Editing Arthur Brown (musician)

{{Short description|English singer (born 1942)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Arthur Brown
| image             = The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (15396473559).jpg
| caption           = Performing with the Crazy World of Arthur Brown at Musicport in [[Whitby]], England in 2014
| image_size        = 
| birth_name        = Arthur Wilton Brown
| alias             = The God of Hellfire
| birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1942|6|24}}
| birth_place       = [[Whitby]], [[North Riding of Yorkshire]], England
| genre             = {{Hlist|[[Shock rock]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/veteran-shock-rocker-arthur-brown-talks-jimi-hendrix-close-calls-with-fire-118184/ |title=Veteran Shock Rocker Arthur Brown Talks Jimi Hendrix, Close Calls With Fire |last=Grow|first=Kory |date=February 14, 2017 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2023-07-16}}</ref>|[[progressive rock]]<ref name=Simpson>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/aug/17/arthur-brown-the-god-of-hellfire-returns |title='The god of hellfire returns!' Can Arthur Brown incinerate Covid? |last=Simpson |first=Dave |date=August 17, 2020 |work=The Guardian |access-date=2023-07-16}}</ref>|[[heavy metal music#Antecedents:_1950s_to_late_1960s|proto-metal]]<ref name=Simpson/>|[[psychedelic rock]]<ref name=Lemay/>|[[psychedelic soul]]<ref name=Lemay/>}}
| occupation        = Singer, songwriter
| years_active      = 1965–present
| label             = {{Flatlist|
*[[Track Records|Track]]
*[[Polydor Records|Polydor]]}}
| current_member_of = [[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]
| past_member_of    = {{Flatlist|
*[[The Ramong Sound]]
*[[The Foundations]]
*[[Kingdom Come (British band)|Kingdom Come]]
*Instant Flight
*[[The Alan Parsons Project]]
*[[Hawkwind]]}}
| website           = {{URL|arthur-brown.com}}
}}

'''Arthur Wilton Brown''' (born 24 June 1942)<ref name="trXjx">Marshall 2005, p. 25.</ref> is an English singer and songwriter best known for his [[flamboyant]] and theatrical performances, eclectic (and sometimes experimental) work and his powerful, wide-ranging [[operatic]] voice, in particular his high pitched banshee [[Screaming (music)|screams]]. He is also notable for his unique stage persona, featuring extreme [[facepaint]] and a burning helmet.

Brown has been the lead singer of various groups, most notably [[the Crazy World of Arthur Brown]] and [[Kingdom Come (British band)|Kingdom Come]], followed by a varied solo career as well as associations with [[Hawkwind]], [[the Who]] and [[Klaus Schulze]]. 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]], [[Small Faces]] and [[Joe Cocker]], among others.<ref name="Unterberger">Richie Unterberger (2014). "Urban Spacemen & Wayfaring Strangers [Revised & Expanded Ebook Edition]: Overlooked Innovators & Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock". BookBaby</ref>

He is best known for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown's 1968 single "[[Fire (Arthur Brown song)|Fire]]", reaching number one in the [[UK Singles Chart]] and Canada, and number two on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref name="g3Bwi">{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_the_no1_songs.php?show=2 |title=Official UK Singles Top 100 – 16th February 2013 &#124; Official UK Top 40 &#124; music charts &#124; Official Singles Chart |access-date=16 February 2013}}</ref> as well as its parent album ''[[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (album)|The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]'' which reached number 2 in the UK, number 6 in Canada, and number 7 in the US.<ref name="occarthurbrown">{{cite web|title=Crazy World of Arthur Brown – Full Official Chart History|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/13318/crazy-world-of-arthur-brown/|website=Official Charts Company|access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref> Following the success of the single "Fire", the press would often refer to Brown as "[[Honorific nicknames in popular music|The God of Hellfire]]",<ref>Unterberger, Richie.  ''Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers'', p. 46.</ref> in reference to the opening shouted line of the song, a moniker that exists to this day.<ref name="BTbt2">Unterberger, Richie. ''Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers'', p. 46.</ref> Overlooked upon release, Kingdom Come's 1973 album ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'' has received generally positive retrospective reviews from critics. Alan Holmes of ''Freq'' said that "''Journey'' was so far ahead of its time that you have to keep checking the sleeve to make sure that it really does say 1973 and not 1983" and that the album was "not only Arthur Brown's masterpiece, but also one of the truly great albums of the seventies."<ref name="freq">{{Cite web|url=http://freq.org.uk/reviews/arthur-brown-kingdom-comekingdom-journey/|title=Arthur Brown – Kingdom Come/Kingdom Come – Journey « Freq|website=freq.org.uk}}</ref>

Although Brown has had limited commercial success and has never released another recording as commercially successful as "Fire", he has remained a significant influence on a wide range of musicians in numerous genres because of his operatic vocal style, wild stage persona and often experimental concepts; he is considered to be a pioneer of [[shock rock]] and [[progressive rock]] and has had an influence on both [[electronic music|electronic]] and [[heavy metal music]]. In 2005 Brown won the 'Showman of the Year' award from ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' magazine, receiving the award at the [[Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards]] ceremony held in London's [[Café de Paris (London)|Café de Paris]].

