Heads Are Talking and Not Splitting

Is there life after the Talking Heads? Don’t worry--the band hasn’t broken up and has no plans to. (In fact, they’ve got a new album, “Naked,” due out this week. See Record Rack, Page 75.)

But after 10 sometimes turbulent years, Jerry Harrison is enjoying life with the Talking Heads. Eating fried eggs in his airy SoHo apartment here, the longtime Heads keyboardist has plenty of reasons to celebrate. His new album, “Casual Gods,” has received generous reviews and enough radio airplay to merit a solo tour; an L.A. date is slated for late April.

“I think the fact that we’ve made room for everyone’s solo identities has a lot to do with why we’ve survived,” he explained. “Groups have an interesting psychological makeup. When you’re in a band for a long time, you have a tendency to fall into certain roles. With us, it’s that David (Byrne) sings, Tina (Weymouth) plays bass. . . . But as I’ve had the chance to assume other roles, either on my albums or as a producer, I’ve gained lots of appreciation for the demands and dilemmas of those other duties.”

Harrison grinned. “That doesn’t mean that the Talking Heads are a democracy. I think of the band as a secret society, where anyone can blackball or veto an idea. It’s more unanimity than democracy.”

So why aren’t the Heads touring this summer? Apparently Byrne vetoed the idea. “The rest of the band wants to go, but David doesn’t. I can understand--he does keep getting offered these incredible projects.”

Still, Harrison is happy with the band’s new record, which was recorded in Paris last fall. One of his favorite tracks is “Ruby Dear,” a “Bo Diddley-type song” recorded with the help of a West African percussionist. “When he arrived in the studio, I couldn’t figure out where his instrument was. Then I realized he was wearing it. He had on these incredible leggings made out of dried bean pods. So he’d dance around the studio and they’d sound like huge shakers.”

Harrison has enjoyed an eclectic career. He’s taught at Harvard, been a member of Jonathan Richman’s Modern Lovers, designed a Grammy-nominated album cover (the Heads’ “Fear of Music”) and produced several albums (including the Violent Femmes’ “The Blind Leading the Naked”). Now he’s a video wizard too, having co-directed “Rev It Up” from his current album. Obviously inspired by his new son, Griffin, the clip features about 40 babies--dolled up in bows and cute outfits--bouncing and gyrating like veteran clubgoers to the song’s edgy rhythms.

“I look at it as a ZZ Top video--with kids,” Harrison said. “It was pure bedlam making it. When you have a room full of babies, you can’t make of lot of sophisticated cinematic choices--you just want to get the shot, any shot. It was the first video I’d done where all the actors needed a nap break.”

Who says kids don’t grow up fast here. When Harrison leaves on tour, Griffin--and his mother, Jerry’s girlfriend Carol--will probably tag along. “He’s going to be our honorary road manager,” Harrison said. “If there’s a problem with the promoter, we’ll just let Griffin handle it.”