British punk band The Damned are set to release a new retrospective album called Black is the Night via BMG on Nov. 1.
In 2018, the pioneering group worked with legendary producer Tony Visconti for the new studio effort Evil Spirits.
“It was very intense work because we were putting in easily a month's worth of work in nine days,” says Dave Vanian. “Visconti was more of a quiet individual who sits back and then opens his mouth and makes total sense with what he says. It was a joy to work with him. We had a job to do and we got on with it. It was a very pleasurable experience. There's a lot of very high backing vocals that we did together and only Tony and I could actually reach the notes. He's on a lot of the backing vocals, all the high-pitched vocals that sound like a lady wailing away or something, it's not, it's Tony!”
Who would have thought chaos kings The Damned would still be around in 2019, 43 years into their career, still defiantly independent, still masters of their own domain?
“It'd been ten years since the last album. That's ridiculous isn't it?” Dave exclaims: “You think about 1977 and they'd be saying 'Have you made an album?', 'Yeah, we made one a couple of months ago'. 'Well, you need to make a new one'. For us it's very important to keep pushing forward. It's what drives me on. I always find it a bit soul-destroying thinking that I'd spend years making the same music.”
Designer Phil Smee was chosen to create the career spanning album's gothic artwork. Smee has worked with the band numerous times throughout their long-lasting career, as well as creating legendary designs for Motörhead, Elton John and Madness, amongst many others.
Smee commented: “I loved working with the band back in the 80’s and I like to think we came up with some iconic designs. Certainly, I see the many Damned logos I came up with still used on t-shirts to this day. I’ve not cut corners with this new album, even setting all the sleeve copy by hand, which took me back to ‘The Black Album’ which I hand-lettered with a shaky pen. The Damned are a totally unique band, I’ve always loved everything they’ve done. I still get excited about every design project that comes along, but I was particularly pleased to be asked to work on The Damned’s ‘Black is the Night’ album.”
The band play select US shows this month, as well as Madison Square Garden with The Original Misfits and Rancid on Oct. 19.
Track listing:
Love Song
Wait For The Blackout
Generals
I Just Can't Be Happy Today
Bad Time For Bonzo
Democracy?
White Rabbit
Anti-Pope
Ignite
Melody Lee
Smash It Up Pt 1 & 2
New Rose
Machine Gun Etiquette
Neat Neat Neat
Stretcher Case Baby (produced by Shel Talmy)
Sick Of Being Sick (produced by Shel Talmy))
Born To Kill
Rabid (Over You)
Problem Child
1 Of The 2
So Messed Up
Disco Man
Fan Club
Suicide
Eloise
Plan 9 Channel 7
Grimly Fiendish
The Shadow Of Love
.The History Of The World (Part 1)
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Streets Of Dreams
Curtain Call
Alone Again Or
Lively Arts
Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow
Stranger On The Town
Fun Factory (previously deleted feat. Robert Fripp)
Under The Floor Again
Black Is The Night (new song)
Concerts:
Sep 14 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre
Oct 19 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
All shows with The Original Misfits
The Damned are:
David Vanian - Vocals
Captain Sensible - Guitar
Monty Oxy Moron - Keyboard
Pinch - Drums
Paul Gray – Bass
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