Tom Tom Club

"Genius of Love" is bonkers in the best way. The whole album is a wild ride that goes all over the place, but maintains a fun and playful spirit throughout. David Byrne is a fascinating figure, but this really shows you how much Frantz and Weymouth brought to the Talking Heads sound. Absolutely bursting with creative energy but doesn't take itself too seriously. One of the best side projects of all time.

is this the kind of album that hipsters listen to when they congregate?

One I have on vinyl. A very strong piece of evidence that Weymouth and Frantz were the genius of the Talking Heads, rather than David Byrne (the truth is it's all of them). Just 8 tracks of funk/reggae/hip-hop inflected weirdness. Joy. If you listen to Genius of Love and don't want to bop, you may be medically dead

It's all a bit weird and silly and shit.

I don't see the appeal of this album. It feels more like a novelty record than actual music at times and many of the songs go on way longer than felt necessary. On the plus side, now I know where the sample in Fantasy came from!

With their band on top of their game, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz decided that sitting on their hands while their elastic, observant and forever curious frontman went out and explored new territories wasn't going to work for them and, in the process, set about standing out from the pack in more ways than one. For this debut album from the Tom Tom Club, with its hand-drawn aesthetic and endless nods to emerging hip-hop culture and post-disco reverie, evokes a interminable summer vibe where it is blissful to be young with no worries in the world and little need to be skeptical and suspicious about things. In Tom Tom Club's world, it's just them and scores more would come, on and on... there are more of them, more than anyone would realize.

I think "infectious" is the best word to describe this album. Just some great grooves. I've always thought that Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were criminally overlooked and underrated as the key to the Talking Heads' sound. It's like people thought Talking Heads was all David Byrne and the rest were just session musicians. Anyway, this is a great album and showcase for Chris and Tina, with help from Adrian Belew and others. 4 stars.

Musically talented, but is proof they needed a frontman and vocalist with the zaniness of David Byrne to really pull it all together. Still enjoyable though.

Better than at least two of the Talking Heads records on this list.

After listening i can only get hard while listening to the long version of Genius of Love. 2/5

I could hear the music that this album went on to influence. In its infancy, hip hop has something to pay homage to here with the style and daring Visio. From Tom Tom Club. Not perfect, but visionary.

This is wild. First track is like "wtf is going on, it's catchy though... this is like new wave Kraftwerk". Then I saw it was Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth from The Talking Heads and it all made sense. Ohhh shit Genius of Love, I've heard this. The synth and random chirps are so good. This is like a different take on "Once In a Lifetime" by Talking Heads. I will say overall some of the songs overstay their welcome a bit and I wish a few stopped 2 mins earlier, but overall a grand showcase of what others besides David Byrne add to Talking Heads. I'm in heaven With the maven of funk mutationa

I love literally anything even tangentially related to Talking Heads, so I am all about this shit. Can I join the club???

Proof that Talking Heads was more than David Byrne. The OTHER members keep pushing limits in what is an instrument to song composition.

Quirky sound and odd lyrics that result in some strange fun.

Þetta er hressileg plata, skemmtilegur early 80s hljóðheimur og ein dansgólfsbomba.

Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. The beats are undeniable. This also has some "cool factor", if I put this on with company, i'd seem cool and obscure. All in all, a good time.

Finally! I've been waiting for this album on the list. I used to think that Genius of Love and Wordy Rappinghood were two of the most ingenious songs of the 80s! Brilliant unique sound and I have wanted to hear the rest of the album. Standouts: Genius of Love, Wordy Rappinghood Others: L'éléphant Rating: 3.5

The Tom Tom Club was a side project of Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, bass player and drummer respectively, of the Talking Heads. When this first came out, most of us doubted this was really them since the music was nothing like the Talking Heads. Rhythm heavy, as one might expect from a bass player and drummer, The Tom Tom Club's music was club music with heavy beats and even (heaven forbid!) rapping. Genius of Love and Wordy Rappinhood quickly became major club and new wave radio hits. It was different, fresh, accessible, and forward looking. The Tom Tom Club has continued to make albums throughout the decades but none achieved the popularity of their epynomous debut.

