The Cult's Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury Talk 'Electric' Album with Sir Paul Cook | Jonesy's Jukebox

Enthusiastic is an understatement for how excited we are about this Jonesy's Jukebox interview! Sir Paul Cook + The Cult's Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury join Jonesy at the Viper Room to reveal how their "Electric" album came about, how Sir Paul Cook became a "Sir," and how they had to pretend they didn't like the Beatles as rockstars. PLUS, Jonesy admits he shared needles with Johnny Thunders!
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[@maxbartertown]

Billy Duffy... Å-List of most underrated guitarists. One of the only guitarists I’ve ever heard who can literally Solo over an entire song which provides the swing as of a rhythm groove. Next level genius channeling the divinity in music! The cosmos intervened bringing Ian & Billy together!

[@tammyhall1783]

I agree. Something very special.

[@tonyrobles2696]

Love.. BILLY MY GREAT GUITARRIST OF ALL TIMES

[@paulleigh5351]

He’s not underrated by me. He’s a phenomenal player. I know what you mean though

[@kurtashton4155]

Both are phenomenal talents!!!

[@NokiaringinG]

billy is a hopefully soon to be step relative of mine!

[@sandyhowell8833]

Holy shit, how do these guys still look so great!!! It's so great to see an interview that's more current. These guys made some of the best music out there, long live The Cult!!!!

[@stevepearn930]

Four hasbeens on a stage!

[@blahblah6227]

@@stevepearn930 that have achieved more than you will ever achieve armchair steven

[@sandrafisherhayes3219]

Ian looks even better now Sandy! Touring this year 2022! Even sounds awesome! That voice! CFFC! ❤😍❤

[@billford5553]

Loved The Cult. Astbury was one of the best frontmen of a band

[@peacedog315]

Genius song writer in my mind. Someone who has written that many songs is a genius. Billy you too!! I'm not really that sure of the breakdown. Songwriting duo genius!

[@vtgnr]

still is

[@stevepearn930]

Saw him in Southern Death Cult, Death Cult and early Cult - now he plays wank!

[@mmv4920]

Oh sí

[@cowboymouth6429]

The cult is one of those rare bands that has a plethora of great songs and I mean great songs......♥️👍

[@brandonio_granger]

The Cult's Electric album is one of the most perfect rock albums of all time with out doubt.

[@nkmcfrln]

It's out of tune. You're saying that for likes. You're not a fan of The Cult. It's not their best album.

[@paulhoughton5431]

Saw the Cult play Electric (with Kid Chaos) at Brixton Academy back in 87, amazing gig!

[@sethwaldo]

It's the AC/DC album AC/DC never made. Love it though. Superb album. Fact.

[@PanhandlePrepping]

Paul Houghton Nice! Saw them with Lenny Kravitz in Pensacola, FL in ‘93....incredible show! Ian was bladdered drunk but still gave an epic rock star performance, and Duff with his White Falcon was impeccable as always.

[@edq4383]

It was a good set of harder edged songs that helped that crossover from indie pop to mainstream metal, the hey days of maiden, Motörhead, def lep emerging big 4 thrash. after years of synth backed big blouses.

[@johnschannelonyoutube]

Long live The Cult! Love was my first album and to this day I still play their fantastic music!

[@2.7petabytes]

Been a Cult fan since 1984!! Saw them in St. Louis, MO in 2017. Such a great band! Love you guys!!!

[@ep4423]

I was born in dublin in 1979, i listen to the beatles,the cult,the stones,police theyre all utter legends. Ian as they say is as sound as a pound, love his voice.

[@marygaleac]

Oh The Cult!!! Used to travel 100 miles a day for work every week and listened to nothing else. Thanks Elaine!

[@mandywinter7836]

Went to so many cult ,concerts never a bad one ianastbury always a gent but alas I am not able now since my husband died and a tumor on my spine but from me in Manchester you still make me happy love you all and ty for awesome music

[@generalpatzer6893]

Jonesy has the coolest friends.

