Bauhaus and Culture Club singers share one-off collaboration decades in the making
A pair of Eighties music giants have joined forces as Bauhaus’ Peter Murphy and Culture Club’s Boy George have shared their new collaboration “Let the Flowers Grow.”
Killing Joke’s Youth also provides guitar and production on the sweeping single, which features the two distinct vocalists singing alongside each other. In a statement to Rolling Stone, Murphy talked about his decades-long connection to George and their long desire to collaborate together.
“I first met Boy George when he asked to be allowed backstage to meet Howard Devoto when Bauhaus were supporting Magazine,” ” Murphy said. “He struck me as a super-original, self-styled 17th century fop. The second time I met him was when we walked into the BBC to do ‘Ziggy Stardust’ on Top of the Pops where Culture Club were also making their debut on the show. George greeted me very warmly and I discovered he was a Bauhaus fan.”
The pair continued to run into each other in subsequent decades, and plans to record together culminated with “Let the Flowers Grow.”
“In Spain 20 years later, I was recording my new album with Youth,” Murphy says. “Whilst listening to a playback of a song during a lull, I heard a piece of music that was coming from Youth’s cell phone. It caught my ear for its melodic beauty as well as a Roy Orbison-like voice that sang the song.”
“I asked Youth what it was and he said it was an unfinished partial demo version of a song that Boy George had written with him,” he adds. “It only had one verse and a chorus. I was urged to have Youth prepare it for me to sing and finish what was missing – 1st verse, 3rd verse and harmonizing with Boy George on the choruses. In a matter of 20 minutes, we had ‘Flowers…’ finished and we played it for Boy George, who wasn’t expecting it. He loved it and I’m so glad he did.”
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George says of the track in a statement, “When I heard the mix I was satiated in every way. I have always loved Pete’s voice and his writing on this adds a beautiful darkness. With everything going on in the world about identity it feels very powerful. The production feels very epic like Scott Walker. It makes me dizzy and proud.”
“Let the Flowers Grow” is a one-off single (and now-rare new music) from Murphy, whose last solo album Lion arrived in 2014. George has been a bit more active, releasing the single “Electric Energy” alongside Nile Rodgers and Ariana DeBose earlier this year.
