Freebass, the new supergroup made up of Manchester bass-playing legends Peter Hook (New Order), Andy Rourke (The Smiths) and Mani (Stone Roses), have released details of their debut EP. Called ‘Two Worlds Collide‘, the four-track EP includes vocals by another Manchester legend – The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess.
The project was first discussed in 2005, when Peter Hook said they planned to enlist the help of the likes of Liam Gallagher, Billy Corgan and Bobby Gillespie. However, speaking to BBC 6Music, Hook explained that plan never came to fruition: “We asked them but we’re all jobbing musicians so it’s impossible to fit it in. We had Liam at one point but you really just can’t fit it in.”
Instead, Freebass features a permanent singer, Gary Briggs, alongside Tim Burgess and other guest vocalists. Hook explained the process in choosing a frontman for the band: “It took us about a year and a half to find a singer. So we ended up with four guest vocalists and a proper vocalist.” Other singers contributing on the EP include the Mighty Wah’s Pete Wylie.
The EP can be purchased here. A full length album is set to follow next month.