[@sdvol9077]

Awesome chat sessions - was at Bryan Ferry Show at Hollywood Bowl , struck up conversation with group in box next to us . Got to meet Steve Jones sitting right next to me . Lovely chap. What a legend

[@Mission2Transition641]

Totally enjoyed this! ELECTRIC is one of my top 10 albums of all time. Saw them open for Aerosmith on the Sonic Temple tour in Germany , and 8 months later , headliners in the states... Glad they mentioned FIRE AND GASOLINE>..also a great solo LP by Steve!

[@mineheadX1]

I saw The Cult a few years back and they just ripped...Duffy's Gretsch & Ian's voice are just true rock...

[@ueps_dad_got_milk]

She Sells Sanctuary turned my on to The Cult and Love is a great album. Electric was a shock literally metal wasn't my thing back then. Really wound up loving that album just as much. Stripped down jams for sure as classic a la Back in Black. Got to see that comeback electric tour a couple years back. Great fun!

[@jordonleigh174]

Thank You So Much for this interview!! Somehow I'd missed it at the time, But am a massive fan of all of the blokes on stage here!! The Cult forever!!!

[@theeleftoverking7599]

i feel like billy duffy missed about twenty good opportunities to adjust his mic stand.

[@chrisnaples2838]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@otoolepw]

😆🤣

[@PanhandlePrepping]

Brilliant !!

[@greenwichcomedy9509]

He's a guitarist used to using his hands. Ha

[@leftoverking]

@@greenwichcomedy9509 or his nose! :D

[@russapplegate5491]

I always loved the Cult's Music. Soo talented

[@peacedog315]

Great show first time I smiled this deeply in months. Old friends thank you!

[@AndersMcTee]

Weird to think that Cook and jonesy were school friends from west London in the late 60s early 70s and all these years later they’re sat together on a radio show in L.A

[@vanman757]

It's a small world, as they say...

[@chickybluetherealone]

Luv the story about Billy Duff getting the pick from Johnny Thunders, so fabulous he still has pick.

[@tonygradisa1280]

The Cult, my favorite band forever.

[@ismaelrodrigueziii6398]

Love the way they talk about the different bands. Beatles. Stones. Beastie Boys, AC/DC, Doors, Bowie. Billy’s fine tuning that mic like it’s a guitar. Great interview.

[@waltersobchak926]

Cooky cracks me up ☺ Thanks for another great interview, Jonesy

[@jigrodrigues]

This is not Vietnam, it's an interview. There are rules.

[@bargainboymakem1]

This was an especially good episode. Good banter. Nice to see Steve giving a shout out to John.

[@nightmoves7989]

Absolutely fantastic tight band! Great guitar work throughout Duffys career and Ashbury was absolutely a fantastic frontman but man, nobody comments on the guys voice!! Incredible!! Unique!! Nobody sounded like The Cult and The Cult sounded like nobody!!

[@SaintMartins]

In 1987 I had seen The Cult live during the peak of their success with Gun's & Roses opening for them. By 1990 (& to this day) it would be the opposite. Weird how things change.

[@andrewstaub5378]

DITTO. ps, I didn't see GNR. OH WELL.

[@HearturMind]

That 87 show was one of the best I ever saw. SEXY onslaught of pure cloud busting rock, fully committed start to finish. Treasure that show. Ian looks great lately and I plan to see them in 2022.

[@alfmac7886]

Saw that tour also When GnR opened for the Cult! Never would of guessed how GnR would blow up a year later! Seeing The Cult in October for the Southern Death Cult tour, looking forward to hearing all their pre Electric songs! #Dreamtime #Love #Moya #DeathCult

[@1rwjwith]

Love it, could have watched another couple of hours, well done again!

[@MM1717mm]

ya at least another half hour would have been good

[@pattyyagmin2880]

Love this interview 😍 Ian still looks handsome .as always he's got class and smarts always interesting with his thoughts and I respect that . Good conversation..

[@johnjohnnyjohnson9987]

Enjoyed this! Grew up listening to these guys. Followed Southern Death Cult, Death Cult and The Cult back in day. Used to be crazy in the mosh pit!! Ian used to be down front for certain bands. Wish I'd seen Pistols but to young.

[@chipaway]

to me best thing about this show is when jonesy interviews other british guys his age with which he shares a cultural background. makes it like a pub session of guys just talking

[@nkmcfrln]

They're not the same age.

[@LetsGoMetsGo33]

@@nkmcfrln Not exactly the same age but when one guy's 58 or 59 and the other is 65, the 6 or 7 years difference don't mean as much. They both were part of 80s and 90s rock, Jonesy just started earlier (in the late 70s). Duffy even had a Johnny Thunders story from Steve's heydey... basically peers.

[@tomcurless7691]

Man I love the Cult! Billy Duffy is my guitar hero and they are such cool guys which makes me love them more!

[@lollo2024]

One of my fav band when I was 20 yo, they changed so much, I wouldn't have recognized them if I wouldn't have known is them! so many great memories of when I was a proper Goth!

[@brianwood7237]

Cool this being put out on gnr's Duff's bday...saw the cult with gnr open in sf 87, great rnr show then saw gnr headline Feb 5th - Duff's bday - at same venue 7 mos later. Love these guys rocking old theaters, always the best vibe. Thanks jonesy

[@carpetbeggar]

That was really cool to watch. I love all of those guys.

[@jonesy2111]

The Cult are one of my favorite bands and did some of the coolest music in the past 30 years. The guitar work of Duffy is particularly fantastic and Ian is a great frontman. Always love to check out Jonesys Jukebox and ofcourse the Sex Pistols are the greatest thing to happen from England back in the day.

[@tommcglone2867]

Billy has lived in LA for 30 years and still is as Manc as any mere mortal could be

[@vintagevinylvets1187]

We would’ve given anything to have been there in the audience!🎧

[@frostedhead]

I remember seeing Steve Jones hanging out everywhere in Hollywood in '89 buffed out with his long blond hair riding his Harley.

[@massapower]

Ya BaBy!!! JONESY keeps knocking out great Musican Interviews !!😁👍🏻👍🏻

[@TheFokker03]

good to see cooky and jonesy back together again.nice to see jonesy's recovered from earlier.

[@call6060842]

Genuinely touched by them singing happy birthday to JL xx LOve from West London x

[@Bm23CC]

Billy Duffy has to have the best rock guitarist pose in history.

[@richardrybinski2320]

that's a bold statement, my friend!

[@Itelkner]

But yet even Billy Duffy must stand humbled before Jonesy's Elvis-karate stage moves, demonstrated @ 16:27.

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

Totally agree. Billy may not be the best guitar player ever but he has the best guitar hero look and poses.

[@christophermclaughlin8917]

Billy Zoom of X.

[@Novotny72]

I used to have a VHS recording of the Cult playing Brixton Academy on the Electric tour, and they had the bass player from Zodiac Mindwarp playing so they could have two guitars. An addition to their band. I wore that tape out. I was mesmerised by how that dude just stood in front of his amps and headbanged those basslines out with fury and precision. Obviously also had the record. Electric was fucking great.

[@brownmut5518]

Heard the love album in 85 or 86 and loved them instantly

[@ytusersumone]

Is it just me or was the old guy to the right -speaking- rambling 20 minutes, the guy to the left 5 and Billy&Ian 2,5 min each?

[@Redwhiteblue-gr5em]

I totally agree

[@CraigArndt]

So glad to hear the Cult and watch them interact. They put out some insanely good tunes.

[@craigschaffer828]

Saw them touring ELECTRIC with GnR opening at the Long Beach Civic Center. Amazing show...my ears are still ringing.

[@colinwatt3958]

Saw The Cult in Glasgow last year. Brilliant.

[@crashsite000]

How does Ian not know Billy’s Johnny Thunders pick story?? I love everyone’s stories!

[@nobodyanderson4353]

Can sing all the lyrics to Electric and learned to play the bass to wild flower. Definitely in my top 10 albums.

[@tone1798]

This is the best! We just “bean” schooled!

[@andrewSUN17]

Excellent show!~

[@anacro9944]

The hair more beautifull of the word, Ian Astbury ❤️

[@42fontenator]

"ELECTRIC" certainly jolted my 16-year old mind and livened up my days for several years upon hearing it.

[@albertflores6534]

Great Memories. Plain and Simple.

[@revolutionday1]

Never, ever...in a million years, would have put the Beastie Boys/Cult connection together on my own!

[@markblackwell9486]

Love these old geezers freeforming. Good on ya Jonesy!

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

Personally, I thought Ian was excellent with the Doors. Saw them twice in NY and was blown away.

[@mrjon75]

Jelly

[@iainweller452]

I could listen to you guys all day long 🖤🎸🤘

[@kevcatnip7589]

we nearly did

[@juliojaquez6211]

That’s what I do …… listening The Cult ALL DAY LONG!!!!🤘🏻❤👊🏻

[@AmeriFanPicker]

Just downloaded love after not having it for about 25 years. God I missed that album. Electric was sort of so so for me. But I appreciate them evolving and not doing the same album.

[@solitarianihilista1454]

Check out the album "Peace", recorded immediately after "Love" but never released at the time: the band were dissatisfied with it for various reasons so they shelved it and recorded "Electric" instead. "Peace" finally became available as part of the (rather expensive!) "Rare Cult" box set in the late nineties. I think it may also have been released again as a CD a few years ago. It's much closer to the "Love" sound than the rawer, stripped down "Electric". Happy days. Didn't last long enough.

[@kkbing777]

22:29 Always knew they were influenced by AC/DC, but it's super cool to know that The Beastie Boys influenced them as well. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy seem like a really down to earth nice people. Jonesy scares me a little bit. 😃

[@alanstrom2221]

You can't choose between Beatles and Stones, they are both bloody great.

[@thomasbonnett5806]

To me, there are definitive “guitar albums.” KISS “Alive.” The Donna’s “Spend the Night.” The Four Horsemen, “Nobody Said it was Easy.” And The Cult, “Electric.” Love that album.

[@paolo-n2000]

Bad taste mate!

[@mfdalessio]

Good call on Spend the Night.

[@M.H691]

Always felt the Rubin / Cult thing was a bit of a mixed blessing for both of them, but Rubin did some killer work on the Four Horsemen and Danzig debuts a little later on. Best guitar records = AC/DC's 'Powerage' and ZZ Top's 'Tejas'.

[@Itelkner]

Michael Homeyard. Those two are astoundingly good guitar records. I'm surprised nobody mentioned 'Nevermind the Bullocks' just for its sheer slashing crunch tone. I've never heard anything quite like it in terms of tight rhythmic crunch and tone. Something in Steve's touch and feel on the guitar. Also, the 70's in general I don't think have been equalled in terms of that awesome midrange rock'n'roll guitar sound.

[@thomasbonnett5806]

@@Itelkner So I have to confess I was never a Sex Pistols fan 'til I watched a video on You Tube recently of one of their performances. Texas, I believe. They were astoundingly good...well, except for Sid, but as the comments said, that was sort of the point.

[@sixsentsoldiers]

Great record. And we'll get along. Thats so British. Doesn't matter, we'll be ok. Awesome

[@gustavnovak]

AWESOME ! I LUUUV IT ! 🎸🎼🎶👍❤

[@thomasfisher8793]

Love their 2nd main album in my top 20 of all time in there with Nevermind Ok Computer

[@theheathen7236]

So I'm watching Steve Jones and cook rambling on about the beatles and brexit.. A real In depth look at cult.. Said no 1 ever..

[@boogiewoogit5597]

Electric is in my all-time top 10 raawk albums, great album

[@kareybarey13]

LOVE, and Electric, my fave albums!!! Also, why has he been doing shows from the Viper Room?? Just curious...

