Damned, Damned, Damned
Encyclopedia
Damned Damned Damned is the debut album
by British punk rock
band the Damned, released on 18 February 1977. Produced by Nick Lowe
, it was released on the label Stiff Records
. The musical styles of Damned Damned Damned were based on the new punk rock sound as heard on the previous single "New Rose
". Damned Damned Damned is the first full-length album released by a UK punk group.
Damned Damned Damned and its singles failed to chart in the US. The album receives very high praise from modern day critics with Ned Raggett
of Allmusic commenting that the record is "a stone classic of rock & roll fire".
" and a tour with the Sex Pistols
, the Heartbreakers
, and the Clash
, the band went into Pathway Studio to record the album Damned Damned Damned with producer
Nick Lowe
who recorded "New Rose" with them. Following ten days of recording, the mix was completed on 15 January 1977, the day the master tapes were compiled.
Damned Damned Damned was issued by Stiff Records
on 18 February 1977 which was also member Brian James' 22nd birthday.
had assigned him to do the thing. They thought it was a jolly wheeze to surprise us with a few cream cakes, little knowing that we would relish it, get into to it and enjoy the whole experience". After the photo session, Damned member Captain Sensible
noted "...I had more pie on my face than any of the other buggers and on the back of the sleeve I had my back to the picture, so I went down a photo booth and got some pictures, cut one out and said 'put that on there.' So I would have something to show my relatives, because I didn't think we'd be invited to make another album."
Stiff records deliberately printed a limited number of initial copies of the LP with a photo of Eddie and the Hot Rods on the back of the album cover, rather than The Damned playing at The Roxy Club. An 'erratum' sticker was also put on the back cover, and on the front of the LP - on top of the original shrinkwrap - was a red 'food-fight' sticker that says 'Damned Damned', thus completing the LP title when read underneath the band's name. Stiff Records was renowned for such unusual promotional activity. As of 2009, a copy of this rare print which still has both stickers and the shrinkwrap intact (slit-open or sealed) fetches between £200.00 - £500.00, depending on condition.
The design of the LP is credited as Big Jobs Inc, which was a pseudonym of Barney Bubbles
.
's "Top 50 Punk Albums" citing the album as "...Fast and furious, a fabulous snapshot of punk's earliest, subterranean days...". The BBC
praised the album's energy, pop satire, and general humor, commenting "each track featured the hammering toms of Rat Scabies and Captain Sensible’s bass-as-guitar propelling Brian James’ exhilarating machine gun axe into your living room."
The American press has also looked upon the album kindly, Ned Raggett
at Allmusic gave the album their highest rating of five stars, declaring "Damned Damned Damned is and remains rock at its messy, wonderful best." The website Pitchfork Media
also positively noted the album in a negative review of The Damned's 2001 album Grave Disorder
stating "I won't lie to you: the Damned's new album isn't very good. In fact, the Damned have only ever recorded a few albums that were-- for instance, their debut or 1979's Machine Gun Etiquette
"...."
.
, non-LP single tracks and radio recordings, which equals nearly everything the band recorded during their first year of operations. Disc three features a lo-fi recording of one of the Damned's first public gigs, a set recorded in London during the 100 Club
's first Punk Rock Festival
in the summer of 1976. The third disc was later released on its own as Live At The 100 Club
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by British punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Damned, released on 18 February 1977. Produced by Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
, it was released on the label Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
. The musical styles of Damned Damned Damned were based on the new punk rock sound as heard on the previous single "New Rose
New Rose
"New Rose" was the first single by British punk rock group The Damned, released on October 22, 1976. It was the first single by a British punk group, and was released in the Netherlands, Germany, and France in 1977....
". Damned Damned Damned is the first full-length album released by a UK punk group.
Damned Damned Damned and its singles failed to chart in the US. The album receives very high praise from modern day critics with Ned Raggett
Ned Raggett
Ned Raggett is a library assistant, freelance writer and music journalist. His work has been published in Allmusic, the OC Weekly, Plan B, Metal Edge and The Quietus, while pieces have also appeared in Dream, Arthur, as well as Stylus, The Broken Face, Fake Jazz, Freaky Trigger, Careless Talk...
of Allmusic commenting that the record is "a stone classic of rock & roll fire".
Background
After the success of "New RoseNew Rose
"New Rose" was the first single by British punk rock group The Damned, released on October 22, 1976. It was the first single by a British punk group, and was released in the Netherlands, Germany, and France in 1977....
" and a tour with the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, the Heartbreakers
The Heartbreakers
Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, also known as The Heartbreakers, were an American rock & roll band formed in New York in May 1975. The band was part of the first wave of punk rock.-History:...
, and the Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, the band went into Pathway Studio to record the album Damned Damned Damned with producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
who recorded "New Rose" with them. Following ten days of recording, the mix was completed on 15 January 1977, the day the master tapes were compiled.
Damned Damned Damned was issued by Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
on 18 February 1977 which was also member Brian James' 22nd birthday.
