Bruce Springsteen Posts New Cover of Suicide's 'Dream Baby Dream' as the Soundtrack to Tour Retrospective Video

I would have never figured Bruce Springsteen for a fan of NYC proto-punk duo Suicide but The Boss closed his set a number of nights on his 2005 Devils and Dust solo acoustic tour with a modified version of "Dream Baby Dream" played on the pump organ. Mojo Magazine talked with Springsteen right around this time and he said "I've liked Suicide for a long time...I met the guys late in the '70s in New York City, when we were in the studio at the same time. You know, if Elvis came back from the dead I think he would sound like Alan Vaga. He gets a lot of emotional purity. I came across 'Dream Baby Dream' again because Michael Stipe included it on a compilation and I thought maybe I could do it." A live version og the song, recorded in Boston, was released on a limited edition vinyl E.P. celebrating Alan Vega's 70th birthday.



Bruce Springsteen has now posted a thank you letter to fans along with a full band version of the song which serves as the soundtrack to video highlights of the recently wrapped-up 18 month Wrecking Ball tour.



For anyone curious, here is the original Suicide version:


Links:
Bruce Springsteen

Martin Rev (Suicide) Backs M.I.A. on July 13th David Letterman Appearance

Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam (Tamil: மாதங்கி 'மாயா' அருள்ப்ரகாசம்; born 18 July 1975),[1] better known by her stage name M.I.A., is a British songwriter, record producer, singer, rapper, fashion designer, visual artist, and political activist. - Wikipedia

M.I.A. made an appearance on David Letterman earlier this week to play her new single "Born Free". The song features the extensive sampling of Suicide's "Ghost Rider" and Marty Rev appeared with M.I.A. playing keyboards.



For anyone who isn't familiar with the Suicide tune:



Links:
M.I.A.

The Brute Chorus Announce New Album 'How The Caged Bird Sings'; Download New Single (Free)

DOWNLOAD: The Brute Chorus - "Could This Be Love" (from How the Caged Bird Sings)

Indie blue-rockers, The Brute Chorus are releasing their second disc, How The Caged Bird Sings, in August on the London indie label TAPE. The first single, "Could This Be Love", is available now as a free download.

The Brute Chorus' music is a mix of blues and rockabilly and is comparable to the Knoxville Girls or Heavy Trash. (The Cramps or Gun Club may be better comparisons for those outside of the New York area). The band built a reputation for their live shows at Camden's Hawley Arms (one-time home to Amy Winehouse) and recorded their self-titled debut album in front of a live audience at Camden's Roundhouse. The BBC described the band as "suckled on surf, old time blues and quiff-bouncing rockabilly, their music breathes and sweats; you can almost feel the saliva spray as frontman James Steel splutters lines about flooded tower blocks and duplicitous mythical heroes."

Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:

April 29th – London, UK – Bloody Awful Poetry @ Madam JoJo’s at 8pm
May 1st – Leeds, UK – Live @ Leeds, Elbow Rooms at 1pm
May 1st – London, UK – Camden Crawl @ The Hawley Arms at 8pm
May 20th – London, UK – Big Chill House @ 8pm
July 15th – Cheltenham, UK - 2000 Trees Festival
July 18th – Cockermouth, UK – Cock Rock Festival

Links:
The Brute Chorus

Suicide - Live 1977- 1978 CD Box Set (Blast First)

This set looks like a must have...for the uninitiated, Sisters of Mercy, New Order, Soft Cell and many other bands have cited Suicide as one of their influences.

This limited-edition box set (limited to 3,000 copies) captures Suicide at the height of their riot-inciting days. The box contains 13 shows recorded between 1977-78 at locations ranging from hometown NYC shows at CBGB and Max's to European dates opening for Elvis Costello and The Clash.

Here is the complete track listing:

DISC 1: 1977, NYC [46:52]
1 SUICIDE CBGB Sept 29 1977 24:43
2 SUICIDE CBGB Dec 3 1977 set2 22:09

DISC 2: 1978, NYC [71:21]
1 SUICIDE Palladium NYC Jan 7 1978 21:45
2 SUICIDE Maxs Jan 13 1978 22:55
3 SUICIDE CBGB Feb 3 1978 26:41

DISC 3: 1978, BELGIUM/FRANCE [70:42]
1 SUICIDE Brussels June 16 1978 23:44
2 SUICIDE Paris Olympia+Backstage June 18 1978 46:58

DISC 4: 1978, GERMANY [68:29]
1 SUICIDE Hamburg Audiomax June 28 1978 21:26
2 SUICIDE Berlin Kant Kino/Neue Welt June 30 1978 22:42
3 SUICIDE Berlin Kant Kino/Neue Welt June 30 1978 set 2 24:21

DISC 5: 1978, UK [64:17]
1 SUICIDE London MusicMachine July 24 1978 25:37
2 SUICIDE Our Price Radio Ad 1:09
3 SUICIDE Erics Liverpool July 29 1978 31:12
4 SUICIDE Erics pt 2 Frankie Teardrop July 29 1978 6:19

DISC 6: 1978, NYC [AFTER EUROPE] [43:35]
1 SUICIDE Maxs August 25 1978 recorded by Eric Mache 43:35

MP3 and FLAC downloads are available through the Blast First Petite shop for 7.99 pounds. Physical copies of the box are available through Amazon (and I saw a copy at Kim's on St. Marks last time that I was in the store).

Suicide is playing Club Europa in Brooklyn on December 11th with A.R.E. Weapons.

Bruce Springsteen/Suicide Split 10" Out on Blast First

The world is definitely getting stranger when one can mention Bruce Springsteen and Suicide (the band) in the same sentence.

Well...Blast First has released a limited edition split 10" with Bruce Springsteen covering Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream", a live performance of Suicide playing "Dream Baby Dream" on the Midnight Special, and a cover of "Mr. Ray" by (the recently defunct NYC band) Beat The Devil. This 10" is the first in a series of limited edition releases celebrating the 70th birthday of Suicide vocalist Alan Vega.

The vinyl edition is a limited pressing of 4,000 and available in most indie music shops (Vintage Vinyl is always a reliable source) and the mp3s are available for purchase from Blast First (click on the LP cover to go to the Blast First site).

Suicide are playing Club Europa in Greenpoint on December 11th.

Suicide @ South Street Seaport, July 27, 2007

I know that I am getting old when Suicide, a band that used to cause riots when they played, is playing a free outdoor show sponsored by the city. There was a big debut on BrooklynVegan's site over whether the band was brilliant or a "self indulgent embarrassment".

I am not exactly objective as I am a big Suicide fan but...I thought the band was brilliant. The band played about 70 minutes and finished their set with a great version of "Frankie Teardrop", which I haven't heard them play in years. Alan Vega was confrontational and, frankly, dead-on with his observations on the war. As to be expected, Suicide reworked a number of their songs but I don't think this is a bad thing -- it keeps the show interesting.








The most recent release by Suicide is a live DVD, One day + Live at La Loco / Paris, which was recorded live in early 2005.