Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Death Valley '69

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Released
  
December 1984

Recorded
  
July 1984

Label
  
Iridescence

Format
  
7" vinyl

Genre
  
Noise rock, no wave

B-side
  
"Brave Men Run (In My Family)"

"Death Valley '69" is a song by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth and featuring Lydia Lunch. The song was written and sung by Thurston Moore and fellow New York musician Lunch, and recorded by Martin Bisi in 1984. A demo version of the song was released in December 1984 on Iridescence Records. A re-recorded version was released in EP format with different artwork in June 1985; this version was featured on their second studio album, Bad Moon Rising.

Contents

Music video

The video for "Death Valley 69" was filmed in 1985 and was the first music video by Sonic Youth, directed by Judith Barry and Richard Kern. The video features the majority of the band in various states of bloody dismemberment interlaced with live footage of the band. It also stars alternative model Lung Leg. The video is the only one to feature both recently departed drummer Bob Bert and new member Steve Shelley.

Cover versions

The Flaming Lips' Finally the Punk Rockers Are Taking Acid includes a live cover of the song.

Track listing

1984 version
  1. "Death Valley '69" – 5:32
  2. "Brave Men Run (In My Family)" – 3:48
1985 version
  1. "Death Valley '69"
  2. "I Dream I Dreamed"
  3. "Inhuman"
  4. "Brother James"
  5. "Satan Is Boring"

Personnel

Sonic Youth
  • Thurston Moore – guitar, lead vocals, production
  • Kim Gordon – bass guitar, production, backing vocals
  • Lee Ranaldo – guitar, backing vocals, production
  • Bob Bert – drums, production
    • Additional personnel
  • Lydia Lunch – lead vocals, production
    • Technical
  • Martin Bisi – engineering, production
  • John Erskine – engineering, production
  • Clint Ruin – engineering, production

    • References

    Death Valley '69 Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA