Genius of Love

Last updated

"Genius of Love"
Genius of Love.jpg
Artwork used as front cover of the French single and as back cover of the UK single
Single by Tom Tom Club
from the album Tom Tom Club
B-side "Lorelei"
ReleasedSeptember 6, 1981
October 2, 1981 (UK) [1]
Recorded1980
Genre
Length3:36 (7" single) [7] [8]
5:34 (album version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Chris Frantz
  • Steven Stanley
  • Tina Weymouth
Tom Tom Club singles chronology
"Wordy Rappinghood"
(1981)		"Genius of Love"
(1981)		"Under the Boardwalk"
(1982)
Music video
"Genius of Love" on YouTube

"Genius of Love" is a 1981 hit song by American new wave band Tom Tom Club from their 1981 eponymous debut studio album. The song reached number one on the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart, and was performed by Talking Heads (the group from which Tom Tom Club originated) in the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense.

Contents

Background

"Genius of Love" is credited to songwriters Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, guitarist Adrian Belew, and producer Steven Stanley. According to Talking Heads biographer David Bowman, the song originated after Frantz "copped a beat from Zapp's 1980 hit 'More Bounce to the Ounce'." Belew created a rhythm guitar part, Stanley created the keyboard melody, and Weymouth later wrote the words. [9]

The lyrics also pay tribute to many notable black musicians and singers, including George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Smokey Robinson, Bob Marley, Sly and Robbie, Kurtis Blow, Hamilton Bohannon, and James Brown. [10]

"Genius of Love" was designated as Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in North America, over 100,000 copies of the single sold as imports from Island Records UK, at which point Sire Records made a deal to release the single and the album in North America in late 1981.

Frantz and Weymouth performed the song as Tom Tom Club in the 1984 Talking Heads concert movie Stop Making Sense , as an interlude to allow Talking Heads frontman David Byrne to change into the "big suit" costume for the film's performance of "Girlfriend Is Better". [11] The recording of the song was also included on the soundtrack to the film.

Recording

Weymouth sings the primary lead on "Genius of Love", and Frantz plays drums and sings the song's later male vocals. Weymouth's sisters, Lani and Laura, feature on backing vocals. Adrian Belew is credited with guitar, Tyrone Downie with synthesizers and Uziah "Sticky" Thompson with percussion.

Identity of bassist on studio version

Although Tina Weymouth was responsible for writing the bassline, and had intended to play it herself on the record, she was forced to pass this onto another musician. She later recounted, in a 1997 interview with Bassplayer.com:

"We were given extremely limited studio time – just three days – and when it was time to do that track my whole right arm seized up in a terrible cramp, and I couldn't play. I had never played in the studio around the clock like we were doing, so I didn't even know that could happen. I ended up waking the assistant engineer – he was asleep under the console – and I showed him the part, and he played it. Chris was mad, but I really couldn't play; my hand wouldn't even close. So we did what we had to do. These things happen." [12]

Chart performance and music video

"Genius of Love" became a commercial success that performed better than Tom Tom Club's previous singles. Frantz credited the success of the single for convincing David Byrne to "soldier on with Talking Heads." [13] The official hand-drawn crayon and colored pencil animated music video for "Genius of Love" was produced by the band along with Cucumber Studios Ltd. [14]

On its release in November 1981, "Genius of Love" became a huge hit in clubs and on R&B and dance charts worldwide, soon earning the Tom Tom Club studio album a Gold Sales Award in 1982. In the U.S., the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart along with "Wordy Rappinghood", and also reached No. 2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It later went on to peak at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1982, [15] becoming Tom Tom Club's only entry on the Hot 100.

"Genius of Love" reached No. 65 on the UK Singles Chart, while both of the other two singles released from the Tom Tom Club album achieved top 30 placings in the UK. The single also became a club success all around Europe, and peaked at number 28 in New Zealand, the first of three top 40 hits for the band there.

