Here’s sending out Happy Birthday wishes to longtime Talking Heads member Jerry Harrison, who turned 75 today, February 21.
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Before joining Talking Heads in 1977, Harrison was a co-founding member of the influential proto-punk band The Modern Lovers, led by Jonathan Richman. Harrison quit the group in 1974 over disagreements over its musical direction, and temporarily quit music.
[RELATED: Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison Calls the Group’s Reunion a “Healing Experience”]
He was studying for a master’s degree at Harvard University when Talking Heads offered him a spot in their band. Harrison joined Talking Heads after the group had released its debut single, “Love→Building on Fire.” His guitar and keyboards talents helped enhance and expand the band’s sound.
Throughout his years with Talking Heads, Harrison was credited as co-producer (jointly with the rest of his bandmates) on nearly all of their albums.
As the Talking Heads’ career wound down in the mid-to-late 1980s, Harrison began producing a variety of other noteworthy pop and rock artists. Here is a look at some of the notable albums Harrison produced.
The Violent Femmes, The Blind Leading the Naked (1986)
The Blind Leading the Naked was the third studio album by the alternative-rock trio, who hailed from Harrison’s hometown of Milwaukee. The album wasn’t a big commercial success, only reaching No. 84 on the Billboard 200.
It did feature a memorable cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution.” A video for that tune made its way into the rotation on MTV. Harrison also contributed keyboards, guitar, and melodica to the album.
Crash Test Dummies, God Shuffled His Feet (1993)
Crash Test Dummies were another quirky alt-rock group from Milwaukee, and God Shuffled His Feet was the band’s second and most successful album. It featured the hit “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell more than 2 million copies in the U.S. In a recent interview with Relix, Harrison referred to 1993 as “the best year of my production life,” because he worked on both God Shuffled His Feet and Live’s Throwing Copper (see below) that year.
Live, Throwing Copper (1994)
Live had already enjoyed some success with its sophomore album Mental Jewelry (1991), which Harrison also produced, but the alternative-rock band broke through in a huge way with Throwing Copper. The album topped the Billboard 200, and featured five songs that became hits on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart. Two of the singles, “Lightning Crashes” and “Selling the Drama” reached No. 1 on the tally.
Throwing Copper has gone on to sell more than 8 million copies in the U.S.
The Verve Pipe, Villains (1996)
The Verve Pipe’s third album, Villains, was easily the alternative-rock group’s most successful. The album was highlighted by the emotional post-grunge ballad “The Freshman,” which climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks tally.
The “Photograph” and “Villains” also reached the Top 20 of the Modern Rock Tracks tally. The album peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 and certified platinum for sales of 1 million in the U.S.
Other Artists Harrison Has Produced
Among the many other artists Harrison has worked with in the studio are BoDeans, Poi Dog Pondering, General Public, Rusted Root, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Stroke 9, O.A.R., and The String Cheese Incident.
