The Black Album (The Damned album)

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The Black Album
Studio album by The Damned
Released	October, 1980 CWK3015
Recorded	1980
Genre	Punk, Gothic rock
Length	77:42
Label	Chiswick
Producer(s)	The Damned, Hans Zimmer
Professional reviews
*All Music Guide link
The Damned chronology
Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)	The Black Album (1980)	Strawberries (1982)

The Black Album was the fourth album by The Damned, and the first to feature Paul Gray on bass guitar.

It was released in October 1980 on Chiswick as a double album, with "Curtain Call" filling the whole of side three, and a selection of live tracks recorded at Shepperton Studios for Damned fan club members on side four.

Contents 1 Reissues 2 Track listing 2.1 Side one 2.2 Side two 2.3 Side three 2.4 Side four 3 Line up

[edit] Reissues

The Damned's Chiswick back catalogue was acquired by Big Beat in 1981, and The Black Album was reissued in August 1982 as a single album that omitted "Curtain Call" and the live tracks.

The artwork for the reissue parodied the sleeve of The Beatles' White Album, rendered in black with no details other than the group's name embossed in capitals. The live tracks were reissued in their own right as Live Shepperton 1980 with four extra tracks.

The first subsequent reissue on CD reinstated "Curtain Call" and the original artwork, and the 2005 double-CD reissue also reinstated the live tracks.

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Rat Scabies/Captain Sensible/Paul Gray/Dave Vanian except * by Scabies/Sensible/Gray/Vanian/Billy Karloff, † by Scabies/Sensible/Gray/Vanian/Giovanni Dadomo.

[edit] Side one

1. "Wait for the Blackout" – 3:57 *
2. "Lively Arts" – 2:59
3. "Silly Kids Games" – 2:35
4. "Drinking About My Baby" – 3:04
5. "Twisted Nerve" – 4:39
6. "Hit Or Miss" – 2:37

[edit] Side two

1. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" – 4:35 †
2. "Sick Of This and That" – 1:50
3. "The History of the World - Part 1" – 3:45
4. "13th Floor Vendetta" – 5:05
5. "Therapy" – 6:12

[edit] Side three

1. "Curtain Call" – 17:13

[edit] Side four

All songs written by Scabies/Sensible/Vanian/Algy Ward except ** by Scabies/Sensible/Vanian/Ward/Dadomo, ‡ by Brian James.

1. "Love Song" (Live) – 2:10
2. "Second Time Around" (Live) – 1:46
3. "Smash It Up (Parts 1 & 2)" (Live) – 4:24
4. "New Rose" (Live) – 1:49 ‡
5. "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" (Live) – 3:55 **
6. "Plan 9 Channel 7" (Live) – 5:12

[edit] Line up

• Dave Vanian - Vocals
• Captain Sensible - Guitars & Vocals
• Paul Gray - Bass
• Rat Scabies - Drums

The Damned

Dave Vanian | Captain Sensible | Patricia Morrison | Monty Oxy Moron | Pinch

Former members: Brian James | Rat Scabies | Lu Edmunds | Algy Ward | Paul Gray | Roman Jugg | Bryn Merrick | Kris Dollimore | Allan Lee Shaw | Moose

The Damned discography

Studio albums: Damned Damned Damned | Music for Pleasure | Machine Gun Etiquette | The Black Album | Strawberries | Phantasmagoria | Anything | Not of This Earth | Grave Disorder

Live albums: Live Shepperton 80 | Live at Newcastle | Not The Captain's Birthday Party? | Mindless Directionless Energy | Final Damnation | The Damned Live | Ballroom Blitz - Live at the Lyceum | The School Bullies | Fiendish Shadows | Eternal Damnation Live | Molten Lager

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Masters of the Backside | London SS | The Lords of the New Church | David Vanian and the Phantom Chords | Punk Floyd