Talking Heads to celebrate 40th anniversary of ‘Stop Making Sense’ with deluxe soundtrack, theater rerelease

Talking Heads‘ iconic concert film Stop Making Sense is about to celebrate its 40th anniversary, and that milestone will be marked by a new theatrical release, plus a deluxe edition of the movie’s soundtrack.

A24, the studio behind this year’s Oscar-winning film Everything Everywhere All At Once, will release a newly restored 4K version of the concert film to theaters later this year, sharing a trailer that features frontman David Byrne getting back into his iconic oversized suit.

On top of that, on August 18 a deluxe edition of the soundtrack will be released, containing for the first time ever the complete Stop Making Sense concert, including previously unreleased songs “Cities” and “Big Business/I Zimbra.”

Stop Making Sense (Deluxe Edition) will be released as a limited edition two-LP set and digitally, along with a Dolby Atmos mix. The vinyl version will include a 28-page booklet with previously unreleased photos and new liner notes from all the band members.

“We had done a live album before this, but coupled with the film, and with the improved mixes and sound quality, this record reached a whole new audience,” Byrne recalls in the liner notes. “As often happens, the songs got an added energy when we performed them live and were inspired by having an audience. In many ways, these versions are more exciting than the studio recordings, so maybe that’s why a lot of folks discovered us via this record.”

Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme, was recorded over three shows at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983. In 2021 it was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Here’s the track list for Stop Making Sense:

“Psycho Killer”
“Heaven”
“Thank You For Sending Me An Angel”
“Found A Job”
“Slippery People”
“Cities”
“Burning Down The House”
”Life During Wartime”
“Making Flippy Floppy”
“Swamp”
“What a Day That Was”
“This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)”
“Once In A Lifetime”
“Big Business / I Zimbra”
“Genius Of Love”
“Girlfriend Is Better”
“Take Me To The River”
“Crosseyed And Painless”