FRANCE: For his latest album, Iggy Pop has covered up his punk rock star image, and his torso, to sing a series of covers of French and international classics

Record ID: 861791

  • Title: FRANCE: For his latest album, Iggy Pop has covered up his punk rock star image, and his torso, to sing a series of covers of French and international classics
  • Date: 11th May 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF IGGY POP SINGING "SYRACUSE" ORIGINALLY BY FRENCH SINGER HENRI SALVADOR
  • Embargoed: 26th May 2012 13:00
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  • Location: France
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  • Country: France
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  • Reuters ID: LVA807WQV06T0XFIDXZCAICK0C9C
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  • Story Text: Punk rock icon Iggy Pop launched his new album "Apres" in the comfortable surroundings of a swish Parisian hotel on Wednesday (May 9), a world away from the wild concerts which earned him a reputation as one of the baddest boys in rock music.
    The rich furnishings matched a change of musical direction for the 65-year-old singer nicknamed "the grandfather of punk".
    The Stooges frontman is an innovator in the genre, known for outrageous antics and wild live performances.
    But with his new self-produced album, he covers international and French classics by artists such as Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Edith Piaf and Serge Gainsbourg. The punk rock star turns crooner.
    Kicking things off, he sang a version of "Syracuse", originally by the French Rock and Roll star Henri Salvador.
    "The American company would have prefered that I do a rock album with popular punks. Sort of like a 'Hi Dad!' sort of thing. I was not going to fucking do that."
    For the singer's latest album, he has bypassed the traditional route of music executives and big labels -- he dismissed them saying they dictate what people should be listening to. Instead, the album is being released through French website vente-privee.com.
    Its collection of ballads certainly shows off the singer's deep and distinctive voice, but this is no punk record.
    But the rock star does not care about surprising people and embraces the freedom to sing what he wants.
    "I don't want to get in a box. I'll get in a box when I'm dead. I mean, look, I'm going to sing 'Search and Destroy' on Friday night in Marseille," he said referring to one of the Stooges' biggest hits from their 1973 "Raw Power" album, adding "Why can't I sing this and sing that? It's all the same."
    Mellow though he may be these days, Pop remains thoroughly punk.
    Rejecting the label so frequently stuck on him, he said simply, "I'm not a fucking icon".
    The album will feature Stooges' and Pop's classics "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "The Passenger".
    Vente-privee.com has 15 million members in eight European countries and "Apres" will be available on the website from May 14.
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