Classic live Heads: "Psycho KIller" Talking Heads (1978)

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Has it been over four decades since “Psycho Killer” first appeared? From the album “Talking Heads-77,” “Psycho KIller” was written by band members David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth and the group’s first significant single propelling the Talking Heads on the path to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The single barely made a Billboard ripple at #92. A song about a serial killer was hardly for mainstream ears. In 1977, the Talking Heads were cutting edge pioneers at the dawn of the punk/new wave/alternative scene. “Psycho Killer’s” impact was major becoming a staple of early alternative radio and introducing myself and others to the band. The best known live version is Byrne’s solo performance in the great rockumentary “Stop Making Sense.” Missing there is Tina Weymouth’s distinctive thumping bass. From the January 31, 1978 episode of BBC’s “The Old Grey Whistle Test,” here are the Talking Heads” in their youthful glory performing their first signature song.