Rhino's Talking Heads revisitation won't end with Stop Making Sense - they'll release a new deluxe box set of the group's 1977 debut album, featuring rare outtakes and B-sides, a live show and the album remixed in Dolby Atmos and surround, as overseen by the band's keyboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison.

Available November 8, the super deluxe edition of Talking Heads: 77 will come in hardcover book packaging that'll feature 80 pages of rare archival photos and liner notes written by all four members of the band along with engineer Ed Stasium. Highlights in the bonus material include the band's first single, "Love ➡️ Building on Fire," acoustic versions of "Psycho Killer" and "First Week/Last Week...Carefree" and several tracks from the group's brief "pop experiment" phase, when this rather alternative record was nearly massaged into something more intentionally mainstream. (One of those versions, of closing track "Pulled Up," is released here for the first time, along with an alternate of "Psycho Killer.") Several vinyl variants will be available, including a double LP edition of the original album (on standard black or neon green, the latter exclusively at Barnes & Noble) and a 4LP version of the box set that also adds four replicas of the band's first four 7" singles.

Having met at the Rhode Island School of Design, Talking Heads initially consisted of singer/guitarist David Byrne and a longtime couple, bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz. The trio soon moved to New York and fell into the city's burgeoning punk scene: their first live gig was in 1975, opening for the Ramones at the legendary CBGB. Byrne's tightly-wound onstage energy and the tight rhythm section of Weymouth and Frantz earned the attention of labels even at this early point in their careers; Seymour Stein of Sire Records was interested in signing them, and the group cut a demo for Columbia Records.

But Byrne felt the group still needed something to really make an impression. He found it in Jerry Harrison, a guitarist/keyboardist who'd been part of Jonathan Richman's band The Modern Lovers. Initially unsure if he wanted to join a new ensemble, he became convinced when learning the group had major label interest, and signed on in early 1977. The group had already cut their first single without him, "Love ➡️ Building on Fire," which was co-produced by Tony Bongiovi and Tommy Ramone. The album sessions began in earnest with Bongiovi and Lance Quinn in the producer's chairs and Ed Stasium serving as engineer. Recording was reportedly tense thanks in part to Bongiovi's relative disinterest or distraction (his Hell's Kitchen studio, The Power Station, was in its final stages of development before opening that year).

Stasium proved to be a steady hand for the quartet, who found winning singles in the upbeat "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town" (featuring spirited steel drums from Harrison) and "Psycho Killer." The latter, a nervy number with a wicked bassline and a partially French refrain, drew ostensible (though unintentional) comparisons to that year's Son of Sam killings in New York City, even managing to dent the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100.

The acoustic version of "Psycho Killer" is available above, as the first track to be released ahead of the box. The full set will be available November 8 and can be pre-ordered below. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Talking Heads: 77 (Super Deluxe Edition) (Sire/Rhino, 2024)

3CD/1BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4LP/4 7": Rhino.com

CD 1: Original album remastered

1. Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
2. New Feeling
3. Tentative Decisions
4. Happy Day
5. Who is It?
6. No Compassion
7. The Book I Read
8. Don't Worry About the Government
9. First Week/Last Week...Carefree
10. Psycho Killer
11. Pulled Up

CD 2: Rarities (* previously unreleased)

1. Sugar on My Tongue
2. I Want to Live
3. Love ➡️ Building on Fire
4. I Wish You Wouldn't Say That
5. Psycho Killer (Acoustic Version)
6. Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town (Alternate Pop Version)
7. New Feeling (Alternate Pop Version)
8. Pulled Up (Alternate Pop Version) *
9. Stay Hungry (1977 Version)
10. First Week/Last Week...Carefree (Acoustic Version)
11. I Feel It in My Heart
12. Psycho Killer (Alternate Version) *

Tracks 1-2 released on Sand in the Vaseline (Popular Favorites 1976-1992) - Sire/Warner Bros. 26760, 1992
Track 3 released on Sire single SAA-737, 1977
Track 4 released on "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town" single - Sire SRE-1002, 1977
Track 5 released on "Psycho Killer" single - Sire SRE-1013, 1977
Tracks 6-7 released on Once in a Lifetime box set - Sire/Warner Bros./Rhino R2 73934, 2003
Track 9 released on More Songs About Buildings and Food expanded edition - Sire/Warner Bros./Rhino R2 76450, 2006
Track 10 released on Bonus Rarities & Outtakes digital album - Sire/Warner Bros./Rhino (no cat. #), 2006
Track 11 released on Talking Heads: 77 expanded edition - Sire/Warner Bros./Rhino R2 76449, 2006

CD 3: Live At CBGB, New York, NY - 10/10/1977

1. Love ➡️ Building on Fire
2. Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town
3. Don't Worry About the Government
4. Take Me to the River
5. The Book I Read
6. New Feeling
7. A Clean Break (Let's Work)
8. No Compassion
9. Thank You for Sending Me An Angel
10. Who is It?
11. Pulled Up
12. Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town (Version 2)
13. Psycho Killer
14. Stay Hungry

All tracks previously unreleased except 7, from Bonus Rarities & Outtakes digital album - Sire/Warner Bros./Rhino (no cat. #), 2006

Blu-ray Audio: Original album in hi-res stereo, 5.1 surround (DTS-MA and LPCM) and Dolby Atmos mixes