Beat the Devil

When the Damned split up in 1989, lead singer David Vanian formed the Phantom Chords. Their first single, a cover of ‘Johnny Remember Me’ was issued in 1990 and their version of ‘Town Without Pity’ followed in 1992. It was not until 1995 that a Phantom Chords album was finally released by Big Beat records showcasing the panache and power of a group that melded together rockabilly and gothic rock. At that time, 14 tracks like ‘Voodoo Doll’, ‘Big Town’, ‘Fever In My Blood’, ‘Jezebel’, ‘Chase The Wild Wind’ and ‘Swamp Thing’ were a mixture of covers and original material and with vinyl sales in terminal decline was a CD-only release. Now, nearly three decades later, with vinyl back with a bang, “David Vanian And The Phantom Chords” is finally issued on vinyl by Ace Records as a 2-LP set.