“Bela Lugosi's Dead”
Single by Bauhaus
Released	August 1979
Recorded	Beck Studios, Wellingborough, 1979
Genre	Gothic rock
Label	Small Wonder
Bauhaus singles chronology
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" (1979) "Dark Entries" (1980)

Bela Lugosi's Dead is an influential gothic rock song written by the band Bauhaus. The song was the band's first single, released in August 1979, which is often considered to be the first gothic rock record released^{[citation needed]}. It did not enter the UK pop charts, but remained on sale for many years thereafter. The B-side features the song "Boys" and some versions also include an early recording of what would be their next single, "Dark Entries". Due to licencing restrictions, the original version of the title track was not made available on any other format until the 1998 album, Crackle - The Best of Bauhaus. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (915x915, 232 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Bauhaus are an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978 by Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass). ... , Wellingborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England situated some eleven miles from the county town of Northampton and eight miles south of Kettering. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gothic rock (sometimes called goth rock or simply goth) is a genre of alternative rock that originated during the late 1970s. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Small Wonder Records is a UK independent record label that specialised in releasing records by punk rock bands. ... Bauhaus are an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978 by Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass). ... Dark Entries is a second single released by British gothic rock band Bauhaus. ... Gothic rock (sometimes called goth rock or simply goth) is a genre of alternative rock that originated during the late 1970s. ... Bauhaus are an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978 by Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Dark Entries is a second single released by British gothic rock band Bauhaus. ... Bauhaus - Crackle. ...

Track listing

1. "Bela Lugosi's Dead"
2. "Boys"
3. "Dark Entries" (demo)

Description

The song is over nine minutes in length and was recorded "live in the studio" in a single take. David J, the band's bassist, claims on his website to have written the lyrics. By far their most famous work, its minimalist, free-form nature evoked a mixture of The Doors, early Pink Floyd and experimental Krautrock bands such as Can and Neu!, and particularly "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac^{[citation needed]}. The singing does not start (in the studio version) until several minutes into the track. The distinctive guitar sound was achieved by using partial barre chords and allowing the top E and B strings open, adding to the drone-like quality of the song. David J in concert in 2006. ... The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles by vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic or space rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... Krautrock, also known as Kosmische Musik, is a generic name for the experimental music scene that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s. ... Can was a musical group formed in West Germany in 1968. ... Neu! (the German word for new, pronounced noy) were a German band, probably the archetypal example of what the UK music press at the time dubbed Krautrock. ... The Chain is a song from Fleetwood Macs best-selling album Rumours. ... This article is about the band. ... Barre chords are a type of guitar chord where one or more fingers are used to fret (press down) several or all of the strings across the guitar fingerboard in order to play a chord not restricted by the tones of the guitars open strings. ...

The title references horror film star Bela Lugosi (1882-1956), who did much to establish the modern vampire image as the title character in the 1931 film Dracula. Lugosi was, in fact, buried in his Dracula cape - an event depicted in the film Ed Wood (though reported inaccurately). “Horror Movie” redirects here. ... Bela Lugosi as Dracula United States stamp. ... Year 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A car from 1956 Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Philip Burne-Jones, The Vampire, 1897 Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings that subsist on human and/or animal lifeforce. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the novel. ... Ed Wood is a biopic directed by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp as the cross-dressing cult movie maker Edward D. Wood, Jr. ...

The song was featured in the 1983 Tony Scott cult vampire film The Hunger, where it played during the opening credits and introduction. A 7" promotional record featuring an edited version of the song was released to theaters playing the movie. The song was used as the intro music for the late 1990's Saturday Night Live skit "Goth Talk", which had Chris Kattan and Molly Shannon as two goth students. This song was also in an episode in the fifth season of Smallville, the vampire/Halloween-themed "Thirst." It was also played throughout the movie The Curve, and featured in the French movie, Sombre. Anthony D. L. Tony Scott (born July 21, 1944) is a British film director. ... The Hunger is a 1983 English language horror film. ... SNL redirects here. ... Since the humble beginnings of Saturday Night Live, the show has been something of an anti-television show, turning the medium on its head with endless fake commercials and parodies of TV shows themselves. ... Christopher Lee Kattan (born October 19, 1970) is an American comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live. ... Molly Helen Shannon (born September 16, 1964) is an Emmy-nominated American actress and writer. ... Smallville is an American television series created by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States. ... This article contains a complete summary of the fifth season of the American drama action/adventure sci-fi television series Smallville. ... Sombre is a 1998 French film, directed by Philippe Grandrieux. ...

Recording Session

The song "Bela Lugosi's Dead" was recorded during a six hour session at Beck Studios in Wellingborough on 26 January 1979. Four more songs were recorded ("Boys", "Harry", "Dark Entries" and the unreleased "Some Faces") but not used; only "Harry" surfaced in 1982 as a single b-side to "Kick In The Eye". , Wellingborough is a town in Northamptonshire, England situated some eleven miles from the county town of Northampton and eight miles south of Kettering. ... Dark Entries is a second single released by British gothic rock band Bauhaus. ...

