Martina Michèle Weymouth (born November 22, 1950) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author, best known as a founding member and bassist of the new wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club, which she co-founded with Talking Heads drummer, Chris Frantz.
At the age of 12, she joined The Potomac English Hand Bell Ringers, an amateur music group directed by Nancy Tufts, and toured with them. At 14, she started to teach herself the guitar. As a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, she met Chris Frantz and David Byrne who later formed a band and were searching for a bass guitar player. She joined them at Frantz's request, and began learning and playing bass.
Talking Heads released their debut album, Talking Heads: 77, to positive reviews in 1977. They collaborated with producer Brian Eno on a trio of experimental and critically acclaimed releases: More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978), Fear of Music (1979), and Remain in Light (1980). After a hiatus, Talking Heads hit their commercial peak in 1983 with the U.S. Top 10 hit "Burning Down the House" and released the concert film Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme. They released several more albums, including their best-selling LP Little Creatures (1985), before disbanding in 1991.
As a bass player Weymouth combined the minimalist art-punk bass lines of groups such as Wire and Pere Ubu with danceable, funk-inflected riffs to provide the bedrock of Talking Heads signature sound. Her sound is often very syncopated (e.g., reggae/funk) in feel, combining low fundamental notes with higher flourishes in clipped, staccato rhythms.
As a bass player Weymouth combined the minimalist art-punk bass lines of groups such as Wire and Pere Ubu with danceable, funk-inflected riffs to provide the bedrock of Talking Heads signature sound. Her sound is often very syncopated (e.g., reggae/funk) in feel, combining low fundamental notes with higher flourishes in clipped, staccato rhythms.
Full members of the Compass Point All Stars, Weymouth and Frantz formed the Tom Tom Club in 1980, which kept them busy during a fairly long hiatus in Talking Heads activity. When it became obvious that Talking Heads frontman David Byrne had no interest in another Talking Heads album, Weymouth, Frantz, and Jerry Harrison reunited without him for a single album called No Talking, Just Head under the name "The Heads" in 1996, featuring a rotating cast of vocalists.
She co-produced the Happy Mondays' 1992 album Yes Please! and has contributed backing vocals and percussion for the alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz on their track "19-2000."