[@waynegraham7611]

I’ve always thought Ian astbury was the alternate rock’n’roller ! He played the part well !

[@dathorndike4908]

So cool to see Paul and Steve together!

[@minarose3193]

My god Ian still such a babe 💜

[@blahblah6227]

You are

[@inkbandgr]

Cult Kings of Rock and Roll!

[@dillonl.2836]

Come back to Canada Vancouver BC. I saw you guys in Vancouver 3 time. Fucking best concert ever. 🇨🇦 Digs you all.🎸🥁🎤🤘

[@SuplaOriginal]

yes Ian...i like that...the stones and the beatles....and of course mentioning lennon....waiting to play futebol(soccer) again in Brasil...kind regards s

[@jedsettah3372]

Billy didnt mention the singer ffrom one of his early bands sang back up vocals on JTs So Alone

[@grinstarr]

TOP GEEZAZ Love to have a pint with anyone of these lads

[@raymayhew5050]

I love em 😤

[@regina26225]

Amo essa banda.

[@cheastbury9252]

Love it !

[@tone1798]

Truth both love and electric listen back to back so you can experience it

[@gazriley624]

check out The Kirkby's - it's a crime 7" from Liverpool 1966. Great band

[@mayaslave]

.................and dream time...amazing

[@naz7t]

Hope they get down Australia again soon

[@peterollins1864]

4 REAL ROCKERS!!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

[@Itelkner]

Love Steve's 'Elvis-karate' stagecraft at 16:27.

[@MrDuncanquasar]

My favorite band

[@That1Guy]

Electric was their best album by a mile. That rhythm section, Les Warner on drums and that Rick Rubin dry in your face production style was magic. Nobody in the late 80’s had that energy on an album. Always wondered why they took such a left turn after that and became regular boring Rock band into the 90’s

[@acedenison]

All I gotta say, is ‘Plastic Fantastic Lobster Telephone’ Thank you ♥️

[@dubskj01]

The Richard Branson house in Oxfordshire is in a tiny little English village by an idyllic canal, it's called Thrupp. Branson had his 40th birthday party there. Leaving Oxford it's the last village before you reach Woodstock and Blenhiem Palace where Sir Winston Churchill was born. I've spent many a summer's evening there exploring the country lanes, like Mr Astbury looking for Caesar's mushroom when In bloom. My humble opinion, Silly Thing was perhaps Mr Jone's finest moment.

[@michaelwilson1020]

Glad to hear Ian's a fellow Blue. UTFT!!

[@andyfin990]

Coyb.,.

[@tonynesbit9673]

Nice one Ian.

[@PanhandlePrepping]

I have forgiven Ian for that. YNWA 👊🏻🤜🏻💨

[@LetsGoMetsGo33]

Love that album. Rick Rubin. This album is to the early Danzig Albums as Zeppelin is to Sabbath, IMO.

[@cfein123]

Electric. The way I described it back in the day ( 1987 I think) , it’s like AC/DC and the Alarm had a baby

[@deletebilderberg]

Marvellous.

[@robintaylor485]

The Cult so Amazing

[@paulcrosslin6011]

On my birthday I play a few songs on the HiFi .. One of them is SRV version of Jimi Hendrix called "Little Wing" and the other is "Wild Flower" by The Cult. I do not know how to tell you how valuable a sonic library is because you have to live it .. But if The Cult aint in there it's not much of a library ..

[@JCSAXON]

This is my all time favorite guest combo in the series. There’s a real comfort in witnessing longtime friendships; very laidback. It requires alotta love, understanding and forgiveness for alleycats and stray dogs to stick together. I do wish they’d performed musically as well. I wouldn’t have minded some improv one bit. Ever try to keep a guitar pick for more than a week?

[@kraftwerk974]

Saw The Cult in 1986, The Mission (Sisterhood) were opening. Electric disappointed me since I was such a Love fan. Nevermind, one of my favourite bands ever.

[@bonosmuse1]

I was so lucky to be there that day…