“Slowly, it’s good and holy”
We recently told you about the upcoming release by Holy Holy of a limited edition 7” picture disc, We Are King / Holy Holy.
Issued by Maniac Squat Records on Monday 15th September 2014, the release will be a very limited edition of 999 numbered picture discs and a digital download.
Numbers 101-999 will be available at the gigs for £15 each and via Amazon.
Numbers 1-100 are signed by the whole band on a special insert and will only be available at the September shows for £30 each.
All pressings come with a four-page numbered information booklet which includes a new exclusive essay on The Man Who Sold The World album and the song Holy Holy by the renowned Bowie historian/writer Nicholas Pegg (The Complete David Bowie).
Tony Visconti on bass and backing vocals, and Woody Woodmansey on drums, are joined by Woody’s stellar supergroup Holy Holy, on the single:
• Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), vocals
• Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), vocals, sax, guitar, keyboards, stylophone and percussion
• Erdal Kizilcay (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Freddie Mercury), bass
• James Stevenson (Chelsea, Gen X, Gene Loves Jezebel, Scott Walker, The Alarm, The Cult), guitar
• Paul Cuddeford (Ian Hunter, Bob Geldof), guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, viola and harmonica
• Rod Melvin (Ian Dury, Brian Eno), piano
• Lisa Ronson (A Secret History), backing vocals
• Maggi Ronson (Mick Ronson, Philip Rambow), backing vocals
• Hannah Berridge Ronson (Colin Lloyd Tucker), backing vocals
• Malcolm Doherty (Rumer), backing vocals
Keep reading for the press release.
PRESS RELEASE – Limited edition 7” picture disc, We Are King / Holy Holy.
Supergroup HOLY HOLY featuring Woody Woodmansey, Steve Norman, Glenn Gregory and Tony Visconti release a double A side single comprising the new song ‘We Are King’, written and sung by Steve Norman of Spandau Ballet with a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Holy Holy’ sung by Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory.
Released by Maniac Squat Records on Monday 15th September 2014 on a picture disc limited edition of 999 and on digital download.
Legendary Bowie bandmates, producer/bass player Tony Visconti and drummer Woody Woodmansey, are performing together for the first time since 1971 on this single and at four UK dates in September 2014. Fronting the band is Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17 and on saxophone, guitars and vocals is Spandau Ballet’s Steve Norman.
Steve Norman said: “It’s a great honour to be able to contribute ‘We Are King’ to this wonderful project. It’s a song which I wrote especially for it and with the übertalented Woody Woodmansey and all the Holy Holy band members in mind. Performing this song along with those amazing Bowie tunes makes me proud. These songs have impacted so much on my personal life as well as my musical career. Working with Tony Visconti and Glenn Gregory is the icing on the cake of this most exciting venture”.
Glenn Gregory said “It has been a little strange over the last few months, I was asked to perform live on stage with some of my absolute all time heroes singing some of the most influential Bowie songs ever, and then as if that wasn’t enough… I’m now singing on a record with those same gentlemen. I think I might just retire”.
The distinctive and robust guitar playing which contributed so much to the artistic success of The Man Who Sold The World was Mick Ronson, who sadly died in 1993. Mick’s daughter Lisa, his sister Maggi and niece Hannah sing on this record and are performing live with Tony and Woody in September.
Tony Visconti said “It was such a pleasure to jam with Holy Holy’s drummer, Woody Woodmansey, my former Hype colleague on their new single We Are King. It felt natural, a perfect fit. Glen Gregory’s vocals are wonderful on the Holy Holy cover song. I added some vocal tones to this song too. I’m very proud to be part of this recording and ever so excited playing the four TMWSTW shows in the UK this September, with this amazing band of musicians including the very talented and dedicated Steve Norman.”
Woody Woodmansey said “I am really excited about playing with Tony Visconti again after so many years; a great rhythm section is always kinda special. The TMWSTW gigs in September, with such a calibre of world class players, who really know their stuff, from Steve Norman, Glenn Gregory, James Stevenson, Paul Cuddeford, Erdal Kizilcay, and the Ronson girls is going to be a little bit of history, as this album has never been performed live, ever!”.
Tony Visconti on bass and backing vocals, and Woody Woodmansey on drums, are joined by Woody’s stellar supergroup Holy Holy, on the single:
• Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), vocals
• Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), vocals, sax, guitar, keyboards, stylophone and percussion
• Erdal Kizilcay (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Freddie Mercury), bass
• James Stevenson (Chelsea, Gen X, Gene Loves Jezebel, Scott Walker, The Alarm, The Cult), guitar
• Paul Cuddeford (Ian Hunter, Bob Geldof), guitar, mandolin, acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, viola and harmonica
• Rod Melvin (Ian Dury, Brian Eno), piano
• Lisa Ronson (A Secret History), backing vocals
• Maggi Ronson (Mick Ronson, Philip Rambow), backing vocals
• Hannah Berridge Ronson (Colin Lloyd Tucker), backing vocals
• Malcolm Doherty (Rumer), backing vocals
Notes for Editors
• The vinyl single will include an new exclusive essay by the renowned Bowie historian/writer Nicholas Pegg on The Man Who Sold The World album and the song Holy Holy.
• Holy Holy formed in 2013 to play at Latitude Festival.
• The single was produced by Steve Norman and engineered by Paul Cuddeford, with additional recording by Tony Visconti in New York and by Erdal Kizilcay in Switzerland.
• Tony Visconti has produced more David Bowie albums than anyone else, including Space Oddity, The Man Who Sold The World, Young Americans, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Scary Monsters, Heathen, Reality and The Next Day, released in 2013, as well as mixing several others.
• Woody Woodmansey drummed on four of the most important David Bowie albums: The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and Aladdin Sane.
• We Are King / Holy Holy by Holy Holy is released on Maniac Squat Records, distributed by Code 7 via PHD, catalogue number: MSL2014V001
Social Media
Twitter: @holyholybowie Facebook: www.facebook.com/holyholybowie
Live performances
September 2014 performances by Holy Holy with Woody Woodmansey, Steve Norman, Glenn Gregory and Tony Visconti:
London The Garage Wednesday 17th September SOLD OUT
Sheffield O2 Academy2 Thursday 18th September £18.00 adv
Glasgow O2 ABC Saturday 20th September £20.00 adv
London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire Monday 22nd September £25.00 adv
Talk
Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey discuss the making of The Man Who Sold The World at the ICA, Tuesday 16th September: