First Picture: Arthur Brown with headdress

12th October 2022 Second Picture: Album cover

Third Picture: Larger headdress

Forth Picture: Arthur Brown and his group The Crazy World of Arthur Brown The Crazy World of Arthur Brown are an English rock band formed by singer Arthur Brown in 1967. The original band included Vincent Crane (Hammond organ and piano), Drachen Theaker (drums), and Nick Greenwood (bass). This early incarnation were noted for Crane's organ and brass arrangements and Arthur Brown had a powerful, wide ranging operatic voice and was also notable for his unique stage persona such as extreme facepaint and burning helmet. Their song "Fire" (released in 1968 as a single) sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc[2] reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart and Canada, and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100[3] as well as its parent album The Crazy World of Arthur Brown which reached number 2 on the UK album charts and number 7 in the US.[4] In the late 1960s, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown's popularity was such that the group shared bills with the Who, Jimi Hendrix, the Mothers of Invention, the Doors, the Small Faces, and Joe Cocker, among others. Arthur Brown quickly earned a reputation for his outlandish performances, including the use of a burning metal helmet, which led to occasional mishaps. During an early appearance at the Windsor Festival in 1967, he wore a colander on his head soaked in methanol. The fuel poured over his head by accident caught fire; two bystanders doused the flames by pouring beer on his head, preventing any serious injury The flaming head then became an Arthur Brown signature. On occasion he also stripped naked while performing, most notably in Italy, where, after setting his hair on fire, he was arrested and deported. He was also notable for the extreme make-up he wore onstage, which would later be reflected in the stage acts of Alice Cooper, among others. By 1968, the debut album, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Produced by The Who's manager Kit Lambert, with Pete Townshend credited as associate producer, on Track Records, the label begun by Lambert and Chris Stamp, it spun off an equally surprising hit single, "Fire", and contained a version of "I Put a Spell on You" written by Screaming Jay Hawkins, a similarly bizarre showman. "Fire" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Theaker was replaced in 1968 by Chris Farlowe The band recorded a second album, titled Strangelands, intended for release in 1969 but shelved by their label over concerns that it lacked sales potential.. The band re-formed in 2000 and released Tantric Lover.[16] In 2013, as the result of a successful pledge campaign on PledgeMusic, the band released the album Zim Zam Zim, recorded in Arthur Brown's yurt in Lewes. Arthur is still performing, I last heard of him appearing in Brighton last September. Stay in touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com