Welcome to My Nightmare
Encyclopedia
Welcome to My Nightmare is the eighth album by Alice Cooper
, released in 1975. This was Alice Cooper's first solo album
(all previous Alice Cooper releases were band
efforts). The cover artwork was created by Drew Struzan
for Pacific Eye & Ear. Rolling Stone
would later rank it as one of the "Top 100 Album Covers Of All Time".
Welcome to My Nightmare is a concept album
. The songs, heard in sequence, form a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven
.
Welcome to My Nightmare inspired the Alice Cooper: The Nightmare
TV special and a worldwide concert tour in 1975, and the Welcome To My Nightmare
concert film
in 1976.
The song Welcome to my Nightmare is a parody of the 1968 novel "There's a Nightmare in My Closet" by Mercer Mayer
.
Famed film actor of the Horror genre Vincent Price
provided the introductory monologue in the song "The Black Widow".
The remastered CD version adds three alternate version bonus tracks.
In 2011, the sequel Welcome 2 My Nightmare
was released.
Singles
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, released in 1975. This was Alice Cooper's first solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
(all previous Alice Cooper releases were band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
efforts). The cover artwork was created by Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan is an American artist known for his more than 150 movie posters, which include all the films in the Indiana Jones, Back to the Future and Star Wars film series. He has also painted album covers, collectibles, and book covers.- Early life and education :Drew Struzan was born in Oregon...
for Pacific Eye & Ear. Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
would later rank it as one of the "Top 100 Album Covers Of All Time".
Welcome to My Nightmare is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
. The songs, heard in sequence, form a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven
Steven (Alice Cooper character)
Steven is a fictional character invented by the rock artist Alice Cooper. He appears on the albums Welcome To My Nightmare , Alice Cooper Goes to Hell , DaDa , Hey Stoopid , The Last Temptation , Dragontown , Along Came A Spider , and Welcome 2 My Nightmare .- Welcome to My Nightmare :Steven...
.
Welcome to My Nightmare inspired the Alice Cooper: The Nightmare
Alice Cooper: The Nightmare
Alice Cooper: The Nightmare was a conceptual television special showcasing the music of the Welcome To My Nightmare album by Alice Cooper. It originally broadcast in America on April 25, 1975 on ABC....
TV special and a worldwide concert tour in 1975, and the Welcome To My Nightmare
Welcome to My Nightmare (film)
Welcome to My Nightmare is a 1976 music concert film of Alice Cooper's show of the same name, produced, directed and choreographed by David Winters...
concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
in 1976.
The song Welcome to my Nightmare is a parody of the 1968 novel "There's a Nightmare in My Closet" by Mercer Mayer
Mercer Mayer
Mercer Mayer is an American children's book writer and illustrator. He has published over 300 books using a wide range of illustrative styles...
.
Famed film actor of the Horror genre Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
provided the introductory monologue in the song "The Black Widow".
The remastered CD version adds three alternate version bonus tracks.
In 2011, the sequel Welcome 2 My Nightmare
Welcome 2 My Nightmare
Welcome 2 My Nightmare is the 26th studio album by Alice Cooper, following his 2008 album Along Came a Spider.The idea for the album came about soon after the thirtieth anniversary of the original Welcome to My Nightmare album, while Cooper was talking with producer Bob Ezrin, who proposed the idea...
was released.
Track listing
- "Welcome to My NightmareWelcome to My Nightmare (song)"Welcome to My Nightmare" is the title track to Alice Cooper's eighth studio album. It peaked at 45 on The Billboard Hot 100. The song itself mixes elements from disco, jazz, hard rock, and keeps a "heavy-yet-funky beat". Alice would later perform the song on The Muppet Show. The tune was placed...
" (Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Dick WagnerDick WagnerDick Wagner Dick Wagner Dick Wagner (born December 14, 1943, in Oelwein, Iowa is an American rock music guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and KISS.-Performing career:...
) – 5:19 - "Devil's Food" (Cooper, Bob EzrinBob EzrinRobert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
, Kelley Jay) – 3:38 - "The Black Widow" (Cooper, Wagner, Ezrin) – 3:37
- "Some Folks" (Cooper, Ezrin, Alan GordonAlan Gordon (songwriter)Alan Gordon was an American songwriter best known for songs recorded by The Turtles, Petula Clark, and Barbra Streisand...
