Alien Sex Fiend recorded a cassette (The Lewd, the Mad, the Ugly and Old Nick) with Youth of Killing Joke, which brought them to the attention of the UK music press, along with the appearance of their track "R.I.P." on the Batcave club compilation, The Batcave: Young Limbs and Numb Hymns 1983, released by London Records in 1983.
They signed to the Cherry Red sub-label Anagram Records, releasing their first single, "Ignore the Machine", in August 1983. The single was immediately successful on the UK Independent Chart, reaching No. 6. Their debut studio album, Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain, was released by Anagram on 1 November 1983, followed by Acid Bath in 1984. They released the world's first 11" single, "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)", that October.
The band also recorded two BBC Peel Sessions in 1984. At the May session, they recorded "Attack!!!", "Dead and Buried", "Ignore the Machine" and "Hee Haw"; at the August session, "In God We Trust", "E.S.T. (Trip to the Moon)" and "Boneshaker Baby".
In October 1985, their third studio album Maximum Security reached No. 100 on the UK Albums Chart and remained there for the week of 12 October. They also had two top 100 singles with "Dead and Buried" in August 1984 (No. 91) and a reissued "Ignore the Machine" in March 1985 (No. 99). Throughout the early 1980s, their work was frequently in the UK Indie Chart and remained a fixture on American college radio.
The band also became popular in Japan, and in 1985, they released a live album recorded there, Liquid Head in Tokyo. Freshwater left later in 1985, and the band continued as a trio, supporting Alice Cooper on his "The Nightmare Returns" tour in 1986 and releasing "It" the Album that October. The band was reduced to a duo of the Wades when James left following the release of 1987's Here Cum Germs.
In early 1988, the band, as the Dynamic Duo, recorded a one-off 12" single "Batman Theme" with recording and live engineer Len Davies, before continuing as Alien Sex Fiend, incorporating electronics and sampling even more into their sound on the album Another Planet, released in November 1988. They reverted to a four-piece with the 1989 addition of two prior guest collaborators, drummer/guitarist Andrew Wilson (a.k.a. Rat Fink Jr., formerly of the Turnpike Cruisers) and keyboardist/guitarist Simon "Doc" Milton, who made their official debut on that year's Too Much Acid? double-live album. Their seventh studio album, Curse, was released in October 1990.
Fink and Milton departed in 1992, following that year's Open Head Surgery album and its subsequent tour (documented on The Altered States of America live album).
The Wades then became a duo once again and provided the soundtrack for the Digital Image Design game Inferno in 1994.
In the mid 1990s, the band's video for "Zombified" appeared on the MTV show, Beavis and Butthead, subjected to their usual commentary.
In 1996, the Wades launched their own 13th Moon label, issuing three further albums: Nocturnal Emissions (1997), Information Overload (2004) and Death Trip (2010).
On 9 November 2018, Alien Sex Fiend released Possessed, their first album in eight years, on Cherry Red.
Music style
Alien Sex Fiend has been described as gothic rock, deathrock and industrial. Glenn Danzig has cited the group's sonorous and echoing sounds as having influenced the mixing for several of the recordings for his group Samhain.
Later projects
Fink published a book in 2000, Once Upon a Fiend, recalling his experiences in the band. He later drummed for Blackpool bands United States of Mind and Dog Food before joining Uncle Fester in 1999, who changed their name to UFX in 2006. Fink currently serves as frontman of Vince Ripper and the Rodent Show, a duo also featuring Vince "Ripper" Cornwall. They perform Alien Sex Fiend and the Cramps material, and have released two albums, It's Fun to Be a Monster and Boneyard a Go Go!!!.
Albums
Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain (1983)
Acid Bath (1984)
Maximum Security (1985)
"It" the Album (1986)
Here Cum Germs (1987)
Another Planet (1988)
Curse (1990)
Open Head Surgery (1992)
Inferno (1994)
Nocturnal Emissions (1997)
Information Overload (2004)
Death Trip (2010)
Possessed (2018)
I Think I
Alien Sex Fiend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into drive, my gear's been shifted
You're blinded while I cruise along
And the radio plays that familiar song
I-I-I-I I think I love you
Oh! the pain
I-I-I-I I think I love you
Since I met you girl my heart's on fire
Endless days and nights you lead me to perspire
My pulse is beating fast, my pressure's getting higher
It's liable to explode in fountains of desire
When I met you girl I was feeling blue
Hanging around in life's ugly zoo
Then you picked me up and you dusted me down
When you ain't around girl - it's no fun
I-I-I-I I think I love you
Oooooh! the pain
I-I-I-I I think I love you
With all of my brain
I think - I think - I think
I think - I think - I think I love you
I think I love you.
The opening lines of Alien Sex Fiend's song, I Think I, describe the sensation of awakening from a state of numbness or unconsciousness. The line "the pennies on my eyes have just been lifted" is a reference to the practice of placing coins on the eyes of the dead as a symbol of passing from life to death. By having the "pennies" lifted, the singer suggests that they have been brought back to life. This idea of awakening is further reinforced by the line "into drive, my gear's been shifted", which suggests the start of a journey or a new phase in life.
The focus of the song then turns to a person who has had a profound impact on the singer's life. The lines "since I met you girl my heart's on fire" and "endless days and nights you lead me to perspire" suggest a passionate, perhaps even obsessive, love. The singer's physical responses - a racing pulse and elevated blood pressure - indicate the intensity of their feelings.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "I think I love you", which could suggest uncertainty or a lack of clarity regarding the singer's feelings. However, the addition of the phrase "with all of my brain" implies a certain level of rationality or thoughtfulness in their decision to love. Overall, the song describes the experience of coming back to life and the intensity of a passionate love, while also acknowledging the potential pain and uncertainty that comes with that love.
Line by Line Meaning
The pennies on my eyes have just been lifted
I was blinded before, but now I see clearly
Into drive, my gear's been shifted
I'm ready to move forward and accelerate
You're blinded while I cruise along
You're left behind as I confidently continue on my path
And the radio plays that familiar song
I'm enjoying the comfort of something familiar during my journey
I-I-I-I I think I love you
I'm feeling strongly for you
Oh! the pain
My emotions are intense and overwhelming
With all of my brain
My love for you is all-encompassing and consuming
Since I met you girl my heart's on fire
Ever since I met you, I've been filled with passion
Endless days and nights you lead me to perspire
Being with you causes me to feel excited and exert myself
My pulse is beating fast, my pressure's getting higher
My physical reactions to you are intense and escalating
It's liable to explode in fountains of desire
My arousal is building and could lead to a release of passion
When I met you girl I was feeling blue
I was sad and disheartened before I met you
Hanging around in life's ugly zoo
I was surrounded by unpleasant circumstances and people
Then you picked me up and you dusted me down
You lifted me out of my despair and helped me feel better
When you ain't around girl - it's no fun
Life is dull and unexciting without you
I think - I think - I think
I'm contemplating my feelings
I think - I think - I think I love you
I've come to the realization that I love you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ARNE DRESCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind