Detroit natives Suzi Quatro and Alice Cooper come together on a new recording of MC5’s ‘Kick Out The Jams’, a centrepiece of Quatro’s latest album ‘Freedom’
by Paul Cashmere
Suzi Quatro has released her new studio album Freedom, anchored by a high-profile collaboration with fellow Detroit rock figure Alice Cooper on a reworking of Kick Out The Jams, the 1969 anthem by MC5. The duet arrives as a focal point of the record marking a new chapter in Quatro’s long-running recording career.
The track brings together two artists whose connection stretches back to their teenage years in Detroit, when Quatro was 15 and Cooper 17. Their shared musical DNA, shaped in the same city that produced some of rock’s most confrontational and influential sounds, underpins the collaboration. Both artists emerged from the late 1960s and early 1970s scene that fused garage rock, hard rock and early punk energy into a distinctly American form.
The release of Freedom also underscores Quatro’s continued activity at age 75. Produced by her son, Richard Tuckey, the album is the third instalment in a creative partnership that began in 2019. The decision to record Kick Out The Jams was not immediate. Quatro said her son had pushed for the song for several years before she agreed. “He said, ‘mum, Kick Out The Jams… call Alice,’” she said, describing the moment the collaboration took shape late in the album sessions.
The significance of the track sits beyond the album itself. The original Kick Out The Jams, released by MC5 in March 1969, became a defining moment for Detroit’s underground rock movement. Recorded live at the Grande Ballroom, the song’s raw delivery and confrontational language led to controversy, including retail bans and industry backlash that ultimately saw MC5 dropped from their label. Its influence has since extended into punk and alternative rock, positioning the new version by Quatro and Alice Cooper within a lineage that continues to resonate.
Quatro’s Freedom places the track within a broader thematic framework. She has described the album as a statement about identity and autonomy, reflecting a career built on independence. “It’s all about getting back to who you are,” she said, framing the record as a personal and universal message. The album also includes the singles Freedom and Little Miss Lovely, alongside new material that continues her blend of hard rock structure and melodic hooks.
From a catalogue perspective, Freedom follows No Control in 2019 and The Devil In Me in 2021, reinforcing a late-career resurgence that has seen Quatro return to a heavier, more direct sound. Her recorded output now spans more than five decades, beginning with her 1973 debut and including global hits such as Can The Can and Devil Gate Drive. With more than 50 million records sold, her role as one of rock’s first prominent female bass-playing frontwomen remains a defining part of her legacy.
The connection between Quatro and Cooper extends beyond their shared Detroit roots. Cooper previously paid tribute to Quatro’s catalogue on his 2019 release Breadcrumbs, which featured his version of Your Mama Won’t Like Me. That project also revisited material associated with the Detroit scene, including a cover of an MC5 track, reinforcing the cyclical relationship between the artists and their influences. The new duet on Freedom effectively completes that exchange, with Quatro now revisiting the same musical heritage alongside Cooper.
Within the broader industry context, the collaboration reflects a continued interest in revisiting foundational rock repertoire through contemporary recordings by original-era artists. As legacy acts remain active well into their later years, projects like Freedom demonstrate how catalogue reinterpretation can function alongside new material, maintaining relevance while reinforcing historical continuity.
There is limited opposing perspective surrounding the release itself, although reinterpretations of canonical tracks often draw scrutiny regarding authenticity and fidelity to the original. In this case, the involvement of two Detroit-born artists with direct ties to the era lends the project a degree of legitimacy that aligns with the song’s origins.
Looking ahead, Quatro will take Freedom on the road with a UK tour beginning April 7. The new album, and particularly Kick Out The Jams, positions her firmly within the ongoing narrative of rock’s evolution, linking past and present through a collaboration grounded in shared history.
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