Gucci model, COVID–anthem creator and punk Godfather Iggy Pop teamed with storied Hammond B-3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith to cover Donovan’s 1966 hit “Sunshine Superman.” The song will appear on Smith’s forthcoming album Breathe, which arrives March 26 on Blue Note.
“I was playing with my trio at Arts Garage in Delray Beach in Florida,” Smith said a statement. “Iggy would come by and say he wanted to play with me. I let him play slaparoo and he loved it. He enjoyed playing with us. We thought about recording a few songs, so we went in with my trio backing us up, and it worked.”
It is the companion album to Smith’s 2018 LP All in My Mind. Smith was a member of the George Benson quartet in the 1960s, and has performed with Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and Etta James.
The eight-song Breathe was produced by Don Was, who took the photo above of the pair at Miami’s Criteria studios, where such famed acts as the Bee Gees and Black Sabbath have recorded. Six of the tracks were recorded in 2017 during Smith’s 75th birthday celebration at the Jazz Standard in New York City.
Last month, Pop shared a video for his interpretation of the Dylan Thomas poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” and also covered — in French — Elvis Costello’s “No Flag.”
No stranger to collaborations, one of Pop’s most anticipated was with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme on the 2015 record Post Pop Depression. Pop also toured the record with Homme in his band.
Check out “Sunshine Superman” below:
