Editing Bauhaus (band) (section)

===Beggars Banquet and breakup===
====''Mask''====
Bauhaus' growing success outstripped 4AD's resources, so the band moved to 4AD's parent label, [[Beggars Banquet Records]].{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=56}} Bauhaus released "[[Kick in the Eye]]" in March 1981 as its debut release on the label. The single reached No. 59 on the charts.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=57}} The following single, "[[The Passion of Lovers]]", peaked at No. 56 in July 1981.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=60}} Murphy said, "One of our loves is to make each single totally different from the last, not to be tied down by a style or sound."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=57}} Bauhaus released their second album, ''[[Mask (Bauhaus album)|Mask]]'', in October 1981. The band employed more keyboards, and a variety of other instruments, to add to the diversity of the record. The front and back cover of the album was an impressionistic drawing created by Ash. In an unconventional move, the group shot a video for the album's title track as a promotional tool for the band, rather than any specific song from the record, filmed in a hazardous and abandoned Victorian shoe factory in Northampton.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=63–64}} David J explained the techniques, effects and his reaction regarding the content of the title track: "I can still recall with crystal clarity overdubbing the echoed bass part and using a metal bottleneck to achieve the cascade effect that comes in at the point where Daniel's acoustic twelve-string part starts. Hearing these sounds in ultra-sharp coke-intensified focus through headphones produced an ecstatic heart-bursting emotion on the edge of orgasmic release."<ref name="Mister Moonlight" /> The film crew consists of Chris Collins and Ken Lawrence of Standard Pictures. The video was made with a minuscule budget; the gear used in the video were powered off car batteries and roll film, and filmed in a hazardous and abandoned Victorian shoe factory in Northampton, which was just across the road from the main police station. David J explains how the band and film crew broke into the building to make the video: "We snuck into this place about three in the morning and the lights kept going down at crucial moments so we'd have to wait and sit around in complete darkness...the place was dripping wet although it all added to the atmosphere."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=65}} The video's imagery and lighting borrowed heavily from [[German Expressionism]]. David J commented on the content of the music video: "We improvised around the loose idea of a ritualistic resurrection, with Peter lain out like a corpse on a wooden slab. Each of us would administer some kind of shamanistic voodoo to assist in the raising of the dead. The place was freezing cold, dank, and dripping with filthy water. The lights kept going out, and we would be plunged into complete darkness until they were restored."<ref name="Mister Moonlight" /> When the scenes of the factory were finished, the group went to another location for filming. David J explained: "Once we had filmed the scenes in the factory, we set off for a second location: the woods on the grounds of the [[Spencer family]]'s country estate – another illegal situation, and a potential threat to the monarchy. We did have fun that night! The finished film looked great: a fog-cloaked atmospheric drama that was redolent of a German Expressionist silent horror flick." David J also mentioned that the music video was more of an art piece than a traditional music video and commented that Chris Collins "did a brilliant job of capturing the visual essence of the band."<ref name="Mister Moonlight" /> Chris Collins commented on the motive of the video: "Foremost in our minds was to make something interesting, so somebody who'd never heard of Bauhaus before and suddenly saw that video might say, "God, that's really interesting, I want to know more about that".{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=66}} Ken Lawrence also explained the film's intention: "Every film about a band should show the strengths of that artist. So of course "Mask" is a promo because hopefully, it's what Bauhaus are about. If you listen to their lyrics at all, if you know the way their music is structured – it's thought provoking, it evokes mood and it's very atmospheric music and that was our approach to making the film."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=66}} It made only one appearance on British TV.

Around the same time, "In keeping with our surrealist leaning...", the band also employed the "exquisite corpse" technique to an experimental film they made called "Consequences", where each member was given an amount of time to film whatever they wished.<ref name="Mister Moonlight" /> It was shown on tour in place of a support band.<ref name="Mister Moonlight" /> The band toured broadly to promote the album by playing a 16-date tour of England and 13 dates in Europe.

