Sounds from True Stories

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Sounds from True Stories
File:Soundsfromtruestories.jpg
Soundtrack album by
David Byrne / Various
Released1986
StudioRussian Hill Studios, San Francisco, California,

Caldwell Studios, Lubbock, Texas, Studio Southwest, Sunnyvale, Texas,

Prodigal Sound, Denton, Texas
GenreRock, Tejano
Length40:17
LabelSire
ProducerDavid Byrne
David Byrne chronology
Music for "The Knee Plays"
(1985)
Sounds from True Stories
(1986)
The Last Emperor
(1987)

Sounds from True Stories, subtitled Music for Activities Freaks, is the soundtrack to David Byrne's 1986 film True Stories. It was initially released on vinyl and cassette, but was given a CD and 2xLP release in 2018.

The album is not a complete soundtrack recording, featuring only a couple of the vocal songs heard in the film, with the rest being instrumental music. Byrne's band Talking Heads released the album True Stories, which contained versions of the other songs in the film.

In 2018 the Criterion Collection Blu-ray release of the film includes a soundtrack CD that is listed as "containing the film’s complete soundtrack, compiled here for the first time."

Track listing

Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Performing artistLength
1."Cocktail Desperado"Terry AllenTerry Allen And The Panhandle Mystery Band2:58
2."Road Song"Byrne/MonkMeredith Monk3:25
3."Freeway Son"David ByrneDavid Byrne3:05
4."Brownie's Theme"David ByrneDavid Byrne2:24
5."Building A Highway"Carl FinchCarl Finch1:45
6."Puppy Polka"Carl FinchCarl Finch1:28
7."Party Girls"Carl FinchCarl Finch2:16
8."Dinner Music"Byrne/BrightKronos Quartet3:30
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Performing artistLength
9."Disco Hits!"David ByrneDavid Byrne2:02
10."City Of Steel"David ByrneDavid Byrne3:33
11."Love Theme From True Stories"David ByrneDavid Byrne1:26
12."Festa Para Um Rei Negro"Zuzuza/BarnesBanda Eclipse2:18
13."Buster's Theme"Carl FinchCarl Finch2:33
14."Soy De Tejas"Esteban JordanEsteban Jordan2:45
15."I Love Metal Buildings"David ByrneDavid Byrne2:18
16."Glass Operator"David ByrneDavid Byrne2:31
Total length:40:17
Complete Soundtrack
No.TitlePerforming artistLength
1."Road Song"David Byrne & Meredith Monk 
2."Freeway Son"David Byrne 
3."Disco Hits!"David Byrne 
4."Cocktail Desperado"Terry Allen And The Panhandle Mystery Band 
5."Wild Wild Life"Talking Heads 
6."City Of Steel"Talking Heads, featuring Tommy Morrell 
7."Mall Muzak"Carl Finch 
8."Dream Operator"Talking Heads, featuring Annie McEnroe 
9."Love Theme From True Stories"David Byrne 
10."Brownie’s Theme"David Byrne 
11."Dinner Music"Kronos Quartet 
12."Puzzlin’ Evidence"Talking Heads, featuring John Ingle and the Bert Cross Choir 
13."Glass Operator"David Byrne 
14."Hey Now"Talking Heads, featuring St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary School Choir 
15."I Love Metal Buildings"David Byrne 
16."Love For Sale"Talking Heads 
17."Soy De Tejas"Esteban Jordan 
18."Buster’s Theme"Carl Finch 
19."Festa Para Um Rei Negro"Banda Eclipse 
20."Radio Head"Talking Heads, featuring Tito Larriva, Esteban Jordan With Los Vampiros 
21."Papa Legba"Talking Heads, featuring Pops Staples 
22."People Like Us"Talking Heads, feautring John Goodman 
23."City of Dreams"Talking Heads 

"Glass Operator" is an orchestral rendition of "Dream Operator" featuring a glass harmonica; "City of Steel" is a steel guitar version of "City of Dreams", which, along with "Dream Operator", appears on Talking Heads' True Stories.

Personnel

  • David Byrne: lead and bass guitar on "Disco Hits!" and "I Love Metal Buildings"

Additional musicians

  • Drums – Prairie Prince ("Disco Hits!" and "I Love Metal Buildings"), Steve Mitchell ("Freeway Son" and "Brownie's Theme"), Chris Frantz ("City of Steel"), Steve Jordan Jr. ("Soy de Tejas")
  • Bass guitar – Rich Girard ("Freeway Son" and "Brownie's Theme"), Tina Weymouth ("City of Steel"), Steve Jordan ("Soy de Tejas")
  • Guitar – Steve Erquiaga ("Freeway Son" and "Brownie's Theme"), Steve Jordan ("Soy de Tejas")
  • Piano – Phil Aaberg ("Freeway Son" and "Brownie's Theme"), Jerry Harrison ("City of Steel"), Charles Judge ("I Love Metal Buildings")
  • Pedal steel guitar – Joe Goldmark ("Freeway Son" and "I Love Metal Buildings"), Tommy Morrell ("City Of Steel")
  • Violin – Dick Bright ("Freeway Son" and "Glass Operator"), David Harrington and John Sherba ("Dinner Music")
  • Percussion – Michael Spiro ("Freeway Son" and "Disco Hits!")
  • Cello – Joan Jeanrenaud ("Dinner Music"), Charles Judge ("Glass Operator")
  • Harp – Marcella De Cray ("Dinner Music" and "Love Theme from True Stories")
  • Keyboards – Charles Judge ("Disco Hits!"), Michael McClain ("Soy de Tejas")
  • Accordion – Carl Finch ("Buster's Theme"), Steve Jordan ("Soy de Tejas")
  • Bassoon – Greg Barber ("Road Song")
  • Clarinet and bass clarinet – Jim Pukey ("Road Song")
  • Flute, piccolo flute and alto flute – Charlie McCarthy ("Road Song")
  • Oboe – Robin May ("Road Song")
  • Viola – Hank Dutt ("Dinner Music")
  • Concertinas – Paul Griffin (musician)|Paul Groff ("Love Theme from True Stories")
  • Pan flutes – Fernando Torres ("Love Theme from True Stories")
  • Glass harmonica – Terry Hinely ("Glass Operator")

Technical

  • Engineers – Jack Leahy (tracks 2–4, 8–9, 11, 15–16), Michael McClain (tracks 5–7, 10, 12, 14), Don Caldwell ("Cocktail Desperado") and David Rosenblad ("Buster's Theme")
  • Assistant engineers – Gary Clayton, Jeff Kliment, Mark Roule and Sam Lehmer
  • Mastered by Roy Halee and Jack Skinner
  • Mixed by Roy Halee

Artwork

  • Art direction – Concept Arts and Lucinda Cowell
  • DesignDavid Byrne and Michael Hodgson
  • Front cover photographAnnie Liebowitz
  • Back cover photographDavid Byrne, Christina Patoski, Mark Lipson