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Talking Heads Turned Down A TON of Money to Reunite

Talking Heads is always in the discussion about hopeful band reunions. Apparently, there was a serious effort to get the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band to reunite. As…

Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, David Byrne and Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads attend Stop Making Sense Q & A hosted by BAM and A24 at BAM Harvey Theater on September 13, 2023 in Brooklyn Borough of New York City, New York.
Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for BAM

Talking Heads is always in the discussion about hopeful band reunions. Apparently, there was a serious effort to get the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band to reunite. As expected, it was for some very serious money.

Billboard reports that Paul Tollett tried to get Talking Heads to reunite at this year's Coachella. (Tollett is the president of festival creation powerhouse Goldenvoice.) He traveled to Toronto to meet with the band while they were at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). At that time, TIFF was honoring the 40th anniversary of Stop Making SenseDespite making the trip, Tollett "sensed there were no shows happening, so I didn't make an offer."

That offer to reunite and perform at Coachella? As much as $10 million!

As incredible as that offer was, Billboard also reported the legendary band received a reunion offer from Live Nation. The offer involved headlining six to eight different festivals. The exact festivals weren't disclosed, but the payday for this offer was $80 million. Even with that hefty offer, the band turned it down.

Talking Heads Tribute Album

News of reunion offers comes at the same time as the unveiling of Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Stop Making Sense.

Billboard reports the tribute album is being released to further commemorate the 40th anniversary of the iconic Talking Heads concert film. The album is a track-for-track remake of the original soundtrack album. Featuring a stacked artist lineup, the LP features covers by Paramore, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, The National, The Linda Lindas and many more. The first preview to the album can be heard below in the form of Paramore's cover of "Burning Down the House."

While the album has been confirmed, a release date for Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Stop Making Sense has yet to be announced.

Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights