The mother of wounded birds: an oral history of Patti Smith’s ‘Horses’ at 50
“She was one of us”.
Horses
‘Horses’ is the debut studio album by American musician Patti Smith, released on November 10th, 1975. Widely regarded as one of the most influential albums in rock history, it fused punk rock, garage rock, beat poetry and art rock into a groundbreaking artistic statement that helped lay the foundations for the punk movement. Produced by John Cale of the Velvet Underground, the album features Smith’s distinctive spoken-word delivery, poetic lyricism and raw vocal performances across songs including ‘Gloria’, ‘Redondo Beach’ and ‘Free Money’. Its iconic cover photograph, taken by Robert Mapplethorpe, has become one of the most recognisable images in popular music. ‘Horses’ remains a landmark album whose influence extends across punk, alternative rock and indie music.
Horses News
‘Horses’ at 50: Artists celebrate the impact of Patti Smith
Picture Parlour, The Amazons, The New Eves, Etta Marcus + many more.
Patti Smith announces 50th anniversary re-release of ‘Horses’ with unreleased songs
Available on October 10th.
Patti Smith announces tour plans to perform ‘Horses’ in full
She will perform the album in full in 16 cities, including two shows in London.
Striking portraits of Patti Smith taken by photographer Gijsbert Hanekroot, 1978
A stunning selection.
More About Horses
'Horses' is Patti Smith's debut studio album, released in 1975, and is widely regarded as one of the defining records of punk rock and alternative music.
'Horses' helped lay the foundations for punk rock by combining poetic lyricism, raw rock instrumentation and an uncompromising artistic vision that inspired generations of musicians.
'Horses' was produced by John Cale, a founding member of the Velvet Underground.