Ghost have released a new single, Stay, featuring guest vocals from actor Patrick Wilson.
The track is a cover of Shakespears Sister’s 1992 hit, and appears in the final scene and credits of the new horror movie, Insidious: The Red Door.
Of how the cover came about, Wilson, a devout Ghost fan who stars in the franchise met up with frontman Tobias Forge to discuss the film, which also serves as his directional debut.
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Inspired by Forge's collaborative single with Def Leppard's Joe Elliott on the alternative version of Spillways from Ghost’s 2022 album Impera, Wilson reached out to Forge to see if there was a way they could do a project of their own.
At the time, Forge revealed he had been working on a cover of the Shakespears Sister classic, and invited Wilson, who is a classically trained Broadway singer, to duet on the track.
Speaking of the single, Wilson explains, "It was Joe Bishara, our Insidious composer and resident Lipstick Demon who first got me into Ghost about 10 years ago. Joe knew I liked metal...but he also knew I liked melody. What can I say? I’m a child of the ‘80s... when soaring voices and blazing guitars were played at every dance, every fast food parking lot, and every day in my house. Ghost had the right blend of metal, melody, and an unforgettable image. This coming from a guy who collected Kiss cards in the '70s...so I know good rock branding and imagery when I see it!"
Of his love for the Swedish occult rockers, he adds: "Ghost, for me, is one of the most unique rock bands out there. Tobias’ sense of melody is only matched by his storytelling. The blistering imagery of him and the band is unlike any other. The balance of dark lyrics with soaring (and dare I say… angelic) melodies, make listening to them a different experience than any other band out there. At least that’s what it does for me.
"So clearly, when I wanted a band that embodied the spirit of Insidious lore, I knew where to look first. Stay is such a hauntingly beautiful tune to end my film with, because the dark lyrics juxtaposed against the sweeping melody (written by Dave Stewart) are a great bookend to my film."
Elaborating on what it was like to duet with the Ghost frontman, the actor/director concludes: "Singing on it, alongside Tobias, was an absolute thrill. I wanted the tune to feel like it was Josh Lambert (my character) singing...and then being tempted by the devil (the lipstick demon)...in this case, sung by the brilliant Tobias Forge. Tobias’ tone is a sharp contrast to mine, and his new arrangement of the song is faithful yet fresh. It was an honour to be featured on the tune, and I can’t thank Tobias and the Ghost crew, especially Tim Bickford and Kristen Mulderig, for making this happen.
"Ghost is the perfect blend of theatricality met with musical mastery. Tobias is at the top of his game and I’m thrilled to have him on the soundtrack, and honoured to sing alongside him."
Insidious: The Red Door, the fifth film of the Insidious franchise, is out in cinemas across the UK and US today (July 7).
Listen to the track below:
