In 1980 / 1981, The Damned went to Rockfield for a series of sessions that eventually became The Black Album, The Friday 13th EP & Strawberries. Their time there produced some of the Damned’s greatest musical moments and memorable stories of horses, cows, vampires, rifles and Lemmy.
In 2019 The Damned returned to Rockfield studios to record the first new music since 2018’s Top Ten Evil Spirits album. The line-up included three out of the four Damned members that were at the original sessions – David Vanian, Captain Sensible & Paul Gray. There was also Monty Oxymoron on keyboards and Pinch on drums. Unbeknown to the band, this was to be the last recordings with the long-time drummer Pinch, who departed The Damned after their legendary show at The London Palladium, last Halloween.
For the first time, Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Rammstein, Ghost) took over the Producer duties for the EP. Tom also mixed the tracks at his studio in Bath. The tracklisting is:
- Keep ‘Em Alive
- Manipulator
- The Spider & The Fly
- Black Is The Night
Available in Black & Psychedelic Swirl Limited Edition Vinyl
The Rockfield EP will be released on October 16th
Meanwhile, ‘Keep ‘Em Alive’, the first single from The Rockfield EP, is available now with an accompanying music video shot from the perspective of a bee going about its business.
Bees are essential for pollinating crops and in turn human survival; 17 species are reportedly endangered in the UK – keep ‘em alive!
