Fire (Arthur Brown song)

"Fire" is a 1968 song by Arthur Brown, Vincent Crane, Mike Finesilver and Peter Ker. Performed by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, it was released as a single and on the band's debut album, also called The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The single made #2 in the US Billboard charts and #1 in the UK in August 1968, and #19 in Australia in October 1968.

The song is an example of the psychedelic rock of the period, though its lack of guitars distinguished it from many of its contemporaries. The lead instrument in this case was Vincent Crane's Hammond electronic organ, augmented by an orchestral section featuring prominent brass. The singer's opening proclamation of himself as "the god of hellfire" became a lasting epithet.

During live performances and in the black and white promotional television clip, Brown performed the song wearing a burning helmet. The helmet was improvised with a leather skull cap onto which was bolted a metal dish that held lighter fluid or petrol. As the cap was not insulated, the heat from the burning fuel quickly conducted through the fixing bolt to the top of Brown's head, causing him considerable pain.

Two studio mixes of "Fire" have been officially released, one in stereo and one in mono. The mono mix features no brass. Both versions are included on the CD reissue of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. The single B-side, "Rest Cure", was another track from the album.

Credit for the composition of "Fire" on the original vinyl single was to Arthur Brown and Vincent Crane only; however, Mike Finesilver and Peter Ker successfully sued for co-credit and royalties based on melodic similarities to their song "Baby, You're a Long Way Behind".^[1]

The song is briefly featured in the film Hot Fuzz.

[edit] Cover versions

Pete Townshend, the single's associate producer, covered "Fire" as a member of The Who on his 1989 album The Iron Man: A Musical.
Cirith Ungol covered the song on their 1991 album Paradise Lost.
The Prodigy sampled the track for "Fire/Jericho", which was otherwise a completely different song, on their 1992 album Experience.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer covered the song on their 1993 4-disc compilation album The Return of the Manticore.
UK doom metal band Cathedral covered the song on their 1996 EP Hopkins (The Witchfinder General).
Die Krupps covered the song on their 1997 album Paradise Now.
Dutch death metal band God Dethroned covered the song on their 1997 album The Grand Grimoire.
Ozzy Osbourne included a version on his 2005 album Under Cover.
US Hip Hop duo Cunninlynguists sampled the song for "Hellfire" on their 2006 album A Piece of Strange.
Appears in the musical Disco Inferno, when the character of Duke turns out to be Satan in disguise.
Though it was not a true 'cover', Marilyn Manson's "Lunchbox" heavily samples "Fire".
Lizzy Mercier Descoux covered "Fire" on her record "Press Color", drastically changing the mood and style of the track.
Leningrad Cowboys covered the song in a metal style and included it on their 2006 album Zombie's Paradise.
It is also used in one episode of Series 3 of Monkey Dust as the Paedofinder General burns the wrongly accused paedophiles with this music in the background, complete with bastardised lyrics.

[edit] Personnel

Arthur Brown – vocals
Vincent Crane – keyboards, orchestral arrangement
Sean Nicholas – bass guitar
Drachen Theaker – drums

[edit] Notes

^ John Kutner & Spencer Leigh (2005). The 1000 UK Number One Hits: p.142

Preceded by "Mony Mony" by Tommy James & the Shondells	UK number one single "Fire" August 14, 1968 (1 week)	Succeeded by "Mony Mony" by Tommy James & the Shondells