I have really enjoyed this album. There's something arresting about it. The songs in the middle aren't singles that I would think to add to a playlist, but are amazing album songs. On, On, On, On was one that really stood out for me.

This was a lot more fun and creative than expected. Genius of Love is still one of the best songs ever recorded. But the rest is a real trip. Seriously unserious. Sweetly romantic, without ever being schmaltzy.

Howard Hawks purportedly once advised John Wayne "“Duke, if you can make two good scenes and not annoy the audience for the rest of the film, you’ll be a star", which is a perfect summary of Tom Tom Club's S/T album. The album is all about the vibe, which is a breezy white-funk take on Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce'. There is a strong influence of funk and early hip-hop, which then folds back into those same genres; Genius of Love is highly sampled, because it bangs. The classic singles, conveniently frontloaded at the beginning of the album, are stellar. Fun, funky, clever, and fresh, they still sound like a million bucks and are dancefloor bangers. The rest of the album could be described as filler, but it is fun filler, and I enjoyed spinning it. Nothing to annoy the audience there. A big shout out for nice guitar work from Adrian Belew, especially on L'elephant. I dig it and will play more often (especially Wordy Rappinghood and Genius of Love; "Bohannon! Bohannon! Bohannon! Bohannon! JAMES BROWN!") Fun fact: Tom Tom Club taped a performance on Soul Train the same day Talking Heads filmed Stop Making Sense. Good day at the office from Chris and Tina, there.

Chris and Tina from Talking Heads deliver some serious hits on the front and back ends of this album, taking the funkier elements from their sister band and ramping up the disco. It's a series of focused persistent grooves with surprising, sometimes funny and abstract vocals. It's nice to get a sense of the rest of the band’s personality without David Byrne who would otherwise take centre stage. The quality of Wordy Rappinghood, Genius of Love, On On On On… and Booming and Zooming seriously outweigh the rest of the album, which is otherwise a more patient affair.

The whole album is a wild ride that goes all over the place, but maintains a fun and playful spirit throughout. David Byrne is a fascinating figure, but this really shows you how much Frantz and Weymouth brought to the Talking Heads sound. Absolutely bursting with creative energy but doesn't take itself too seriously. One of the best side projects of all time.

Twenty one years ago we went on a road trip through the Deep South. Each of us made a mixtape and the songs I remember most from that trip were “Crime in the City” (Neil Young, Howard’s choice, the song that made me realise I like NY), “The Mercy Seat” (Johnny Cash covering Cave, Simon’s choice), “Love Spreads” (the Stone Roses, my choice as I thought it would be funny to bring a Manc version of Southern Rock), and “Genius of Love” (Dinah’s choice, maybe my favourite). I bought this album when I got back and was disappointed. The first two tracks are great, the rest underwhelmed me. I’m pleased to discover today that the rest is better than I remember: throwaway, but happy. This isn’t a great album, but it’s lovelier than many better ones here.

I read somewhere that this album and the associated singles sold more copies/made more money than all of the Talking Heads work combined! It's been fun over the years hearing "Genius Of Love" re-worked repeatedly to give some substance to the current chart flavor-of-the-month. There's a 10+ minute dub version out there with ear-splittingly loud bass, a phenomenal soundtrack for a late night drive down a dark desert road.

Good performances by the aforementioned great rhythm section of Talking Heads. This album reveals they would have most likely been stuck in their TH77 days if the songwriting had been more democratic. As a frontman and penman for their material, Chris and Tina needed David Byrne to take the next leap. I enjoyed this though.

The type of music you'd be tortured with at Butlins No thanks 2 ⭐️

Aside from genius of love this is a pretty weird album that seems like a cross between kids songs and Halloween themed music. It’s unique and experimental but overall it’s a bit weird for me. I can see the talking heads pieces but the main guy is what made them great. This couple helped make them different. 5.2/10

Unlistenable. Hated every second of it

Too squeaky and lame.

This is why I’m persevering with this project. One year in and many, many country albums later I am rewarded with this. Hadn’t heard the name of this band before, but instantly recognised the first and second songs. The first because it’s a regular on 6Music and the second because it having been sampled. It’s a wonderfully eclectic, fresh and exciting album from start to finish. 5 stars without question!

One of my favourite albums. Outstanding.

