LISTEN/MUSIC: The Misfits' "12 Hits From Hell"

When it comes to putting together the perfect Halloween soundtrack, one really has to look no further than The Misfits. And who needs The Monster Mash anyway.

For your listening pleasure today and in honor of the Halloween holiday, we have a Misfits album that has been shelved for over 30 years - 12 Hits From Hell.

From wikipedia:

In August 1980 the Misfits recorded twelve songs at Master Sound Productions studios with the intention of releasing a full-length album. With the exception of "London Dungeon," all songs were recorded in one take. The band's lineup at this time included singerguitarist Bobby Steele, bassist Jerry Only, and drummer Arthur Googy. During the sessions Only was grooming his younger brother Doyle to join the band, and Doyle recorded his own guitar tracks and overdubs separately in addition to Steele's. The tracks were mixed in September, but in October Steele was ejected from the band in favor of Doyle and the planned album was scrapped.  Glenn Danzig,

Five of the songs were released in 1981, with "London Dungeon", "Horror Hotel", and "Ghouls Night Out" being released as 3 Hits from Hell while the "Halloween" single included both "Halloween" and "Halloween II". The band used the remainder of the recordings as demos for their 1982 album Walk Among Us.

During the intervening years several of the tracks from the August 1980 sessions were released in various mixes on compilation albums: "Where Eagles Dare" and "Halloween" appeared on Legacy of Brutality (1985), "Night of the Living Dead", "Vampira", "Skulls" and "Astro Zombies" appeared on Misfits (1986), and "Horror Hotel", "Halloween", and "Halloween II" appeared on Collection II (1995). The Misfits box set (1996) contained the most complete collection of songs from these sessions, collecting the complete Legacy of Brutality, Misfits, and Collection II albums as well as a disc of unreleased studio recordings including the original mixes of "I Turned into a Martian", "Skulls", "Night of the Living Dead", "Astro Zombies", "Where Eagles Dare", "Violent World", and "Halloween II" from the 1980 sessions.

In 2001 Caroline Records announced that they would be releasing the complete 1980 sessions on October 31 under the title 12 Hits from Hell, including an alternate take of "London Dungeon", and sent promotional copies of the album to the band members. However, production was called off after Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only expressed concerns with the album's layout, packaging, liner notes, mixing, and mastering. All distribution copies of the album were destroyed, and only the promotional copies remain. Some copies did reach critics, however. 

My friend Tim got one of those promotional copies and passed it along to me. Since then, 12 Hits From Hell has become my go to Misfits album. The recording quality tops everything else out there and performances are just as good.

12 Hits From Hell

Master Sound Productions - Franklin Square, NY 8/5/1980 - 9/5/1980.
Lineup: Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only, Bobby Steele, Arthur Googy. Additional Guitar: Doyle & Robbie Alter.

Skulls


Astro Zombies


FULL DOWNLOAD: The Misfits - 12 Hits From Hell

As an extra treat, check out the 1980 Glenn Danzig solo release single of "Who Killed Marilyn" backed with "Spook City." Both are versions different from and not included on The Misfits Box Set. And bundled with this is something called The Misfits Bible. It's basically a visual archive of everything Danzig sent out to members of the original Fiend Club including hand written letters, photos, and newsletters. For the true nerds out there.

DOWNLOAD: Glenn Danzig - "Who Killed Marilyn" & The Misfits Bible

For the record, Lobo Jones does not recognize any post-Danzig incarnations of The Misfits.

Happy Halloween, fiends.

PHOTO CREDIT: The header image is from Glen E. Friedman's book Fuck You Too.

PHOTOS: Eerie Von at Generation Records

Couple of pics from Eerie Von's recent instore appearance at Generation Records. Also in attendance, Minor Threat's Lyle Preslar and Killswitch Engage's Mike D'Antonio.

Click the header pic to check 'em out.

If you haven't got it yet, check out Eerie's Misery Obscura, a great photo book and a must for any Misfits/Samhain/Danzig fan.

PHOTOS: Brian Fallon with Dave Hause - Bowery Ballroom 01/15/10

Eerie Von mentions in his new book that in all his time shooting The Misfits live, he remembers very little of being at their actual shows. He'd spent most of the performance searching for shots and figured that his photos would serve as his memories. Fair enough. I guess it's always been the same for me.

I didn't want that to be the case for this show. So I made sure to enjoy the show and grab some pics. And shit, was it one hell of a show.

Dave Hause opened up with a great set. It's no secret this guy has an amazing voice and in the acoustic setting it was on full display, in all it's raw and naked glory. The highlight - a great cover of Kathleen Edward's "The Cheapest Key." Brought me right back to seeing her on the very same stage in 2003.

Fallon's set was half Gaslight songs, half cover songs and oddly enough none of his "solo" songs. There's not much I can say about the show that the setlist doesn't say for itself. It was amazing.

It seems that at some point, all Jersey bands or artists inherit the drunken Giants Stadium parking lot crew. The only sour note of the night was the crowd - completely obnoxious. If they weren't screaming requests (before and during songs) or screaming where they were from, they were talking over Fallon's stories. It was a stark contrast from the crowd at last year's Bowery show, that night you could hear a pin drop.

**Extra special thanks to Jon and Hollie from that Gaslight camp for giving me a photo pass at the last minute. The people behind the stage are just as great as the ones out front.


Brian Fallon with Dave Hause - Bowery Ballroom, NYC, 01/15/10

1. What You Gonna Call Your Pretty Little Baby? (Odetta)
2. Old White Lincoln
3. Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (Creedence Clearwater Revival )
4. Great Expectations
5. The 59 Sound
6. Dollar Bill (Screaming Tree's )
7. Miles Davis And The Cool
8. I Do Not Hook Up (Kelly Clarkson)
9. High Lonesome
10. Blue jeans & White T-Shirts
11. The Navesink Banks
12. Here's Looking At You Kid
13. The Broad Majestic Shannon (The pogues)
14. We Came To Dance

Encore : W/ Dave
15. Call It Off (Tegan And Sara)
16. Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash)
17. Long Ride Home (Patty Griffin)
18. Ball & Chain (Social Distortion)

The Latest.

I've been hard at work on my first photography book. The book will feature photos from my Asbury Park series, most of which appeared at the Asbury Galleria show this past summer along with some outtakes. So keep an eye out. It should be out by Spring.

Also, I'll have some new pics up soon, including some from Eerie Von's book signing and performance at Generation Records last week. Eerie's new book Misery Obscura is a must for any Misfits/Samhain/Danzig fan. Amazing collection of pics and stories. Buy it now.











Lyle Preslar from Minor Threat was there as well as Mike D'Antonio from Killswitch Engage. So it was an awesome night.

Yes.

This guy stole my idea, but it's okay cause he does a good job.

Man VS Food. Watch it.

























Ai yai yai!!

Trick or Treat

Bonfires burning bright
Pumpkin faces in the night
I remember halloween

Dead cats hanging from poles
Little dead are out in groves
I remember halloween

Candy apples and razor blades
Little dead are soon in graves
I remember halloween

This day anything goes
Burning bodies hanging from poles
I remember halloween






Alkaline Trio - Halloween



The Misfits - Skulls