Legacy

Use as a sample

"Genius of Love" was one of the most interpolated hooks of the 1980s, [16] and has continued to be one of the most popular beats within the hip hop, rap and R&B genres, in particular. [17] Notable early versions include Dr. Jeckyl & Mr. Hyde's "Genius Rap" (1981) and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "It's Nasty" (1982). [17]

Perhaps the most well-known use of "Genius of Love" is heard on American singer Mariah Carey's "Fantasy", the lead single off her multiplatinum fifth studio album, Daydream (Columbia 1995). The single was a major success, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks and remaining on the chart for 25 weeks. "Fantasy" has also been credited with exposing the Tom Tom Club and "Genius of Love" to newer and possibly younger listeners, [18] a point further solidified when the song was sampled over 25 years later by rapper Latto on her single "Big Energy" (2021). Carey herself made a surprise appearance to perform the song with Latto, live, at the 2022 BET Awards. [19]

Personnel

Singles

Charts

Chart performance for "Genius of Love"
Chart (1982)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [21] 26
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [22] 28
UK Singles (OCC) [23] 65
US Billboard Hot 100 [24] 31
US Hot Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [25] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [25] 2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talking Heads</span> American rock band

Talking Heads was an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City. The band was composed of David Byrne, Chris Frantz (drums), Tina Weymouth (bass) and Jerry Harrison. Described as "one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the '80s," Talking Heads helped to pioneer new wave music by combining elements of punk, art rock, funk, and world music with "an anxious yet clean-cut image".

<i>More Songs About Buildings and Food</i> 1978 album by Talking Heads

More Songs About Buildings and Food is the second studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on July 14, 1978, by Sire Records. It was the first of three albums produced by collaborator Brian Eno, and saw the band move toward an increasingly danceable style, crossing singer David Byrne's unusual delivery with new emphasis on the rhythm section composed of bassist Tina Weymouth and her husband, drummer Chris Frantz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Weymouth</span> American musician, bassist, singer-songwriter (b. 1950)

Martina Michèle Weymouth is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and a founding member and bassist of the new wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club, which she co-founded with her husband, Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz. In 2002, Weymouth was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Talking Heads.

<i>Remain in Light</i> 1980 studio album by Talking Heads

Remain in Light is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on October 8, 1980, by Sire Records. The band's third and final album to be produced by Brian Eno, Remain in Light was recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas and Sigma Sound Studios in New York in July and August 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Tom Club</span> American rock band

Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth and as a side project from Talking Heads. Their best known songs include the UK top 10 hit "Wordy Rappinghood" and the US top 40 hit "Genius of Love", both from their 1981 debut album, and a cover of The Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk" that reached the UK top 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)</span> 1995 dance-pop single

"Fantasy" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on August 23, 1995, by Columbia Records as the lead single from her fifth album, Daydream (1995). The track was written and produced by Carey and Dave Hall. It samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". The lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard, something Carey arranged to assist in her crossover into the hip-hop market and credited for introducing R&B and hip hop collaboration into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act.

<i>Tom Tom Club</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Tom Tom Club

Tom Tom Club is the debut studio album by American new wave band Tom Tom Club, released in 1981, containing the UK hit singles "Wordy Rappinghood", which reached No. 7 in June 1981 and "Genius of Love", which reached No. 65 in October of the same year. It was re-released in the UK in 1982 to include "Under the Boardwalk", which reached No. 22 in August 1982. When released in the United States, "Genius of Love" peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both "Wordy Rappinghood" and "Genius of Love" topped the US dance chart.

<i>Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom</i> 1988 studio album by Tom Tom Club

Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom is the third studio album by Tom Tom Club, released in 1988. It includes a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale", with David Byrne, Lou Reed, and Jerry Harrison. The track "Suboceana" was released as a single in the UK in late 1988 and received some radio airplay. In the US, a 12-inch single of the song was released, which featured a remix by Marshall Jefferson, and contains the track "Devil, Does Your Dog Bite". That song is a bonus on the Japanese issue of the album that has the original 10 songs. The track "Don't Say No" was released as a single in the UK, Europe, and Australia. The 7" version was remixed by Tuta Aquino and various 12" releases included acid house remixes by Marshall Jefferson. "Challenge of the Love Warriors" is played over the ending credits of Mary Lambert's 1987 mystery thriller Siesta though it is not included on the soundtrack album, also released in 1987, from Miles Davis and Marcus Miller.

