The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

To understand the history of Arthur Brown’s project we have to go back to when it all started – the year of 1967. Even prior to the band’s debut, its leader had made a name for himself with his at the time shocking stage performance art that encompassed him singing in full make-up with a burning colander on his head – now his trademark look. In 1968, the band introduced themselves with a self-titled album, which became a world-wide hit and became a cult classic. The enthusiastic reception of the album was greatly facilitated by the popularity of the single “Fire” – Brown’s biggest hit to date – which was an overwhelming commercial success, selling a million units. Not long after, the band composed the material for their sophomore record, Strangelands, but their record label wasn’t eager to release it, claiming that these more experimental songs didn’t have enough of a commercial appeal. The aforementioned material only saw the light of day in 1988, and it should be said that due to internal tensions The Crazy World of Arthur Brown disbanded in 1970 already. They only came back in the 2000s, reemerging with the album Tantric Lover. Since then, they have released three more records and Arthur Brown – well into his 80s now – is still actively touring.