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Horror Business
View on Wikipedia| "Horror Business" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Misfits | ||||
| Released | June 26, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | January 1979 | |||
| Studio | C.I., New York City | |||
| Genre | Horror punk[1] | |||
| Length | 7:37 | |||
| Label | Plan 9 | |||
| Songwriter | Glenn Danzig | |||
| Misfits singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Horror Business" | ||||
"Horror Business" is the third single released by the American horror punk band Misfits. It was released on June 26, 1979, through vocalist Glenn Danzig's own label, Plan 9 Records, and is commonly said to have been inspired by the unsolved murder of Nancy Spungen. The B-side of the single features the songs "Teenagers from Mars" and "Children in Heat".
The single's cover artwork features a skeletal figure inspired by the titular character from the 1946 film serial The Crimson Ghost. The figure became a mascot for the band, and its skull image would serve as the Misfits' logo for the rest of their career.
Background and recording
[edit]On October 12, 1978, the body of Nancy Spungen was discovered in the bathroom of her room at the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City.[2][3] Spungen had been living at the hotel with her boyfriend, Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious. Her body was found with a fatal stab wound in her abdomen,[3] and Vicious purportedly owned the knife that made the wound.[4] Vicious was arrested and charged with second degree murder, and after pleading not guilty he was released on bail, awaiting trial.[1] On the evening of February 1, 1979, a small group of Vicious's friends, including Misfits bassist Jerry Only, gathered to celebrate Vicious having made bail at his new girlfriend Michelle Robinson's Greenwich Village apartment.[1] Vicious had undergone a detoxification program during his time in jail at Rikers Island, but at the dinner gathering, Vicious had English photographer Peter "Kodick" Gravelle deliver him heroin.[5] Vicious died of an overdose at some point during the night, and was discovered by his mother, Anne Beverley, and Robinson the following morning.[3]
Prior to Vicious's death, the Misfits were rumored to potentially back Vicious on his proposed debut solo album.[1] After learning of his death, Only helped Beverley collect Vicious's possessions,[6] and invited her to attend a Misfits recording session.[1] "Horror Business", "Teenagers from Mars", and "Children in Heat" were recorded from January 26 to February 5, 1979, at C.I. Studios in New York, where the band had recorded their proposed debut album Static Age a year prior.[7] Beverley attended at least one of the sessions.[1] Writer and vocalist Glenn Danzig insisted that the band record as many tracks as possible during their allotted time in the studio in an effort to save money.[1]
The title track, "Horror Business", contains lyrics such as "You don't go in the bathroom with me" and "I'll put a knife right in you".[8] Because of such lyrics, along with the connections between the Misfits and Vicious, the song is commonly said to have been based on the unsolved murder of Spungen.[8][1] However, the song's lyrics have also been noted as possible references to the 1960 film Psycho,[9] which features a scene involving a character being stabbed to death in a bathroom.[8] The line "Psycho '78", which also appears in the song, has been interpreted as transposing the year in which the film was released (as well as when the film's narrative takes place) to the year that the song was recorded.[8] The line "driving late at night" may also be a reference to Psycho, in which Janet Leigh's character spends a long portion of the film's first act driving through the night before ultimately ending up at the Bates Motel.
