In 1975, three alumni from the Rhode Island School of Design—David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth—moved into a loft in New York City. David, who already sang and played guitar, and Chris, who already played drums, wanted to start a band. When the pair had trouble finding a bassist to join their ranks, Chris encouraged his girlfriend (now wife) Tina to give the instrument a shot.
Tina took to it quickly, learning to play by listening to Suzi Quatro albums. The trio had its first show on June 5 at CBGB, where they opened for the Ramones. A year or so later, the band was signed to Sire Records.
Tina's basslines were simple but incredibly funky, filling the pockets of each Talking Heads (and later, Tom Tom Club) tune with distinctly danceable grooves. In celebration of her birthday today, we wanted to put her playing under the microscope and take a look at some of the key elements that make her one of the most notable bassists of all time.