J.G. Ballard passed away yesterday. Ballard is one of my favorite authors, particularly his novel Crash, a look at people who fetishize car crashes. The book is one of many explorations from Ballard into the human (and often sexual nature) of technology; in this case, automobiles.Ballard's work caught the eye of many musicians, most notably Daniel Miller, who recorded "Warm Leatherette," inspired by Crash. Released under the recording name The Normal, "Leatherette" became the first single on Miller's groundbreaking label, Mute. Here's the original version:
Warm Leatherette - The Normal
And a fantastic cover from Grace Jones:
Warm Leatherette - Grace Jones
Nine Inch Nails also covered it with Peter Murphy (from Bauhaus):
There are others, but I'll let you find them on your own. In the mean time, if you haven't read anything by Ballard, now's a great time! RIP to a visionary author.
