Billy Idol covers anti-war classic

August 05, 2019

Billy Idol covers anti-war classic

August 05, 2019

Bet you’ve never heard this version! But with the US Deep State constantly pushing Donald Trump tl break his isolationist election pledges, this song is more relevant than ever.

“Eve of Destruction” is a protest song written by P. F. Sloan in mid-1964.[1] Several artists have recorded it, but the best-known recording was by Barry McGuire. This recording was made between July 12 and July 15, 1965, and released by Dunhill Records. The accompanying musicians were top-tier Los Angeles session players: P. F. Sloan on guitar, Hal Blaine (of Phil Spector‘s Wrecking Crew) on drums, and Larry Knechtel on bass guitar. The vocal track was thrown on as a rough mix and was not intended to be the final version, but a copy of the recording “leaked” out to a disc jockey, who began playing it.[2] The song was an instant hit and as a result the more polished vocal track that was at first envisioned was never recorded.

McGuire’s single hit #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1965.

 The song had initially been presented to The Byrds as a Dylanesque potential single, but they rejected it. The Turtles, another L.A. group who often recorded The Byrds’ discarded or rejected material, recorded a version instead. Their version was issued as a track on their 1965 debut album It Ain’t Me Babe, shortly before McGuire’s version was cut; it was eventually released as a single and hit #100 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970. The song was also recorded by Jan and Dean on their album Folk ‘n Roll in 1965, using the same backing track as the McGuire version, and by The Grass Roots on their first album Where Were You When I Needed You in 1966.

McGuire recalled in later years that “Eve of Destruction” had been recorded in one take on a Thursday morning, reading lyrics scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper. The following Monday morning he got a phone call from the record company at 7:00 am, telling him to turn on the radio–his song was playing.

Decades later, English-born neo-punk star Billy Idol produced this rocked up version. Being of ‘a certain age’, your editor rather likes it! Tell us what you think!

 

 

 

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