ARTHUR BROWN – The God Of Hell Fire Speaks!

1. You have a new single, which is called Zombie Yelp. Would you describe the process of composing and recording it?

I WROTE IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH DANNY B HARVEY . I WROTE SOME LYRICS FOCUSING ON ‘HORROR’ AND THE KIND OF HORROR THEMES THAT WERE CURRENT DURING THE 50’S.  DANNY PULLED THEM APART AND WROTE SOME CHORDS AND MELODY TO IT. IT WAS ALL DONE THROUGH DIGITAL COMMUNICATION. THE VOCAL WAS RECORDED IN ENGLAND . THEN ALAN DAVEY STEPPED ON BOARD. HE WAS GIVEN THE OUTLINE OF THE TRACK. HE THEN RE-ARRANGED IT AND PRODUCED IT . HE IS BRILLIANT. MARK STEIN FROM VANILLA FUDGE ADDED HIS OWN MAGIC TO IT

2. The new single features a collaboration with the former Hawkwind member Alan Davey and Vanilla Fudge founder Mark Stein. How did you decide to work with them?

WE HAD MET Brian Perera AND John Lappen IN VEGAS. THIS TRACK IS PART OF AN ALBUM OF HORROR TUNES THAT THEY (BEING CLEOPATRA RECORDS)WANTED ME TO MAKE. I KNEW ALAN FROM A STINT OF 6 MONTHS BEING THE LEAD VOCALIST WITH HAWKWIND. AT THAT TIME HE WAS THEIR BASS PLAYER. WE GOT ON VERY WELL TOGETHER AND ENJOYED DISCUSSING MUSIC. IT WAS THEREFORE GREAT TO FIND MYSELF BACK WORKING WITH HIM VIA CLEOPATRA. HE HAS GOT SUCH A CREATIVE AND FEARLESS APPROACH TO MAKING MUSIC. IT WAS BRIAN AND ALAN THAT INTRODUCED MARK STEIN.

3. Which is the concept of the track’s lyrics?

IT IS A CONCEPT OF SOMEBODY SWALLOWING A EMANATION FROM AN ALIEN THAT I ORDERED THROUGH THE MAIL. WHEN I SWALLOWED IT IT PROCEEDED TO ATTACK ME FROM WITHIN! ONE OF THE NASTY THINGS THAT IT DID WAS THAT IT GOT ME IN THE ‘GHOULIES’ I WAS FIGHTING IT!!! THEREFORE BOTH HORRIFIC AND SOMEWHAT HUMOROUS AS WELL. I MUST SAY IT WAS WRITTEN SOME MONTHS BEFORE THE FIRST CASE OF COVID.

4. Do you prepare any new material for a full album?

THERE IS ANOTHER NEW TRACK ON THIS HORROR ALBUM AND A WHOLE BODY OF WORK WHICH MAY BE RELEASED THIS YEAR.

I HAVE ANOTHER NEW ALBUM BEING RELEASED IN SPRING. THE INFORMATION FOR THIS WILL BE AVAILABLE NEARER THE TIME. ITS GREAT MUSIC WITH FANTASTIC PRODUCTION AND I’M VERY EXCITED. WE HAVE SPENT TIME IN FINDING GREAT ARTISTS FOR THE WHOLE AESTHETIC.

WE ARE IN THE FINISHING STAGES OF AN EXCITING COLLABORATION BETWEEN MYSELF AND FLOR DE LOTO A PROG/METAL BAND FROM PERU. THIS IS A TRACK BEING PRODUCED BY ROY Z WHO WORKS WITH BRUCE DICKINSON.

I’M THE BUSIEST I’VE BEEN IN MANY YEARS AND I AM CURRENTLY WRITING A NEW ALBUM.

5. Have you ever thought of writing lyrics that explore other subjects, beside horror themes?

WELL, I HAVE IN MY TIME ACROSS THE ALBUMS I’VE MADE, EXPLORED SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY AND MANY ASPECTS OF BEING HUMAN. NOT ALL OF THEM HORRIFIC

6. Do you prefer working as a solo artist or as a band member?

SOMETIMES I LIKE THE PROCESS OF IMPROVISING AND RECORDING DIRECT AND THAT CAN BE BY MYSELF OR WITH A CHOSEN GROUP OF MUSICIANS. I LIKE THEM EQUALLY AND THEY MAKE DIFFERENT DEMANDS. OTHER TIMES I LIKE THE DISCIPLINE OF WORKING WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. SOMETIMES JUST TWO.

7. The use of the sample of your song “Fire” in the Prodigy’s single with the same title, boosted the popularity of your discography. Did you like the song by the Prodigy?

YES I LIKED THE FACT THAT THEY CHOSE THE SONG. THEIR MANAGER WAS A FAN OF THE CRAZY WORLD. BECAUSE THEY DID THAT I WENT TO MEET THEM AT ONE OF THEIR CONCERTS IN BRIGHTON. AN AMAZING BAND WITH AN AMAZING AUDIENCE. THEY HAVE BEEN PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL. IT WAS A SHAME THAT KEITH FLINT LEFT US SO SOON.

8. How do you adjust yourself to the current status of the digital music industry?

I KEEP ONE FOOT IN THE OLD INDUSTRY (THE RECORD MAKING CAMP) AND ONE FOOT IN THE NEW

I WAS ONE OF THE EARLY ARTISTS TO EMBRACE THE INTERNET PARTLY BECAUSE I MET THE GUY WHO MANAGED A BAND CALLED SHOW OF HANDS. THEY AT THE TIME WERE NOT WELL KNOWN. THEIR MANGER HAD GOT THEM A PART IN THE SOUNDTRACK OF THE FILM ‘THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS’. THEY DID A CONCERT IN ONE OF LONDONS GIGANTIC VENUES AT A TIME WHEN IN THE NORMAL ROCK AND ROLL MEDIA THEY MEANT NOTHING, BUT THEIR MANAGER THROUGH USE OF THE INTERNET (WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS NOT POPULAR) MANAGED TO FILL THE VENUE! HE ALREADY KNEW HOW TO DO WHAT IS ESSENTIAL NOW.

IN THE LAST THREE YEARS I HAVE WORKED WITH MY MANAGER ON MY CAREER AND COMMUNICATING VIA DIGITAL MEANS . I HAVE ACTIVE INSTAGRAM ,FACEBOOK AND TWITTER PRESENCE AND A CURRENT WEBSITE. IT’S A WHOLE COMMUNITY WHICH I LOVE BEING PART OF. ESSENTIALLY I SEE THIS AS COMMUNICATING. WITH THAT IN MIND I AM ALWAYS THOUGHTFUL AS TO WHAT GOES OUT. IT’S ALSO A REALLY GOOD WAY TO SHARE THE PAST IN THE PRESENT.

THE MANAGEMENT ,THE CREATION OF THE MUSICAL PIECES WITH WORDS ,THE VISUAL MULTI MEDIA SHOW AND THE STUDIO IN WHICH WE ARE DEVELOPING ALL OF THESE IDEAS IS PART OF A CREATIVE WHOLE, THAT WE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. THE CURRENT SITUATION HAS MEANT THAT WE HAVE NOW FULLY EMBRACED THE DIGITAL. IT HAS BEEN A STEEP LEARNING CURVE, BUT WE NOW SEE THE POSSIBILITIES OF WORKING WITH ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND EMBRACING A NEW WAY OF WRITING AND COLLABORATING AND FINALLY PRODUCING EXCITING PIECES OF MUSIC. I AM LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE PART OF A WIDE MUSICAL FAMILY THAT BRINGS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CO-OPERATION AND EXPLORATION AND HAS THE ELECTRONIC WIZARDRY AT THEIR FINGERTIPS TO FACILITATE THIS.THIS HAS BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE TOGETHER WITH MY MANAGER WE SET OUT ON A PROJECT TOGETHER TO COME TO A PLACE WHERE I COULD FINALLY WRITE THE EXPERIMENTAL ALBUM THAT I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO CREATE . THIS HAS ITS ORIGINS IN MY THIRD BAND KINGDOM COME

MY FANS ARE TRUE FANS OF VINYL, HOWEVER WE HAVE WILLINGLY EMBRACED THE POSSIBILITIES THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED FOR DEVELOPING THE PLATFORMS USED SUCH AS SPOTIFY. THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS MAKES MUSIC GLOBAL

I WOULD HOWEVER LIKE TO BE FINANCED BY ELON MUSK!!!! JOKING ASIDE THE FINANCIAL ASPECT OF THIS FOR THE ARTIST MUST BE LOOKED AT.

9. What about your next plans in music?

I’M GOING TO WRITE THE BEST ALBUM I HAVE EVER WRITTEN IN MY LIFE WITH NO BOUNDARIES, CATEGORIES OR LIMITATIONS. AT 78 I STILL HAVE THE DESIRE TO BE A PIONEER!!!!!

10. Do you still feel like the god of hell fire?

I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE!!!!!!!

Information and Interview Photo source:
Home – The REAL Arthur Brown – God Of HELL FIRE!! (thegodofhellfire.com)