The English synthpop duo Soft Cell has teamed up with the musician and composer JG Thirlwell to share a cover of Suicide’s classic 1977 track “Ghost Rider.” The two acts performed the song during the closing show to Soft Cell’s tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their 1981 album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.
According to Brooklyn Vegan, the NYC show saw only one member of the synthpop duo at the show, due to Dave Ball not attending because of fractured vertebrae. Attendees of the performance saw Philip Larsen perform on synths in Ball’s stead. Recently, Larsen worked as a producer on Soft Cell’s project *Happiness Not Included, released in June.
Video uploaded to YouTube shows Soft Cell frontman Marc Almond talk about their decision to cover Suicide, a New York band he describes as very influential to them. He goes on to introduce Thirlwell as a true musical genius, notes how many names Thirlwell has went under, such as Foetus and Clint Ruin, and welcomes him onto the stage to the audience’s delight.
The vocal duo of Thirlwell and Almond makes for a highly energetic performance, with Almond going for a brigher and louder approach, while Thirlwell goes for a more aggressive approach. Both artists contrast with the more mellow approach of the 1977 original, making the duo’s cover a very worthwhile listen for fans of Suicide, Soft Cell, and JG Thirlwell alike.
Watch JG Thirlwell and Soft Cell cover Suicide’s Ghost Rider below.
JG Thirlwell has recently taken to the Tinker Street Cinema in Woodstock to perform deliver a 50 minute performance of “Silver Manis.”
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