Kevin Armstrong’s “Run” (which you might recognize from Tin Machine)

If you have a compact disc edition of Tin Machine, you will recognize a song called “Run.” You might have noticed that it is the only song on the album with Kevin Armstrong listed as a co-writer. Kevin, who will be joining me tomorrow on this blog for an exclusive interview, was the unofficial fifth member of Tin Machine on that album and during the tour promoting the album. Years later, he included his own version of the song as the title track of a solo album.

I knew none of this before reading Kevin’s excellent memoir, Absolute Beginner (yes, he contributed to that song, too). In prepping for the interview I tracked down the album and his version of “Run” and listened to it. My first impression was that Kevin’s take gives the song a distinct atmosphere that contrasts with the energy of the original. While Bowie’s vocals as the lead singer on the Tin Machine version gives it more of an edge, Kevin’s quieter, more focused arrangement on his album brings out new layers in the song. Nicholas Pegg noted in the first edition of his Complete David Bowie that (Tin Machine’s) “Run’s” “quieter, well-played verses… offer a glimpse of how much better the whole album might have been if liberated from the apparently obligatory bursts of destructive noise.” Pegg’s observation resonates here, as Kevin’s version embraces those subtler qualities to a pleasing effect.

Revisiting the Tin Machine version in preparation for the interview (click HERE to hear for yourself), I found that it stands out more when heard on its own rather than surrounded by louder tracks like “Crack City” and “Under the God.” Both versions showcase the song’s quieter tone compared to the rest of the album, but Kevin’s version takes this a little further, creating a sense of intimacy that suits the song well.

It’s worth noting that as Kevin is listed as the song’s co-writer on Tin Machine, Bowie is accordingly listed as the co-writer on Run. Similarly, Kevin included a version of “Outside” on the album, for which he is also listed as a co-writer on Bowie’s 1. Outside (click HERE for my post on that, and its predecessor, “Love is Essential”).

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Come back tomorrow for my exclusive interview with Kevin Armstrong.

And if you can’t wait for more on Kevin, visit his website HERE, where you can get your own edition of Run or Absolute Beginner, find out where he’s appearing next and much more.