Fan the Flame (Part 1)

Studio album by Dead or Alive

***Fan the Flame (Part 1)*** is the fifth studio album from dance music band Dead or Alive and was released in 1990. Epic Records released *Fan the Flame (Part 1)* in Japan only. Epic/Sony exclusively issued the Promo LP to select DJs and the album was never commercially released on vinyl before 2016. The album remained an exclusive in this territory until the worldwide release of the Sophisticated Boom Box MMXVI compilation box set in 2016.

During an interview with Pete Burns on the English show Swing Shift in 1991, he declared that the album would be available in the United States between March and April that year, and would be available in the United Kingdom, but nothing came of it.

The album contains a slight change in musical style for Dead or Alive, best known for Hi-NRG and dance-pop songs. *Fan the Flame (Part 1)* contains more mid-tempo songs and melancholy lyrical content. The male background vocals on "Total Stranger" were performed by British pop band Londonbeat and the London Community Gospel Choir provided backing vocals for "Unhappy Birthday".“Fan the flame” comes from the song "Total Stranger"

The songs "Unhappy Birthday" and "Gone 2 Long" were later re-recorded as uptempo dance tracks for Dead or Alive's next album *Nukleopatra*.

*Fan the Flame (Part 2)* was recorded but never released, but it exists as the acoustic album *Love, Pete*, which was made available during a US personal appearance tour in 1992 and has since been widely bootlegged with the title *Fan the Flame (Part 2): The Acoustic Sessions*. In his autobiography Pete Burns strongly criticizes its subsequent illegal distribution and those fans who continue to buy it.

In Japan they released the singles "Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness)" (JPN#3), "Unhappy Birthday" (JPN#14) and "Gone 2 Long" (JPN#18). The album peaked at number 27 on the Japanese Albums Chart.

In 2020 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the album's release, a vinyl edition will be released worldwide.

## Track listing

### CD and LP (1990):

1. Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness)
2. Unhappy Birthday
3. Gone 2 Long
4. Total Stranger
5. Lucky Day
6. What Have U Done (2 Make Me Change)
7. And Then I Met U
8. Blue Christmas

### CD and LP (2016):

1. Fan the Flame (feat. Gina X) *Not on LP*
2. Unhappy Birthday
3. Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness)
4. Gone 2 Long
5. Total Stranger
6. Lucky Day
7. What Have U Done (2 Make Me Change)
8. And Then I Met U
9. Blue Christmas
10. Total Stranger (Remix) *Not on LP*
11. Unhappy Birthday (Heavy Metal Version) *Not on LP*
12. Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness) [Instrumental] *Not on LP*

### Digital Download ("Deluxe Edition") (2020):

1. Fan the Flame (feat. Gina X)
2. Unhappy Birthday
3. Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness)
4. Gone 2 Long
5. Total Stranger
6. Luck Day
7. What Have U Done (2 Make Me Change)
8. And Then I Met U
9. Blue Christmas
10. Total Stranger (Remix)
11. Unhappy Birthday (Heavy Metal Version)
12. Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness) [Instrumental]
13. Medley: Turn Around and Count 2 Ten/Blue Christmas/Your Sweetness (Accapella Live in Nagoya, Japan, 29th November 1990)

### LP 30th Anniversary (2020):

#### Side A:

1. Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness)
2. Unhappy Birthday
3. Gone 2 Long
4. Total Stranger

#### Side B:

1. Lucky Day
2. What Have U Done (2 Make Me Change)
3. And Then I Met U
4. Blue Christmas

## Personnel

* Pete Burns - Vocals
* Steve Coy - Drums, Keyboard, Bass guitar, Guitars

### Additional Heading:

* Peter Oxendale - Keyboards
* Billy Currie - Electric Viola
* Tracey Ackerman - Backing Vocals
* Londonbeat - Backing Vocals (Male)
* London Community Gospel Choir - Backing Vocals (Aditional)
* Tim Weidner - Co-producer
* Mickey Mulligan - Engineer (Aditional)

## Fan the Flame (Part II)

Bootleg mastered from the acoustic tapes "Love, Pete”. This is not the album that was intended to be released with the same title. A partial track listing for "Fan The Flame (Part II)" (as originally intended) has been compiled from various sources:

* I Don't Care About Your Heart
* My Love's On The Line (Let Me Tell U A Secret)
* I Want To Sleep With You (later recorded as "Sleep With You" for "Nukleopatra".)
* The Right Stuff (also re-recorded for "Nukleopatra")
* I'm In Ecstasy (When You Lay Down Next To Me) (A cover of the Barry White song)
* My Funny Valentine (a recorded version was performed at some of the 1992 concerts in the USA but it is not known if it was intended for release on the album.)

## Singles

* Your Sweetness (Is Your Weakness)
* Gone 2 Long
* Unhappy Birthday

## Gallery

Front coverBack coverObiCDBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletBookletPromo vinylPromo vinylPromo vinylPromo vinyl2016 cover2020 (30th Anniversary White Vinyl)