Love the bass. I can see how many bands were influenced by this one

sample heaven

# In-Depth Review of Tom Tom Club's Self-Titled Debut Album (1981) ## 🎵 Overview and Background **Tom Tom Club** (1981) is the debut album by the side project of Talking Heads rhythm section **Tina Weymouth** (bass/vocals) and **Chris Frantz** (drums). Recorded at **Compass Point Studios** in the Bahamas during a hiatus from Talking Heads, the album emerged as a vibrant, genre-blending work that contrasted sharply with their main band's art-rock intensity. The project began as a casual studio experiment but evolved into a fully realized album after Island Records founder **Chris Blackwell** encouraged them to expand their sessions into a full-length release. Featuring contributions from Tina's sisters (Lani, Laura, and Loric Weymouth), guitarist **Adrian Belew**, and Jamaican session musicians like **Tyrone Downie** (keyboards) and **Uziah "Sticky" Thompson** (percussion), the album fused funk, reggae, new wave, and early hip-hop into a playful, sun-soaked masterpiece. --- ## 🎤 Lyrics and Themes ### Playfulness and Linguistic Experimentation The lyrics on *Tom Tom Club* are characterized by their **whimsical, nonsensical, and often multilingual** approach. Unlike the cerebral, anxiety-driven themes of Talking Heads, this album embraces joy and absurdity: - **"Wordy Rappinghood"** explores the power and limitations of language, referencing everything from "pollution" to "Koko the signing gorilla". The song incorporates a childhood Moroccan chant ("A Ram Sam Sam") and typewriter sounds, creating a collage of linguistic playfulness. - **"L'Éléphant"** (sung in French) tells a fable about an elephant and hippopotamus disguised as men, with the villagers fearing human conflict more than the animals themselves—a subtle commentary on war and human nature. - **"Genius of Love"** celebrates funk and soul legends like James Brown, Smokey Robinson, and Bohannon, blending shout-outs with flirtatious boasts ("I'm in heaven / With my maven of funk mutation"). ### Repetition and Mantra-like Phrases Many tracks use **repetitive, mantra-like choruses** to create a hypnotic, dance-oriented vibe. For example, "On, On, On, On..." relies on minimalistic phrases to sustain its groove, while "Tom Tom Theme" uses percussive vocalizations to emphasize rhythm over narrative. ### Weaknesses Some critics find the lyrics **too silly or superficial**, particularly on deeper cuts like "Booming and Zooming," which features spoken-word passages about a jet pilot's crash. The playful approach may not resonate with listeners seeking deeper lyrical substance. --- ## 🎶 Music and Sound ### Genre Fusion The album seamlessly blends **funk, dub, new wave, and early hip-hop**, creating a sound that felt ahead of its time: - **Funk and Dub Foundations**: Tracks like "Genius of Love" and "As Above, So Below" feature Tina Weymouth's **syncopated basslines**, layered percussion, and dub-inspired echoes. - **Electronic Elements**: The use of **Sequential Prophet-5 synthesizers** adds squelchy, melodic hooks ("Genius of Love") and atmospheric textures. - **Tropical Influences**: The Bahamian setting infuses songs like "L'Éléphant" with Caribbean rhythms and steel drum-like guitar tones. ### Vocal Delivery The Weymouth sisters' vocals are **deliberately unpolished**, with overlapping chants, raps, and harmonies that feel more like a party than a studio performance. Tina's deadpan rap on "Wordy Rappinghood" and the group's cheerful harmonies on "Genius of Love" became defining features. ### Standout Tracks 1. **"Genius of Love"** : A funk masterpiece with a bouncing bassline, addictive synth riff, and shout-outs to funk legends. Its **103 BPM tempo** made it a slow-burning dancefloor staple. 2. **"Wordy Rappinghood"** : A quirky rap track with congas, typewriter sounds, and multilingual chants. 3. **"L'Éléphant"** : Features Adrian Belew's guitar mimicking elephant trumpets over a tropical rhythm. 4. **"On, On, On, On..."