IDLES covers GANG OF FOUR’s “Damaged Goods” for “The Problem of Leisure” (album out June 4)

May 28, 2021 Eugene Tierney

“Damaged Goods” by IDLES out on May28, 2021

Latest single taken from “The Problem of Leisure: A celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four”

A new compilation album featuring new interpretations of Gang of Four songs by major artists with original artwork by Damien Hirst – to be released on June 4th, 2021

Available to pre-order now at gangoffour.uk/the-problem-of-leisure

New website – www.theproblemofleisure.com

**Credit: Damien Hirst, Dog with Bone, 2017 © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd.**
All rights reserved, DACS 2021.

MAY 28, 2021 (New York, NY) — Gang of Four’s iconic song, “Damaged Goods,” gets a blistering makeover from British rock band IDLES and drops as a single on May 28th ahead of the June 4, 2021 release of the album The Problem of Leisure: A celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four.

The Problem of Leisure is a double album of tracks written by Andy Gill and Gang of Four, all newly reinterpreted and recorded by artists whose own unique contributions to music were enriched by listening to Gang of Four. The album features songs from across Gang of Four’s 40-plus year career, each individually chosen by the artists’ who covered them.

IDLES say:
“IDLES does not exist without Gang of Four. ‘Damaged Goods’ still sounds new and exciting after the millionth listen. We jumped at the chance to just play it, let alone record it. It was an honour, a joy and a privilege”

Andy’s widow Catherine Mayer says:
“One of the last emails Andy ever sent set out his provisional album track listing. He wanted the album to open with IDLES’ version of ‘Damaged Goods’ because its attack and energy are simultaneously so very Gang of Four and so unmistakably IDLES that he thought it would make the perfect introduction to the project. Also he just loved it.”

After Andy’s death in February 2020, Catherine assembled a small team to complete The Problem of Leisure. The record had originally been conceived by Andy himself not as a post-mortem tribute, but to mark the 40th anniversary in 2019 of Gang Of Four’s extraordinary 1979 debut long player Entertainment! an album widely heralded as a classic (“the fifth best punk album of all time”: Rolling Stone magazine).

Andy had already revised that vision in the months before his death, after some artists chose tracks from different albums and periods. Every musician who committed to the project was given the freedom to create new versions of whichever Gang of Four songs they wanted to cover, with Andy overseeing some of the earlier productions but largely leaving artists to create their own interpretations.

When Andy died, obituarists struggled to sum up his profound impact on music. He had co-founded Gang of Four and remained at the time of his death its only original member. As co-writer or writer of all the band’s songs and through his unmistakable and much emulated guitar style, Andy influenced generation after generation of musicians, and that effect was amplified by his work as a composer and producer. This album speaks to that impact and influence.

The final 20 track double album features an extraordinary roll call of global talent, with artists from seven different countries and four continents, and demonstrates the breadth and scale of Andy and Gang of Four’s influence.

Damaged Goods

Watch this video on YouTube

IDLES “Damaged Goods”

The album’s brilliant artwork was created by Damien Hirst, a long-term Gang of Four aficionado. Andy chose the cover art from a selection of options provided by the artist.

The album campaign started with the release of a new version of “Natural’s Not In It” by Tom Morello & Serj Tankian, on January 8, 2021. This was followed by 3D’s updated (Redux) version of “Where the Nightingale Sings” on February 12th, which featured vocals from alt rock duo Nova Twins and was co-produced by Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack (as 3D) and Andy Gill. Singles by Warpaint (“Paralysed”), Helmet (“In the Ditch”) and Herbert Grönemeyer (“I Love a Man in a Uniform”) have been released subsequently, showcasing the breadth of artists who have contributed to the album.

The album is available to pre-order now in a variety of double vinyl, two CD and cassette formats from all usual retail outlets worldwide. The deluxe vinyl format, “Dogluxe” is only available from the Gang of Four website, gangoffour.uk/store. All formats feature different versions of the artwork from Damien Hirst. The album will be released on the Gill Music label on June 4, 2021 and is distributed by Ingrooves.

The new website for the album – www.theproblemofleisure.com – contains more information about the project including the stories behind the connections of many of the contributing artists to Andy Gill and Gang of Four.

Credit: Damien Hirst, Dog with Bone, 2017 © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd.
All rights reserved, DACS 2020.

The Problem of Leisure: CD One

Vinyl One, Side A
IDLES – Damaged Goods (UK)
Tom Morello & Serj Tankian – Natural’s Not In It (USA)
Helmet – In the Ditch (USA)
3D* x Gang of Four feat. Nova Twins – Where the Nightingale Sings (UK)
Hotei – To Hell With Poverty (Japan)

Vinyl One, Side B
Gary Numan – Love Like Anthrax (UK)
Gail Ann Dorsey – We Live as We Dream, Alone (USA)
Herbert Grönemeyer feat. Alex Silva – I Love a Man in a Uniform (Germany)
LoneLady – Not Great Men (UK) JJ Sterry – 5.45 (UK)

The Problem of Leisure: CD Two

Vinyl Two, Side C
La Roux – Damaged Goods (UK)
Everything Everything – Natural’s Not in It (UK)
Dado Villa-Lobos – Return the Gift (Brazil)
The Dandy Warhols – What We All Want (USA)
Warpaint – Paralysed (USA)

Vinyl Two, Side D
Flea & John Frusciante – Not Great Men (USA)
The Sounds – I Love a Man in a Uniform (Sweden)
Hardcore Raver in Tears – Last Mile** (China)
Killing Joke x Gang of Four – Forever Starts Now (Killing Joke Dub) (UK)
Sekar Melati – Not Great Men (live version) (Japan)

* 3D is the remix name of Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack
** “Last Mile” is the new title for this cover of “Broken Talk”, reflecting new lyrics sung in Mandarin by Hardcore Raver in Tears

“Damaged Goods” Lyrics
Written by Andy Gill, Jon King, Hugo Burnham, Dave Allen

The change will do you good
I always knew it would
Sometimes I’m thinking that I love you
But I know it’s only lust
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I’m thinking that I love you
But I know it’s only lust
The sins of the flesh
Are simply sins of lust
Sweat’s running down your back
Sweat’s running down your neck
Heated couplings in the sun (Or is that untrue?)
Colder couplings in the night (Never saw your body)
Your kiss so sweet
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I’m thinking that I love you
But I know it’s only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
Damaged goods,
Send ’em back
I can’t work, I can’t achieve,
Send me back
Open the till,
Give me the change you said would do me good
Refund the cost,
You said you’re cheap but you’re so smart
Your sweat so sour
Sometimes I’m thinking that I love you
But I know it’s only lust
The change will do you good
I always knew it would
You know the change will do you good
You know the change will do you good
I’m kissing you goodbye
I’m kissing you goodbye
I’m kissing you goodbye
I’m kissing you goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye