Toyah and Robert Fripp cover Black Sabbath’s Paranoid and there are feathers everywhere

The latest Sunday lockdown lunch performance from King Crimson founder Robert Fripp, post-punk legend Toyah Willcox, and their enigmatic friend Sidney Jake, has hit the internet. 

This time the talented trio have covered Black Sabbath‘s 1970 classic Paranoid, and while there’s no doubting the performers’ absolute mastery of the song – all while a chicken is apparently plucked off camera – it would be remiss of us not to point out that Fripp and Willcox have actually covered the song before. 

Yes, back in November 2020, the pair released a video of a heavily tattooed Robert Fripp playing the riff to Paranoid while sitting alone in a prison cell. In the background, Toyah danced and sang. Five months later it’s had somewhere north of half a million views. 

So what’s going on? Were they dissatisfied with the original performance and want to put history right? Do they think we’ve forgotten? Worse, have they forgotten? I mean, we’re all getting on. 

Let’s assume instead that the the introduction of masked muso Jake has given the “band” a shot of creative adrenalin, and they’ve that figured an updated Paranoid would be welcomed by their legions of followers. Which, judging by the comments on YouTube, it has.

“Another outfit from the dressing up box,” comments Attila the Hun. “The fun those two must have off camera!” Meanwhile, djpalace53 says, “Its been raining and cold and miserable for the past two days in New York. No sunshine, that is until I watched you guys.” 

Finally, viewer Paul Hooson may have possibly revealed too much, saying, “Strangely, years ago one of the best covers I ever heard of this song was in an adult film where there was a great instrumental cover of this song with an unusually energetic scene.” Cripes! Settle down, Paul. This is a family show! 

Willcox, Fripp and Jake will be back next week, no doubt. 

Source: loudersound.com