The legendary Michael Des Barres shares his new single, “Anarchy In The U.K.” Out today via Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records (E Street Band, The Sopranos, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul), the song was produced and arranged by Van Zandt and includes the B-side, “Where Did All The Lovers Go?” featuring Genya Ravan (The Escorts, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, Ten Wheel Drive, Dead Boys, Ronnie Spector). Van Zandt commented on Des Barres’ Sex Pistols cover saying, “Michael Des Barres continues to evolve, evoke, and provoke, proving once again virtually everyone from the Rock Era has made the very concept of chronological time totally irrelevant as he extends his streak of his new work being his best work!”
Describing the single, Des Barres says:
“The Sex Pistols were angry, I am not angry. I wanted to record the song as if it was a warning. That we live in dangerous times and the only thing that would negate that danger is loving each other and being there for each other, especially now.”
Des Barres has been releasing music with Wicked Cool Records since 2018. He formed glam-rock band Silverhead in 1972 and later joined Power Station, performing with the band at the 1985 Live Aid concert. He is known for his extensive acting career, most notably for his role as Murdoc on the show MacGyver, as well as roles in Seinfeld and To Sir With Love. Des Barres can be found on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, Sirius XM ch. 21 as the morning DJ.
Des Barres is a European Marquis, raised in England, and living in Los Angeles. He starts his weekday mornings hosting The Michael Des Barres Program on SiriusXM Radio Channel 21 (5am-8am and 9pm-midnight PT). He has appeared in over 150 hours of American television, including roles on MacGyver, Seinfeld, and Roseanne, as well as more than 40 feature films, and has sold over 7 million albums as both a recording artist and songwriter, beginning with his days as the frontman for such seminal 1970s bands as Silverhead and Detective, a band personally signed by Jimmy Page to Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song records.
Des Barres was also the touring singer for the Duran Duran spin-off group, The Power Station, performing at Live Aid with one of the most iconic live acts of the mid-1980s. From 1982 to 1984, he was a member of Chequered Past, which included Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols and Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison of Blondie. In 1983, Des Barres penned the song “Obsession”, which later became a number one hit in 27 countries for LA new wave group Animotion; the track continues to be featured in countless movies, television shows and commercials.
In 2018, Des Barres signed with Wicked Cool Records and has released two singles on the label. He continues to prove himself as an energetic and impactful musician and is the subject of a documentary about his life called Who Do You Want Me to Be?, streaming everywhere July 10.
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