There were no marital disputes when Tom Tom Club set about compiling their favourite 13 albums, says Tina Weymouth. “I just let Chris control it and then there’s no disagreement!”
In fact it was Tina who drew up the initial list, which Chris Frantz later revised, aided by their vinyl library. From their Fairfield, Connecticut abode-cum-studio, even Hurricane Sandy couldn’t disturb the husband and wife’s music flow. “We put in a generator, which only powers the music room and our kitchen, but you can see where the priorities lie,” says Chris.
Tom Tom Club are set to release Downtown Rockers, their first EP in a decade, on March 18 via Edel. The title track finds them in a reflective mood, name-checking Debbie, Patti, Lou and their mates from CBGB. They’ll return to the UK in June to play the Deerhunter-curated ATP in Camber Sands.
From garage rock to dub, these albums chart a career that began in art school, where they met David Byrne, before relocating to New York, where they gave Talking Heads their drum and bass backbone. Since Tom Tom Club’s mega dance hits ‘Genius Of Love’ and ‘Wordy Rappinghood’ in 1981, they’ve gone on to produce records for the Happy Mondays and collaborate with Gorillaz. Ultimately, their Baker’s Dozen represents four decades of musical companionship.
“It’s no secret,” says Tina. “Chris is the guy who got me into this.”
Click on the image below to begin scrolling through Chris and Tina’s choices.
