Billie Joe Armstrong Covers Jesse Malin's 'Black Haired Girl' for Benefit LP

"As always in my songs, the themes are all there— transcendence, positivity and global unity through music,” says Jesse Malin. “This is what I love to do, and I’m going to do everything I can to keep doing it.” Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin is a tribute and benefit album, with all proceeds to Jesse Malin’s Sweet Relief artist fund. The new album will be released on September 20.

“This record is a dynamite and long-overdue awareness project, non-stop star time in vigorously personal twists on behalf of a great rock & roll songbook,” writes longtime supporter, David Fricke. 

Long a contributor to other people’s causes, Malin is grateful to all the musicians who have rallied around him, including Bruce Springsteen, Billie Joe Armstrong, Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello, The Hold Steady, Tommy Stinson, Alison Mosshart with the late, great Wayne Kramer, Tom Morello, Counting Crows, Dinosaur Jr., The Wallflowers, Spoon, Susanna Hoffs, Frank Turner and Rancid, among others. The full track listing is detailed below.

The original version is a standout from Glitter in the Gutter, released in 2007 on Green Day’s label, Adeline Records. Jesse met Billie Joe in the ‘90s, when Malin’s band D-Generation opened for Social Distortion.  Malin has opened for Green Day in the US and Europe. He and Armstrong formed the band Rodeo Queens—check out “Depression Times”—and Billie co-wrote the song “Strangers & Thieves” from Malin’s 2019 album, Sunset Kids. 

“Jesse is a dear friend to me,” says Armstrong. “I love his songwriting. He is all heart…His passion is endless. We send each other YouTube videos (mostly old Ramones clips and New York Dolls). Every time I’m in New York he goes out of his way to make me, my friends and my family feel at home. He’s always down for a laugh or a shoulder to cry on. Jesse, we love you and we’d do anything for you” 

“When I heard Billie Joe was doing ‘Black Haired Girl’ I was so blown away, adds Malin. “Billie took it to another level, a lot of attitude, a lot of power, a lot of style, like everything that he does.”

Malin will return to the stage at the Beacon Theatre in New York City for the largest hometown shows of his career. December 1 is sold out and December 2 is on sale now at Ticketmaster with premium packages available through Sweet Relief. All proceeds from the shows will benefit Jesse’s Sweet Relief Artist Fund. 

Malin will perform a full set with his band, followed by special guests on each show including Lucinda Williams, Jakob Dylan, Butch Walker, J Mascis, Adam and David Immy of Counting Crows, The Hold Steady, and Alejandro Escovedo, with more guests to be announced.  

In May 2023, Malin suffered a rare spinal stroke that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Last December, Malin told Rolling Stone, “I have a lot of anxiety and insomnia. Your mind goes into some dark places. But I just have to keep a positive outlook and believe.” He is now undergoing a strict daily regimen with physical therapy and stem-cell treatments.

"I am getting some strength back in my legs, but it moves a lot slower than I would like. I don’t want to portray it like I'm ready to do the James Brown splits onstage. I definitely have a long way to go, but I'm blessed and so grateful for the amazing fans and friends that I have.” 

Fricke adds, “Jesse Malin knows about scars – from his youth, observation and more. They all carry tales, and he's not done telling them. Silver Patron Saints is the gang back at the bar, coming to the stage to toast the composer and his story so far.”

Silver Patron Saints: The Songs of Jesse Malin Track Listing

1.  Prisoners of Paradise (feat. Bleachers) 

2.  Oh Sheena (feat. Counting Crows) 

3.  She Don’t Love Me Now (feat. Bruce Springsteen)

4.  Black Haired Girl (feat. Billie Joe Armstrong)

5.  Brooklyn (feat. Dinosaur Jr.)

6.  About You (feat. Frank Turner) 

7.  Turn Up the Mains 

(feat. Alison Mosshart, Wayne Kramer, Tom Morello, Steven Van Zandt, Mike Watt & Joey C.)

8.  Room 13 (feat. Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello)

9.  Don’t Let Them Take You Down (Beautiful Day) (feat. The Wallflowers)

10. The Way We Used to Roll (feat. Spoon) 

11. Shane (feat. Rocky O’Riordan) 

12. In the Modern World (feat. Butch Walker) 

13. High Lonesome (feat. Susanna Hoffs) 

14.  Greener Pastures (feat. Graham Parker) 

15,   Meet Me At The End of the World (feat. Alejandro Escovedo) 

16.  Death Star (feat. The Hold Steady) 

17.  Riding on the Subway (feat. Tommy Stinson and Ruby Stinson)

18.   St. Mark's Sunset (feat. The Walker Roaders)

19.   Dead On (feat. Ian Hunter) 

20.   Almost Grown 

(feat. Danny Clinch and Christopher Thorn with Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country)

21.   Shining Down (feat. Aaron Lee Tasjan) 

22.   When You’re Young (feat. Low Cut Connie) 

23.. All The Way From Moscow (feat. Willie Nile) 

24.  No Way Out (feat. Rancid) 

25. You Know It’s Dark When Atheists Start to Pray (feat. Gogol Bordello)

26.  God Is Dead (feat. Agnostic Front) 

27.  Frankie (feat. Murphy’s Law) 

Photo Credit: Bob Gruen 

To post a comment, you must register and login.