''Storytelling Giant'' is a 1988 compilation album of
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
s by
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
during the 1980s. The videos are linked by real people (not actors) telling stories from their lives; the stories have no logical connection to the videos.
The film has been released on VHS tape and 12" CD Video Laserdisc. A DVD version was released as part of
Rhino Entertainment's ''
Once in a Lifetime'' box set, with three additional videos.
Original track listing
All songs written by
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
,
Jerry Harrison,
Chris Frantz, and
Tina Weymouth, unless otherwise indicated.
#"
Once in a Lifetime" (Byrne,
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
, Harrison, Frantz, Weymouth) (directed by
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943), better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her song "Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and hit th ...
and David Byrne)
#"
Wild Wild Life
"Wild Wild Life" is a song by American rock band Talking Heads, released as the lead single from their seventh studio album '' True Stories''. It was the band's third and last top 40 hit on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
Reception
'' Cash Box ...
" (Byrne) (directed by David Byrne)
#"Stay Up Late" (Byrne) (directed by
Ted Bafaloukos
Theodoros Bafaloukos (May 18, 1946 – 2016) was a director, screenwriter and production designer from Greece known for his work in Jamaica and the U.S. He directed '' Rockers'', the 1970s era film about Jamaican music and culture.
Bafaloukos was ...
)
#"
Crosseyed and Painless
"Crosseyed and Painless" is a song by American new wave band Talking Heads. It was released in 1980 in the United States as a promotional single from their fourth studio album, ''Remain in Light''. Although the single failed to reach on the US ma ...
" (directed by Toni Basil)
#"
Burning Down the House
"Burning Down the House" is a song by New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album ''Speaking in Tongues (Talking Heads album), Speaking in Tongues''.
Inspiration and compo ...
" (directed by David Byrne)
#"
And She Was
"And She Was" is a song by the American band Talking Heads, from their 1985 album ''Little Creatures''. The song was written by David Byrne, who also provides the lead vocals.
The song is musically notable for its unusual use of modulation. The ...
" (Byrne) (directed by
Jim Blashfield
Jim Blashfield (born September 4, 1944, Seattle, Washington) is an American filmmaker and media artist, best known for his short films such as ''Suspicious Circumstances'' and ''The Mid-Torso of Inez'', and his music videos for musicians Talking He ...
)
#"
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" (directed by David Byrne)
#"The Lady Don't Mind" (directed by
Jim Jarmusch
James Robert Jarmusch (; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has been a major proponent of independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films including '' Stranger Than Paradise'' (1984), '' Down by Law'' ( ...
)
#"Love for Sale" (Byrne) (directed by David Byrne and
Melvin Sokolsky
Melvin Sokolsky (October 9, 1933 – August 29, 2022) was an American photographer and film director.
Early life
Born in New York City in 1933, Sokolsky was raised on the Lower East Side. He had no formal training in photography, but started to ...
)
#"
Road to Nowhere
"Road to Nowhere" is a rock song written by David Byrne for the 1985 Talking Heads 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 t ...
" (Byrne) (directed by David Byrne and
Stephen R. Johnson
Stephen R. Johnson (July 12, 1952 – January 26, 2015) was an American music video director, television director, animator, painter, and writer. Johnson got his start directing a music video for the song "Girls Like You" by Combonation, whic ...
)
2003 DVD version track listing
All songs written by
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
,
Jerry Harrison,
Chris Frantz, and
Tina Weymouth, unless otherwise indicated.
#"
Once in a Lifetime" (Byrne,
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...
, Harrison, Frantz, Weymouth)
#"
Wild Wild Life
"Wild Wild Life" is a song by American rock band Talking Heads, released as the lead single from their seventh studio album '' True Stories''. It was the band's third and last top 40 hit on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
Reception
'' Cash Box ...
" (Byrne)
#"Stay Up Late" (Byrne)
#"Blind" (previously unreleased) (directed by
Rocky Morton
Rocky Morton (born 1955) is an English director. He is the co-creator of the TV series ''Max Headroom'' and co-director of the 1993 Hollywood Pictures film ''Super Mario Bros''. Various music videos by Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads, Gravity Kills, ...
and
Annabel Jankel
Annabel Jankel (born 1 June 1955), also known as AJ Jankel, is a British film and TV director who first came to prominence as a music video director and the co-creator of the pioneering cyber-character Max Headroom and as co-director of the film ...
)
#"
Crosseyed and Painless
"Crosseyed and Painless" is a song by American new wave band Talking Heads. It was released in 1980 in the United States as a promotional single from their fourth studio album, ''Remain in Light''. Although the single failed to reach on the US ma ...
" (Byrne, Eno, Harrison, Frantz, Weymouth)
#"
Burning Down the House
"Burning Down the House" is a song by New wave music, new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album ''Speaking in Tongues (Talking Heads album), Speaking in Tongues''.
Inspiration and compo ...
"
#"
And She Was
"And She Was" is a song by the American band Talking Heads, from their 1985 album ''Little Creatures''. The song was written by David Byrne, who also provides the lead vocals.
The song is musically notable for its unusual use of modulation. The ...
" (Byrne)
#"
Sax and Violins" (previously unreleased) (directed by
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docum ...
)
#"
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"
#"The Lady Don't Mind"
#"Love for Sale" (Byrne)
#"
(Nothing But) Flowers
"(Nothing But) Flowers" is a song by rock band Talking Heads. It appears on the band's final album ''Naked'', released in 1988. It was released as the album's second single. In addition to the band, the song features Kirsty MacColl on backup vocal ...
" (previously unreleased) (directed by
Tibor Kalman
Tibor George Kalman (July 6, 1949 – May 2, 1999) was an American graphic designer of Hungarian origin, well known for his work as editor-in-chief of ''Colors'' magazine.
Early life
Kalman was born on July 6, 1949, in Budapest, to parents Ma ...
and
Sandy MacLeod)
#"
Road to Nowhere
"Road to Nowhere" is a rock song written by David Byrne for the 1985 Talking Heads 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 t ...
" (Byrne)
References
External links
Storytelling Giantat talking-heads.net
Storytelling Giantat discogs.net
{{Talking Heads
Talking Heads video albums
1988 video albums
Music video compilation albums
1988 compilation albums
Warner Records video albums