THE DAMNED – THE BLACK ALBUM 2LP – Nr MINT A1 UK 1980 PUNK

The Damned – The Black Album
(Chiswick Records  1980  CWK3015)
Matrix No’s: A1/B2/A1/B2 – UK Pressing

Double Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– some slight wear to edges

The Damned are an English rock band formed in London, England, in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist (and later guitarist) Captain Sensible, and drummer Rat Scabies.

The Black Album was the fourth album by The Damned, and the first to feature Paul Gray on bass guitar.

The Damned’s Chiswick back catalogue was acquired by Big Beat in 1981, and The Black Album was reissued in August 1982 as a single album that omitted “Curtain Call” and the live tracks.

The artwork for the reissue parodied the sleeve of The Beatles’ White Album, rendered in black with no details other than the group’s name embossed in capitals. “It was said that The Beatles had their White Album, we had our Black Album”, says David Vanian. “The sleeve isn’t related to The Beatles in any way”. However, Scabies said: “of course it was to do with The Beatles, I was so sick about the debates of what we should have on the front of it. I said: ‘put the thing in a plain black sleeve and we’ll have a go at The Beatles and The White Album”. The live tracks were reissued in their own right as Live Shepperton 1980 with four extra tracks.

Tracklist

Personnel

• Dave Vanian – Vocals
• Captain Sensible – Electric and Acoustic guitars, Keyboards & Vocals, Lead vocals on “Silly Kids Games”
• Paul Gray – Bass
• Rat Scabies – Drums, guitar on “Drinking About My Baby”