Fire Dances
1983 studio album by Killing Joke
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Fire Dances is the fourth studio album by English post-punk band Killing Joke, released on 15 July 1983 by E.G. via Polydor Records.[1] It was the band's first album to feature new bass player Paul Raven, recorded at Basing Street Studios in London between February and March 1983.[2] According to Paul Ferguson the band's drug use contributed to the original mix of the album being "tinny".[3]
| Fire Dances | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 July 1983 | |||
| Recorded | February–March 1983 | |||
| Studio | Basing Street, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:25 | |||
| Label | E.G., Polydor | |||
| Producer | Killing Joke, John Porter | |||
| Killing Joke chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Fire Dances | ||||
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Release
Fire Dances was released in July 1983 by E.G. Records. It entered number 29 in the UK Albums Chart, on 23 July 1983.[4]
The album was remastered and reissued in 2008, with eight bonus tracks: the non-album single "Me or You?", an alternate version of "Dominator" (B-side to "Let's All Go (to the Fire Dances)"), an unreleased early version of "The Gathering" and four tracks from a John Peel session from 1983.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [5] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [6] |
| MusicHound Rock | [7] |
| Select | [8] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[9] |
| Sounds | [10] |
Fire Dances was generally well received by music critics. NME called it "their best [album] yet, and also likely to be their biggest."[11] PopMatters and Trouser Press both qualified the album as "superb",[9][12] with the latter describing the album's mood as "brighter" and "more joyous" than previous records.[12]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Killing Joke (Jaz Coleman, Paul Ferguson, Paul Raven and Geordie Walker).
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Gathering" | 3:11 |
| 2. | "Fun and Games" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Rejuvenation" | 4:01 |
| 4. | "Frenzy" | 3:46 |
| 5. | "Harlequin" | 3:57 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Feast of Blaze" | 3:35 |
| 2. | "Song and Dance" | 5:13 |
| 3. | "Dominator" | 4:28 |
| 4. | "Let's All Go (to the Fire Dances)" | 3:19 |
| 5. | "Lust Almighty" | 3:50 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Me or You?" | 3:11 |
| 12. | "Wilful Days" | 5:01 |
| 13. | "Dominator" (Alternate Version) | 5:33 |
| 14. | "The Gathering" (Original Version) | 3:25 |
| 15. | "Dominator" (John Peel Session, 12/07/83) | 5:40 |
| 16. | "Frenzy" (John Peel Session, 12/07/83) | 3:40 |
| 17. | "Wilful Days" (John Peel Session, 12/07/83) | 6:00 |
| 18. | "Harlequin" (John Peel Session, 12/07/83) | 3:56 |
Personnel
- Killing Joke
- Jaz Coleman – vocals, synthesizer, production
- Kevin "Geordie" Walker – guitar, production
- Paul Raven – bass guitar, production
- Paul Ferguson – drums, vocals, production
- Technical
- John Porter – co-producer on "Let's All Go (to the Fire Dances)", "Me or You" and "Wilful Days"
- Nigel Mills – recording engineer, mixing
Charts
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | UK Albums Chart | 29[4] |