Living Colour and Steve Vai would be a supergroup we could really get on board with. The two recently collaborated on a remake of LC’s mega hit “Cult of Personality,” released yesterday, September 16.
It comes after the two acts teamed up at the Rock In Rio festival where Vai guested during Living Colour’s set on September 2, adding extra riffage to the quintessential rock song. “Cult of Personality” was the final number of the set at the fest, which had 100,000 in attendance.
LC guitarist Vernon Reid said of the track, “In celebration of 30th anniversary of Living Colour’s first appearance in Brazil, which also was Doug Wimbish’s first live appearance with the band, we are releasing a special edition version of ‘Cult Of Personality’ featuring our special guest in Rio de Janeiro, our dear friend, the extraordinary Mr. Steve Vai on additional guitar. Engineered and mixed by the original producer of the song Mr. Ed Stasium.”
Steve Vai also posted on his Twitter account about the festival appearance, sharing, “Soooo good to kick it with my Living Colour brothers in Rio! The band was slammin’ and I wish we could have played all night! Thanks so much to the organizers of this historic brand and for the kind invite from them and the band.”
“Cult of Personality” was a gate crasher for the New York City rock-jazz-funk-metal fusion act when it was released in 1988, the opening track of their debut album Vivid that was as groovy as it was informed, taking on America’s political machine and celebrity worship.
It reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 9 on the publication’s Album Rock Tracks chart, and also won the band a Grammy as well as MTV Video Music Awards. It’s had its fanbase ever since with even wrestler CM Punk using it as his intro music for WWE matches.
Get a copy of Living Colour x Steve Vai’s retake on “Cult of Personality” here and see the performance at Rock In Rio at the video below.
Watch Steve Vai guest with Living Colour at Rock In Rio
2022 Rock + Metal Festival Guide
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