Road to Nowhere
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| "Road to Nowhere" | ||||
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| Single by Talking Heads | ||||
| from the album Little Creatures | ||||
| B-side | "Give Me Back My Name" | |||
| Released | 1985 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | October 1984 – March 1985 | |||
| Genre | New Wave, rock | |||
| Length | 4:19 | |||
| Label | Sire | |||
| Writer(s) | David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth | |||
| Producer | Talking Heads | |||
| Talking Heads singles chronology | ||||
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"Road to Nowhere" is a song by Talking Heads, from the 1985 album Little Creatures. It also appeared on Best of Talking Heads, Sand in the Vaseline: Popular Favorites, the Once in a Lifetime box set and the Brick box set. The song was released as a single in 1985 and reached number 25 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and number 6 in the British and German singles chart. It also made number 8 on the Dutch Top 40.
Production
According to the sleeve of Talking Heads compilation Once in a Lifetime, Byrne added the choral intro after deciding the song in itself was embarrassingly simplistic and monotonous.
The video, released to promote the single, was directed by David Byrne and Stephen R. Johnson and features the band and various objects revolving, as if in their own "road to nowhere", and it was nominated for "Best Video of the Year" at the MTV Video Music Awards 1986. Some parts were shot in the back yard and pool of actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who was co-writing Byrne's film True Stories at the time.[1] Director Johnson went on to use some the special effects techniques used in the video to make two award-winning videos for Peter Gabriel the following year: "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time".
Cover versions and other uses
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- The Kalamazoo, Michigan based bluegrass band Greensky Bluegrass recorded a version of this tune on their 2007 release Live at Bell's.
- The British a cappella group The Flying Pickets covered the song on the album The Original Flying Pickets.
- The French band Indochine recorded a cover to support Reporters Sans Frontières.
- The French band Nouvelle Vague recorded a cover for their 2009 album 3.
- The song was featured in the 2008 documentary Young@Heart.
- Australian singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko uses the lyrics and composition to end her song "Over & Over" on her 2009 album As Day Follows Night.
- The song appeared during the ending credits to the 1989 movie Little Monsters.
- John Nolan of Straylight Run and Taking Back Sunday covered the song on his 2010 EP, Songs I Didn't Write.
- Charlie Crist, in his unsuccessful 2010 run for the U.S. Senate in Florida, used the song in a campaign video without obtaining permission. David Byrne sued for copyright infringement and, in a legal settlement, Crist issued a video apology for his improper use.
- A cover of the song by Release the Sunbird was featured in the series finale of the television series Gossip Girl.[2]
References
- ^ "The Tobolowsky Files Episode 44: The Voice from Another Room". slashfilm.com. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
- ^ Riles, Cortney (December 17, 2012). ""Gossip Girl" Music Recap: No Greater Goodbye". Neon Tommy. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
External links
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