== History ==
Brown was born in [[Whitby]] where his parents ran a [[guest house]]. After attending [[Roundhay School|Roundhay Grammar School]] in [[Leeds]], Yorkshire, Brown attended the [[University of London]] and the [[University of Reading]]<ref name="Larkin">Larkin, C., ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'' (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), {{ISBN|0-7535-0149-X}}, p. 77.</ref> and studied philosophy and law, but he gravitated to music instead, forming his first band, Blues and Brown, while at Reading.<ref name="Larkin" /> After a spell fronting a number of bands in London, Brown then moved to Paris in 1966, where he worked on his theatrical skills.<ref name="Larkin" /> During this period he recorded two songs for the [[Roger Vadim]] film ''[[The Game Is Over]]''.<ref name="Larkin" /> Returning to London around the turn of 1966 to 1967, he was a temporary member of a London-based [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]/soul/[[ska]] group [[the Ramong Sound]] that would soon become the hit-making soul group [[the Foundations]].<ref name="ogKM3">{{cite web|last=Breznikar|first=Klemen|author-link=Klemen Breznikar |date=22 January 2012|title=The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and Kingdom Come {{!}} Interview|url=https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2012/01/arthur-brown-interview-about-crazy.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224012841/http://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2012/01/arthur-brown-interview-about-crazy.html|archive-date=24 February 2017|access-date=6 May 2017|website=[[It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine]]}}</ref> 

=== The Crazy World of Arthur Brown ===
By the time the Foundations had been signed to [[Pye Records]], Brown had left the group to form his band, [[the Crazy World of Arthur Brown]].<ref name="E1N0z">{{cite web |url=http://www.alan-warner.com/10102/info.php?p=5&pno=0 |title=Guitarist/Composer |publisher=Alan Warner |access-date=16 February 2013 |archive-date=27 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127232357/http://www.alan-warner.com/10102/info.php?p=5&pno=0 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The band included [[Vincent Crane]] ([[Hammond organ]] and piano), Drachen Theaker (drums), and Nick Greenwood (bass). Brown quickly earned a reputation for outlandish performances, which included the use of a burning metal helmet, that led to occasional mishaps, such as during an early appearance at the [[Windsor Festival]] in 1967, where he wore a colander on his head soaked in [[methanol]]. The fuel poured over his head by accident caught fire; a bystander doused the flames by pouring beer on Brown's head, preventing any serious injury.<ref name="8roft">Marshall 2005, pp. 61–62.</ref> The flaming head then became an Arthur Brown signature. On occasion he also stripped naked while performing, most notably at the Palermo Pop 70 Festival in [[Sicily]], Italy, July 1970, where he was arrested and deported.<ref  name="qLLLb">Marshall 2005, pp. 94–101.</ref> He was also notable for the extreme make-up he wore onstage, which would later be reflected in the stage acts of [[Alice Cooper]] and [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]].<ref name="Vice" /><ref name="RS" /> He was also famed for his powerful operatic voice and his high pitched screams.

By 1968, the debut album, ''[[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (album)|The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]'' became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Produced by [[the Who]]'s manager [[Kit Lambert]], and executive-produced by [[Pete Townshend]] on Track Records, the label begun by Lambert and [[Chris Stamp]], it spun off an equally surprising hit single, "[[Fire (Arthur Brown song)|Fire]]", and contained a version of "[[I Put a Spell on You]]" by [[Screamin' Jay Hawkins]], a similarly bizarre showman. "Fire" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]].<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{Cite book| first= Joseph| last= Murrells| year= 1978| title= The Book of Golden Discs| edition= 2nd| publisher= Barrie and Jenkins| location= London| page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/236 236]| isbn= 0-214-20512-6| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/236}}</ref> The song has since seen its opening line "I am the God of Hellfire" [[Sampling (music)|sampled]] in numerous other places, most notably in [[the Prodigy]]'s 1992 rave anthem "[[Fire/Jericho|Fire]]".<ref name="Vice" /><ref name="RS" /> 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 album featured a more experimental and avant-garde sound that shed the pop sensibilities of the Crazy World's debut. ''Strangelands'' was not issued until 1988. Theaker was replaced because of his [[aviophobia]] in 1968 by drummer [[Carl Palmer]], later of [[Atomic Rooster]] and [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]], for the band's second American tour in 1969, on which keyboardist Vincent Crane also left – although he soon returned.<ref name="Larkin" /> However, Crane and Palmer eventually left in June 1969 to form [[Atomic Rooster]], spelling the end for the Crazy World of Arthur Brown.<ref name="Larkin" />

=== Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come ===
Though Brown never released another recording as commercially successful as "Fire", he worked with a varied group of musicians on projects called Strangelands, Puddletown Express, and (briefly) the [[Captain Beefheart]]-influenced Rustic Hinge, before releasing three albums with his new band [[Kingdom Come (British band)|Kingdom Come]] in the early 1970s.<ref name="Larkin" /><ref name="sjWi6">Marshall 2005, pp. 106–111.</ref>{{#tag:ref|Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come has no link with the American/German [[Kingdom Come (German band)|hard-rock/glam band of the same name]].|group=N}}

[[File:EMS VCS 3 synthesizer (1969, SN 297) & DK-1 keyboard (1969), Musée de la Musique de Paris.jpg|thumb|left|Victor Peraino used the [[EMS VCS 3]] synthesizer on the album ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]''.]]
The three Kingdom Come albums each have a distinctive character. The first, Galactic Zoo Dossier, was a highly complex concept album apparently on the theme of humanity living in a zoo and being controlled by cosmic, religious and commercial forces. The second, simply titled Kingdom Come, was loosely on the theme of water, which Brown had declared four years earlier would be the subject of the second album by the Crazy World. It was musically more conventional than the first, much less heavy, though stranger in places. The third album, ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'' (1973), recorded in [[Rockfield Studios]] in Wales, was a space rock album, with Brown playing an early [[drum machine]] and thereby replacing a series of drummers. The band also recorded three of its songs in a live [[Peel Session]] for the [[John Peel]] [[BBC Radio 1]] show on 25 September 1972.<ref name="booklet1" /> Richie Unterberger of [[Allmusic]] said that the album has been "most noted in retrospect as one of the first rock records to use a drum machine, which was still quite a novelty back in 1973."<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/journey-mw0000320953|title=Journey – Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Arthur Brown – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> This was especially noteworthy on the track "Time Captives".<ref name="Marshall-121">Marshall 2005, pp. 121–125.</ref> Brown recalled "the whole album is based around the drum machine, and we had a lot of ideas that we wanted to explore using this technology.<ref name="hclkg">Journey (liner). Kingdom Come. Esoteric Recordings. 2010.</ref> The drum machine they used was the Bentley Rhythm Ace, the British version of the [[Ace Tone#Drum Machines|Ace Tone Rhythm Ace FR-1]].<ref name="booklet1">{{cite AV media notes| title = Journey| others= Kingdom Come| year = 2003| type = liner| publisher = Castle Music}}</ref>

Overlooked upon release, ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'' has received generally positive retrospective reviews from critics. Alan Holmes of ''Freq'' said that "''Journey'' was so far ahead of its time that you have to keep checking the sleeve to make sure that it really does say 1973 and not 1983" and that the album was "not only Arthur Brown's masterpiece, but also one of the truly great albums of the seventies."<ref name="freq">{{Cite web|url=http://freq.org.uk/reviews/arthur-brown-kingdom-comekingdom-journey/|title=Arthur Brown – Kingdom Come/Kingdom Come – Journey « Freq|website=freq.org.uk}}</ref>

The stage acts for all three albums featured a wild mix of special effects, dramatic costumes and colourful theatrics, which were sometimes controversial. Brown had declared when Kingdom Come was formed that the intention was to create a multi-media experience and the band always followed that policy. The concepts, the music and the theatrics proved very popular on the university circuit but proved too way-out for a mainstream audience. The band appeared at the 1971 [[Glastonbury Festival]] in Somerset, England and featured in the [[Glastonbury Fayre (film)|Glastonbury Fayre]] film which was shown in cinemas.<ref name="ltZJr">{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/glasmenu.html |title=The Glastonbury Festival 1971 |publisher=Ukrockfestivals.com |date=26 June 1971 |access-date=25 July 2014}}</ref>

=== Later career ===
In later years, Brown released several solo albums. In 1973, he was one of the performers on [[Robert Calvert]]'s album ''[[Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters]]'', together with a number of other Hawkwind members.<ref name="Hawkwind" /> In 1975, he appeared in [[the Who]]'s rock opera movie ''[[Tommy (1975 film)|Tommy]]'' as "The Priest".<ref name="Larkin" /> Later that year he contributed vocals to the song "The Tell-Tale Heart" on the [[Edgar Allan Poe|Poe]]-based [[concept album]] ''[[Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Alan Parsons Project album)|Tales of Mystery and Imagination]]'' by [[the Alan Parsons Project]]. In 1979 and 1980, he collaborated with German electronic musician [[Klaus Schulze]], and can be heard on the albums ''[[Dune (Klaus Schulze album)|Dune]]'', ''[[...Live...]]'' and ''[[Time Actor]]''.<ref name="iRTSP">Jenkins, Mark (2009). "Analog Synthesizers: Understanding, Performing, Buying—From the Legacy of Moog to Software Synthesis". p. 150. CRC Press</ref> Also, In 1979 he moved to Africa and lived there for six months. He directed the Burundi National Orchestra, a nine-piece rock group that played Jimi Hendrix songs and local music.<ref name="6GWK4">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/where-are-they-now-arthur-brown-43950/|title=Where Are They Now: Arthur Brown|last1=Robbins|first1=Ira|date=12 September 1985|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=25 February 2019}}</ref>

