Talking Heads have announced – their first ever authorised book that comes with unseen archive material, handwritten lyrics and more.
The new coffee table book is set to drop on May 18, 2027, via Abrams Books, and comes as the iconic group – formed of David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison – are currently celebrating 50 years of their debut album, ‘Talking Heads: 77’.
Described as the first ever authorised book, the 400-page book is made in collaboration with all four members and will bring together featuring unseen archive material, handwritten lyrics, early album artwork, essays from the members and hundreds of photographs.
There is also other forms of memorabilia which has been in the archive for decades, and the text will follow their beginnings at the Rhode Island School of Design, through to their rise to fame playing at CBGB, and them becoming a household name.
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The book also follows their iconic 1984 concert film , and the limited edition variants feature a signed photo as well as a 19-piece wooden puzzle built into the cover.
“For this book, we pulled out handwritten lyrics, original album sketches, and private photos, some of which haven’t left our archive in over 40 years,” Harrison shared, announcing the book with his bandmates in a new promotional video.
Check out that video above, and pre-order here.
The announcement of the book comes shortly after Talking Heads sat down for a reunion, and took part in a Q&A hosted by Este Haim to help launch a new SiriusXM station.
The New York rock icons made their first public appearance together in over 20 years in 2023. They came together at the Toronto International Film Festival that September to celebrate the anniversary of , and when asked then about the potential to perform together again, Weymouth said the group were “just savouring the moment”.
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Speaking to in 2022 about a potential reunion, Frantz said: “I did try it a couple of times and the last time was about 20 years ago, and after that, David just said: ‘I never want you to ask me that question again. I’m not going to address that matter.’ It’s a shame and it is what it is.”
Speaking to last year about the prospect, Byrne seemed to be unmoved in his opinion, saying: “On a practical level, trying to recreate the feeling that people had when they were in their early 20s? The time that they first heard that music? That’s a fool’s errand.”
Byrne has been busy with his own career, releasing his latest solo album ‘Who Is The Sky?‘ in September 2025 – which was his first since 2018’s ‘American Utopia‘ – and also dropping his new book earlier this month. He will embark on a book tour in the UK next month.