Warpaint share Gang of Four “Paralysed” cover from upcoming Andy Gill tribute LP
Warpaint have shared their cover of Gang of Four‘s “Paralysed” from the upcoming tribute album, The Problem of Leisure: A Celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four. The original, from 1981’s Solid Gold, is tense, dubby, skeletal funk and Warpaint rework it completely, keeping it minimal but it becomes more slinky in their hands.
“It was cool to get inside of ‘Paralysed,’ and for Gang Of Four to give us freedom to freak out in our way,” says Warpaint bassist Jenny Lee who produced the cover. “It was a beautiful opportunity and we’re SOOO excited. It’s an honor actually to be a part of Andy’s tribute.” Listen to Warpaint’s cover and the Gang of Four original below.
“Andy loved the way Warpaint created not only songs but atmospheres, without sacrificing drive and danceability. The marriage of their unique sound with ‘Paralysed,’ on the face of it one of the least likely dance tracks ever, is spectacular,” says Andy Gill’s widow, Catherine Mayer. “The lyrics are also incredibly resonant at this moment in time where so many people feel helpless in the face of regressive populism and disfiguring inequalities.”
Catherine is donating any her proceeds from “Paralysed” to the Women’s Equality Party,” the UK organization that she cofounded she co-founded.
The Problem of Leisure will be out May 28 and features Gang of Four covers and collaborations with IDLES, Massive Attack’s 3D, Gary Numan, Helmet, La Roux, and more. Preorder yours.
Gang of Four just released the essential 1977-1981 box set which you can buy, along with single-disc vinyl copies of Solid Gold and Entertainment! in the BV Shop.
We also talked to Gang of Four drummer Hugo Burnham about the box set, the band’s legacy and more and you can read that here.