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)
Lips Can
Alien Sex Fiend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swing low, sweet chariot...
Coming to carry me home...
I'm an ape ape ape APE...
The lyrics to "Lips Can" by Alien Sex Fiend are intriguing and open to interpretation. Starting with "Heavenly body in the sky," the lyrics seem to allude to the idea of space and the vastness of the universe. The idea of a "sweet chariot" carrying the singer home could be seen as a metaphor for death and the afterlife. This is also indicated by the repetition of the word "ape," which could symbolize the primal and animalistic nature of life and death.
However, the lyrics can also be interpreted as a commentary on human desire and sexuality. The lines "Lips can, teeth can, tongues can thrust, hips can grind" suggest a focus on physical pleasure and bodily sensations. The repeated use of the word "can" implies the idea of choice and control, highlighting the power that individuals have over their own desires.
Overall, the lyrics to "Lips Can" are both cryptic and provocative, leaving room for individual interpretation and reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
Heavenly body in the sky...
A celestial entity is present in the sky, suggesting a divine or otherworldly experience.
Swing low, sweet chariot...
A reference to a popular African American spiritual song, with the 'chariot' being a metaphorical vehicle to transport the singer to a better place.
Coming to carry me home...
The singer expresses a desire to be taken away from their current predicament and brought to a more positive and comforting space.
I'm an ape ape ape APE...
The artist identifies themselves as being primitive or animalistic, possibly due to feeling disconnected from society or their own humanity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTINE ELIZABETH MARY WADE, DAVID JOHN JAMES, JOHN ROBERT FRESHWATER, NICHOLAS IAN WADE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
you dont know
The fiends are still, after a lot of years :-), still, and I think will always be, one of my favourite bands. You get a very special atmosphere by hearing these fantastic, non mainstream, songs. They are real unique :-)
nacho llandres
El mejor grupo de la Historia....sin palabras
Edward Smith
I lost my ASF virginity to this piece of electronic brilliance when John Peel played it back in 1983 (I think). Absolutely FRESH even today!
JOAQUIM CRAVEIRO
I lost it to "Dead and Buried"
lr musikstomper
me to 1983
Patricia Young
One of my fave ASF tracks-'who's been sleeping in my brain' is a good album.
Giuseppe Gambini
Banda gótica y de deathrock
Vivi Swithin
adore those guys!
Ivy Ahrens-Konig
his voice reminds me of alice cooper, in a way. i love it! :D
Ralle9007
This Debut was produced by...YEAH! The Mighty Youth of the Mighty Mighty KILLING JOKE! Great work!