** : A minimalist funk groove highlighting Tina's bass skills. --- ## 🎛 Production Quality ### Analog Warmth and Clarity Produced by **Steven Stanley** (with Frantz and Weymouth), the album benefits from **pristine analog recording** techniques. Compass Point Studios' noise-free mixing desks and 24-track capabilities allowed for a clean, percussive sound. Key production choices include: - **Bass and Drum Separation**: Tina's bass was tuned to 150Hz to avoid clashing with the kick drum, creating a crisp low end. - **Layered Vocals**: The Weymouth sisters' harmonies were recorded with three mics and tracked three times for richness. - **Dub Techniques**: Delayed echoes and sparse arrangements on tracks like "Tom Tom Theme" showcase studio innovation. ### Collaborative Energy The production captures the **spontaneous energy** of the sessions, with improvised performances and contributions from Jamaican musicians like Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (who were recording nearby with Grace Jones). ### Limitations Some modern listeners might find the production **too dated**, particularly the drum sounds and synthetic effects. The album's minimalistic approach also means that some tracks feel more like sketches than fully developed songs. --- ## 🧠 Themes and Conceptual Approach ### Escape and Celebration The album embodies a **vacation from the intellectualism** of Talking Heads. Themes include: - **Joy and Abandon**: Tracks like "Genius of Love" and "On, On, On, On..." prioritize danceable grooves over cerebral content. - **Cultural Fusion**: The blend of Bahamian, Jamaican, and New York influences reflects a **utopian vision of musical unity**. - **Feminine Perspective**: Tina Weymouth and her sisters bring a playful, female-centric voice to a male-dominated funk/rap scene. ### Reaction Against Talking Heads' Hierarchy Frantz and Weymouth promoted a **collaborative ethos** in contrast to David Byrne's top-down approach in Talking Heads. This album was a deliberate effort to share credit and celebrate collective creativity. --- ## 📈 Influence and Legacy ### Sampling and Hip-Hop Impact - **"Genius of Love"** is one of the **most sampled songs in history**, used by Grandmaster Flash, Mariah Carey ("Fantasy"), 2Pac, and many others. - The album helped **bridge underground new wave and hip-hop**, inspiring artists like LCD Soundsystem and !!!. ### Cultural Reach - The album reached **#23 on the Billboard 200** and went platinum. - It introduced white audiences to rap and funk, challenging racial barriers in music. ### Long-Term Impact Tom Tom Club's debut is now regarded as a **classic of 1980s pop**, appearing on *Slant* magazine's "Best Albums of the 1980s" list. Its influence persists in dance music, hip-hop, and indie rock. --- ## ✅ Pros and Cons ### Pros: 1. **Innovative Genre Fusion** : Blends funk, dub, and rap in a way that felt fresh and ahead of its time. 2. **Timeless Hits** : "Genius of Love" and "Wordy Rappinghood" remain iconic and influential. 3. **Collaborative Spirit** : The diverse musicianship creates a rich, global sound. 4. **Production Quality** : Clean, inventive analog production that still sounds vibrant. 5. **Playful Vibe** : A joyful escape from the seriousness of post-punk and art-rock. ### Cons: 1. **Lyrical Superficiality** : Some lyrics may feel too silly or nonsensical for certain listeners. 2. **Inconsistent Depth** : Beyond the hits, some tracks (e.g., "Booming and Zooming") feel underdeveloped. 3. **Dated Elements** : The early '80s production might sound thin or overly synthetic to modern ears. 4. **Lack of David Byrne's Edge** : Fans of Talking Heads' cerebral style may find the album too lightweight. --- ## 🏆 Conclusion *Tom Tom Club* is a landmark album that transcends its status as a side project. Its infectious energy, innovative fusion of genres, and historical influence make it essential listening. While not every track matches the brilliance of "Genius of Love" or "Wordy Rappinghood," the album's overall creativity and joyfulness secure its place as a classic. It remains a testament to Frantz and Weymouth's musical vision and their ability to create music that is both fun and profoundly influential.