Release
[edit]The songs "Horror Business" and "Teenagers from Mars" were considered for inclusion in a 1979 12-inch record which would have also featured the song "Who Killed Marilyn?"[10] An acetate disc of this proposed release was pressed, but completing a run of 12-inch records for the release was deemed to be too expensive, and so the release was scrapped.[10]
The first pressing of the "Horror Business" single, issued by Danzig's own label Plan 9 Records on June 26, 1979, consisted of 25 sleeveless black 7-inch vinyl copies.[11][12] The second pressing, from August 1979, consisted of 2,000 copies on yellow vinyl.[11][12] Due to a pressing error, approximately 20 copies had the track "Horror Business" on both sides, rather than "Horror Business" on the A-side and "Teenagers from Mars" and "Children in Heat" on the B-side.[11][12][13] Many copies contained an insert with a fabricated story claiming that the band had recorded the single in an abandoned haunted house in New Jersey, and that, when later mixing the tapes at a recording studio in New York City, they heard strange voices and noises in the background of the recordings.[1][9] According to a 1993 interview with Jerry Only:
What happened was, there was a weird sound on there, and we didn't know where the hell it came from. So we said, "What are we gonna do? Are we gonna remix it?" I said, "Well, I don't got no more money. This is it. You gotta like what you got." We thought about it, and we thought, we don't want everybody to think we're a bunch of jerks. So I think I mentioned it, "Let's just say it was recorded in a haunted house. Everybody'll love that!"[9]
The songs "Horror Business", "Teenagers from Mars", and "Children in Heat" have been re-released multiple times since the single was first issued. In 1980, the songs were included on the Misfits' EP Beware.[14] In 1986, "Horror Business" and "Teenagers from Mars" were included as tracks on the compilation album Misfits, also known as Collection I.[15] A live version of "Horror Business" was included on the EP and album Evilive, released in 1982 and 1987, respectively.[15][16] "Children in Heat" was re-issued in 1995 on the compilation album Collection II.[15][17] These releases were all included in the 1996 boxed set The Misfits.[15][18] "Teenagers from Mars" was also included on the album Static Age, which was part of the boxed set and which received a standalone release in 1997.[15][18]
Cover artwork
[edit]The single's cover artwork features an image of the eponymous character from the 1946 film serial The Crimson Ghost.[19] The Misfits had first made use of the character's likeness in a flyer promoting one of their gigs on March 28, 1979 at Max's Kansas City, after Danzig and Only came across a picture of the Crimson Ghost while searching for images to silkscreen on T-shirts.[20]
The "Horror Business" single marks the first time that the Misfits had incorporated the character's likeness into the cover artwork of one of their releases, and the character's skull-like visage would become a recognizable mascot and logo for the band throughout their career.[19] The back cover of the single features black-and-white portraits of the individual band members, along with a rendering of Lon Chaney as the Phantom from the 1925 film The Phantom of the Opera.[19]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Glenn Danzig.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Horror Business" | 2:46 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Teenagers From Mars" | 2:43 |
| 2. | "Children In Heat" | 2:08 |
| Total length: | 7:37 | |
Critical reception
[edit]"The first [Misfits] singles just knocked me out. They were so interesting and mysterious. I had no idea what to make of them ... [Danzig] was deeply talented, a genius as a kid. His lyrics puzzled me. 'Paint my mirrors black for you'—what the fuck does that mean?"
In his book This Music Leaves Stains: The Complete Story of the Misfits, author James Greene Jr. writes of the single as a whole: "While more muddled production-wise than 'Bullet', 'Horror Business' is just as arresting as its predecessor [...] 'Horror Business' was greeted by the growing Misfits fan base as an instant classic."[19] He goes on to note that the title track "offers a bluesy feel at times, almost as if nothing more is at stake than the melody."[19]
Dan Ozzi of Diffuser.fm ranked "Horror Business" #7 on his list of the 10 best Misfits songs, and noted the "vague" nature of the track's lyrics.[22] Eduardo Rivadavia of Ultimate Classic Rock also ranked the song #7 on his list of the top 10 Misfits songs, comparing the track's "knuckle-scraping riffs" and Danzig's "distinctively punchy pronunciation" to the music of the Ramones.[23] Aaron Lariviere of Stereogum ranked the track #9 on his list of the best Misfits songs, calling it an example of a Misfits song with lyrics that are "just awesome".[8]
Personnel
[edit]|
The Misfits |
Production
|
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Greene 2013, p. 30.
- ^ Brown, Mark (January 19, 2009). "After 30 years, a new take on Sid, Nancy and a punk rock mystery". The Guardian. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ a b c Wakeman, Nancy (October 12, 2017). "Flashback: Nancy Spungen Found Dead at Chelsea Hotel". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ Robey, Tim (August 5, 2016). "Love among the dumpsters: Alex Cox and Roger Deakins on the making of Sid & Nancy". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ Somaiya, Ravi (February 6, 2009). "Peter Gravelle, Vicious Enabler". New York. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
- ^ "The Misfits Time Line". Misfits Central. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
- ^ Greene 2013, pp. 30, 122.
