"Take Me To The River" was originally written by one of my favorite R&B and soul singers of the early 1970s, Al Green, along with band mate Mabon Hodges. Green recorded it in 1974 and, although he did not release it as a single, it was taken up by other artists such as Syl Johnson, Foghat, Levon Helm, and Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music. Johnson had a modest hit with it in 1975, reaching #48 on Billboard. But it was the Talking Heads version that took "Take Me To The River" to the top.

I first began hearing it in the summer of 1978 ... and throughout the rest of the year ... which is why I give 1978 as the year, although it did not actually become a hit until 1979. It was the penultimate track of Talking Heads' second LP, More Songs About Buildings and Food, which was doing quite well on FM radio. I picked up the single in November 1978 and it became VERY POPULAR at the bar I worked at over the Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday season. It was frequently req