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Alice's first solo album highlights his love of the macabre and musical theatre. Designed as the soundtrack to a TV special and the forthcoming tour, the album moves between the hard rock of 'Black Widow' and the jazzy 'Some Folks' effortlessly creating what for many is Alice Cooper's greatest album. Along the way 'Steven' is one of the all time classic Cooper epics and 'Only Women Bleed' a delicate ballad that rises and falls to great effect. Many fans moan about the absence of the original group, but with material and performances this strong is hard to fault anything else. Essential. |
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Rhino released a remastered version in 2002 adding:
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Musicians
- Alice Cooper - Vocals
- Dick Wagner - Guitars
- Steve (Deacon) Hunter - Guitars
- Prakash John - Bass
- Tony Levin - Bass
- Whitey Glan - Drums
- Johnny (Bee) Badanjek - Drums
- Jozef Chirowski - Keyboards, Clavinet, Vocals, Fender Rhoads
- Bob Ezrin - Keyboards, Fender Rhoads
- David Ezrin and the Summerhill Children's Choir - Vocals
- Vincent Price - The Curator
- Michael Sherman - Vocals
- Gerry Lyons - Vocals
- Trish McKinnon - Mom
Sleeve Notes
Produced By Bob Ezrin
Recorded at:
- Soundstage Toronto by Dave Palmer and Jim Frank
- Record Plant East and Electric Lady New York by Ed Sprigg, Dave Palmer, Corky Stasiak and Rod O'Brien
- A&R Studios, New York by the incredible Phil Ramone
Arranged by Bob Ezrin and Allan Macmillan.
Graphics concept and design by Pacific Eye and Ear.
Illustration by Drew Struzan
Photography by Bret Lopez.
Known Releases
Country |
Format |
Number |
Date |
Chart |
Label |
Notes |
USA |
LP |
SD 18130 |
2/75 |
5 |
Atlantic(green white & Red) |
inner sleeve |
USA |
Cass |
? |
2/75 |
5 |
Atlantic |
|
USA |
8track |
8X-ANCL 2011 |
2/75 |
5 |
Atlantic |
|
USA |
CD |
ATL 19157.2 |
10/90 |
|
Atlantic |
|
USA |
Cass |
ATL 19157.4 |
10/90 |
|
Atlantic |
|
USA |
LP |
MFSL 1-063 |
80 |
|
Warner Bros |
Mobile Fidelity Half Speed re-master |
USA |
CD |
|
|
|
Atlantic |
Remaster |
UK |
LP |
ANCL 2011 |
3/75 |
19 |
Anchor |
|
UK |
Cass |
? |
3/75 |
19 |
Anchor |
|
UK |
CD |
|
|
|
Atlantic |
Remaster |
Argentina |
LP |
WB 8121 |
3/75 |
|
Anchor (Black label) |
inner sleeve |
Argentina |
LP |
WB 8121 |
3/75 |
|
Anchor (White label) |
Promo |
Australia |
LP |
ANCH 2011 |
3/75 |
5 |
Anchor (Black Label) |
inner sleeve |
Australia |
LP |
ANCH 2011 |
3/75 |
5 |
Anchor White Label |
inner sheet |
Australia |
LP |
99237 |
? |
|
Cream WEA Label |
inner sleeve |
Australia |
LP |
? |
? |
|
Red WEA Label |
inner sleeve |
Australia |
Cass |
? |
? |
|
Anchor |
|
Australia |
CD |
WAR 7815422 |
90 |
|
Warner Bros |
|
Belgium |
LP |
4C062-96350 |
3/75 |
|
Anchor |
|
France |
LP |
68051 |
3/75 |
|
Anchor (Black Label) |
Gatefold Sleeve |
Germany |
LP |
1C062-96350 |
3/75 |
|
Anchor |
There is also a vinyl reissue on Atlantic, made in Germany |
Germany |
LP |
? |
|
|
Atlantic |
Reissue |
Germany |
CD |
ATLA 781542-2 |
1/88 |
|
Atlantic |
Also distributed in France |
Germany |
Cass |
ATLA 781542-4 |
1/88 |
|
Atlantic |
Also distributed in France |
Greece |
LP |
? |
? |
|
Warner Brothers (Red Green and Yellow Label) |
|
Canada |
LP |
SD 18130 |
? |
|
Warner Brothers (Red Green and Yellow Label) |