Album cover
The album cover features the four members of the band who have been hit by pies. Brian James recalls "that was organised by this photographer called Peter, StiffStiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
had assigned him to do the thing. They thought it was a jolly wheeze to surprise us with a few cream cakes, little knowing that we would relish it, get into to it and enjoy the whole experience". After the photo session, Damned member Captain Sensible
Captain Sensible
Captain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...
noted "...I had more pie on my face than any of the other buggers and on the back of the sleeve I had my back to the picture, so I went down a photo booth and got some pictures, cut one out and said 'put that on there.' So I would have something to show my relatives, because I didn't think we'd be invited to make another album."
Stiff records deliberately printed a limited number of initial copies of the LP with a photo of Eddie and the Hot Rods on the back of the album cover, rather than The Damned playing at The Roxy Club. An 'erratum' sticker was also put on the back cover, and on the front of the LP - on top of the original shrinkwrap - was a red 'food-fight' sticker that says 'Damned Damned', thus completing the LP title when read underneath the band's name. Stiff Records was renowned for such unusual promotional activity. As of 2009, a copy of this rare print which still has both stickers and the shrinkwrap intact (slit-open or sealed) fetches between £200.00 - £500.00, depending on condition.
The design of the LP is credited as Big Jobs Inc, which was a pseudonym of Barney Bubbles
Barney Bubbles
Colin Fulcher aka Barney Bubbles was a radical English graphic artist, whose work primarily encompassed the disciplines of graphic design, painting and music video direction. He is most renowned for his distinctive contribution to the graphic design associated with the British independent music...
.
Reception
The British press has had mostly positive notes for the album, at least in retrospective reviews. In 2002, Q included Damned Damned Damned in its "100 Best Punk Albums" list, declaring it "...One of the nastiest, most ragged and downright funniest record of the era..." while in 2003, the album ranked #3 in MojoMojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
's "Top 50 Punk Albums" citing the album as "...Fast and furious, a fabulous snapshot of punk's earliest, subterranean days...". The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
praised the album's energy, pop satire, and general humor, commenting "each track featured the hammering toms of Rat Scabies and Captain Sensible’s bass-as-guitar propelling Brian James’ exhilarating machine gun axe into your living room."
The American press has also looked upon the album kindly, Ned Raggett
Ned Raggett
Ned Raggett is a library assistant, freelance writer and music journalist. His work has been published in Allmusic, the OC Weekly, Plan B, Metal Edge and The Quietus, while pieces have also appeared in Dream, Arthur, as well as Stylus, The Broken Face, Fake Jazz, Freaky Trigger, Careless Talk...
at Allmusic gave the album their highest rating of five stars, declaring "Damned Damned Damned is and remains rock at its messy, wonderful best." The website Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
also positively noted the album in a negative review of The Damned's 2001 album Grave Disorder
Grave Disorder
Grave Disorder is an album from the punk rock band The Damned, released in August 2001.It was their first release since signing to Nitro Records. The album is musically similar to Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible's previous Damned collaboration, Strawberries...
stating "I won't lie to you: the Damned's new album isn't very good. In fact, the Damned have only ever recorded a few albums that were-- for instance, their debut or 1979's Machine Gun Etiquette
Machine Gun Etiquette
Machine Gun Etiquette is the third album by the British punk band The Damned, released in November 1979. The album was the group's first since reforming with Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on lead guitar, Rat Scabies on drums and Algy Ward on bass...
"...."
Track listing
The final song on the album titled "I Feel Alright" is a cover of "1970" by the StoogesThe Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
.
30th Anniversary Expanded Edition
On 3 April 2007, Castle Music released a three-disc box set version of the album. Disc two serves up 26 demos, B-sidesB-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
, non-LP single tracks and radio recordings, which equals nearly everything the band recorded during their first year of operations. Disc three features a lo-fi recording of one of the Damned's first public gigs, a set recorded in London during the 100 Club
100 Club
The 100 Club is a music venue in London situated at 100 Oxford Street, W1, originally called The Feldman Swing Club.The 100 Club attained legendary status in modern British music, having played host to live music since 24 October 1942....
's first Punk Rock Festival
100 Club Punk Festival
The 100 Club Punk Special was a two-day event held at the 100 Club—a typically jazz-oriented venue in Oxford Street, London, England—on 20 and 21 September 1976. The gig showcased eight punk rock bands, most of which were unsigned...
in the summer of 1976. The third disc was later released on its own as Live At The 100 Club
Live at the 100 Club
Live at the 100 Club is the second EP from Welsh band The Automatic. The EP was recorded at London's 100 Club by Coca-Cola and iTunes and is available exclusively through iTunes...
.
The band
- Dave Vanian – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Brian James – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Captain SensibleCaptain SensibleCaptain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals - Rat ScabiesRat ScabiesChristopher Millar , better known by his stage name Rat Scabies, is a musician best known for his tenure as the drummer for The Damned....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals
Technical staff
- Nick LoweNick LoweNicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - BazzaBarry (name)Barry is both a given name for males and a surname, being the English form of the Irish names Bareth , de Barra, Barrath, Barenth, Barold, Bearrach or Finbarr. The Irish meaning is spear....
– engineer
Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| United States |
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
36 |