<i>Close to the Bone</i> (Tom Tom Club album) 1983 studio album by Tom Tom Club

Close to the Bone is the second studio album by the Tom Tom Club that was released in 1983. The Tom Tom Club's musicians were: Wally Badarou, Tyrone Downie, Chris Frantz, Roddy Frantz, Rupert Hine, Raymond Jones, Steve Scales, Steven Stanley, Alex Weir; and sisters Lani, Laura and Tina Weymouth. The album was released on compact disc for the first time on May 19, 2009, as a part of a two-CD deluxe package with the band's first album, Tom Tom Club, as part of Universal Music's deluxe editions series.

<i>No Talking, Just Head</i> 1996 studio album by the Heads

No Talking, Just Head is the only studio album by the Heads, a band composed of Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads, joined by a variety of guest singers. Released in October 1996, the project was commercially and critically unsuccessful. The band members went on to pursue other musical interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wordy Rappinghood</span> Tom Tom Club song

"Wordy Rappinghood" is the debut single by American new wave band Tom Tom Club, from their 1981 self-titled debut album. It uses part of a traditional Moroccan children's song and game, "A Ram Sam Sam", made popular by the 1971 Rolf Harris recording. In the United States, the song topped the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart along with "Genius of Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want to Know What Love Is</span> 1984 song by Foreigner

"I Want to Know What Love Is" is a power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner. It was released in November 1984 as the love theme and lead single from their fifth album, Agent Provocateur. The song reached number one in both the United Kingdom and the United States and is the group's biggest hit to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Down the House</span> 1983 single by Talking Heads

"Burning Down the House" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album Speaking in Tongues.

<i>Stop Making Sense</i> (album) 1984 live album by Talking Heads

Stop Making Sense is a live album by the American rock band Talking Heads, also serving as the soundtrack to the concert film of the same name. It was released in September 1984 and features nine tracks from the film, albeit with treatment and editing. The album spent over two years on the Billboard 200 chart. It was their first album to be distributed by EMI outside North America.

<i>The Recipe</i> (album) 1998 studio album by Mack 10

The Recipe is the third solo studio album by American rapper Mack 10. It was released October 6, 1998, via Hoo-Bangin'/Priority Records. Production was handled by Young Tre, Binky Mack, DJ U-Neek, Rhythm D, Rick "Dutch" Cousin, Slice, Clint "Mr. Payback" Sands, KLC, Snoop Dogg, and Mack 10 himself. It features guest appearances from Big Pun, Big Tray Deee, Boo Kapone, Buckshot, CJ Mac, Eazy-E, Fat Joe, Foxy Brown, Gerald Levert, Jayo Felony, Jermaine Dupri, Master P, MC Eiht, Mystikal, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Road Dawgs, Snoop Dogg, Techniec, Thump da Hooddwella, KoЯn, and all members of Allfrumtha I, The Comrads and Westside Connection.

<i>Sittin on Somethin Phat</i> 1993 studio album by Ant Banks

Sittin' on Somethin' Phat is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and record producer Ant Banks. It was released on March 9, 1993, via Dangerous Music/Jive Records. It was produced by Ant Banks and Too $hort. It features guest appearances from Goldy, Pooh-Man, Spice 1 and Too $hort. The album peaked at number 123 on the Billboard 200, number 22 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 5 on the Heatseekers Albums in the United States.

<i>Number 1 to Infinity</i> 2015 greatest hits album by Mariah Carey

#1 to Infinity is the third greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter and producer Mariah Carey. It was released by Sony Music on May 15, 2015. It features Carey's then eighteen US number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. A new recording called "Infinity" was released as the only single on April 27, 2015. In January 2015, the singer announced that she had signed a residency deal to perform at The Colosseum at the Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas in May and July 2015, and would perform all of her number ones. As a result, she decided to re-release her first compilation, 1998's #1's, with an updated list of subsequent chart toppers. Carey promoted the album with her #1 to Infinity residency and with live performances at the Billboard Music Awards, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Live! with Kelly and Michael.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Energy</span> 2021 single by Latto

