Speaking in Tongues (Talking Heads album)

Speaking in Tongues
Studio album by
Talking Heads
ReleasedJune 1, 1983
Studio
Genre
Length40:51 (LP)
46:56 (cassette)
LabelSire
ProducerTalking Heads
Talking Heads chronology
The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads
(1982) 		Speaking in Tongues
(1983) 		Stop Making Sense
(1984)
Singles from Speaking in Tongues
  1. "Burning Down the House"
    Released: July 1983
  2. "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"
    Released: November 1983
  3. "Swamp"
    Released: December 1983 (NL and AUS)[4]
  4. "Slippery People / Making Flippy Floppy"
    Released: 1983
Special Edition
A yellow plastic case with clear vinyl albums inside that have red and blue photographs stamped onto them
Special edition of the album

Speaking in Tongues is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on June 1, 1983, by Sire Records. After their split with producer Brian Eno and a short hiatus, which allowed the individual members to pursue side projects, recording began in 1982. It became the band's commercial breakthrough and produced the band's sole US top-ten hit, "Burning Down the House", which reached No. 9 in the Billboard Chart.[5]

The album's tour was documented in the 1984 Jonathan Demme-directed film Stop Making Sense, which generated a live album of the same name. The album also crossed over to the dance charts, where it peaked at number two for six weeks.[6] It is the group's highest-charting album on the US Billboard 200, peaking at number 15. It was also their biggest-selling album in Canada, where it was certified platinum in 1983.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Christgau was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fricke was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Gesko, Brian (18 April 2012). "The Strange, Tense Power of Talking Heads' 'Fear of Music'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Swamp".
  5. ^ "Talking Heads – Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 253.