...or almost.
Of course, Ron Asheton, who we lost in January of this year, is sadly not around to take over the bass chores. But as MT hinted at when we published that photo of Sex Pistol Steve Jones meeting Raw Power guitarist and co-writer James Williamson in L.A. on May 8th, there is indeed an Iggy & The Stooges reunion in the works. No Steve Jones, of course, but then it wouldn't really be genuine, would it?
Postpunk bass legend Mike Watt -- who filled in for the late Dave Alexander in the original Stooges reunion -- will be taking the place of Asheton, a man Watt (the original catalyst behind Iggy rejoining the Asheton brothers in the first place ) idolized and loved. And drummer Scott "Rock Action" Asheton is reportedly on board for the project.
Iggy had been estranged from former Detroiter Williamson -- who also produced Pop's critically and fan-acclaimed solo disc, New Values in 1979 -- until the two former pre-punk collaborators spoke the week of Asheton's death. The Williamson-Jones photo (by Bob Matheu), we ran in our May 13th issue must have been taken the night that Iggy and Williamson saw each other for the first time in three decades.
Iggy officially let the cat out of the bag yesterday when he told the Australian newspaper (based in, um, Australia, of all places) that while the original Stooges ended with Ron's death: “There is always Iggy & The Stooges, the second growth of the band."
He also revealed that Asheton had left six or seven “hard-driving rhythm tracks'' behind that could be used in a future project.
“I had a meeting in L.A. last week with James [Williamson]," he told the paper. "It was the first time we had seen each other in 30 years. So we talked about doing something together. Raw Power would be the repertoire.''
Let's hope the repertoire might be kind enough to include a little Kill City and some of those non-Bowie singles and Metallica K.O. outtakes like "I Got A Right," "Rich Bitch" and "Cock In My Pocket" as well.
I, for one, am stoked.
The Igster just released a jazz-influenced album, Preliminaires, this week, btw.
Iggy & Williamson in their Raw Power heyday.
