!
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Though Tina first picked up the bass to join the band that became Talking Heads, she did have a musical pedigree. When she was 12 she joined a music group The Potomac English Handbell Ringers, in Washington D.C. Directed by Nancy Tufts. They toured throughout the US, including playing the Worlds Fair in, maybe 1964? Was she also in a church choir? Later she taught herself some guitar, flute and piano, as a teen.
For all I hear about Ms Weymouth having no technique or chops it reinforces how good her feel or groove is.
And for me at least that's 90%of bass playing.
I don't believe it's hyperbole to say Ms Weymouth is one of the Great Bass Players and also highly influential.
99.9% sure I'll never say that about her online detractors.
And for me at least that's 90%of bass playing.
I don't believe it's hyperbole to say Ms Weymouth is one of the Great Bass Players and also highly influential.
99.9% sure I'll never say that about her online detractors.
That's interesting, thanks. You so often hear the notion that we was just in the band because she was Chris Frantz' girlfriend, but I never heard anything to back that up other than people not knowing anything about her, and probably sexist assumptions.
A thread about Tina Weymouth, continually being revived over the course of 17 years -- I'm sure she has been influential to some people.
Now I want to go learn Wild Wild Life. Great bassline.
Wow! I posted in this thread five years ago (in Sept 2012, post #48), and here we are with a 17 year old thread still alive and well. That just goes to show ya......Tina knows how to rock that Hofner Club bass!
Kudos to Munji for creating this thread in 2000!
Kudos to Munji for creating this thread in 2000!
I was first introduced to Tina through Tom Tom Club Genuis of Love. I remember going to Sound WareHouse hearing that song blasting on the speakers as I flipped through the albums. I asked the DJ in the booth who was spinning and immediately purchased the album with all the cartoons on the cover.
Tina along with Janice Marie Johnson ( Taste of Honey) and Suzi Quattro ( Leather Tuscadero/ Happy Days), were the first ladies I saw playing bass.
As a young girl, they inspired me to pick up the instrument.
I'm partial to the fat punchy tone Tina got with that beautiful blue Veilette Citron bass.
Anyone know if she still uses/owns that bass?
Tina along with Janice Marie Johnson ( Taste of Honey) and Suzi Quattro ( Leather Tuscadero/ Happy Days), were the first ladies I saw playing bass.
As a young girl, they inspired me to pick up the instrument.
I'm partial to the fat punchy tone Tina got with that beautiful blue Veilette Citron bass.
Anyone know if she still uses/owns that bass?
That blue Citron she plays is a beauty! I do not know if she still uses/owns it. I've seen Citrons come up for sale once in a *great* while, but not in that blue color. The ones I have seen for sale have been a natural wood color.
Talking Heads split the songwriting credits among the musicians in the band. This gives each of them an income for life from the royalties. Talking Heads was not the only band to do this;another famous example is U2. Is Adam Clayton as important to the songwriting as The Edge? Maybe, maybe not. But the important thing is that they've agreed to split the profits so that everyone in the band can enjoy the financial security.