In the 1980s, Brown moved to [[Austin, Texas]], where his wife came from, and obtained a master's degree in counselling.<ref name="B4mz5">{{cite news|title=The Return of the Hellfire God: Arthur Brown Is Back and Still Crazy After 47 Years|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-return-of-the-hellfire-god-arthur-brown-is-back-and-still-crazy-after-47-years-7930779|agency=LA Weekly|date=14 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215003830/https://www.laweekly.com/music/the-return-of-the-hellfire-god-arthur-brown-is-back-and-still-crazy-after-47-years-7930779|archive-date=15 February 2017}}</ref> On 17 January 1987, Brown performed "Fire" on the "Flashback" segment of the television programme ''[[Solid Gold (TV series)|Solid Gold]]''.<ref name="bqtmL">{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/solid-gold/solid-gold-87-show-16-w-chicago-385850/ |title=Solid Gold – Season 7, Episode 16: Solid Gold 87 Show 16 w/ Chicago |publisher=TV.com |date=5 February 2008 |access-date=16 February 2013}}</ref> Together with former [[The Mothers of Invention|Mothers of Invention]] drummer [[Jimmy Carl Black]], he also became a painter and carpenter for some years,<ref name="Larkin" /> and released an album with him, ''Brown, Black & Blue'' (1988). In 1992, Brown and fellow counsellor Jim Maxwell founded Healing Songs Therapy, a service that culminated in Brown creating a song for each client about their emotional issues.<ref name="0eAsU">Marshall 2005, pp. 204–206.</ref>

[[File:Arthur Brown.jpg|thumb|right|Arthur Brown playing at the [[Wickerman Festival]], 2005]]

Brown returned to England in 1996. In 1997, he re-recorded "Fire" with German band [[Die Krupps]], while in 1998, he provided a spoken-word performance on [[Bruce Dickinson]]'s ''[[The Chemical Wedding (Bruce Dickinson album)|The Chemical Wedding]]'' album, reading a portion of three poems by [[William Blake]], and appeared as Satan in Dickinson's music video for "Killing Floor". He was narrator for [[the Pretty Things]]' live performance of their album ''[[S. F. Sorrow]]'' (1998) at [[Abbey Road Studios]]. He also appeared on television, guesting on [[Kula Shaker]] track "Mystical Machine Gun" several times during 1999.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

A further change of musical direction occurred, when he formed an acoustic band and went on tour with [[Tim Rose]] in 1999. This band then added Stan Adler (cello and bass) and [[Malcolm Mortimore]] (percussion) and produced the album ''Tantric Lover'' (2000). However, the lineup did not last, and Brown put a new band together with guitarist Rikki Patten and multi-instrumentalist [[Nick Pynn]]. In 2002, Brown was asked to support [[Robert Plant]] on his Dreamland Tour. By now Patten had been replaced by guitarist Chris Bryant. Brown was getting some more media exposure now. His band was briefly called the Giant Pocket Orchestra, and also Instant Flight. In the middle of this, in 2003, Brown released ''Vampire Suite'' (2003), an album with Josh Philips and [[Mark Brzezicki]] of the band [[Big Country]], released on Ian Grant's [[Track Records]].<ref name="18HOI">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/vampire-suite-mw0000321481|title=Vampire Suite – Arthur Brown – Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref> Also around this time, Brown's back catalogue was re-released by [[Sanctuary Records]].{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

In 2001 and 2002, Brown made several guest appearances at live Hawkwind concerts, subsequently touring with them as a guest vocalist. On their December 2002 tour, Hawkwind played several songs by Brown from the Kingdom Come era, along with "Song of the Gremlin", which Brown had sung on ''[[Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters]]''; this was documented on the Hawkwind DVD ''[[Hawkwind videography#Out Of The Shadows|Out of the Shadows]]''.<ref name="Hawkwind">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/captain-lockheed-and-the-starfighters-mw0000201272|title=Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters – Robert Calvert – Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref>

