Keith Morris of Black Flag and Circle Jerks fame has teamed up with the iconic west coast punk outfit T.S.O.L. and emerging singer-songwriter Savannah Pope for a cover of “Sweet Transvestite,” a song which originally appeared on the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This latest track appeared on T.S.O.L.’s Bandcamp earlier today.
This cover of “Sweet Transvestite” keeps the tongue-in-cheek pop appeal of the original with playful piano chords, elements of horns and a Pope’s choral inspired backing vocals. The take on the track is a lot more upbeat however, with more charged electric guitars and a style reminiscent of horror rock pioneer Alice Cooper.
The relationship between Morris and T.S.O.L. dates back to the 1980s, with the latter outfit playing various live shows alongside Morris’ Circle Jerks. The band recently opened for the outfit FLAG on Morris’ birthday back in 2017, which was also celebrated on social media.
T.S.O.L. continue to make music to this day and released an unexpected cover of R&B artist Amerie’s “1 Thing” last spring. The band’s lead vocalist Jack Grisham stated that he was fan of the song and the go-go style of 2000s R&B in general and sought to expose punk listeners to a deeper interpretation of the track. That year also saw the release of a new song titled “Is This A Wonderful World,” a darkly satirical take on the state of the world.
The group’s most recent studio album The Trigger Complex came out back in 2017. The Circle Jerks in the meantime have rescheduled their 40th anniversary tour.
Photo Credit: Marisa Rose Ficara
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