Bauhaus Head Into Studio For First Time in 15 Years

Bauhaus originally said they'd rise again for two and only two shows, but it now looks like the goth quartet's money machine will continue to churn, with a casket full of new releases in tow.

Last Friday, following the first of two sold-out performances at Chicago's Riviera Theater, Bauhaus spent six hours in a Windy City studio recording two songs with engineer Chris Shepard (Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco, Liz Phair). There, the group hashed out a cover of Dead Can Dance's "Severance," and began work on a new, as-yet-untitled song. "They really liked coming into the studio between the busy-ness of the tour," Shepard says. "We had a really good vibe going and they worked real quick."

The recording experience is likely to continue, as the band is considering booking studio time in Atlanta come mid-September when their creepshow rolls into town for a two-night stand at the Tabernacle. Shepard believes Bauhaus may book more studio time following the European leg of their world tour -- concluding on Nov. 15 in Portugal -- in order to record their first full-length studio album in fifteen years.

Shepard first worked with Bauhaus singer and solo artist Peter Murphy in July when the goth rocker went into Seattle's Studio X to record a five-song EP, titled Recall. That project, which was co-produced by members of KMFDM, is scheduled for an Oct. 27 release, two weeks after the Love and Rockets (Bauhaus-minus-Murphy) album Lift hits stores.

Meanwhile, Bauhaus will record and videotape their two shows at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on Sept. 9 and 10, for an upcoming live album and possible live video, according to band manager Charlie Hewitt. Hewitt said he didn't know if the new song recorded in Chicago will premiere during this tour or even be included on the live album.

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

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