“He listened to the first two tunes, picked up the album and smashed it against the wall. It was the only one we had!” This 1968 hit made a prog pioneer into a global star – but even he didn’t like it at first

English singer-songwriter Arthur Brown performs on stage with the 'Crazy World Of Arthur Brown' wearing a burning helmet headdress, circa 1968. (Photo by Mark and Colleen Hayward/Getty Images).

Released in 1968, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown’s second single Fire singed the entire world, hitting No.1 in the UK, No.2 in the US, and top tens all over the planet. But the million-selling track – which defined Brown as “the god of hellfire” for ever – endured a difficult transition into a prog rock staple, as he explained in 2022.

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