The crazy world of Arthur Brown: how ‘Fire’ literally burnt down venues
When The Beatles first went over to America, they received a lot of criticism because of how long their hair was. Well, who could blame the American people? It was too long! Almost touching their shoulders! The fact that it drew so much controversy is quite funny to look back on now, especially because of how much of a flamboyant turn music took in the coming decade. Enter Arthur Brown.
There are a lot of artists that people say they haven’t heard of until they hear the introduction for one of their classic songs. Arthur Brown is a great example of this, as while a lot of people say that they don’t know who he is, the minute they hear the introduction to his classic track ‘Fire’, heads are nodded before being violently shaken and banged, as the song erupts into the organ-driven shock rock masterpiece that it’s renowned as.
The track revolves around the idea of fire, both in concept and execution. It begins with Arthur Brown’s screeching vocals proclaiming, “I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIRE, AND I BRING YOU FIRE!” It’s one of the biggest song-starting statements ever written, and the track that follows such an ambitious introduction doesn’t disappoint.
“I’d always loved flames. I don’t know if it’s anything to do with moving to London at the end of the war when I was three, and the East End was on fire,” said Brown, discussing his inspiration for the song. “If you look into the centre of a blaze, you get a stillness in yourself. It’s like meditation, and that inspired me.”
He wrote the song with Vincent Crane, his organist. The song is played predominantly on an organ, which gives a haunting feel; however, it’s also packed with energy, which makes it easy for people to dance to. “He eventually ended up in a mental hospital after a bad acid trip,” said Brown, discussing working with Crane, “But before that, he was a cornucopia of endless choral melodic invention. I’d just say to him: ‘That thing you just played, that’s the one!’”
The song was out there, but the shock factor of the track didn’t just stop at the music itself; Brown carried that flamboyancy into the venues he performed at, wearing a unique headpiece he would set alight. The headpiece, paired with the song and the alluring stage presence of Brown, made for a show that not many people would quickly forget. Of course, a flaming headpiece in sweaty UK venues wasn’t always the best combination, and on occasion, Brown’s version of fire became a little too realistic.
“I wore a flaming helmet to sing it, which proved popular in the clubs, but after the song went to number one, there were a lot of incidents,” he concluded. “The flames could be four feet high: lots of clubs were left with scorch marks on the ceiling. At one gig, my coat caught fire, and I was running round with a burning arm. Health and safety wasn’t a big thing then.”