- ^ a b c d e Lariviere, Aaron (October 31, 2012). "The 10 Best Misfits Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ a b c Stax, Mike (Summer 1993). "All Hell Breaks Loose: The Jerry Only Interview". Ugly Things. No. 12.
- ^ a b Greene 2013, p. 139.
- ^ a b c d Greene 2013, p. 122.
- ^ a b c "Discography of Official Misfits Releases". Misfits Central. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ Von, Eerie (1996). The Misfits box set (liner notes). Misfits. New York City: Caroline Records. CAR 7529-2.
- ^ Greene 2013, p. 34.
- ^ a b c d e "Official Misfits Discography". Misfits.com. Retrieved September 8, 2019.
- ^ Greene 2013, pp. 125, 133–134.
- ^ Greene 2013, pp. 131–133.
- ^ a b Greene 2013, p. 128.
- ^ a b c d e Greene 2013, p. 29.
- ^ Greene 2013, pp. 28–29.
- ^ Greene 2013, pp. 29–30.
- ^ Ozzi, Dan (May 23, 2013). "10 Best Misfits Songs". Diffuser.fm. Townsquare Media. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (September 29, 2015). "Top 10 Misfits Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Townsquare Media. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Greene 2013, pp. 28–30.
Further reading
[edit]- Greene, James Jr. (2013). This Music Leaves Stains: The Complete Story of the Misfits. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-81088-438-0.
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| Singles |
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| Related articles | |
Horror Business
View on GrokipediaDevelopment and Recording
Inspirations and Writing
The title track "Horror Business" drew inspiration from the unsolved murder of Nancy Spungen, who was stabbed to death on October 12, 1978, at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City, with her partner Sid Vicious charged before his own death.[5] The song's lyrics, including lines like "Don't go in the bathroom with me" and "I'll put a knife right in you," alluded to the circumstances of Spungen's stabbing in the bathroom.[5] The EP's songs were written in late 1978 or early January 1979, in the aftermath of Spungen's murder and shortly before Sid Vicious's death from a heroin overdose on February 2, 1979.[6] This timing placed the songwriting amid the band's growing fascination with punk's darker undercurrents.[5] Glenn Danzig served as the primary songwriter for the Misfits, crafting the EP's material independently to pioneer their horror punk sound.[7] He incorporated influences from classic horror films, such as the infamous bathroom stabbing scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), to blend violent imagery with punk aggression.[5] In the broader context of early 1979, the band shifted toward explicit horror punk themes following their previous releases, which had included socio-political commentary such as the Patty Hearst kidnapping in "She" (1977) and the JFK assassination in "Bullet" (1978).[7] For promotional purposes, the band fabricated a fictional backstory claiming the EP's eerie sound effects originated from recording in a haunted house, a tale devised to heighten hype around the release.[5] As bassist Jerry Only later recalled, "There was a weird sound on there and we didn’t know where the hell it came from," which they spun into this supernatural narrative.[5]Studio Sessions
The Misfits recorded the tracks for their "Horror Business" single from January 26 to February 5, 1979, at C.I. Recording Studios in New York City.[1] This brief window captured the lineup of Glenn Danzig on vocals and guitar, Jerry Only on bass and background vocals, Joey Image on drums, and Bobby Steele on guitar and background vocals, with the sessions engineered by Dave Achelis to maintain a direct, live-in-the-studio feel using two-inch multi-track tapes.[8] Operating independently under Plan 9 Records, the band adopted a cost-saving approach that prioritized efficiency and minimal resources, reflecting the DIY ethos of early punk.[9] Self-produced by Danzig, the process avoided external oversight, allowing the group to focus on capturing their unrefined intensity without extensive overdubs or refinements.[10] Adding a layer of emotional weight to the proceedings, Sid Vicious's mother, Anne Ritchie—whom bassist Jerry Only had befriended—attended parts of the sessions, shortly after her son's death on February 2, 1979.[11] This presence underscored the raw punk energy driving the production, channeling personal turmoil into the music's urgent, unpolished sound.[2]Release and Packaging
Distribution Details
