Alice Cooper / Honorary Detroiter Bonamassa joins for first release ‘Rock and Roll’

The first song from the new Alice Cooper album ‘Detroit Stories’ has been released and you can listen to ‘Rock & Roll’ below.

On ‘Rock & Roll’, Alice is joined by Steve Hunter, Johnny Bee and Paul Randolph, with “Honorary Detroiter” Joe Bonamassa providing that velvet touch.

As previously reported, ‘Detroit Stories’ is the album made to honour the Metal history of Detroit.

Photo 'Detroit Stories' package by Alice Cooper

In 1970, abandoning the Los Angeles scene, Alice brought his band to his hometown of Detroit, where Bob Ezrin drilled the band for ten hours a day working to define their signature sound.

Alice’s version of The Velvet Underground’s ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ is a tribute to Detroit.

Written by Lou Reed, the song was also released by Mitch Ryder’s Detroit in 1972, featuring drummer Johnny Bee and guitarist Steve Hunter, with Bob Ezrin producing.

Hella Rock Festival

In this ’72 version they changed the “New York station” lyric to “Detroit station”.

Photo of Alice Cooper, who is releasing 'Detroit Stories' in February
Alice Cooper: Photo: Robert Sutton/MetalTalk

It was when he heard that version, that Lou Reed decided to work with Ezrin on the follow-up to his monster hit album ‘Transformer’. Their collaboration produced the seminal and fascinating classic album ‘Berlin’.

Steve Hunter, who created the iconic main riff that drives Detroit’s cover of the song, ended up working with Ezrin on many of his productions. He also toured and recorded with Alice and Lou Reed too.

That same riff is the backbone of this new recording.

‘Detroit Stories’ will be released 26 February 2021, via earMusic and can be pre-ordered at https://alicecooper.lnk.to/DetroitStories

Sleeve Notes

Sign up for the MetalTalk Newsletter, an occasional roundup of the best Heavy Metal News, features and pictures curated by our global MetalTalk team.

More in Heavy Metal

Comments

Search MetalTalk

MetalTalk Venues

MetalTalk Venues - The Devil's Dog Digbeth
MetalTalk Venues – The Green Rooms Live Music and Rehearsal
The Patriot, Crumlin - The Home Of Rock
Interview: Christian Kimmett, the man responsible for getting the bands in at Bannerman's Bar
Cart & Horses, London. Birthplace Of Iron Maiden
The Giffard Arms, Wolverhampton

New Metal News