While working on a solo album with Martin “Youth” Glover, Peter Murphy was distracted by the unfinished demo the producer was working on with Boy George. “While listening to the playback of a song during a lull, I heard a piece of music that was coming from his house [Youth’s] “cell phone,” Murphy recalls in a statement. “It caught my attention because of its melodic beauty as well as the voice of Roy Orbison who sang the song.”
Intrigued by the track, Murphy wanted to work on the song and help complete it with the guys (Killing Joke, The Firemen with Paul McCartney). Murphy added: “Within 20 minutes, we finished ‘Flowers’.”
I gave my soul / To the things you liked / I caught them / As they came Murphy sings in the opening verse of “Let the Flowers Grow.” It all has an ominous pulse at the start, and expands into a sweeping ode of transformation and birth, as both singers dissolve into each other in the chorus –I’ve been changing / And mama don’t know / Let her tears fall / And let the flowers grow.
“Let the Flowers Grow,” written by George, was initially a song about coming out as gay before blossoming into something more universal, encompassing religion, race, and more. “With all that’s going on in the world about identity. [‘Let The Flowers Grow’] George, who previously worked with the guys on Culture Club’s unreleased 2014 album Culture Club, said: “It feels very powerful.” Tribes.
George added of the song, which also features the guys on guitars: “When I heard this mix, I was satiated in every way.” “I’ve always loved Pete’s voice and his writing adds a beautiful darkness. The production sounds so epic, like Scott Walker. It makes me giddy and proud.”
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George and Murphy first met decades ago when Murphy was working with Bauhaus and a supporting magazine, and George came backstage to meet Howard DeVoto. Murphy recalls of their first meeting: “He struck me as a super authentic 17th-century geek.” “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 was also making its debut on the program. George greeted me very warmly and I found out he was a Bauhaus fan.
George said of the final duo: “It makes me giddy with pride.” Murphy added: “The boy George loved it and I’m so glad he did.”
Murphy, who recently reunited with Bauhaus in 2019 and played a series of shows with the band in 2022, released his tenth solo album Lionalso produced by Youth in 2014. George released This Is What I Do in 2013 and recently toured with Culture on the Letting it Go tour in 2023 with special guest Howard Jones.
In early 2024, George released the single “Electric Energy,” which featured Nile Rodgers and Ariana DeBose for “Electric Energy.” Largy Soundtrack. Culture Club is set to tour the UK and Ireland in December before moving on to a tour of New Zealand and Australia in 2025.
Photo: Peter Murphy (left) to Jolene Scianna; Boy George by Dean Neighbors.
A source