PETER MURPHY launches new record label Silver Shade Records

PETER MURPHY <strong>launches new record label Silver Shade Records</strong>

First two releases: ‘Peter Live – Vol One – Covers’ & ‘Peter Live – Vol Two – The Blender Theater NYC 2008’

To be released June 21st via Cadiz Music HERE:

‘Volume One Covers’ features a version of ‘Hurt’ by Nine Inch Nails featuring Trent Reznor on piano

pic – Jolene Siana

One of the icons of the post-punk years, Peter Murphy fronted the dark art house crew Bauhaus. His charismatic, devilish and dangerous personae, combined with his stunning voice and razor-sharp cheekbones, saw him become one of the pin-ups for what was to be mislabelled Goth. 

Post Bauhaus, he released a series of acclaimed solo albums and fronted the band on their intermittent back-from-the-dead reunions before the band collapsed in 2023.

Bauhaus were never short of giving a nod to their mentors with several well-executed covers that they made their own. The singer continues this tradition with ‘Peter Live – Vol One – Covers’, the

first of two albums for his own new Silver Shade label, showcasing his own solo interpretations. The albums are prefaced with ‘Peter Live’.  ‘Peter Live – Vol One – Covers’ and ‘Peter Live – Vol Two – The Blender Theater NYC 2008’. Silver Shade will release his live concerts and re-issue solo albums in future times.

There is more to a cover version than copying it note for note, and the ever-astute vocalist gets to the heart of the art of darkness of these songs by unzipping them inside out whilst giving a nod to the music that made him what he is.

He stamps his own authority all over them, from a thrilling take on Iggy’s ‘Funtime’ to a dramatic version of ‘Hurt’. There is a terrifying, sparse dynamic take on Pere Ubu’s iconic ‘Final Solution’ and a stomping and powerful nod to Howard Devoto’s Magazine with a brilliant take on their ‘The Light Pours Out Of Me’.

Theatrical embraces of Elvis’s ‘Love Me Tender’ and Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ underline the eclectic spirit of Peter’s musical journey and, of course, being one of the generation of the children of Ziggy, there is the Bowie moment on the stunning take on David’s first hit, ‘Space Oddity’ that adds to the song’s sense of unease and isolation. 

The album concludes with ‘Hurt’ with the song’s writer Trent Reznor (NIN) playing the piano and Peter re-claiming the song from Johnny Cash’s version for power and emotion. 

Peter Murphy: “There’s no point in covering a song unless of course it’s got you somewhere in there. To have chosen ‘Purple Rain’ was at the time of the general expectation that I would opt for some lame purposely naff ‘alternative’ song was and is a stroke of genius in action. The audio might be wanting on a couple of songs, but if that puts you off, then go and listen to any of the thousand mediocre songs of some tiresome star.”   

The second release, ‘Peter Live Vol Two Blender Theater NYC 2008’, is an unreleased concert from the Blender Theatre at Gramercy on 27th June 2008 and Peter and the band are in shimmering form.

Includes Bauhaus and Peter’s career spanning solo highlights such as ‘Cuts you Up’, ‘I’ll Fall With Your Knife’, ‘Crystal Wrists’ and ‘Gliding Like a Whale’. 

The two albums are snapshots of something special, something spiritual and are full of a musical imagination creating hypnotic takes on key songs from Peter’s life. The live edge adds a frisson of excitement, and the iconic frontman proves he is far from undead with some of the best vocals of his long career in these two snapshots that harbingers further musical missives from the archive.

Peter Live – Vol One – Covers 

CADIZLP269 Sleeve artwork features original painting by Peter. Golden nugget coloured vinyl, limited edition. Embossed sleeve. 

Pre-order HERE:

Find Peter Murphy online HERE:

‘From Arthaus To Bauhaus 1972-79’ by Andrew J Brooksbank (TOME & METRE BOOKS)

‘From Arthaus To Bauhaus 1972-79’ by Andrew J Brooksbank (TOME & METRE BOOKS)

Renowned Bauhaus archivist and mastermind level expert Andrew Brooksbank has dug deep into his mind and diaries to dredge up the humble beginnings and misadventures of Goth Pioneers the one and only Bauhaus.

Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins, are the primary characters in this impressive Tome that has been obsessively and meticulously researched. Chances are you’re reading this because you’re a Bauhaus nerd or possibly just a music geek who loves to shine a light into the dark recesses of bands histories to see what made them work and get to a pitch where someone will write a book about them and to be fair there are none more unique and mysterious than the dark lords of gothic imagery and post-punk genre leaders Bauhaus.

This book gives a sense of perspective and what makes a band tick and reaches out further than their local pub or town center to play all over the world and sell many many records over decades. The primary characters all shared a love of Bowie, glam and what was happening quite quickly around them in such unchartered times that were the 70s. A time like no other for what was happening in music. 

Brooksbank sure knows his subject matter in impressive detail. Includes interviews with Northampton’s new wavers doling out their memories of important times, places and people, as well as Ash and the Haskins brothers themselves, If like me you have an interest in the band but not an in-depth knowledge then this really adds meat to the bone in an easy on the eye way and a book that doesn’t dismiss the casual fan and only appeal to an illite few. The flow is great in bite sized passages all dated for easy reference.

If you’re wondering where the band’s vocalist is in all of this, well, Peter Murphy’s journey to Bauhaus is also referenced throughout, as the band’s story is told up to and including the recording and initial triumph of ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ at the final knockings of the seventies. I did chuckle that ‘Bela Legose’ lyrics were written whilst David J hoped on and off his bike when the ideas came to him. It’s great to read about early shows being played in the Rock and Roll maelstrom of Wellingborough at 3pm for kids. Brilliant stuff.

Brooksbank has been referred to by David J as the “invaluable ‘tenacious truffle pig’ adept in the unearthing of minutia and obscure facts”, a quote that must be manna from Heaven for a fan of any band to be referred to with such affection. The book also contains dozen and dozens of grainy transferred pictures as well as flyers, demo mixtapes, ticket stubs live shots and so much more.

After reading it front to back I’ve also enjoyed dipping in and skimming the pictures where you also get a sense of how a band evolved in such an inspiring time in music. It’s written with humour and the cast of friends who contribute with their anecdotes really make the book such an engaging read. It’s a no-brainer for a Bauhaus fan but for anyone who likes reading about music, this is great and coming from such a creative time when innocence was something to nurture and wasn’t seen as a weakness or disadvantage. Seeing how a band rose from a time in music that was simply beautiful and rewarding it’s 40+ years ago yet a lot of us remember it like it was yesterday. ‘From arthaus’ is a Great trip – you should check it out its a pageturner for sure.

Buy Here

Author: Dom Daley