Let’s go

Amazing album. Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz without Byrne are still a great act.

Love it

Overraskende gøy

Funky shit!!!!! This was so much fun

I've never sat and listened to this entire album before. I don't love it. But Genius of Love is, of course, genius. So...album? 3 stars. Genius of love? 8 stars so...I guess that averages out to 5 stars. Given how we hear Genius of Love at least once a decade as new artists find it and repurpose it, there's no denying the impact of this album on music over the past 40+ years. If it has a flaw, it's the dated 'early examples of white people trying to rap'. It took white folks at least another decade before they got the hang of it.

10/10 - this album has always held a dear place in my heart it’s nice having an excuse to listen to it again :)

this album is so fun, so original, so much more interesting to listen to than so much of the slop on this list. i loved it even more than i thought i would!

Loved this from the title track. Each track runs so smoothly into the next and I adore well executed novelty music. Went in completely cold and was happy to learn this is a Talking Heads side project. Very glad they got back with Bryne but Tina and Chris still crush it on their own. So much fun and Genius of Love was wild both as a song and for all the places it's been sampled.

Weird but beautiful album. Everything that is related to Talking Heads is worth listening to. This record is no exception.

Awesome. Ive had this mix on repeat. Puts me in a great mood.

I really love all the funk and punk components and influences they incorporate into their projects, both as Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads. I was just always destined to like anything this collection of musicians would put out.

Easy 5 star

quite possibly the ultimate early 80s party album from the minds of talking heads. creative and wacky funk rock music. with its lighthearted tone, call-and-response kitschy vocals and some seriously trippy instrumentals, tom tom club stands by themselves in the sea of other rock bands... it’s like the album equivalent of the artsy kid at the party who ends up DJing and somehow everyone loves it.

Still very catchy and was very ground breaking at the time

Unfair that Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz could just go out and do this as a side project. Insanely danceable.

genius of love is the song every artist wish they made

This album just brings happiness and joy. I'm o-o-o-over it. It's so o-o-o-over me.

Loved it. 4.5

Why is this kind of the coolest thing I’ve ever heard? It’s brimming with earnestness and enthusiasm. It’s delightfully, unapologetically weird. Good stuff.

Whenever I come across a band I've never heard of from this list, it makes me uneasy. I'm anxious and excited to see what the music has in store for me. I always try to err on the side of being prepared to dislike it. From track 1, this album had my attention. By the end of the first song, I was asking myself who was in this band. Lo and behold, it's a fucking Talking Heads side project. What a delightful little surprise. Absolute banger of an album and 39 minutes is perfect.

найс, понравилось, прикольное типо-диско. альбом сохранил. очень напомнило LCD Soundsystem. подойдет для вечеринок)

How had I never listened to this album before now? It's going in my regular rotation immediately.

AMAZING

Absolutely cracking. Start to finish, it's simple, yet complex. Lovely.

I weirdly like this a lot.

This is a big yes from me

Whoa never heard this end to end - only a few songs here and there but this one is a gem. Loved every second of it - dance-y, clever, tongue-in-cheek and fun while sounding original. Tops.

When the bass player and drummer husband-wife duo get to prove their value.

Cool, most songs could not be played but what I heard was good

God bless Tina and Chris!

cool weirdo shit

I remember this when it came out and it confused me. Since then I've heard David and Talking and Eno but this was just these two on a sabbatical. Seriously inventive and fun to listen to.

Plenty of talent to Talking Heads outside of David Byrne.

Great fun funky sounds. Bit silly but so catchy

Ooh yeah, I absolutely love Tina Weymouth and this wacky off shoot of the Talking Heads. Genius of Love is one of my fun go-to songs, and you gotta love how zany, funky, and lighthearted this is. I consider this album a treat.

Old fave

This feels like an early 90s version of Superorganism which is right up my alley. Such a delightfully joyful bop along album. Faves? All of them

Well damn, this was a surprise! The only Tom Tom Club track I was aware of going in was "Genius of Love", and then it wasn't the whole song - it was the sample from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "It's Nasty" and it's partial use in an episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia"! 😆 Based on that, I was kinda expecting some throwaway novelty record that would almost instantly become annoying to listen to. This actually slaps, though - like a far less obnoxious Public Image Ltd in places. New wave / post-punk / disco / world music all thrown together, but it sounds like its own thing. "Wordy Rappinghood" on paper should be radioactive cringe but in practice it really works! I guess because they're riffing on early hip-hop rather than trying to actually do hip-hop? Will definitely be checking out their other albums. Fave tracks - "Wordy Rappinghood", "Genius of Love", "As Above, So Below", and probably my absolute fave goes to "On,On,On,On..." - the optimism of that song healed my soul, a little

Maybe the easiest 5 I've given. Fun, funky and weird and as good as any Talking Heads album.

