Roxy Music alumni Phil Mazanera, Andy Mackay and drummer Paul Thompson have shared a new live clip of No Church In The Wild, taken from their upcoming new live album, AM PM Soho Live, through Expression Records & BFD/The Orchard on September 19.
Although originally a 2012 song by rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, it features a sample of the guitar riff from the title track of Manzanera's 1978 solo album K-Scope. Manzanera then covered No Church In The Wild for his 2015 solo outing The Sound Of Blue.
“The AM PM Soho gig was primarily improvised, ambient and immersive," Manzanera says. "However, we felt that the last 20 minutes should rock out more so No Church In The Wild was perfect. My 1977 riff, sampled by Jay-Z and Kanye West came in for AM PM treatment!”
Manzanera and Mackay released the instrumental album, AM PM, in 2020, and, eventually performed three sold-out gigs at an intimate screening theatre in London’s Soho in March, 2024, where they were joined by original Roxy Music drummer Thompson.
“Listening back to the tracks from this album, especially in Dolby Atmos, and trying to make sense of what is AM PM Soho Live has made me realise that the original ad that I answered to join Roxy, which said ‘Guitarist wanted for Avant Rock group’ was a thought and a mission statement staring me in the face and has informed quite naturally and organically the whole of the AM PM project," Manzanera adds.
