The Psychedelic Furs have become a regular fixture on the U.S. touring circuit in recent years, performing well-received greatest-hits sets from coast to coast. But at recent shows on the band’s current tour with James, fans have been treated to something far more rare: a new song.
Richard Butler and Co. since mid-July have been performing a track called “The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll,” one of only a few new songs by the band since reuniting in 2000. The Furs included the studio recording “Alive (For Once in My Lifetime)” on their 2001 live reunion album Beautiful Chaos: Greatest Hits Live. And they’ve performed a new song called “Little Miss World” on tour between 2012 and 2018.
The Furs debuted “The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll” at a July 12 performance at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City, and, upon completing it, Butler thanked the crowd and said, “We have a new album coming out next year and that’ll be on it,” according to video footage of that set.
The band has played the song four more times since then, according to setlist.fm.
A new album in 2020 from The Psychedelic Furs would be the band’s first in nearly three decades, since the 1991 release of World Outside, which spawned the modern-rock radio hit “Until She Comes.” And it’s long been in the works: Butler and his brother Tim, the band’s bassist, have been talking in interviews about recording a new Psychedelic Furs album for at least the last five years.
“We are actually working on a new album, but we’re doing it on our own time frame,” Tim Butler told The Mercury newspaper in Pottstown, Penn., in 2014. “If we start pressuring ourselves too much, we might get back into the same feeling of not liking the band. We hope to have it out early next year.”
The band’s tour with James continues Monday night in Milwaukee, Wisc. See full tour dates here.
Below, check out a couple performances of the Furs’ new song (h/t Annie Zaleski).
Correction: We originally misreported how long it had been since the band performed a new song.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
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We were in Buffalo this last week and got to see them at Canalside for $5! The new song is great and was a surprise. James was great as well.
‘Bout time! They’ve only made one mediocre album however their final two were back on form, I was bummed at the sudden disappearance of new music. Great news indeed, looking forward to it.
If anyone is unaware, Richard Butler put out a solo album in ‘06 that is outstanding, it called, conveniently enough, Richard Butler and more than worth tracking down.
I remember reading about them working on a new album…back in 2005.
Model TV shows
Have been a BIG fan of the furs since around 1986 when I met John Ashton via a friend, saw them at the Brighton Centre UK on the midnight to midnight tour and they were fantastic, after working on a track with John we eventually got to know each other quite well, would love to hear from him again, If you are out there John hope all is well, kev