Great album. I'd heard lots of these songs before but never listened through. It definitely sounds like Talking Heads, but weird in sort of a different way. You can hear more of this upbeat fun kind of style in their next couple albums, so I wonder if that was Chris and Tina getting a bit more creative freedom without Eno around?

Yeah, this album is still as great as it was in the 80s: two big hit singles and lots of other strong pop songs (such as On on on on, Booming & zooming). Of course, this is no Talking Heads (even though some songs like As Above So Below sound like typical TH songs) but I much prefer it over, say, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.

Before MTV there was HBO Video Jukebox, and "Genius of Love" with its fun animated video played a lot between movies back then. I only knew the song from that context for a long time. I loved hearing the whole album today! It's fun and cool and I wish I'd listened to it long ago.

I'd been greatly looking forward to this, as I'm a Talking Heads convert and was aware of this side project from Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. I loved it and will definitely be keeping this on my phone. I liked all of the songs but this album deserves 5 stars for "Wordy Rappinghood" alone.

Loved this when it came out many years ago…It was fresh and revolutionary then. It remains fresh and revolutionary today.

5 stars. So good.

I could listen to this on repeat. I was familiar with Genius of Love but none of the other songs.

Like hip-hop dropped acid! So many original sounds in this album

Perfect. Listened @ FTD, perfect.

The excitement I felt when this popped up… Funky, fun, experimental and so influential. I’ll always love anything Chris, Tina, David or Jerry touch, so this is an easy perfect score in my book.

Caught Tom Tom Club at Glastonbury a few years ago and they were one of the most energetic and enthusiastic bands I saw, despite also being one of the oldest. This album transfers that feeling well; it's like you've been invited into their home and they're all giving you a big hug.

The opening bars of "Genius of Love" has to be one of the most sampled riffs ever, 20+ times by well-known bands – and the lyrics pay tribute to many of the great funk bands of the prior decades. “WordyRappinghood” is a nice bookend to Blondie’s “Rapture”, which came out a year earlier. Those were the only two songs I could name from this album, which I owned, as did my co-judge. But listening to it 40 years later, I like most of the supporting tracks as well. The production would have been quite fresh in 1981: L Elephant sounds like a Talking Heads rhythm track, especially with the addition of Adrian Belew’s guitar. They mix up the mood nicely, with dark funk like “Booming and Zooming” and Go-Go’s worthy anthems like “On On On”. The lyrics are clever, disguised by the Weymouth sisters' vocals. A catchy, well-rounded album.

This is so fun! "Wordy Rappinghood" is just a blast. I recognize "Genius of Love" a little bit, but this is just a fun little album! I like how easy it is to, like, jam to it and it is just good vibes. While a lot ended up on my Ridiculous Music playlist, that is as a positive. Sometimes it's fun to get a little funky and silly and this album really embodies that!

What a joy!

Wow, this one was really interesting. Seems way ahead of their time but, honestly, that's just another way of saying other people are still copying their sound. Had no idea this was an offshoot of Talking Heads. I didn't love it but really enjoyed. 3.5 rounding up.

Joyous

Classic. Love

Fun. Really good. Lorelei, Wordy Rappinghood, Genius Of Love - all bangers.

Not something I'd normally put on, but it was fun and groovy, and unserious but still well put together

This album didn't ring any bells, but now that I've listened to it, it has a very familiar sound.

I absolutely love the zany approach they took with the synth. This album is really weird and a little off-putting at times, but they did what so many other artists who try to make an off the beaten path kinda album can't - the choices seemed really intentional and made the music better. So many of these 'out-there' albums are weird for the sake of being weird and expect you to applaud it because they did something weird, not because they made good music. This album threads that needle and is really impressive.

Listened Before? N What a cool and polished new-wave album. I was unaware of the spinoff from TH until now, these guys were a pleasant surprise. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Genius of Love

Haven’t heard it for a long time, but fell in love with it again

I had never heard of this, but i like Talking Heads so it is no surprise I like this one too. Very fun!