Andy Bell Announces Third Solo Album 'Pinball Wanderer', Shares First Single I'm In Love
Thursday, 09 January 2025
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Perou
Andy Bell has announced his third solo album.
The Ride guitarist and songwriter will release 'Pinball Wanderer' through Sonic Cathedral on February 28, following up his two previous solo LPs, 2022's 'Flicker' and 2020's The View From Halfway Down'.
Comprising eight songs, the record is previewed by a fresh take on The Passions' post-punk classic I'm In Love With A German Film Star, which has received a dreamy, kaleidoscopic overhaul by Bell. He's also retitled it to I'm In Love... and enlisted Dot Allison and Neu!'s Michael Rother, who contribute vocals and guitars, respectively. Bell said of the 1981 original:
"I went through a stage of playing the guitar part for that song at every Ride soundcheck. Erol Alkan has always maintained it’s ‘proto shoegaze’ and I agree. Dot has been a friend of mine for a long time now. Like many people of a certain age, I loved One Dove, and when I booked her to DJ at a club night in Sweden in about 2004, she levelled the place by playing Ace Of Spades by Motörhead at 3am and we became mates. I played on some tracks on her last album 'Consciousology' and this was her returning the favour.
"Then, incredibly, Michael Rother from Neu! also ended up on it. I met him at his show at the Barbican last February and asked him to remix the song, but instead he decided he wanted to play guitar, which took everything to a whole new level.
"I was leaving for a tour the next morning and I knew I had to mix the single before I left. Hearing Michael’s guitar parts in the mix was such an incredible feeling; it just fired me up to keep on recording and mixing into the night."
The former Oasis guitarist is also a member of indie supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos, led by son of Ringo Starr and The Who drummer Zak Starkey, with Happy Mondays stars Shaun Ryder and Bez. The band recently enlisted Noel Gallagher for a new vinyl-only single, Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous).
Bell has acoustic solo shows in the diary for February and March. Head here for details.
'Pinball Wanderer' tracklist:
1. Panic Attack
2. I’m In Love...
3. Madder Lake Deep
4. Apple Green UFO
5. Pinball Wanderer
6. Music Concrete
7. The Notes You Never Hear
8. Space Station Mantra
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