Love → Building on Fire

"Love → Building on Fire"
Single by Talking Heads
B-side"New Feeling"
ReleasedFebruary 1977
Recorded1977
StudioSundragon (New York City)
GenreNew wave
Length2:57
LabelSire
Songwriter(s)David Byrne
Producer(s)
Talking Heads singles chronology
"Love → Building on Fire"
(1977) 		"Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town"
(1977)
Official audio
"Love → Building on Fire" (2004 Remaster) on YouTube

"Love → Building on Fire" (read as "Love Goes to Building on Fire") is a song by rock band Talking Heads, released as a single in 1977. The single preceded the band's debut album by seven months, and was recorded before keyboardist and guitarist Jerry Harrison joined the band. As the single was the first piece of music released commercially by the band, its release was cited as a milestone in the band's history in its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame entry.[1]

The song did not appear on any of the band's original studio albums, though it was later included on their 1992 compilation album Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites, on their 2003 box set Once in a Lifetime, and as a bonus track on a reissue of Talking Heads: 77. A live recording of the song is featured on their live album The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads.

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Love → Building on Fire"2:57
2."New Feeling"3:09

Personnel

Adapted from Talking Heads: 77 liner notes.

The original recorded version was produced by Tony Bongiovi and mastered by Ted Jensen. The horns in the song were arranged by Brad Baker and Lance Quinn.

Artistic impressions of the song

Jerry Harrison called "Love → Building on Fire" one of his favorite songs to play live, despite the fact the song was recorded before he joined the band. Harrison stated that he and Byrne "used to get a wonderful interplay of guitars that was a bit like early Television". However, he felt that the best live performances were never recorded.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Talking Heads". Archived from the original on 2010-05-09.
  2. ^ Hermes, W, 2011. Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Five Years in New York That Changed Music Forever. 1st ed. U.S.A: Faber & Faber Ltd.
  3. ^ Diver, M, BBC. 2012. Talking Heads Remain in Light Review. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/bcnv/. [Accessed March 10, 2017].
  4. ^ Liner notes to Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites.