Arthur Russell

[schwenko]

I've done a search but found nothing on this site, so...

There is a documentary film playing in NYC ("Wild Combination") about the musician Arthur Russell.
I've read that he played his cello on an early version of "Psycho Killer", and that he almost became a member of TH early on.
Can anyone confirm. clarify, expand?

[schwenko]

I've done a search but found nothing on this site, so...

There is a documentary film playing in NYC ("Wild Combination") about the musician Arthur Russell.
I've read that he played his cello on an early version of "Psycho Killer", and that he almost became a member of TH early on.
Can anyone confirm. clarify, expand?

Well, to partially answer my own question, there is an acoustic version of Psycho Killer featuring Arthur Russell on cello on the Talking Heads 77 disk included here:

http://www.talking-heads.nl/index.php/d ... y/97-brick

[Chris]

I've done a search but found nothing on this site, so...

There is a documentary film playing in NYC ("Wild Combination") about the musician Arthur Russell.
I've read that he played his cello on an early version of "Psycho Killer", and that he almost became a member of TH early on.
Can anyone confirm. clarify, expand?

Hi Schwenko,

Welcome to this site. It's true that Arthur played cello on the "acoustic" version of Psycho Killer and we did share a love of dance music which at the time was known as disco music. In fact, just before Arthur died I bought his TR-808 drum machine from him. He was a friend and a guy we respected, but I can't recall him ever being proposed as a band member. We're sorry to have lost him. He was so young and so musically gifted.

Chris Frantz

[schwenko]

WOW- thanks Chris!

I caught one of the last screenings of "Wild Combination" this afternoon at the IFC Center on 6th Avenue this afternoon (Chris- you might remember this movie theater as The Waverly). Just a wonderful movie-highly recommended.

http://www.arthurrussellmovie.com/index.html

Especially pertinent to this discussion board, there is a ?10 second clip from TV Party (Glenn O'Brien's cable television show from the late 70s, early 80s), featuring Arthur R playing with Talking Heads; he's playing an acoustic guitar?, and everybody is wearing cowboy hats!