After half a century apart, the original Alice Cooper band is back together. They’ll release a new album on July 25, and The Doors’ guitarist Robby Krieger will play in their first single, “Black Mamba.” It has high energy and classic rock riffs.
Other band members include Cooper, Michael Bruce on guitar, Dennis Dunaway playing bass, and Neal Smith behind the drums. They haven’t made music together since 1971.
Their new work, The Revenge Of Alice Cooper, contains a guitar track called “What Happened To You” from Glen Buxton that he recorded before his death in 1997.
“I was listening to it and going, ‘Robby Krieger,’ and he’s perfect on this,” said Cooper to Guitar Player. “I said, ‘I want early Doors, that slinky, snaky stuff that you played,’ and he goes, ‘Okay’ and just nailed it.”
Bob Ezrin, who shaped their sound in the 1970s, took charge of production at a Connecticut studio. The band created 14 tracks, mixing new songs with their spin on the Yardbirds’ classic, “I Ain’t Done Wrong.” From his L.A. studio, Krieger added a psychedelic vibe to “Black Mamba.”
The bond between Cooper and The Doors started in 1967 when Krieger’s wife introduced him to Cooper and his band. Cooper recalls, “The Doors were the first band that really took us under their wing when we came to L.A.”
“Return of the Spiders,” a lost recording from 1970, will come with the special edition. Fans can pre-order the album through Alice Cooper’s website, and vinyl is available. Along with this album, Krieger performs monthly shows at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in Los Angeles. He’s also working on a second album with his new band, the Soul Savages.
