Prayers on Fire

Prayers on Fire, by Australian rock group The Birthday Party, was released in April 1981 on the 4AD label. This was the band's first full length release on an international record label (and the first under the name "The Birthday Party"). After leaving Australia to broaden horizons in England, the band returned to Melbourne to record this album. It was recorded at Armstrong's Audio Visual Studios in Melbourne and Richmond Recorders in Richmond, Victoria, Australia, between December 1980 and January 1981. Members of Melbourne band Equal Local contributed the brass section to "Nick the Stripper" (Tenor saxophone player Mick Hauser was mis-credited as "Mick Hunter").

Track listing

1. "Zoo-Music Girl" (Rowland S. Howard, Nick Cave) – 2:38
2. "Cry" (Cave) – 2:42
3. "Capers" (Howard, Genevieve McGuckin) – 2:39
4. "Nick the Stripper" (Cave) – 3:52
5. "Ho-Ho" (McGuckin, Howard) – 3:07
6. "Figure of Fun" (Cave, Howard) – 2:48
7. "King Ink" (Cave, Howard) – 4:41
8. "A Dead Song" (Cave, Anita Lane) – 2:13
9. "Yard" (Cave) – 5:04
10. "Dull Day" (Howard) – 3:04
11. "Just You and Me" (Cave, Mick Harvey) – 2:03
12. "Blundertown" (Howard) – 3:10 (CD Only)
13. "Kathy's Kisses" (Cave) – 4:05 (CD Only)

Personnel

• Nick Cave - vocals, saxophone, drums
• Rowland S. Howard - Guitar, vocals, saxophone
• Mick Harvey - Organ, piano, guitar, vocals
• Tracy Pew - Bass, clarinet, double bass
• Phill Calvert - Drums
• Phillip Jackson - Trumpet
• Mick Hauser - Tenor Saxophone
• Stephen Ewart - Trombone

External links

• The Birthday Party lyrics from Nick Cave Online