Tina Weymouth and Grandmaster Flash - NYC, 1981 (credit: Laura Levine)
Alright, first off, how great is the above photo? Yeah, that’s right. The other night, while I was programming a DJ set, I was inspired to dig out my copy of the Tom Tom Club’s 1981, self-titled, debut. Not unlike the vibe the Talking Heads were working at the time (see the Remain in Light album), the Tom Tom Club’s material was heavily influenced by the poly-rhythmic funk of world music, but was also buoyed by the urgency of the recent meshing of New York’s downtown art crowd with the, then, emerging hip-hop scene. This being so, it’s almost poetic that the Tom Tom’s debut would end up, two-plus decades later, as heavily sampled as the music it was, in part, emulating, and paying homage to, at the dawn of the eighties.
Download:
MP3: Tom Tom Club :: Genius of Love
MP3: Tom Tom Club :: Wordy Rappinghood
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Amazon: Tom Tom Club - S/T
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+ Download DRM free music through eMusic’s 25 Free MP3 offer. No risk.
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That is a great photo! Two important, late-70’s New York musicians that one wouldn’t ordinarily associate with one another, but once you think about it, makes perfect sense! Love your blog, btw. Have had it bookmarked for about a year.
1 | mike murray February 9th, 2008 at 9:06 ambihannon, bohannon, bohannon, bohannon…
2 | dc February 9th, 2008 at 1:14 pmExactly - none of us back then would have predicted that Chris and Tina’s little side project would still be fresh 25 years later …. amazing!
This post is yet another reason why AD is the best blog around. Thanks and keep it up.
3 | michaelo February 9th, 2008 at 5:30 pmjaaaaamesssss browwwwn……….jaaaaammmeessss brooowwwwnnnnn…….
4 | maya lucia February 11th, 2008 at 9:29 pmi love the talking heads an that first song is liveable..
wordy rappinghood, however, is not. gross.
5 | Jeff February 12th, 2008 at 4:41 amawesomest photograph in the world?
6 | brendan February 14th, 2008 at 9:47 amtina weymouth and grandmaster flash, yes it is.