Cleveland punks Dead Boys recently announced a new album with an all-star lineup: founding member Cheetah Chrome on guitar and vocals, Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols) on bass and Clem Burke (Blondie) on drums. Former vocalist Jake Hout — who entered the fold in 2017 when the band reformed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Young, Loud and Snotty — then took to social media to explain his departure from the band, claiming that label Cleopatra Records wanted to use AI to recreate late frontman Stiv Bators's voice.
"The shortest I can get this story is this: Cleopatra said it would be an AI record but Cheetah assured me it would NOT," Hout wrote. "But the opening line of the contract reads… 'Artist has agreed that such Performances shall be Vocal performances (the 'Performances') utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for purposes of creating works based on the original voice of Stiv Bators, to be used on Company's master recordings of the songs" …So I said no."
The yet-untitled album is scheduled to be released next year, featuring guest performances from James Williamson (the Stooges) and Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks). While a press release does not mention the use of AI, it reads, "Cheetah Chrome's vocals are artfully 'dusted' with Stiv's iconic presence, ensuring the new material retains the raw, visceral energy that defined the Dead Boys' sound." Further, it adds that the band are looking for a "professional vocalist" to join the lineup for some concerts next spring — a sentiment echoed in the following statement Dead Boys and Cleopatra issued in response to Hout's exit:
The Dead Boys are actively seeking a new vocalist following the recent dismissal of their previous frontman. It became clear that fans were unwilling to embrace him as a replacement for the late, great Stiv Bators, whose legendary presence remains irreplaceable.
Since his departure, the former member has unleashed venom and anger against Dead Boys founder Cheetah Chrome and Cleopatra Records, spreading a storm of misinformation and untruths across social media. Despite these actions, the band remains united and focused on the future, urging fans with a clear message: "Wait for the record. You won't be disappointed." While the situation has been challenging, we wish him the best in his future endeavours.
Cleopatra Records fully supports the Dead Boys during this period of transition and eagerly anticipates the release of their highly anticipated new album next year.
Chrome also made an Instagram post speaking out on the matter, writing, "Myself and the band would like to apologize for all the bullshit drama today. We're just as surprised as anyone about this, mostly. Jake didn't have the maturity or patience (or ability) to sit down reasonably sober and discuss this. The entire band wanted him to, we didn't want Jake to go anywhere, he was one of us. Whatever his motivations are, he wanted to unilaterally make an uninformed decision that would affect the whole band based on his dislike of AI."
See both Chrome and Hout's statements in full below. Bators died in 1990 due to injuries sustained from being hit by a taxi in France.