The Horror Business EP was initially released on June 26, 1979, through Plan 9 Records, an independent label founded by the band's vocalist Glenn Danzig.[12][13] The first pressing consisted of 25 copies on black vinyl, serving as promotional test pressings that were distributed without sleeves, often in simple Crimson Ghost envelopes, and primarily given away at the band's live show with The Damned on the release date.[14][12] A wider distribution followed in August 1979 with approximately 2,000 copies pressed on yellow vinyl, marking the EP's primary commercial rollout under the Plan 9 imprint (catalog number PL1009).[12] These copies arrived from the West Coast in batches of 100, emphasizing the DIY logistics of the independent operation, and were handled without involvement from any major label.[12] To enhance the EP's horror-themed mystique, some yellow vinyl pressings included a fabricated insert sheet featuring a promotional story about the band recording in an abandoned haunted house, complete with claims of unexplained background voices on tracks like "Teenagers from Mars."[2] This tongue-in-cheek narrative, described by band members as entirely invented, was designed to amplify the Misfits' punk-horror persona and engage underground fans through word-of-mouth buzz.[2] Distribution occurred primarily through early punk networks, with copies sold at shows, via mail order, and within tight-knit scenes, reflecting the band's grassroots approach in the late 1970s New Jersey punk ecosystem.[12]Cover Artwork
The front cover of the Horror Business EP features the iconic image of the Crimson Ghost, the skull-masked villain from the 1946 Republic Pictures serial film The Crimson Ghost.[15] This public domain image was adapted by the Misfits for the sleeve, marking its debut as a central visual element in the band's branding.[15] The design emphasizes a horror aesthetic through stark black-and-white contrast, aligning with the EP's punk-infused horror punk theme.[1] The Crimson Ghost figure was repurposed from its original cinematic context into the band's enduring mascot and logo, known as the Fiend Skull, symbolizing their fascination with B-movie horror tropes.[15] The sleeve follows a simple 7-inch vinyl format, with the band name "Misfits" and EP title "Horror Business" rendered in a gothic-style font to enhance the macabre, theatrical vibe.[1] This minimalist approach highlights the Crimson Ghost as the focal point, drawing directly from public domain sources to evoke a sense of vintage pulp horror tailored for the punk underground.[15]Reception and Legacy
Critical Response
Upon its release in 1979, the Horror Business EP received acclaim in the underground punk scene for its raw energy and innovative fusion of horror elements with punk aggression, marking a pivotal moment in the band's early development.[2] Contemporary zines and scene publications highlighted the EP's visceral sound and thematic boldness, positioning it as a fresh departure from standard punk fare by incorporating B-movie horror motifs that energized live performances and DIY distributions.[16] In retrospective analyses, Horror Business has been consistently ranked among the Misfits' essential works, with the title track frequently appearing in lists of the band's top songs; for instance, Stereogum placed "Horror Business" at number nine in its 2012 compilation of the ten best Misfits tracks, praising its lyrical nods to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and the introduction of the band's iconic Crimson Ghost imagery.[17] Critics have lauded Glenn Danzig's songwriting on the EP for its concise, evocative structure that blends catchy hooks with macabre narratives, solidifying the Misfits' role in pioneering horror punk as a subgenre through deliberate shifts toward sci-fi and exploitation film inspirations.[18] This craftsmanship is often credited with elevating the EP beyond mere novelty, establishing a blueprint for horror-infused punk that influenced subsequent acts.[19] While the EP's DIY ethos contributed to its authentic punk spirit, some reviewers have critiqued its limited production quality, noting the lo-fi recording as a product of the band's independent approach that occasionally muddies the instrumentation despite the strong compositions.[20] However, this rawness is frequently reframed as a core strength, embodying the unpolished vitality of late-1970s underground punk and enhancing the EP's menacing atmosphere.[21]Commercial Performance and Reissues