Brown also provided vocals on two of the tracks on Hawkwind's studio album ''[[Take Me to Your Leader (Hawkwind album)|Take Me to Your Leader]]'', released in 2005.<ref name="Leader">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/take-me-to-your-leader-cd-dvd-mw0000761646|title=Take Me to Your Leader – Hawkwind – Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref> One is the spoken-word "A Letter to Robert", where Brown recalls a conversation with [[Robert Calvert]].<ref name="Leader" /> Brown continued his association with Hawkwind, touring with a support set for them on their 40th anniversary tour in the United Kingdom in 2009.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

[[File:Arthur2022.jpg|thumb|left|Brown in 2022 during his live show with The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown]]
Brown reunited the surviving members of Kingdom Come (except Des Fisher) in 2005, for a one-off concert at The Astoria in London, performing material from Kingdom Come's album ''Galactic Zoo Dossier'', with an encore of "Spirit of Joy". This show won Brown the 'Showman of the Year' award from ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' magazine, with Brown receiving the award at the [[Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards]] ceremony held in London's [[Café de Paris (London)|Café de Paris]].<ref name="WSczF">{{cite news|title=Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards: Winners Announced|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/classic-rock-roll-of-honour-awards-winners-announced/|agency=Blabbermouth|date=2 January 2018}}</ref> In 2007, Brown and Pynn released ''Voice of Love'' on the Côte Basque record label, featuring a number of original recordings.<ref name="xPNiQ">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-voice-of-love-mw0000484861|title=The Voice of Love – Arthur Brown – Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref>

In August 2007, during a concert in [[Lewes]], East Sussex, England, Brown once again set fire to his hair. While trying to extinguish the flames, Phil Rhodes, a member of the band also caught fire. Brown carried on after the fire was put out; he had however lost a few chunks of hair.<ref name="0djLn">{{cite web |url=http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/God-of-Hellfire-Arthur-Brown.3160077.jp |title=God of Hellfire Arthur Brown burnt in stage stunt – Local |publisher=Sussex Express |date=30 August 2007 |access-date=16 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092907/http://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/God-of-Hellfire-Arthur-Brown.3160077.jp |archive-date=29 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He appeared as a priest in the [[music video|video]] for [[The Darkness (band)|the Darkness]] song, "[[Is It Just Me?]]". In 2009, a roll-out re-release of Brown's back catalogue was commenced by [[Cherry Red Records]]' subsidiary Lemon Recordings and continued from 2010 onwards on their sister label [[Esoteric Recordings]].<ref name="CsC1N">{{cite web|url=http://www.cherryredlicensing.co.uk/cherry-red-are-proud-to-be-the-custodians-of-arthur-browns-catalogue/|title=Cherry Red are proud to be the custodians of Arthur Brown's catalogue! – Cherry Red Licensing|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref>

In 2010, Brown played a set at the [[Glastonbury Festival]] in the Glade. On 10 June 2011, days before his 69th birthday, he played at the [[Ray Davies]] [[Meltdown (festival)|Meltdown Festival]] at the [[Queen Elizabeth Hall]], London where he invited [[Z-Star]] to duet with him. Six weeks later, again in London, he played the [[High Voltage Festival]]; the gig was recorded and released (on vinyl only) as ''The Crazy World of Arthur Brown Live at High Voltage''. In 2012, Brown and Rick Patten released ''The Magic Hat'' alongside a comic of the same title by [[Matt Howarth]]. In 2013, as the result of a successful pledge campaign on [[PledgeMusic]], Brown released the album ''Zim Zam Zim'', recorded in his [[yurt]] in [[Lewes]].<ref name="dhSc4">{{Cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4148135-the-life-of-arthur-brown-and-zim-zam-zim |title=The Life of Arthur Brown and 'Zim Zam Zim' |last=Whyte |first=Woodrow |date=29 August 2014 |website=[[Drowned in Sound]] |access-date=10 October 2015 |archive-date=30 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930225953/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4148135-the-life-of-arthur-brown-and-zim-zam-zim |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2018, Brown was a guest vocalist on the first five dates of Hawkwind's UK tour.<ref name="2WKHz">{{cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Arthur-Brown-Joins-As-Vocalist-On-Hawkwinds-UK-Tour-Starts-1018-20181010|title=Arthur Brown Joins As Vocalist on Hawkwind's UK Tour, Starts 10/18|author=BWW News Desk|website=BroadwayWorld.com|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref>

