Bonnie “Prince” Billy (Will Oldham) has shared a gorgeous revitalized “Outsider” anthem, a cover version from one of the giants of the punk era featuring several special guests, including the dearly missed D.C. Berman.
Bonnie “Prince” Billy is well known for his covers; remember how he and Bill Callahan kept us entertained across lockdown with a whole series, culminating in Blind Date Party? In his book, Will Oldham on Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Oldham shares how he always looked forward to Ramones records to see who they would cover, something they did with their first seven or eight albums. Outsider featured on Ramones’ seventh studio album Subterranean Jungle (1983), so the young Oldham must have been over the moon as the album begins with two cover songs and features a third on side two.
The song Outsider is from the immortal pen of Dee Dee Ramone, which is playfully described in the press as being built for a ‘Prince’ with Bonny reframing the lyric’s psycho-stoicism with stately melody.
Produced in 2016 with Mark Nevers, the song features Chris Scruggs (of the Fabulous Superlatives) and homeboys William Tyler, Peter Townsend and the late D.C. Berman (Silver Jews), who pours existential dread from Dee Dee’s bridge.
Elsa Oldham’s artwork celebrates the triumvirate of star-crossed singers above!
Stream: https://ffm.to/outsiderbpb
Following the release of “Outsider”, Bonny embarks on his own kind of tour across America. With his mythos in the wind, songs of love and horror (and others) in tow and the joy of singing and playing in shared space, BPB will once again step into our waiting and needing minds and souls.
US Tour Dates here: https://www.dragcity.com/tours#bonnie-prince-billy