Horses
50 years later
Hello everyone,
Today my record company Columbia/Sony announced the forthcoming release of the fiftieth anniversary of Horses, my first album. In a way I feel these pre announcements for books, records and films are quite early. But that is how things operate and since they support and believe in my work I am showing support and gratitude by sharing their information. I am not soliciting you ever, though of course I always hope you will read what I have written. But I am posting here, information shared and perhaps appreciated then off we go somewhere else. There are 6,500 vinyls. It’s a double album and the second was compiled after much labor. Unearthed recordings, a couple live pieces from CBGB, youthful efforts gathering dust, little bits scavenged from half a century ago.
When we recorded Horses I hoped to communicate with like minds, the misfits, disenfranchised, those scraping away off the beaten track. I am quite moved that the community I hoped to find, found us as well and those that survived are still at work.
Today I am going to South Jersey to visit family, my great joy. I hope you all have a good day and a weekend for yourself with room for others in need. For now…do you know how to pony? Haha.. I am including their link to look at. When I get more information I will share it. Off I go to the land of childhood.
https://pattismith.lnk.to/Horses50
"Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine". Thanks for a simple message that has stuck with me for half a century
Patty post is a beautiful blend of humility, nostalgia and quiet celebration. In her signature tone, poetic yet grounded, she reflects on the fiftieth anniversary of Horses, not with fanfare, but with reverence for the journey and the community that embraced her work.
Her words carry the weight of time: “little bits scavenged from half a century ago” evokes not just archival effort, but emotional excavation. The mention of unearthed recordings and live pieces from CBGB is a gift to long-time fans, a sonic time capsule from the raw, electric pulse of the punk era.
What’s striking is her resistance to commercialism. She shares the announcement not as promotion, but as gratitude, “I am not soliciting you ever”, a rare stance in an industry often driven by metrics and marketing. It’s a reminder that for Patti, art has always been about communion, not consumption.
Her reflection on Horses as a message to “misfits, disenfranchised, those scraping away off the beaten track” is deeply moving. That she found, and continues to find, that community is testament to the enduring power of authenticity.
And then, with a gentle pivot, she’s off to South Jersey to visit family. That closing line — “Off I go to the land of childhood” is pure Patti: wistful, warm, and rooted in the everyday magic of memory.
This isn’t just an album anniversary. It’s a living archive of rebellion, resilience and grace.