ALICE COOPER Announces New Album ‘Detroit Stories’

Today Alice Cooper announces the release of his brand new studio album ‘Detroit Stories’, out February 26, 2021 on earMUSIC. Named for the city that launched the original Alice Cooper group on the road to success, “Detroit Stories” follows last year’s “Breadcrumbs” EP as a modern-day homage to the toughest and craziest Rock n Roll scene there ever was. The album was produced by longtime Alice Cooper collaborator Bob Ezrin and features Detroit music legends including MC5’s Wayne Kramer, The Detroit Wheels Johnny “Bee” Badanjek, Paul Randolph (legendary Detroit jazz and R&B bassist) as well as the Motor City Horns and other local musicians. Pre-order the album HERE.

Fans will get a first taste of the upcoming album this Friday, November 13, with the release of Cooper’s cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Written by Lou Reed, the song was famously recorded by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels featuring drummer Johnny Bee and guitarist Steve Hunter, with Ezrin producing. All 3 reprised their roles for Detroit Stories, adding the legendary Joe Bonamassa as a bonus.

“Detroit was Heavy Rock central then,” explains Alice, “You’d play the Eastown and it would be Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Stooges and the Who, for $4! The next weekend at the Grande it was MC5, Brownsville Station and Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Brown or the Small Faces. You couldn’t be a soft-rock band or you’d get your ass kicked.”

“Los Angeles had its sound with The Doors, Love and Buffalo Springfield,” he says, “San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. New York had The Rascals and The Velvet Underground. But Detroit was the birthplace of angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the US (musically or image wise) Detroit was the only place that recognized the Alice Cooper guitar driven, hard rock sound and our crazy stage show. Detroit was a haven for the outcasts. And when they found out I was born in East Detroit… we were home.”

“We recorded with Wayne Kramer (guitarist and writer from the MC5), Johnny “Bee” Badanjek (drums – from the legendary Detroit Wheels), Paul Randolph (legendary Detroit jazz and R&B bassist) as well as the Motor City Horns and other local musicians,” explains Ezrin, “We had musical ideas and encouragement from John Varvatos, the support of the folks at Shinola, and we recorded at Rustbelt Studios in Royal Oak. This was Made In Detroit for Detroit by Detroit denizens!”