In April 2019, it was announced that Brown would join [[Carl Palmer]]'s ELP Legacy as guest vocalist on "The Royal Affair Tour", starting in June 2019.<ref name="kpmlT">{{cite web|url=http://yesworld.com/2019/04/yes-announces-the-royal-affair-tour-launching-june-12-in-bethlehem-pa/|title=YES Announces "The Royal Affair Tour" Launching June 12 In Bethlehem, Pa|last=yesadmin|date=2 April 2019|access-date=2 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sacher|first=Andrew|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/the-crazy-world-of-arthur-brown-playing-nyc-after-psycho-las-vegas/|title=The Crazy World of Arthur Brown playing NYC after Psycho Las Vegas|website=Brooklyn Vegan|date=June 27, 2019}}</ref> ELP Legacy's sets on this tour included Brown providing vocals on his signature song "Fire", as well as on the [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]] songs "Knife-Edge" and "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Part 2."<ref name="dDhgE">{{cite web|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/yes-royal-affair-tour-set-list/|title=Yes, Asia, John Lodge and Carl Palmer Begin Royal Affair Tour|first=Dave|last=Lifton|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=13 June 2019 |access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref>

On 29 March 2022 it was announced that the new Arthur Brown album, titled ''Long Long Road'', would be released on his 80th birthday, 24 June 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://progrockjournal.com/news-arthur-brown-unveil-the-official-visuazlizer-for-the-track-long-long-road-from-upcoming-album/|title=[News] Arthur Brown unveil the official visuazlizer for the track "Long Long Road" from upcoming album|first=Jacopo|last=Vigezzi|date=29 March 2022}}</ref>

== Musical style and influence ==
{{quote box
| quote = Almost 50 years ago, musical icon Arthur Brown stepped out on stage, five-foot tall flames leaping from his head, and uttered one of rock music's most stirring lines: "I am the God of Hellfire". At that point, the British theatrical rocker who brought us [[the Crazy World of Arthur Brown]] in '68 had no way of knowing that he would come to be seen as a major pioneer in not only progressive rock and heavy metal, but the entire concept of what makes a stage show. He's influenced generations of musicians who searched for an edge, from [[King Diamond]], [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]], and [[Peter Gabriel]] to [[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]], [[Rob Halford]], and [[Alice Cooper]].
| source = —"The God of Hellfire Speaks: 73 Years Inside the Crazy World of Arthur Brown", [[Vice (magazine)|''Vice'' magazine]], 2013.<ref name="Vice">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/da/article/crazy-world-of-arthur-brown-interview/|title=The God of Hellfire Speaks: 73 Years Inside the Crazy World of Arthur Brown|website=Vice|date=24 June 2015|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref>
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Brown's music encompasses [[psychedelic soul]],<ref name=Lemay>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1114-fire-the-arthur-brown-story/|title=Arthur Brown: Fire: The Arthur Brown Story|website=Pitchfork.com|access-date=17 August 2021 |last=Lemay |first=Matt |date=June 17, 2004}}</ref><ref name=ClassicRock/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2017-02-17/the-crazy-world-of-arthur-brown/|title=The Crazy World of Arthur Brown|website=Austinchronicle.com|date=17 February 2017|access-date=17 August 2021}}</ref> [[British soul|soul]],<ref name=Fordham/> [[British blues|blues]],<ref name=Fordham/> [[British rhythm and blues]],<ref name=ClassicRock>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-crazy-world-of-arthur-brown-album-of-the-week-club-review|title = The Crazy World of Arthur Brown: Album of the Week Club Review|date = 6 November 2018 |publisher=Classic Rock |access-date=2022-09-17}}</ref> [[pop music|pop]],<ref name=ClassicRock/> [[acid rock]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/galactic-zoo-dossier |title=Galactic Zoo Dossier - Record Collector Magazine |access-date=29 April 2022 }}</ref> [[psychedelia]],<ref name=ClassicRock/> [[psychedelic rock]],<ref name=Lemay/><ref>{{cite book |last= Talevski|first= Nick|date= 2006|title= Rock Obituaries – Knocking On Heaven's Door|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DykffzkFALoC&dq=The+Crazy+World+of+Arthur+Brown+psychedelic+rock&pg=PA105|publisher= [[Omnibus Press]]|page= 105|isbn= 978-1846090912}}</ref> [[progressive rock]],<ref name=Fordham>{{cite web |url=https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-long-long-road-arthur-brown/ |title=ALBUM REVIEW: Long Long Road – Arthur Brown |last=Fordham |first=Tom |date=June 21, 2022 |website= |publisher=Distorted Sound |access-date=2022-09-18 |quote=}}</ref> [[shock rock]]<ref name=Fordham/> and [[experimental music]].<ref name=Lemay/>

