Patti Smith To Tour ‘Horses’ in its Entirety on its 50th Anniversary

Written By Mike Greenblatt
Patti Smith Horses

Patti Smith, 78, has announced plans to tour in support of the 50th Anniversary of her groundbreaking Horses debut where she will be performing the album in its entirety. Guitarist Lenny Kaye and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, who both played on the original release, will be with her plus keyboardist-bassist Tony Shanahan and Patti’s son, guitarist Jackson Smith.

The year was 1975. In the midst of albums released by Nazareth, Wings, ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, Roxy Music, Alice Cooper, Eagles, Kiss, Elton John, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, Steely Dan, Neil Young, David Bowie, Queen, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen and Pink Floyd, an oddball record called Horses by a 28-year old poet-painter-photographer who also wrote songs and sang them in an off-kilter endearing way was released by Clive Davis at Arista Records. She had been living with her family in Gloucester County, on the Jersey side of the Pennsylvania border, but shared a wanderlust with her sister so they had traveled to Paris to sing in the streets and soak up the culture. Upon her return, she moved into New York City’s Hotel Chelsea to share a space with artist Robert Mapplethorpe as she acted in plays and wrote poetry.

Four years prior to Horses, she was still reciting her poetry in Greenwich Village clubs with Kaye playing guitar behind her. She also wrote reviews for Rolling Stone magazine, and she almost became Blue Oyster Cult’s singer. Instead, she formed The Patti Smith Group in 1973 with Kaye, Daugherty, bassist Ivan Kral, and later added pianist Richard Sohl. In ’74, she enjoyed a residency at CBGB with Tom Verlaine and his band Television. That’s where Clive saw her.

(Advertisement) See Tour dates below…

The Tour

Oct. 6 Ireland
Oct. 8 Spain
Oct. 10, 12 and 13 England
Oct. 15, 16 Belgium
Oct. 18 Norway
Oct. 20, 21 France
Nov. 10 Seattle, Paramount Theatre
Nov. 12 Oakland, Fox Theatre
Nov. 13 San Francisco, The Masonic
Nov. 15 Los Angeles, Disney Concert Hall
Nov. 17 Chicago, The Chicago Theatre
Nov. 21, 22 New York City, Beacon Theater
Nov. 24 Boston, Orpheum Theatre
Nov. 28 Washington DC, The Anthem
Nov. 29 Philadelphia, The Met

Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

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