33½ minutes with...Dana Gillespie

Dana Gillespie was the 60s It Girl who hung out with a pre-Bowie David Jones at Soho cafe La Gioconda and sang at the Marquee alongside Julie Driscoll. Jimmy Page produced her 1965 single, D Thank You Boy, and played on her 1968 debut album, Foolish Seasons. Its follow-up, 1969's Box Of Surprises, paired her with producer Mike Vernon and Savoy Brown while 1973's Weren't Born A Man saw her working with Bowie and Mick Ronson. First Love, her covers album out now, is produced by Marc Almond and Tris Penna. "Marc said to me, 'I'm fed up with you being the biggest undiscovered secret on the planet,"" she says on the motivation behind what will be her 74th album. "He said we've got to change that. I've never even been asked to perform on Jools Holland's Later. I'm too old to be pissed off but I have been overlooked."

- Lois Wilson

First Love is a departure from your signature blues style and sees you reinterpreting songs by Green Day, Morrissey, Jake Bugg and Lana Del Rey. How did you pick the songs for the album?

They are not just any songs. Each one means something to me or relates to my life in some way. I picked some of the tracks, Marc picked some, Tris picked some.

What was the vibe in the studio during the recording?

I've produced myself since 1973 so it was marvellous to be able to say to Marc and Tris, both who I know very well and trust, I'm in your hands. We did a couple of rehearsals at the Temple Of Art And Music first and then we went to Dean Street Studios which is Marc's favourite studio. We used the musicians from my London Blues Band and it turned out wonderful.

The first single from the album is a cover of Morrissey's Spent The Day In Bed and he's designed the cover artwork for it.

We've never met but he sent this email saying, "Your version is far better than mine!" which was incredibly nice of him. Tris suggested I do it, he's friends with Morrissey, and I can really relate to the lyrics. I could have written this song myself because I love to spend the day in bed, especially at this time when everything is so awful. I agree with Morrissey: Stop watching the news, it frightens you and messes with your mind. Tris also suggested I cover a David Bowie song.

You do Can You Hear Me? Why that one?