Night of the Living Dead (album)
Encyclopedia
"Night of the Living Dead" is the fourth single by the horror punk
band the Misfits. It was released on October 31, 1979 on singer
Glenn Danzig
's label Plan 9 Records. 2,000 copies of the single were pressed on black 7" vinyl. The night of its release the band performed at Irving Plaza in New York City
and sold the single at the door.
"Night of the Living Dead" is titled after the 1969 horror film of the same name
, and the song's lyrics address the zombie
plot of the film: "You think you're a zombie, you think it's a scene/from some monster magazine/Open your eyes too late/This ain't no fantasy boy". "Where Eagles Dare" shares its title with a 1968 World War II spy film
. "Rat Fink" is a cover
of a song by Allan Sherman
from his 1963 album My Son, the Nut
, which itself is a parody
of "Rag Mop
". It was the only cover song that the Misfits recorded during their early era, though it was credited on the single itself, and on later releases, to Danzig.
s years after the original single went out of print. An alternate version of "Where Eagles Dare" was released on Legacy of Brutality
in 1985, with overdubbed
guitar and bass tracks recorded by Danzig. Different versions of "Night of the Living Dead" and "Where Eagles Dare" appeared on Misfits the following year, while "Rat Fink" appeared on Collection II
in 1995. All three songs appeared, in all of their different versions and recordings, in The Misfits box set in 1996.
on their 1995 album Behind Bars, and by the Troublemakers
on the 2000 Misfits tribute album
Hell on Earth. "Where Eagles Dare" was covered by Therapy?
on the 1997 tribute album Violent World
, by The Robots on Hell on Earth, and by Bratmobile
on their The Real Janelle
EP.
Horror punk
Horror punk is a music genre that mixes Gothic and punk rock sounds with morbid imagery and lyrics, which are often influenced by horror films...
band the Misfits. It was released on October 31, 1979 on singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
's label Plan 9 Records. 2,000 copies of the single were pressed on black 7" vinyl. The night of its release the band performed at Irving Plaza in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and sold the single at the door.
"Night of the Living Dead" is titled after the 1969 horror film of the same name
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
, and the song's lyrics address the zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
plot of the film: "You think you're a zombie, you think it's a scene/from some monster magazine/Open your eyes too late/This ain't no fantasy boy". "Where Eagles Dare" shares its title with a 1968 World War II spy film
Where Eagles Dare
Where Eagles Dare is a 1968 World War II action-adventure spy film starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood and Mary Ure. It was directed by Brian G. Hutton and shot on location in Upper Austria and Bavaria....
. "Rat Fink" is a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a song by Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
from his 1963 album My Son, the Nut
My Son, the Nut
My Son, the Nut is the third album by Allan Sherman, released by Warner Bros. Records in 1963. The album held the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 for nearly two months, from August 31 to October 25, 1963.-Side One:...
, which itself is a parody
Parody music
Parody music, or musical parody, involves changing or recycling existing musical ideas or lyrics — or copying the peculiar style of a composer or artist, or even a general style of music. Although the result is often funny, and this is the usual intent — the term "parody" in musical terms also...
of "Rag Mop
Rag Mop
"Rag Mop" was a popular American song of the late 1940s-early 1950s.The song, a 12-bar blues, was written by Johnnie Lee Wills and Deacon Anderson and published in 1949...
". It was the only cover song that the Misfits recorded during their early era, though it was credited on the single itself, and on later releases, to Danzig.
Re-releases and other versions
Different versions of all three tracks appeared on compilation albumCompilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s years after the original single went out of print. An alternate version of "Where Eagles Dare" was released on Legacy of Brutality
Legacy of Brutality
-Credits:* Glenn Danzig - vocals, guitar and bass on tracks 9, 10, and 13, overdubbed guitar and bass on tracks 1-8, and 11, clapping on track 13* Franché Coma - original guitar for tracks 1-8, and 11* Bobby Steele - original guitar for tracks 9, 10 and 12...
in 1985, with overdubbed
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
guitar and bass tracks recorded by Danzig. Different versions of "Night of the Living Dead" and "Where Eagles Dare" appeared on Misfits the following year, while "Rat Fink" appeared on Collection II
Collection II
Collection II is the companion album to The Misfits' Collection I. Both compilations collect all the early singles and the entire Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood album, and are meant to complement Walk Among Us and Legacy of Brutality with little overlap...
in 1995. All three songs appeared, in all of their different versions and recordings, in The Misfits box set in 1996.
Cover versions
"Night of the Living Dead" was covered by 88 Fingers Louie88 Fingers Louie
88 Fingers Louie is a band from Chicago, Illinois which was formed in 1993.They play a style of hardcore punk, melodic hardcore, and punk rock. In 1993 they released their debut 7", Go Away. After disbanding in 1999, members Joe Principe and Dan Wleklinski went on to form the punk rock band Rise...
on their 1995 album Behind Bars, and by the Troublemakers
Troublemakers (Swedish band)
Troublemakers is a Swedish punk band originally formed in Gothenburg in 1981 with members from Perverts and Göteborg Sound. After a while the band split up in 1991, but reformed in 1995...
on the 2000 Misfits tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
Hell on Earth. "Where Eagles Dare" was covered by Therapy?
Therapy?
Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
on the 1997 tribute album Violent World
Violent World: A Tribute to the Misfits
Violent World: A Tribute to the Misfits is a tribute album to the horror punk band the Misfits released in 1997 by Caroline Records. It features primarily punk rock bands performing cover versions of Misfits songs from the band's early era, 1977 to 1983....
, by The Robots on Hell on Earth, and by Bratmobile
Bratmobile
Bratmobile was an American punk band. Bratmobile was a first-generation "riot grrrl" band, which grew from the Pacific Northwest and Washington, DC underground...
on their The Real Janelle
The Real Janelle
Released in 1994 by Kill Rock Stars, The Real Janelle would become Bratmobile's last studio recording in six years. Though released before The Peel Session, that was recorded a year prior...
EP.
Track listing
Band
- Glenn DanzigGlenn DanzigGlenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Bobby SteeleBobby SteeleBobby Steele is an American punk rock musician. He is the current guitar player, songwriter, and sole original member of punk band The Undead. He has been a member of multiple other bands, most notably, as the second guitarist of The Misfits...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals - Jerry OnlyJerry OnlyJerry Only is an American bassist. He is the current bassist and vocalist for the Misfits. He is credited with creating the infamous hair style known as the devilock.-Life and career:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Joey ImageJoey ImageJoey Image is an American punk rock drummer. He joined the Misfits in November 1978 just before Bobby Steele did. He was the drummer for both the Horror Business and Night of the Living Dead sessions of 1979....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Wayne Vlcan – engineering
- Danny Zelonky – producingRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...