The Misfits' Horror Business EP achieved underground success upon its 1979 release through Plan 9 Records, an independent label, with approximately 2,000 copies pressed on yellow vinyl that sold out among punk enthusiasts without achieving any mainstream chart positions.[13][22] Due to its limited initial run and status as a cornerstone of horror punk, original yellow vinyl pressings have become highly sought after by collectors, commanding prices starting at around $1,000, with rare variants such as those featuring rejected back sleeves reaching up to $5,500 as of 2025.[23] The EP's tracks were subsequently reissued on the band's Beware EP in 1980, which incorporated "Horror Business" and "Teenagers from Mars" alongside other singles, and on the 1986 compilation Collection I (also known as Misfits), where the same two tracks appeared among 20 selections from early sessions.[24][25] Further inclusion came in the 1996 Misfits Box Set, a limited-edition four-CD compilation that remastered and bundled all Danzig-era material, including the full Horror Business EP tracks across its discs.[26] In the modern era, Horror Business remains accessible through digital streaming on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, primarily via reissues such as Collection I, alongside unofficial vinyl reissues in colors like red translucent and white label that continue to circulate among collectors.[27][28][1]Cultural Impact and Covers
The Misfits' Horror Business EP played a pivotal role in pioneering the horror punk subgenre, blending punk rock aggression with B-movie horror themes and imagery that would define the style for decades. Released in 1979, the EP featured the band's iconic Crimson Ghost mascot—derived from the 1946 Republic Pictures serial The Crimson Ghost—which first appeared on promotional materials around this period and solidified as a punk icon, symbolizing rebellion and the macabre. This skeletal figure influenced subsequent bands, including AFI, whose early horror-tinged albums like Black Sails in the Sunset (1999) drew directly from the Misfits' playbook of fast-paced riffs and gothic aesthetics, and Alkaline Trio, who incorporated similar morbid pop-punk elements in their early 2000s output while frequently covering Misfits tracks.[15][29][30] Beyond music, Horror Business contributed to the broader horror punk subculture by inspiring seasonal traditions like Halloween-themed punk events and merchandise, where fans embraced the EP's themes of vampires, zombies, and teenage terror as a DIY antidote to mainstream horror. The release also launched the Fiend Club, the band's official fan organization started by Glenn Danzig in 1979, which distributed newsletters, exclusive inserts with records like Horror Business, and fostered a global community of "fiends" dedicated to the horror punk ethos. The Fiend Club was relaunched in 2013 under Jerry Only, offering new membership perks including exclusive merchandise and photos. This subculture emphasized self-produced art and performances, turning punk shows into theatrical spectacles that celebrated low-budget horror films.[18][31] Notable reinterpretations of Horror Business tracks highlight its lasting appeal, with Glenn Danzig's post-Misfits band Samhain recording a darker, reimagined version of the title track as "Horror Biz" on their 1985 EP Unholy Passion, altering the arrangement to fit their heavier sound while retaining the original's lyrical bite.[32] The EP's songs have appeared in broader tribute contexts, such as Rolling Stone's 2016 list of "15 Great Misfits Covers," which spotlighted influential renditions by acts like Alkaline Trio (covering "Halloween") and underscored the material's adaptability across punk and metal scenes.[33] As of 2025, Horror Business endures in punk history through references in books such as James Sullivan's This Music Leaves Stains: The Complete Story of the Misfits (2013), which details the EP's role in establishing the genre's independent spirit. These works portray the release as a cornerstone of the DIY horror ethos, where limited-run vinyl and fan-driven promotion exemplified punk's anti-corporate rebellion, influencing ongoing revivals in horror-themed festivals and underground scenes.[34]Personnel and Production Credits
Personnel
- Glenn Danzig – vocals[2]
- Jerry Only – bass[2]
- Bobby Steele – guitar[2]
- Mr. Jim – drums[2]
Production
- Dave Achelis – producer, engineer[35]
- Glenn Danzig – producer, mixing[36]
- Recorded at C.I. Recording Studios, New York City, January–February 1979[1]
- Rich Flores – mastering[37]