The song "Boys" was re-recorded at Beck Studios in spring 1979.

Lyrical content

The song's lyrics describe Bela Lugosi's funeral in terms that suggest an actual vampire's death:

The bats have left the bell tower

The victims have been bled

Red velvet lines the black box

Bela Lugosi's dead

The song seems to deliberately blur the line between Lugosi and his most famous creation:

Alone in a darkened room

The Count

The song ends with Peter Murphy repeating "Bela's undead" - evoking both the supernatural creature Lugosi played and the immortality of the filmic archetype that he created. Photo of Peter Murphy from a 2006 Bauhaus concert. ... For other uses, see Undead (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Archetype (disambiguation). ...

Personnel

• Peter Murphy — vocals, guitar
• Daniel Ash — guitar
• David J — bass
• Kevin Haskins — drums

Photo of Peter Murphy from a 2006 Bauhaus concert. ... Daniel Ash is an innovative, textural guitarist for Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, and solo projects. ... David J in concert in 2006. ... Kevin Haskins also known as Kevin Michael Dompe (b. ...

Cover versions

"Bela Lugosi's Dead" has been covered by many artists including Electric Hellfire Club, Sepultura, Until December, The Buzzcocks, Godhead, Dream Disciples, Opera IX, Poison Idea, XIII Stoleti, XPQ21, Nouvelle Vague on their 2006 album Bande à Part, and Acumen Nation. // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... // The Electric Hellfire Club is an industrial metal band mixing elements of glam metal, techno, gothic rock, psychedelia and experimental noise. ... Sepultura is a Brazilian thrash metal band, formed in 1984. ... Until December was a San Francisco-based rock band active in the early 1980s. ... Buzzcocks were a punk rock band, formed in Manchester, England in 1976. ... In Christianity, the Godhead is a unit consisting of God the Father, Jesus Christ (the Son), and the Holy Spirit. ... Dream Disciples, November 2003 Dream Disciples is a U.K.-based band, formed in 1990 by Col Lowing (vocals), Sid Bratley (guitar and keyboard), Gordon Young (guitar and keyboards), and Karl North (bass guitar). ... Opera IX was created in 1988 by Ossian. ... Poison Idea (sometimes referred to simply as “PI”) were a hardcore punk band from Portland, Oregon. ... XIII Stoleti (XIII century) - Czech gothic group. ... XPQ-21 is an electronic body music band. ... Nouvelle Vague (French for new wave AND (Portuguese for bossa nova) is a bossa nova group initiated by French musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. ... Bande à Part is French bossa nova group Nouvelle Vagues second album, released in 2006. ... Acumen Nation is an industrial rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Truth Decay recorded a parody/homage called The Ballad of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss is Dead) which referenced many Dr. Seuss characters, particularly the Cat in the Hat. This article needs to be wikified. ... Theodor Seuss Geisel (pronounced ; March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) was an American writer and cartoonist, better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss (often pronounced , but he himself said [1]). He published over 40 childrens books, which were often characterized by his imaginative characters and frequent use of... The Cat in the Hat is a childrens book by Dr. Seuss, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white striped hat. ...

An excerpt of the song is parodied in Bill Bailey's Cockney Medley, a feature of his Cosmic Jam stand-up routine and also on a studio album of some of his works. For other uses, see Bill Bailey (disambiguation). ...

In 2002, Greg Galcik recorded a parody song Abe Vigoda's Dead, in reference to Abe Vigoda being erroneously declared dead in 1982. SpinnWebe SpinnWebe is the personal website of Greg Galcik, also known as spinn. ... Abe Vigoda (born Abraham Charles Vigodah on February 24, 1921) is an American movie and television actor who bears a striking resemblance to professional poker player Gus Hansen. ... Various notable people have had their death announced in error. ...

In June of 2006, while touring together, Peter Murphy, Trent Reznor and members of TV on the Radio performed the song for a radio and internet broadcast. Photo of Peter Murphy from a 2006 Bauhaus concert. ... Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... TV on the Radio is a New York City indie rock band formed in 2001 whose music spans genres as diverse as free jazz, a cappella/doo-wop, soul, trip-hop and electro. ...

The Dirtbombs' cover of the soul song Kung Fu features an instrumental line that is virtually indistinguishable from that of Bela Lugosi's Dead. The Dirtbombs are a rock and roll band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup. ...

Printing Info

The original 12" release was on white vinyl and limited to 5000 copies. Various re-releases included the following:

• black vinyl with black-on-white sleeve
• clear vinyl with brown-on-white sleeve
• transparent red vinyl with red-on-white sleeve
• transparent green vinyl with green-on-white sleeve
• transparent blue vinyl with blue-on-white sleeve
• glow-in-the-dark picture disk with clear plastic sleeve

Audio sample

Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead excerpt Image File history File links Bauhaus_-_Bela_Lugosi's_Dead_excerpt. ...

An excerpt from Bela Lugosi's Dead

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External links

• Bela Lugosi's dead by Peter Murphy, Trent Reznor and TV on the Radio