Though Brown has had limited commercial success and has never released another recording as commercially successful as "Fire", he has been a significant influence on [[Alice Cooper]],<ref name="edHou">Marshall 2005, pp. 85 and 153.</ref> [[David Bowie]], [[Peter Gabriel]],<ref name="TGQWW">Marshall 2005, p. 175.</ref> [[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]],<ref name="Vice" /> [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]],<ref name="7mU4s">Marshall 2005, p. 172.</ref> [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]], [[King Diamond]], and [[Bruce Dickinson]] of [[Iron Maiden]],<ref name="PMMyS">Marshall 2005, p. 103.</ref> among others, and his songs have been covered or sampled by a range of artists including [[Ozzy Osbourne]], [[Psychic TV]], [[the Prodigy]], Marilyn Manson, [[the Who]] and [[Death Grips]].<ref name="Vice" /><ref name="RS">[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/arthur-brown-on-shock-rock-hendrix-close-calls-with-fire-w463039 "Arthur Brown on Shock Rock, Hendrix, Close Calls With Fire"]. ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved 29 December 2017</ref>

Brown's voice and in particular his high banshee screams, are a precursor to the banshee screaming of many later [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] singers, and his theatrical concepts and stage presence such as the face makeup, especially his black and white face paint ([[corpse paint]]), voodoo dancing, and flaming helmet pioneered a lot of what was to become [[shock rock]] and [[progressive rock]].<ref name="Vice" /><ref name="RS" /><ref name="EJKAx">{{cite book|last1=Miles|first1=Barry|title=The British Invasion: Arthur Brown|date=2009|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|page=274|isbn=978-1-4027-6976-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r8xbaIlrUREC&pg=PA274}}</ref> Alice Cooper stated, "Can you imagine the young Alice Cooper watching that with all his make-up and hellish performance? It was like all my Halloweens came at once!"<ref name="vY72F">{{cite news|title=ALICE COOPER RECRUITS ARTHUR BROWN FOR FIRE-THEMED HALLOWEEN SHOW|url=http://ultimateclassicrock.com/alice-cooper-arthur-brown-halloween-show/|agency=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=29 December 2017}}</ref> [[Deep Purple]] singer [[Ian Gillan]] has said he was inspired by Brown to incorporate screaming into his singing style, stating "He changed my life".<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 2 - The Rock Show with Johnnie Walker, My Rock God with Ian Gillan, Ian Gillan: "He changed my life" |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06cr08k |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Mike Knoop, writing for ''Classic Rock'' magazine, said that Brown's singing style recalls "[[Eric Burdon]], [[Robert Calvert|Bob Calvert]], [[Ian Gillan]], [[Tim Curry]], [[Brian Connolly]], and a smidgen of [[King Diamond]] all coming out of one person."<ref name=ClassicRock/> Brian Carr, another ''Classic Rock'' writer, compared the debut album's music to that of [[Alice Cooper (band)|Alice Cooper]] and [[Frank Zappa]].<ref name=ClassicRock/>

The third and final Kingdom Come album, ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]'' (1973), is noteworthy for being one of the first rock albums to feature a [[drum machine]], especially on the track "Time Captives".<ref name="Marshall-121" />

== Selected discography ==
[[File:Arthur Brown live.jpg|thumb|Brown on stage, 2009]]
=== Studio albums ===
;Solo
* 1975 – ''Dance''
* 1977 – ''Chisholm in My Bosom''
* 1982 – ''Speaknotech'' (also known as ''Speak No Tech'' in following re-releases)
* 1982 – ''Requiem''
* 2022 – ''Long Long Road'' 
* 2022 – ''Monster's Ball''

;With [[the Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]
* 1968 – ''[[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (album)|The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]''
* 1988 – ''Strangelands'' (recorded in 1969)
* 2000 – ''Tantric Lover''
* 2003 – ''Vampire Suite''
* 2013 – ''Zim Zam Zim'' (released on 8 November 2013, as the result of a successful pledge campaign)
* 2019 – ''Gypsy Voodoo''

;With [[Kingdom Come (British band)|Kingdom Come]]
* 1971 – ''[[Galactic Zoo Dossier]]''
* 1972 – ''Kingdom Come''
* 1973 – ''[[Journey (Kingdom Come album)|Journey]]''

;Other collaborations
* 1979 – ''Faster Than the Speed of Light'' (with [[Vincent Crane]])
* 1988 – ''Brown, Black & Blue'' (with [[Jimmy Carl Black]])
* 2007 – ''The Voice of Love''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7474761&cart=624594065&BAB=M |title=Arthur Brown – Voice of Love CD Album |publisher=Cduniverse.com |date=10 June 2008 |access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=The Crazy World of Arthur Brown |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-crazy-world-of-arthur-brown-mn0000134657 |title=The Crazy World of Arthur Brown – Music Biography, Credits and Discography |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=9 November 2012}}</ref> (by the Amazing World of Arthur Brown)
* 2012 – ''The Magic Hat'' (with Rick Patten; limited edition of 200; an accompanying comic of ''The Magic Hat'' by [[Matt Howarth]] is also available)

