Andy Bell, former member of Ride and Mantra of the Cosmos, has announced the release of his third solo album, “Pinball Wanderer”, scheduled for Friday 28 February via Sonic Cathedral. Among the collaborators on the album, the name of Gem Archer, former partner in Oasis and long-time collaborator, stands out.
To anticipate the project, Bell has published a reinterpretation of “I'm In Love With A German Film Star”, the famous song by The Passions from 1981. His version takes on ethereal sounds thanks to the dreamy voice of Dot Allison and the guitar contribution by Michael Rother of Neu!.
In a statement, Bell revealed that he was particularly attached to the track:
“During Ride's soundchecks, I often found myself playing the guitar part of this song. Erol Alkan always called it 'proto shoegaze,' and I can't help but agree.”
Speaking about the collaboration with Dot Allison, the artist added:
“I've known Dot for years. Like many of my generation, I loved One Dove. In 2004 I invited her to DJ at a club in Sweden, and she literally set the floor on fire at 3 in the morning with Motörhead's 'Ace Of Spades' We've been friends ever since. I recently contributed to a couple of songs on her album 'Consciousology' and she returned the favor by participating in my project.”
Bell then recounted Michael Rother's unexpected intervention:
“I met Michael last February, at his show at the Barbican. I asked him to remix the track, but he wanted to play guitar instead, taking the track to a whole new level. I was going on tour the next morning, and I remember the thrill of listening to his contribution in the mix: it gave me an incredible push to work late into the night.”
With these premises, “Pinball Wanderer” promises to be a fascinating chapter in Andy Bell's career, intertwining suggestions of shoegaze, post-punk and high-profile collaborations.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