) – 4:19 - "Only Women BleedOnly Women Bleed"Only Women Bleed" is a song written by the musicians Alice Cooper and Dick Wagner. It is a ballad about a woman in an abusive marriage.It is one of Cooper's biggest hits, reaching #1 on the Canadian RPM national singles chart and #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1975. It is from...
" (Cooper, Wagner) – 5:49 - "Department of YouthDepartment of Youth (song)"Department of Youth" is a song by rock musician Alice Cooper featured on his Welcome to My Nightmare album. The song peaked at 67 on The Billboard Hot 100 Chart.-Notable Covers:Pretty Boy Floyd covered the song on their album Porn Stars....
" (Cooper, Wagner, Ezrin) – 3:18 - "Cold Ethyl" (Cooper, Ezrin) – 2:51
- "Years Ago" (Cooper, Wagner) – 2:51
- "Steven" (Cooper, Ezrin) – 5:52
- "The Awakening" (Cooper, Wagner, Ezrin) – 2:25
- "Escape" (Cooper, Mark Anthony, Kim FowleyKim FowleyKim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
) – 3:20
2002 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "Devils' Food" (Alternate Version) - 5:13
- "Cold Ethyl" (Alternate Version) - 2:56
- "The Awakening" (Alternate Version) - 4:20
Personnel
- Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
- Vocals - Bob EzrinBob EzrinRobert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
- Synthesizer, Arranger, Keyboards, Vocals, Producer, Fender Rhodes, Remixing, Mixing, Remix Producer - Vincent PriceVincent PriceVincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
- Special Effects, Vocals - Dick WagnerDick WagnerDick Wagner Dick Wagner Dick Wagner (born December 14, 1943, in Oelwein, Iowa is an American rock music guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and KISS.-Performing career:...
- Electric and Acoustic Guitar, Vocals - Steve HunterSteve Hunter (guitarist)Steve "The Deacon" Hunter, born June 14, 1948, in Decatur, Illinois, is an American guitarist best known for his collaborations with Lou Reed and Alice Cooper. He first played with Mitch Ryder's Detroit, beginning a long association with record producer Bob Ezrin.In the 1970s, he appeared on five...
- Electric and Acoustic Guitar - Josef Chirowski - Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocals, Clavinet, Fender Rhodes
- Prakash JohnPrakash JohnPrakash John is a Canadian rock bassist.Born in Bombay, India, John was a student at the Cathedral and John Connon School, enrolling at the age of four in 1951. He migrated to Toronto in 1960....
- Bass - Tony LevinTony LevinTony Levin is an American progressive rock musician, specializing in bass guitar, Chapman stick and upright bass ....
- Bass - Pentti "Whitey" GlanPentti GlanPentti Glan a.k.a. Pentti “Whitey” Glan is a Finnish drummer born on July 8, 1946 and best known for his work with Alice Cooper.-Musical career:...
- Drums - Johnny "Bee" Badanjek - Drums
- Greg Allen - Art Direction, Design
- Craig Anderson - Mastering
- Bob Brown - Second Unit Director
- Spencer Chrislu - Author
- David Ezrin - Vocals
- Jim Frank - Engineer
- Dan Hersch - Mastering
- Bill Inglot - Mastering
- Bret Lopez - Photography
- Gary Lyons - Vocals
- Allan MacMillan - Arranger
- Toby B. Mamis - Project Assistant
- Brian Nelson - Project Assistant
- Jeffrey MorganJeffrey MorganJeffrey Morgan is a Canadian writer, musician, photographer, and poet who lives in Toronto, Ontario. Morgan is best known for being the authorized biographer of both Alice Cooper and The Stooges.-CREEM:...
- Liner Notes - Rod O'Brien - Engineer
- David Palmer - Engineer
- Phil RamonePhil RamonePhil Ramone is a South-African violinist, composer, recording engineer, and record producer.-Biography:As a young child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Queen Elizabeth II at age ten...
- Engineer - Mike Reese - Mastering
- Michael Sherman - Vocals, Production Assistant
- Ed Sprigg - Engineer
- Corky Stasiak - Engineer
- Julee Stover - Editorial Supervision
- Drew Struzan - Artwork
- Charlie Watts - Mastering
- Gerry Yons - Guitar
- Trish McKinnon
Charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums | 5 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | "Only Women Bleed" (released as "Only Women") | Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| 1975 | "Department of Youth" | Billboard Hot 100 | 67 |
| 1975 | "Welcome to My Nightmare" | Billboard Hot 100 | 45 |