Bryan Ferry releases his first original song in a decade, the artful 'Star'

29 August 2024, 12:52

He's as artful as ever.

Based on his brand new song 'Star' - his first offering of original new music in a decade - Bryan Ferry is keeping his fans on their toes.

The former Roxy Music frontman has released the new single as part of his upcoming album titled, Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023.

Featuring painter and writer Amelia Barratt on vocals - who also appears in the music video - the song sees Ferry exploring new sonic territory.

During his time with Roxy Music, Ferry was renowned for musical experimentation, though his solo career has generally seen him reinterpret the songs of music icons.

• Roxy Music's 15 greatest songs, ranked
• Roxy Music will never play together again, Phil Manzanera confirms
• Bryan Ferry announces first new song in a decade to mark release of ‘Retrospective’ boxset
• Dexys singer Kevin Rowland called David Bowie a "bad copy of Bryan Ferry" and still regrets it

Throughout the years, Bryan Ferry has covered the likes of Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, John Lennon, Neil Young, Canned Heat, the Velvet Underground, and even Amy Winehouse.

As he approaches his 79th birthday however, Ferry has returned to the experimentalism that defined his earlier career.

Watch the music video for 'Star' below:

Bryan Ferry - Star feat. Amelia Barratt (Official Video)

The statement accompanying the release of 'Star' notes that the song "began as a sketch by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails."

It was then "developed by Bryan Ferry and Amelia Barratt into an anxious, darkly gleaming slab of pounding post-techno."

"The song sees Ferry continuing to explore uncharted creative territory, with Barratt and Ferry creating a duet that blurs the lines between art, music and poetry."

Ferry continued by saying 'Star' is "a collaboration with the painter and writer Amelia Barratt. A couple of years ago I helped her record an audiobook here in my studio."

"I was very impressed by her writing, and this is the first song we did together. I’m very excited about this new work - there’s a lot more to come."

'Star' is one of 81 tracks that will feature on Ferry's upcoming five-disc album which is set for release on 25th October 2024.

The 'retrospective' will cover his entire solo career, spanning his sixteen solo albums across fifty years in music.

It's divided into five different sections: "The Best of Bryan Ferry," "Compositions," "Interpretations,", "The Bryan Ferry Orchestra". and "Rare and Unreleased."

The album will include tracks such as Ferry's Bob Dylan covers, R&B favourites, instrumental sketches of Roxy Music classics, and newer unreleased material.

Ferry has already released his ruminative new version of Dylan's 'She Belongs To Me', which was the first offering from his upcoming retrospective.

Bryan Ferry - She Belongs To Me (Official Visualiser)

See the track-listing for Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023 below:

Disc One: "The Best Of Bryan Ferry"

1. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

2. These Foolish Things

3. The 'In' Crowd

4. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

5. Casanova

6. Let's Stick Together

7. Sign of the Times

8. Slave To Love

9. Don't Stop The Dance

10. Windswept

11. Kiss and Tell

12. As Time Goes By

13. Your Painted Smile

14. I Put A Spell On You

15. Which Way To Turn

16. Knockin' On Heaven's Door

17. Make You Feel My Love

18. You Can Dance

19. Love Letters

20. Johnny and Mary

Disc Two: "Compositions"

1. Can't Let Go

2. Tokyo Joe

3. This Island Earth

4. Love Me Madly Again

5. Limbo

6. When She Walks In The Room

7. Boys and Girls

8. Zamba

9. Chain Reaction

10. Bête Noire

11. I Thought

12. The Only Face

13. Valentine

14. Loop De Li

15. Reason or Rhyme

Disc Three: "Interpretations"

1. The Price of Love

2. Shame Shame Shame

3. Hold On (I'm Coming)

4. Just One Look

5. Girl of My Best Friend

6. What Goes On

7. That's How Strong My Love Is

8. You Go To My Head

9. Where or When

10. The Way You Look Tonight

11. One Night

12. Simple Twist of Fate

13. Positively 4th Street

14. Song to the Siren

15. Fooled Around and Fell In Love

Disc Four: "The Bryan Ferry Orchestra"

1. Virginia Plain

2. Do The Strand

3. While My Heart Is Still Beating

4. This Island Earth

5. Bitter-Sweet

6. Dance Away

7. Zamba

8. Reason or Rhyme

9. Avalon

10. Back To Black

11. Limbo

12. Young and Beautiful

13. Love Is The Drug

14. Sign of the Times

15. Chance Meeting

Disc Five: "Rare and Unreleased"

1. Feel The Need

2. Mother of Pearl (Horoscope Version)

3. Don't Be Cruel

4. I Don't Want To Go On Without You

5. I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know

6. Crazy Love

7. Whatever Gets You Through The Night

8. Bob Dylan's Dream

9. He'll Have To Go

10. A Fool For Love

11. Lowlands Low

12. Is Your Love Strong Enough

13. Sonnet 18

14. She Belongs To Me

15. Oh Lonesome Me

16. Star (with Amelia Barratt)