Peter Hook and Ministry have each covered “Dancing Madly Backwards” — a 1972 song by Captain Beyond, a psychedelic hard-rock act that featured members of Iron Butterfly and Deep Purple — for a split 12-inch single out this month on Cleopatra Records.
Each artist’s version of the song is now streaming on Bandcamp (hear them both below), and a red-vinyl 12-inch, limited to 300 copies, is available to order via the streaming site and the record label itself.
Hook, who, in recent years, has toured the world with his band The Light performing the music of his legendary past bands Joy Division and New Order, mentioned the song earlier this year in an interview with Trebuchet when asked whether he’s planning to record any new music.
“I just done a track with one of Kraftwerk. I’ve also done another track, a cover version (funnily enough) called ‘Dancing Madly Backwards’ by Captain Beyond. It’s a song from the ’70s from a record label in America. It turned out really, really well. The guys phoned me up and said. ‘Fancy doing an LP in that style?’ [laughs]. I do a lot of new music, but I’m pretty shit at letting people know about it.”
Below, listen Hook and Al Jourgensen and Co. each take a spin at “Dancing Madly Backwards,” and then hear the original Captain Beyond recording, off that band’s self-titled debut, too.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- ‘Holy grail’ recording surfaces of New Order’s scorching ’83 gig at Chicago’s Cabaret Metro
- Ministry touring U.S. with Death Grips, promises to play 3 songs off ‘Psalm 69’
- Peter Hook to bring Joy Division/New Order ‘Substance’ tour back to North America
- Listen: Ministry releases (mostly) full show from ‘In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up’
Big fan of both. Going to order now. Like both versions. Thanks….
I love both versions of this song and gladly ordered the red vinyl. Al is one hell of a producer and still impresses me… last year he did a killer side project SMM that was great, saw him play in Chgo at Riot Fest last summer and despite tech issues he still entertained and dug up some very old hits for the crowd. Here’s hoping we see Al reunite with the WaxTrax family and bring it all back full circle. Al if you are reading, I dare you to do a club tour and dig up your early wax trax and Twitch trax…your longtime rivet-heads are waiting!
Peter Hook – classy dude, met him at a book signing in Chgo and he loves the fans 500%. I still f-ing cannot believe I shook hands with a living member of f-ing Joy Division. See him live and you will cry at how amazing his NO/JD material is so true to the original. Love you Peter.
He’s not allowed at most Wax Trax / classic industrial events. Keep that in mind.