Iggy Pop Turns 73 and releases Sly and The Family Stone Cover

Hi-ya dog face! Iggy Pop turned 73 on 21st April and released a cover of The Sly and The Family Stone song “Family Affair”. Iggy recorded the song back in 1985.

The legendary frontman released the cover, which features Bootsy Collins, as a free download on his website and he calls his fans “Poptimists”. It was a No.1 hit song for Sly and The Family Stone back in 1971, It’s been a favourite of Iggy’s since it was released. 

Iggy says to the BBC “I’ve always loved this song; it came out when I was kinda on the ropes in 1971, There’s a lot of truth in it, especially in the second verse, about all sorts of questions that are coming around again now.”

The song has just sat in his archive collection for years. “Then one day recently things had quietened down in daily life for everybody and for me, too, and I listened to it by accident,” he said. “It just made me feel good and it was good company and I hoped that I could put it out and it would be company for somebody else, too.”

Iggy Pop Merchandise 

On the recording of his cover Iggy said ““I loved the music and I love what Bootsy did with it. Bootsy’s a great star and there is so much life in his playing, and so much personality and truth in who he is. It was a big thrill to work with him and Bill Laswell. It just sat there for a long time because it just wasn’t right vis a vis the noise and constant shifting and churning of the horrible pop scene (sorry), and also in light of the other things I was doing.

“Then one day recently things had quietened down in daily life for everybody and for me too and I listened to it by accident and oh it just made me feel good and it was good company and I hoped that I could put it out and it would be company for somebody else too.”

It was a busy year for Iggy Pop last year from his releasing his 18th album Free which had a more jazz and chill vibe that his usual raw rock albums his “Poptimists” are used to. He also appeared as a coffee-addicted zombie in Jim Jarmush’s film The Dead Don’t Die, released his own coffee blend with Slumptown and he received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of The Stooges second album Fun House, this will be celebrated with the release of a massive multimedia 15xLP boxset scheduled for release in July.