In 1997, a bona fide 90s alt-rock supergroup called Wylde Ratttz formed to record songs for Todd Haynes’ fictional – but very Bowie – 70s glam biopic, Velvet Goldmine. The group, made up of Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley, Mudhoney’s Mark Arm, Minutemen’s Mike Watt, Gumball’s Don Fleming, Sean Lennon and the Stooges own Ron Asheton, teamed up to record covers and originals for the film’s official soundtrack which was released in 1998. One of those was a cover of the Stooges’ “T.V. Eye” with the film’s star, actor Ewan McGregor on lead vocals.
But there are many more cuts recorded by the supergroup that didn’t make the tracklisting. From the same session, they have just shared an unearthed a cover (via Bandcamp) of “Fun House” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stooges’ classic second album by the same name. The Wylde Ratttz rendition features Mark Arm on lead vocals a blasting brass section and Stooges’ Ron Asheton’s charging guitar, for a ripping, extended 11-minute version of the original 7:45 song. Listen below.
All proceeds from this release goes toward the Ron Asheton Foundation – Asheton passed away in 2009 and to honour his memory a foundation was formed “to give voice to his two greatest passions, animals and music.” Check it out, here.
The Stooges’ 1970 album, Fun House celebrated its 50th anniversary in July this year. It was an album that captured the raw and pure excitement of a band at the brink of punk rock. To mark the occasion, a live recording of the band playing the album in full at a now legendary performance, live at Goose Lake in August 1970, was released earlier this month. Check it out, here.
Listen to Fun House on Spotify:
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