Gang of Four, 2019 | Photo by Dominique Lila
In the wake of Andy Gill’s death, post-punk legends Gang of Four this week announced plans to release a new EP later this month of music he’d been working on — three re-recordings of the band’s material that will be accompanied by a pair of spoken-worked interludes from Gill.
The five-track EP, This Heaven Gives Me Migraine, is due out Feb. 26, and is preceded by a new recording of “The Dying Rays,” which first appeared on Gang of Four’s 2015 album What Happens Next. Gill had been working on the new recordings “until days before his death” on Feb. 1, according to the band’s publicist. The new EP only accounts for “part of that output.”
Andy’s wife Catherine Mayer says:
“From the hospital, Andy continued to give final notes on mixes of music that he looked forward to releasing. Since his death, I have been working with the band to fulfill his vision. The only change we have made is to include on the EP two brief recordings of Andy speaking, both, in different ways, essence of Andy.”
The EP also includes re-recordings of “Natural’s Not In It,” off 1979’s classic Gang of Four debut Entertainment!, and “Toreador” off the band’s 2019 album Happy Now, a track that evolved through live performances by the current incarnation of the band, which in addition to Gill, featured singer John “Gaoler” Sterry, bassist Thomas McNeice and drummer Tobias Humble.
Below, check out the new version of “The Dying Rays.”
Gang of Four, This Heaven Gives Me Migraine EP
1. “Anthrax (Andy Speaks):
2. “The Dying Rays (2020):
3. “Natural’s Not In It:
4. “Toreador:
5. “Purple in Nature (Andy Speaks):
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Andy Gill, founding guitarist of post-punk legends Gang of Four, dead at 64
- Gang of Four sets North American tour in support of new album ‘What Happens Next’
- Vintage Video: Gang of Four deliver an electrifying set at Croatian festival in 1981
- Andy Gill debuts new song, album plans as Gang of Four moves on without Jon King
- Video: Gang of Four, ‘It Was Never Gonna Turn Out Too Good,’ off 2011′s ‘Content’
- Video: Watch Gang of Four’s 40-minute live set recorded for KCRW
Fantastic!
Too many of the true musical talents have left us. A shame that so many of the really good ones have gone first.
There classic material seems to be coming back into circulation, finally. All the early titles just showed up on iTunes under the Matador imprint, even “Another Day, Another Dollar” and the “Yellow” EP.