Love Song – The Damned (1979)

Description

Additional information about this, The Damned vinyl art.

The Damned – The Artists

The Damned are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist (and later guitarist) Captain Sensible, and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, “New Rose” (1976), release a studio album, Damned Damned Damned (1977),nd tour the United States. They have nine singles that charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40. The band briefly broke up after Music for Pleasure (1977), the follow-up to their debut studio album, was critically dismissed. They quickly reformed without Brian James, and released Machine Gun Etiquette (1979). In the 1980s they released four studio albums, The Black Album (1980), Strawberries (1982), Phantasmagoria (1985), and Anything (1986), which saw the band moving towards a gothic rock style. The latter two albums did not feature Captain Sensible, who had left the band in 1984. In 1988, James and Sensible rejoined to play a series of reunion gigs, one of which was released the next year as the live album Final Damnation (1989). Their fast-driven punk rock has been cited for influencing and shaping the emergence of hardcore punk in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Love Song – The Song

“Love Song“ is a single by English punk rock band the Damned, released in April 1979. It was the first fruit of the reformed lineup’s deal with Chiswick Records, boosted by four variant picture sleeves, each one featuring a member of the band, with an additional 20,000 copies pressed on red vinyl (5,000 for each sleeve). It was the Damned’s first top 40 hit, peaking at number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and leading to the band’s debut on Top of the Pops. “Love Song” was included on the band’s third album, Machine Gun Etiquette. In February 1982, Chiswick reissued the single on their Big Beat imprint, using only the covers featuring Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies (Algy Ward having left the band by this stage).

Lead vocalist Dave Vanian – The Shape

This record has been modelled into the body of the lead vocalist Dave Vanian in his gothic costume. Vanian changed his name from Lett to Vanian in early life after a stint as a gravedigger – Vanian being a play on “Transylvanian”. He remains one of the early influencers of gothic fashion, wearing dark and otherworldly clothing both on stage and off. He is known to be a fan of renaissance art, film noir and horror movies, all of which manifest in his stage appearance.

Need Help?  Contact Us