===="Spirit" and ''The Sky's Gone Out''====

In July 1982, Bauhaus released the single "[[Spirit (Bauhaus song)|Spirit]]", produced by [[Hugh Jones (producer)|Hugh Jones]]. This was unusual for the band because they typically produced their own music. Conflicts and compromises subsequently occurred in the studio. David J explained: "It took ages and ages. Usually we recorded very quickly–we'd do an album in three weeks from start to finish–but that took about nine days, which for us was absurd. There was so much agonising over it more from the producer than us." The song used an [[acoustic guitar]] with a [[bossa nova]] drumbeat. According to Shirley, the song was about "...a 'fifth member' of the band–a spirit they felt occupied the stage, lifting them to a higher plane when they were playing well."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=68}} The [[music video]] was originally intended to show a physical representation of the spirit, including "a single dancer with a white face mask and [[Body painting|body paint]] who would come onto the stage whilst the band performed the song and literally 'lift' Peter and give him wings."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=68}} However, the producers changed the spirit to a spectral female figure "who would walk through the theatre along with a motley crew of clowns and jugglers."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=68}} When the band returned from their tour of the United States, they disliked the music video and wanted to redo it. The record label refused, unwilling to provide more money for it, but the band insisted on changing the video. David J explained: "So we raised the money ourselves out of our own bank balances and pooled our money and so we went in and re-edited it, trying to get it into some kind of shape. We did it. Delivered the master to Beggars Banquet. Next week–this was at the time of the video jukebox craze–we went into a pub and we see the original horrible version on the video. So we immediately rang Beggars Banquet and said; 'What's going on?' and they'd send out the wrong one and it had gone off to TV and everything."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=69}} The single was intended to break into the Top 30 but only reached No. 42. The band was displeased with the single and rerecorded it in 1982 for their third album, ''[[The Sky's Gone Out]]''.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=115}} [[Nico]] made a guest appearance when the band played a gig in [[Salford University]] for a cover performance of the Velvet Underground song, "[[I'm Waiting for the Man]]".<ref name="Mister Moonlight" />

The band wanted to produce their third LP, ''The Sky's Gone Out'', themselves, but arguments ensued in the studio among the band members over creative direction.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=72}} The band members realised that they needed an objective perspective on their music, and producer Derek Tompkins was hired.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=72}} Tompkins commented: "I was, however, quite willing to act as an engineer provided the resident engineer was responsible for the engineering and I was only responsible for interpreting what they wanted to him and helping a bit creatively myself."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=73}}

The band were booked into [[Rockfield Studios]] in [[Wales]] for one month to record the album but had little original material written beforehand. Murphy explained: "The third LP was one of those unwritten albums that was done on the spot. An album of experimentation which was enjoyable to us because we didn't have any songs and we didn't feel like writing stuff and we said, "OK that's fine. If we don't have any songs we'll make the songwriting environment the studio."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=73}} Although the sessions were successful, conflicts arose between the band and engineer, with Tompkins as the mediator.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=73}} Although Tompkins did not understand the album's music or lyrics, he "always used to ask them what the song was about so I knew what mood I was aiming for".{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=73}} Some of the lyrics reflected the band's personal feelings and experiences, such as "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything". According to David J, the song "evokes nostalgic memories of a time of innocence and naive yearning."<ref name="Mister Moonlight" /> David J praised Murphy's vocals on the song as "emoting the bittersweet sentiment so perfectly, every word ringing true."<ref name="Mister Moonlight" />

That same year, Bauhaus scored their greatest hit with a cover of [[David Bowie]]'s "[[Ziggy Stardust (song)|Ziggy Stardust]]", which was recorded during a BBC session. The song was chosen by the band in response to critics who had accused them of copying Bowie's sound. Ash explained: "[W]e thought we'd do the opposite of what they'd expect and promptly release 'Ziggy'."{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=77}} The song reached No. 15 on the British charts and earned the band an appearance on the television show ''[[Top of the Pops]]''.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=78}} ''The Sky's Gone Out'' also became the band's greatest album success, peaking at No. 3.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=79}} That same year, Bauhaus appeared in the horror film ''[[The Hunger (1983 film)|The Hunger]]'', performing "Bela Lugosi's Dead" during the opening credits. The final cut of the scene focused on Murphy; this, coupled with his modelling work in a popular ad campaign for [[Maxell]], caused resentment among his bandmates.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=91–93}}

====''Burning from the Inside''====

Prior to the recording of their fourth album, ''[[Burning from the Inside]]'' (1983), Murphy was stricken with pneumonia, which prevented him from contributing much to the album. Ash and David assumed control of the album and performed lead vocals on several tracks.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|pp=96–97}} The album's song "Who Killed Mister Moonlight" was described by David J as a "surrealistic ballad inspired in part by the [[murder of John Lennon]]". Also, the mysterious character of Mister Moonlight had a symbolic meaning, which was seen by the band "as being representative of the dreamy, poetic aspect of Bauhaus".<ref name="Mister Moonlight" /> The album's lead single "[[She's in Parties]]" reached No. 26 on the charts and earned Bauhaus their third and final ''Top of the Pops'' appearance.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=99}} Bauhaus then embarked on an international promotional tour for the album, with dates in Europe and the Far East.{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=137}} On the night before they were supposed to perform two shows at [[Hammersmith Palais]] in London, the group decided to disband.

The band played their farewell show on 5 July 1983 at the Hammersmith Palais. Fans had been warned by the band's crew to not miss the show, without telling them it was the last. After a long [[encore (concert)|encore]], consisting of some of their early songs, David J left the stage with the words "rest in peace".{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=137}} ''Burning from the Inside'' was released one week later. The album received largely positive reviews and reached No. 13 on the charts.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=100}} Bauhaus released the single "Sanity Assassin" in limited quantities as a farewell gift to their fan-club members.{{sfn|Shirley|1994|p=102}}