40-plus years into one of rock’s most durable careers, Tesla are going back to where it all started. The Sacramento hard rock veterans share “Spread Your Wings,” a cover of Queen’s 1977 deep cut, the latest preview of their upcoming covers album ‘Homage,’ due July 17 via Frontiers Music Srl.
The song choice is deliberate and personal. “It was the one song I always wanted to record by Queen,” says bassist Brian Wheat. “I always felt it was the one song they had in their catalog that should’ve been a massive hit, but wasn’t because it was overshadowed by ‘We Are the Champions’ and ‘We Will Rock You’ on the ‘News of the World’ album.” He also points to songwriter John Deacon as the track’s unsung architect, calling him the band’s quiet secret weapon.
‘Homage’ is exactly what its title promises. Tesla started as a cover band playing California nightclubs before building a catalog of original material and selling millions of albums worldwide. This record traces that lineage directly, honoring the voices and songs that shaped the band before they became one themselves. It’s a full-circle moment 4 decades in the making.
The album draws from an extraordinary range of source material. Songs were selected to represent some of the greatest vocalists in history, including Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Etta James, and James Brown. It’s also a showcase for lead singer Jeff Keith’s vocal range, putting him up against some of the most demanding and celebrated voices rock and soul have ever produced.
The project follows the band’s ‘Real to Reel’ series from more than 20 years ago, a covers release that ultimately helped inspire the creation of an original Tesla song, “Never Alone.” History has a way of repeating itself with this band.
‘Homage’ arrives July 17 via Frontiers Music Srl.