Ricky Wilson ‘gobsmacked’ after being asked to feature on orchestral rework of Moby’s 1999 hit ‘South Side’

Ricky Wilson is set to feature in Moby’s orchestral rework of his 1999 hit ‘South Side’.

The Kaiser Chiefs frontman, 45, sang the vocals for the track which will be part of the American musician’s highly anticipated 20th studio album, Resound NYC, which will be released on 12 May 2023.

Resound NYC sees Moby, whose real name is Richard Melville Hall reimagine and orchestrate fifteen of his most iconic tracks written or recorded in New York from the years 1994 to 2010.

The original ‘South Side’ track featured American singer-songwriter Gwen Stafani, and was the seventh single from Moby’s album Play, which was released on 10 October 2000.

The track was inspired by Moby’s visits to Chicago and his love for its house music scene.

The orchestral rework features a funk bass line with the brass section taking the lead as it builds into the euphoric chorus.

On working with Moby, Ricky Wilson told U Discover Music: “Moby asked me to sing on one of his songs and I said yes. If you told me a few years ago I would be on Moby’s radar enough for him to ask me to sing on a song I would be gobsmacked.

“I still am a bit gobsmacked to be honest, so it was a pretty easy ‘yes’. I don’t often agree to do this sort of thing cos I don’t want people thinking I’m big headed enough to believe that I can do it justice, but if Moby does then that’s good enough for me.”

Other guest vocalists on the album include Marisha Wallace, Lady Blackbird, Dougy Mandagi, Gregory Porter, Margo Timmons, Danielle Ponder and Amythyst Kiah.

While those vocalists are well known names, Resound NYC also features less familiar artists including P.T. Banks - who Moby discovered singing in a wedding band in Texas - and the elderly father of Danielle Ponder.