"Big Energy" is a song by American rapper Latto. It was released through Streamcut and RCA Records on September 24, 2021, as the lead single from Latto's second studio album, 777 (2022). It was written by Latto, A1 LaFlare, Jaucquez Lowe, Randall Hammers, Theron Thomas, Dr. Luke, and Vaughn Oliver, with the latter two handling the production. Adrian Belew, Chris Frantz, Steven Stanley, and Tina Weymouth received songwriting credits since the song samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". "Big Energy" has been described as pop and funk-rap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damage I've Done</span> 1996 single by The Heads

"Damage I've Done" is a song from American band The Heads, which was released in 1996 as the lead single from their only studio album No Talking, Just Head. A collaboration between the Heads and Johnette Napolitano, "Damage I've Done" was written by Napolitano (lyrics), and Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, T. "Blast" Murray and Tina Weymouth (music). It was produced by the Heads.

References

  1. ↑ "Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love". 45cat (in Latin). Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  2. ↑ Flick, Larry (August 26, 1995). "Mariah And Janet Tear Up The Dancefloor". Billboard . Vol. 107, no. 34. Nielsen Business Media. p. 26. ISSN   0006-2510. Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2020. The surprising twist is the use of instantly recognizable keyboard samples from the Tom Tom Club's post-disco classic "Genius Of Love."
  3. ↑ "#TBTXPN New Wave Day: Watch the Tom Tom Club live in concert". The Key. July 7, 2016. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  4. ↑ Breihan, Tom (April 4, 2022). "The Number Ones: Mariah Carey's "Fantasy"". Stereogum . Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  5. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (2004). "Talking Heads". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  802–03. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ↑ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard . Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024. ...with an infectious groove that elevated the rollicking hit to a funky, feel-good masterpiece of the '80s...The funky hit pays homage to a constellation of influential Black musicians...
  7. ↑ "Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love". Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love". Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  9. ↑ Bowman, David (2001). This Must Be the Place: Adventures of the Talking Heads in the Twentieth Century (e-book ed.). HarperCollins. ISBN   978-0-06-195597-6.
  10. ↑ Bowman, David (2001). This Must Be the Place: The Adventures of Talking Heads in the 20th Century . New York: HarperCollins. pp.  215–216. ISBN   978-0-380-97846-5.
  11. ↑ Grow, Kory (August 1, 2014). "Talking Heads on 'Stop Making Sense': 'We Didn't Want Any Bulls–t'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  12. ↑ 'Tina Talks Heads, Tom Toms, and How to Succeed at Bass Without Really Trying' - article by Gregory Isola in Bassplayer.com, March 1997 (hosted on webarchive.com)
  13. ↑ Plagenhoef, Scott; Schreiber, Ryan, eds. (November 2008). The Pitchfork 500 . New York City: Simon & Schuster. p. 50. ISBN   978-1-4165-6202-3.
  14. ↑ Hayward, Philip, ed. (1990). "Industrial Light and Magic: Style, Technology and Special Effects in the Music Video and Music Television". Culture, Technology & Creativity in the Late Twentieth Century. London: John Libbey & Company Ltd. p. 132. ISBN   0-86196-266-4 . Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). Los Angeles, California: Billboard Books. p. 110. ISBN   978-0823085545.
  16. ↑ Vincent, Rickey (2004). "Hip-Hop and Black Noise: Raising Hell". In Forman, Murray; Neal, Mark Anthony (eds.). That's the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. London, England: Routledge. p. 559. ISBN   0-203-64219-8.
  17. 1 2 "Songs that Sampled Genius of Love by Tom Tom Club". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Mariah Carey | Biography, Music & News | Billboard". Billboard . Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  19. ↑ Edel, Victoria (June 26, 2022). "Mariah Carey Makes a Surprise Appearance During Latto's BET Awards Performance". PopSugar .
  20. 1 2 3 4 Discografia - Sítio Oficial Archived 2007-03-07 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ "Tom Tom Club – Genius of Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Tom Tom Club – Genius of Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Tom Tom Club Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  25. 1 2 "Tom Tom Club Awards". Allmusic . Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.