The Catherine Wheel è un album pubblicato nel 1981 e contiene la colonna sonora di Byrne per l'omonimo progetto di danza della coreografa Twyla Tharp The Catherine Wheel ha debuttato il 22 settembre 1981 al Winter Garden Theatre di New York City .

I brani "Big Blue Plymouth", "My Big Hands", "Big Business" e "What a Day That Was" furono eseguiti dal vivo dai Talking Heads nel 1983. Gli ultimi due brani compaiono nel loro film Stop Making Sense (1984):

Track listing

Side one

1. "His Wife Refused" – 4:26

2. "Two Soldiers" (Music: Byrne, Brian Eno) – 4:45

3. "The Red House" – 3:17

4. "My Big Hands (Fall Through the Cracks)" – 2:45

5. "Big Business" (Lyrics: Byrne; Music: Byrne, John Chernoff) – 5:16

Side two

1. "Eggs in a Briar Patch" – 3:31

2. "Poison" – 2:38

3. "Cloud Chamber" – 2:42

4. "What a Day That Was" – 5:32

5. "Big Blue Plymouth (Eyes Wide Open)" – 4:45

6. "Light Bath" – 1:08

All songs written by David Byrne, except where noted.

Personnel

John Chernoff – percussion (tracks 1, 4, 7, 22), gung gong (tracks 2, 10, 20), congas (tracks 3, 5), piano (track 15), galloping guitar (track 18)

David Byrne – triggered flutes (tracks 1, 23), vocals (tracks 2, 11, 14, 16–17, 21), bass guitar (tracks 2, 4–5, 8–9, 11, 13–15, 17–20), guitars (track 2–5, 7–11, 13–15, 19–21), Oberheim OB-X (track 5), Primetime (track 5), deep synthesizer (track 6), clarinet (track 7), piano (tracks 7, 16, 19), Prophet (track 7–9, 14–15), horses (track 10), mini synthesizer (track 11), Prophet strings (track 11), kitchen metals (track 12), triggered calliope (tracks 13, 20), vibes (tracks 13, 20), percussion (tracks 14, 17, 19), floating guitars (track 16), fierce and high guitars (track 17), beasts (track 19), Prophet bells (track 18), second organ (track 19), synthesizer (track 21)

Yogi Horton – drums (tracks 2, 5–6, 9–10, 14–15, 18–19, 21), concert toms (track 22)

Bernie Worrell – Mini Moog (track 2), piano (tracks 2, 15), clavinet (track 18)

Adrian Belew – steel drum guitar (track 2), guitars (track 5), beasts (track 6), end guitars (track 9), floating guitars (track 10)

Brian Eno – bass guitar (tracks 3, 5, 10), guitar (track 3), piano (track 5), vibes (track 10), Prophet scream (track 17)

Jerry Harrison – clavinet (track 10), large drum (track 12), first organ (track 19)

Dolette McDonald – vocals (track 11)

Twyla Tharp – water pot (track 12)

Richard Horowitz – nez (track 17)

Douglas Gray – double belled euphonium (track 20)

John Cooksey – drums (track 21)

Steve Scales – congas (track 21)

Sue Halloran – vocals (track 22)

Title

Titolo in Italiano: “La Ruota di Caterina".