=== Live albums ===
* 1993 – ''Order From Chaos'' (by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown)
* 1994 – ''Jam'' (recorded in 1970) (by Kingdom Come)
* 2002 – ''The Legboot Album – Arthur Brown on Tour''
* 2011 – ''The Crazy World of Arthur Brown Live at High Voltage'' (vinyl only release, limited edition of 1000)

=== Compilation albums ===
* 1976 – ''Lost Ears'' (by Kingdom Come)
* 2003 – ''Fire – The Story of Arthur Brown''

=== Singles ===
* 1965 – "You'll Be Mine" ''(The Diamonds)'' b/w "You Don't Know" (Arthur Brown with The Diamonds) (Reading Rag Record LYN 770/771 UK)
* 1967 – "Devil's Grip" b/w "Give Him a Flower" ([[The Crazy World of Arthur Brown]]) ([[Track Records]] 604008 UK)
* 1968 – "[[Fire (Arthur Brown song)|Fire]]" b/w "Rest Cure" (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown) (Track 604022 UK), ([[Atlantic Records]] 2556 US), (Polydor 541012 Can)
* 1968 – "Nightmare" b/w "Music Man" (aka "What's Happening") (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown) (Track 604026 UK)(Polydor 541022 Can / #68 Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5874.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles – December 23, 1968|website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca}}</ref>)
* 1968 – "[[I Put a Spell on You]]" b/w "Nightmare" (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown) (Track 2582 US)
* 1971 – "Eternal Messenger" b/w "I.D. Side to be B Side the C Side" (Kingdom Come) ([[Polydor Records]] 2001 234 UK)
* 1973 – "Spirit of Joy" b/w "Come Alive" (Polydor 2001 416 UK)
* 1974 – "Gypsies" b/w "Dance" (Gull Records GULS 4 UK)
* 1975 – "[[We've Gotta Get Out of This Place]]" b/w "Here I Am" (Gull GULS 13 UK)
* 1976 – "Ooh, It Takes Two to Tango " b/w "Rocking the Boat" (Arthur Brown & Aliki Ashman) (Electric INT 111.352 GER)

=== Soundtrack contributions ===
* 1966 – ''The Game Is Over'' (two songs)
* 1975 – [[Tommy (1975 film)|Tommy]]

=== Other contributions ===
* 1974 – ''[[Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters]]'' ([[Robert Calvert]])
* 1976 – ''[[Tales of Mystery and Imagination (Alan Parsons Project album)|Tales of Mystery and Imagination]]'' ([[the Alan Parsons Project]])
* 1979 – ''[[Dune (Klaus Schulze album)|Dune]]'' ([[Klaus Schulze]])
* 1979 – ''[[Time Actor]]'' ([[Richard Wahnfried]])
* 1980 – ''[[...Live...]]'' (Klaus Schulze)
* 1994 – ''Vicar'' (Green Machine)
* 1994 – ''Sonic Lobotomy'' (Green Machine)
* 1998 – ''[[The Chemical Wedding (Bruce Dickinson album)|The Chemical Wedding]]'' ([[Bruce Dickinson]])
* 1999 – ''[[Resurrection (Pretty Things album)|Resurrection]]'' ([[Pretty Things]])
* 2000 – ''[[Curly's Airships]]'' ([[Judge Smith]])
* 2007 – ''Fifteen Years After'' ([[All Living Fear]])
* 2013 – ''Friends for a Livetime'' (the Hamburg Blues Band)
* 2014 – ''Journey in Time'' (Victor Peraino's Kingdom Come)

== Selected filmography ==
* 1968 – [[The Committee (film)|The Committee]]
* 1973 – [[Superstars in Concert]] also known as ''Sound of the City: London 1964-1973''
* 1975 – [[Tommy (1975 film)|Tommy]]

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{reflist|group=N}}

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}
Marshall, Polly. ''The God of Hellfire, the Crazy Life and Times of Arthur Brown.'' SAF Publishing, 2005. {{ISBN|0-946719-77-2}}.
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20161018005702/http://www.arthur-brown.com/ Arthur Brown Official website]
* [http://thegodofhellfire.com/ The God of Hell Fire Official website]
* {{Discogs artist|Arthur Brown}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0113062}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkneJrje7pI Arthur Brown's YouTube channel] 

{{UK underground}}
{{The Foundations}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Arthur}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Reading]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of London]]
[[Category:English experimental musicians]]
[[Category:English male singers]]
[[Category:English soul singers]]
[[Category:English rock singers]]
[[Category:English male songwriters]]
[[Category:People from Whitby]]
[[Category:Progressive rock musicians]]
[[Category:Psychedelic rock musicians]]
[[Category:Psychedelic soul musicians]]
[[Category:The Ramong Sound members]]
[[Category:The Foundations members]]
[[Category:People educated at Roundhay School]]
[[Category:The Crazy World of Arthur Brown members]]
[[Category:Track Records artists]]