Billie Joe Armstrong has shared a cover of ‘Black Haired Girl’ by Jesse Malin for a brand-new benefit album.
‘Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin’ will be a star-studded affair with guests including Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Frank Turner and plenty more.
The album is both a tribute and benefit album, with all proceeds going to Malin’s Sweet Relief Musicians Fund.
As described on its website, the charity “provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing physical or mental health issues, disability, or age-related problems.”
Among the many glittering names on the project is Green Day’s Billie Joe, who has recorded a cover of a track that originally featured on Malin’s 2007 solo record ‘Glitter In The Gutter’.
Have a listen to the reworked version of ‘Black Haired Girl’ below.
Armstrong and Malin had first met when Malin’s band D-Generation opened for Social Distortion in the ‘90s, while Malin has opened for Green Day in both Europe and the US.
They had also formed the band Rodeo Queens in 2009, plus Armstrong co-wrote and featured on the song ‘Strangers & Thieves’, which was included on Malin’s 2019 album ‘Sunset Kids’.
Speaking of their collaboration and friendship, Armstrong has said:
“Jesse is a dear friend to me. I love his songwriting. He is all heart, and his passion is endless. We send each other YouTube videos (mostly old Ramones clips and New York Dolls).
“Every time I’m in New York he goes out of his way to make me, my friends and my family feel at home. He’s always down for a laugh or a shoulder to cry on. Jesse, we love you and we’d do anything for you.”
Malin, meanwhile, has said of the cover:
“When I heard Billie Joe was doing ‘Black Haired Girl’ I was so blown away.
“He took it to another level, a lot of attitude, a lot of power, a lot of style, like everything that he does.”
See the ‘Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin’ track-listing and album artwork below.
1 Prisoners of Paradise (feat. Bleachers)
2 Oh Sheena (feat. Counting Crows)
3 She Don’t Love Me Now (feat. Bruce Springsteen)
4 Black Haired Girl (feat. Billie Joe Armstrong)
5 Brooklyn (feat. Dinosaur Jr.)
6 About You (feat. Frank Turner)
7 Turn Up the Mains (feat. Alison Mosshart, Wayne Kramer, Tom Morello, Steven Van Zandt, Mike Watt & Joey C.)
8 Room 13 (feat. Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello)
9 Don’t Let Them Take You Down (Beautiful Day) (feat. The Wallflowers)
10 The Way We Used to Roll (feat. Spoon)
11 Shane (feat. Rocky O’Riordan)
12 In the Modern World (feat. Butch Walker)
13 High Lonesome (feat. Susanna Hoffs)
14 Greener Pastures (feat. Graham Parker)
15 Meet Me At The End of the World (feat. Alejandro Escovedo)
16 Death Star (feat. The Hold Steady)
17 Riding on the Subway (feat. Tommy Stinson and Ruby Stinson)
18 St. Mark’s Sunset (feat. The Walker Roaders)
19 Dead On (feat. Ian Hunter)
20 Almost Grown (feat. Danny Clinch and Christopher Thorn with Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country)
21 Shining Down (feat. Aaron Lee Tasjan)
22 When You’re Young (feat. Low Cut Connie)
23 All The Way From Moscow (feat. Willie Nile)
24 No Way Out (feat. Rancid)
25 You Know It’s Dark When Atheists Start to Pray (feat. Gogol Bordello)
26 God Is Dead (feat. Agnostic Front)
27 Frankie (feat. Murphy’s Law)