"Little tyrant" David Byrne regrets how Talking Heads split went down

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David Byrne says he regrets the way Talking Heads came to an end – as band prep for Stop Making Sense re-release

A picture of David Byrne performing with Talking Heads
(Image credit: Getty Images)

David Byrne has admitted he has regrets over the way he handled the breakup of Talking Heads – as he prepares for the re-release of Stop Making Sense.

The band's iconic 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense will be released in IMAX on September 22 and other theaters on September 29.

While there is no promise of an on-stage reunion, Byrne and his former bandmates are expected to promote the film in the coming weeks.

And reflecting on Talking Heads' 1992 demise, Byrne tells People: "As a younger person, I was not as pleasant to be around. When I was working on some Talking Heads shows, I was more of a little tyrant.

"And then I learned to relax, and I also learned that collaborating with people, both sides get more if there’s a good relationship instead of me telling everybody what to do.

“I think the end wasn’t handled well. It was kind of ugly.

"I have regrets on how that was handled. I don’t think I did it in the best way, but I think it was kind of inevitable that would happen anyway.

"We have a cordial relationship now. We’re sort of in touch, but we don’t hang out together."

The 40th anniversary of Talking Heads' collaboration with film director Jonathan Demme is to be celebrated with a newly restored 4K version of the film that will return to cinemas for a global theatrical run, and a deluxe version of the soundtrack that will include the complete concert for the first time.

The deluxe edition of Stop Making Sense will be available through Rhino on August 18 as a limited edition, two LP set and digitally along with a Dolby Atmos mix of the complete concert, mixed by Jerry Harrison and E.T. Thorngren, who also mixed the original release.

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.