Strawberries is the fifth album by The Damned, released in October 1982 on Bronze Records

Bronze Records

Bronze Records is an independent English record label set up in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron, and based in Chalk Farm, London.Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up this new label for future Uriah Heep releases, along with Juicy Lucy, Richard Barnes and Colosseum...

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Limited editions included a strawberry scented lyric insert. Captain Sensible

Captain Sensible

Captain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...

 takes prominent backing vocals several times, and takes lead vocals on "Life Goes On" and "Don't Bother Me".

Paul Gray decided to call it quits in February 1983 and Bryn Merrick joined the band to replace Gray for their March 1983 club tour.

Sensible left The Damned after the "Nun Tour" (named for David Vanian's sexy-goth

Gothic rock

Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...

 Nun

Nun

A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...

 dressed back-up singers on the tour) for Strawberries and played a "last gig" (until The Damned's 10th Anniversary gig at Finsbury Park in 1986) at Brockwell Park

Brockwell Park

Brockwell Park is a 50.8 hectare park located between Brixton, Herne Hill and Tulse Hill, bordered by Brixton Water Lane, Norwood Road, Tulse Hill , and Dulwich Road in South London....

 4 August 1984.

Roman Jugg took over Sensible's role on guitar & keyboards. Bronze Records

Bronze Records

Bronze Records is an independent English record label set up in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron, and based in Chalk Farm, London.Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up this new label for future Uriah Heep releases, along with Juicy Lucy, Richard Barnes and Colosseum...

, their label at the time, collapsed and released the band from their contract. The internal strain of the band at this time may have helped them because of the mix of sounds and melodies with various styles created a very diverse style of music. Roman Jugg

Roman Jugg

Roman Jugg is a keyboard player and guitarist. He began his career in the Welsh punk band Victimize in the late 1970s....

 entered the band at this time, and marked the start of the Jugg era, which also lead to further experiments with the band's sound, including loops and sampling

Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

.

On 7 January 2005, Castle Records re-released Strawberries in the United Kingdom on CD.

Track listing

All songs written by Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible

Captain Sensible

Captain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...

, Paul Gray

Paul Gray (musician)

Paul Gray was the second, most well known bassist for the Southend-on-Sea teen rockers Eddie and the Hot Rods, scoring several hit singles and albums in the late 1970s, including "Do Anything You Wanna Do". In early 1980, he was recruited to join the punk rock band The Damned to replace Algy Ward...

 and Rat Scabies

Rat Scabies

Christopher Millar , better known by his stage name Rat Scabies, is a musician best known for his tenure as the drummer for The Damned....

, except where noted.

1. "Ignite" – 4:53
2. "Generals" – 3:24
3. "Stranger on the Town" (Ray Burns, Gray, Scabies, Vanian) – 5:14
4. "Dozen Girls" – 4:34
5. "The Dog" – 7:25
6. "Gun Fury (of Riot Forces)" – 2:57
7. "Pleasure and the Pain" (Gray) – 4:23
8. "Life Goes On" (Sensible, Gray, Scabies, Vanian) – 4:09
9. "Bad Time for Bonzo" – 3:29
10. "Under the Floor Again" (Burns, Scabies, Vanian) – 5:29
11. "Don't Bother Me" (Sensible, Gray, Scabies, Vanian) – 2:10

US CD bonus tracks

12. "Disguise" - 3:28
13. "Citadel Zombies" - 1:58
14. "Take That" - 2:47
15. "Mine's a Large One Landlord" - 1:16
16. "Torture Me" - 1:24

Deluxe Edition CD bonus tracks

12. "The Missing Link" - 0:30
13. "Lovely Money" [Extended Version] - 6:56
14. "I Think I'm Wonderful" - 2:55
15. "Take That" - 2:47
16. "Mine's a Large One Landlord" - 1:16
17. "Torture Me" - 1:24
18. "Disguise" - 3:28
19. "Rat vs. The Omni" - 0:45
20. "Citadel Zombies" - 1:58
21. "Bimbo Jingle" - 0:08

Personnel

• Dave Vanian - Vocals
• Captain Sensible
  Captain Sensible
  Captain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...
  
   - Guitars, keyboards, vocals
• Paul Gray
  Paul Gray (musician)
  Paul Gray was the second, most well known bassist for the Southend-on-Sea teen rockers Eddie and the Hot Rods, scoring several hit singles and albums in the late 1970s, including "Do Anything You Wanna Do". In early 1980, he was recruited to join the punk rock band The Damned to replace Algy Ward...
  
   - Bass
• Roman Jugg
  Roman Jugg
  Roman Jugg is a keyboard player and guitarist. He began his career in the Welsh punk band Victimize in the late 1970s....
  
   - Keyboard solos
• Rat Scabies
  Rat Scabies
  Christopher Millar , better known by his stage name Rat Scabies, is a musician best known for his tenure as the drummer for The Damned....
  
  - Drums, synthesizer