Inner Sleeve |
Canada |
CD |
WARN CD 19157 |
10/97 |
|
Warner Bros |
|
Canada |
Cass |
WARN AC18130 |
10/97 |
|
Warner Bros |
|
Japan |
LP |
? |
? |
|
White Victor Label |
Plain White Sleeve |
Japan |
LP |
? |
? |
|
Black Anchor Label |
Japanese insert |
Japan |
LP |
IPS-80182 |
75 |
|
White Promo Anchor Label |
Promo |
Korea |
LP |
? |
? |
|
White Label |
Back Cover is Yellow with Lyrics |
Mexico |
LP |
? |
? |
|
Black Anchor Label |
Titles in Spanish and English |
New Zealand |
LP |
? |
? |
|
Black Anchor Label |
Inner Sheet |
Philippines |
LP |
ANCL-2011 |
1975 |
|
Black Anchor Label |
|
Russia |
LP |
n94 RAT 30765 |
? |
|
Red Label (no company name) |
|
Spain |
LP |
? |
? |
|
Black Anchor Label |
English and Spanish Titles |
Uruguay |
LP |
? |
? |
|
Bone EMI label |
English and Spanish Titles |
Taiwan |
LP |
FL-2573 |
? |
|
Red and Silver First Label |
Cover is paper cover |
The Album
- The reason for 'Welcome to my Nightmare' being on ATLANTIC [Anchor in Europe] instead of Warner Brother is, briefly, because it was Alice's first solo album and also it had to do with it being considered something of a soundtrack album (for the TV special.) Beyond that, just record company politics.
(Renfield, October 1995)
"I wrote all the music for ['Only Women Bleed'] in 1968 when I was still with The Frost, and it had completely different lyrics. Then, when Alice and I sat down and began writing for the 'Welcome To My Nightmare' record, I played him that song, and he agreed that the lyrics weren't that good. So we wrote new lyrics, and he had this title, 'Only Women Bleed,' so that became the song."
(Dick Wagner)
According to one document, the Vincent Price spoken selection was entitled, "Jolly MacAmbre Tour Guide at the Pasadena Palace of Insects".
(Renfield, November 1997)
Alice has said in interviews that he gets a lot of inspiration from the TV. Like "Only Women Bleed". The title came from something that someone said on TV that sounded like that but wasn't.
In an interview, Alice said that the voices in the background of 'Years Ago' was some old audio footage of a supposed exorcism.
Anthony and Fowley sued Randy Bachman of Bachman Turner Overdrive because his song 'Down The Line' sounded like 'Escape' (Alice was not involved as he wrote the lyrics). They settled out of court and he added their names to the publishing.
The Tour
Welcome to My Nightmare 1975
- Dick Wagner - guitar
- Steve Hunter - guitar
- Prakash John - bass
- Penti 'Whitey' Glan - drums
- Jozef Chirowski - keyboards
- Sheryl G. Goddard - dancer
- Robin Blythe - dancer
- Uchi Sugiyami - dancer
- Eugene Montoya - dancer
The band is the same band that featured with Lou Reed during his 'Berlin' Period.
Setlist
- Welcome To My Nightmare
- Years Ago-No More Mr. Nice Guy
- Years Ago-Billion Dollar Babies
- Years Ago-I'm Eighteen
- Years Ago-Instrumental intro to Some Folks
- Cold Ethyl
- Only Women Bleed
- Devil's Food-The Black Widow
- Steven
- Welcome To My Nightmare (reprise)
- The Awakening
- Escape
- School's Out
- Department of Youth
The show was produced and choreographed by Daid Winters who according to Alice was the guy who played 'Action' in the movie 'West Side story' (however according to the Internet Movie Database that was Tony Mordente!).
During the tour the band traveled on the ACII, a F-27 Electra Jet.