Arthur Brown burst out of obscurity in 1968 with “Fire,” an
energetic fusion of blues, jazz and psychedelia with his over-the-top
vocals invoking the dangers of the dark side. “Fire” launched Arthur to fame worldwide.

He was born in North Yorkshire in 1942. After attending a grammar school Arthur studied at University where he focused on law and
philosophy. His interest in music began to overwhelm his
academic pursuits, and he formed his first band, an R&B combo called Blues and Brown. After a spell in France, where he dabbled in theatre, Arthur returned to the U.K. and worked with a number of groups in London. Not long after Brown left one -the Ramong
Sound, they changed their name to the Foundations and scored international hits with “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You.” Arthur however wasn’t fussed.

He had Kit Lambert and Pete Townshend produce his self-titled debut album from which “Fire” emerged and The God of Hellfire
was born. His band, The Crazy Worldof Arthur Brown was known for its live show, which featured Arthur wearing a helmet
that spat fire. Sometimes he would take to the stage naked and as such became one of the most talked-about characters in British rock.

 In the wake of the success of their debut, the band cut a second album and kept touring; for a short while Carl Palmer took over as drummer. Arthur’s next group’s sound was darker and even
more esoteric than the Crazy World.
Arthur then stepped out as a solo act with 1974’s Dance with Arthur Brown, a more straightforward and accessible album rooted in international rhythms. His public profile got a boost in 1975 when he was cast as the Priest in Ken Russell’s film adaptation of the Who’s rock opera Tommy, which was a major box office success. The following year, he made a guest appearance on Tales of
Mystery and Imagination: Edgar Allan Poe, the debut album from the Alan Parsons Project. In 1979. Klaus Schulze, of Tangerine Dream invited Arthur to lend vocals to some of his work but in the early ’80s, Brown left England to settle in Austin, Texas, where he earned a degree in counseling and opened a music-based practice. He also opened a house painting and carpentry business
with Jimmy Carl Black, a former member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention. For the most part, Arthur had stepped away from music, though he and Jimmy Carl Black did team up again for 1988’s Brown, Black & Blue, a powerful blues-rock set.

The new Crazy World returned for 2003’s Vampire Suite, and Brown became a regular guest at Hawkwind concerts, appearing on their 2006 album Take Me to Your Future. 2008’s The Voice of Love, released under the moniker the Amazing World of Arthur Brown, included guest appearances from Dick Taylor and Mark St.
John of the Pretty Things. A spate of archival live releases dominated Arthurs’s catalogue in the 2010s as he continued to tour extensively, including dates with Carl Palmer’s group ELP
Legacy and Hawkwind. Brown returned to recording with his latest edition of the Crazy World for 2014’s Zim Zam Zim.

Arthur celebrated his 80th birthday in 2022 and
today is in hot demand to play concerts and festivals all over Europe.

We catch up with the iconic artist this week and he regales us with a whole host of interesting stories.

If you’d like to learn more about Arthur Brown head for his website https://www.thegodofhellfire.com/

and if you’d like to get in touch with me – comments, feedback or requests for future guests – don’t hesitate to reach out through my website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

I hope you enjoy the story of The God of Hellfire.

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Sandy Kaye Sandy Kaye

Hello, I’m Sandy Kaye. A freelance broadcaster, journalist and producer who has spent more than 35 years on both sides of radio and television microphones. I’ve worked with every TV network in Australia, have produced and presented for countless radio stations around the country and have hosted my own commercial radio talk-back show. I’ve even held the distinction of being Sydney’s first female newsreader on radio – way back when!

Today my passion is A Breath of Fresh Air which allows me to immerse myself in one of my favourite things – music. I just love all kinds of music and am fascinated by the people who make it. In particular, it’s the music of the '60s '70s and '80s that takes me back to my youth and means so much to me.

As a journalist, I’m all about digging deep into the classic hits of our time.
I bring you intimate, warm, fireside chats with the artists who tell us about their lives both then and now.
We learn about what makes them tick, who they are in their professional and private lives and how they went about making the soundtrack to our lives.

'A Breath of Fresh Air’ is exceptional - exceptional not because of me, but rather because of the stories that some of the best-known musical artists choose to share with me.

I created this podcast to honour them. It’s all about THEIR lives, THEIR stories, THEIR music, told now, in THEIR voices, before they’re lost forever.

I see my podcast as a personal labour of love, but also as an archival legacy for music fans and practitioners alike, both current and future, who otherwise might never know of the amazing people who helped build the industry.

I really hope you enjoy each and every episode of A Breath of Fresh Air.