'The JOBRIATH Project' will result in the reassessment and rehabilitation of one of the most misrepresented, maligned and misunderstood artists in the history of Rock.
A twenty-first century take on a 20th Century Boy, it is a gracious act by a wide spectrum of artists to reinterpret the songs that reaped their creator the derision and scorn of the time of their release, an act of recognition and kindness to a talent no longer available for his belated moment in the limelight. A labour of love that will amply betray the qualities inherent within his music.
Morrissey compiled and released 'Lonely Planet Boy' with liner notes by Jobriath's biographer Robert Cochrane, twenty years ago. Cochrane was the first to revisit the lost saga in his 1998 feature in Attitude magazine, This was followed with other major features in 'Dazed & Confused', 'Mojo' and 'Mandate'. Barney Hoskyns utilised an early version of Cochranes research in his book 'GLAM'.
Robert Cochrane's biography of Jobriath based on extensive research and in-depth interviews 'An American Tragedy' will appear via UNBOUND next year. it pieces together the fragments of a forgotten but fascinating life, From his Laurel Canyon days, encompassing his time in Hair and his disastrous sojourn in the music business.
Jobriath recently was granted a rather posthumous obituary in the New York Times, an act to remedy the oversight of almost four decades earlier. His passing went without mention in any aspect of the press. When Morrissey tried to secure him as the support act for the 'Your Arsenal' tour' Jobriath could not be located to accept the offer. It was as though he'd decided to maintain a Garbo-like silence. He had died aged 36 in The Hotel Chelsea in 1983. Cochrane only discovered this fact when he wrote to him there in 1992 and the letter arrived back with 'Deceased Return To Sender' scrawled across it in red ink.
'The JOBRIATH Project' will see the creation of a two-pronged attack:
'Gone Tomorrow' will be a double vinyl limited edition, also on cd and download. It will feature a new portrait of Jobriath by the artist Mark Wardel and unseen shots by the legendary photographer Gered Mankowitz. Consisting of 24 tracks from all aspects of Jobriath's career from Pidgeon, his late sixties psych-folk incarnation to Cole Berlin, his lounge, louche cabaret persona. Artists already on board include Holly Johnson, John Howard, John Grant, Brian Kennedy, Cecilie Anna, Perry Blake, Dusty Wright, The Dustbowl Faeries, Peter Godwin/Leah Lane and Money/Jamie Lee
There will also be 'The Replicant Album' which will re-imagine Jobriath's blistering debut album in an entirety of cover versions with a painting by the artist Nigel Wade recreating the broken statue image in his inimitable photographic style, Artists include Marc Almond, Momus, Jeff Duff, That Joe Payne, John Bramwell, Ann Magnuson, Clay Hips, My Darling Clementine, and Tim Arnold. It will be a limited edition coloured vinyl, cd and download.
