Alarm
| Mike Peters – Guitar/Vocals; Dave Sharp – Guitar; Eddie McDonald – Bass & Nigel Twist – Drums |
“Sixty-Eight Guns” was a “fire in an oil barrel.” The explosive track, written by the band’s Mike Peters and Eddie MacDonald, was inspired by a book Peters had read about ’60s street gangs in Glasgow.
The Alarm’s debut full-length album “Declaration,” containing “Sixty-Eight Guns,” was a Top 10 U.K. album for the Wales group. Later in ‘84, the Alarm toured North America and the “Sixty-Eight Guns” video landed in MTV’s hot rotation.
Sixty-Eight Guns
Spirit Of ’76
The Alarm spent the next two years recording and touring in support of their album “Strength.” The highlights included “Spirit Of ‘76” which was a tribute to the U.K. Punk scene. Not a surprising choice since The Alarm started as a Punk group appropriately called the Toilets.
They then morphed into a mod band named 17. As 17 they found themselves opening for Dexy’s Midnight Runners. But they were fired, allegedly for not being good enough. Time to reassess.
Peters caught U2 at a London club show and decided to go that route. The Alarm, as a result, were often compared with the Dublin group.
In ‘81 the Alarm made their first recordings; demos to attract a record label. They spent ‘82 opening for U2 and the Jam and created a buzz.
Signing with I.R.S., they issued “Marching On,” with lyrics that reflected themes of anger and uncontrolled emotion. It appeared on the band’s self-titled EP.
Marching On
Rain In The Summertime
Following “Strength,” the Alarm issued “Eye Of The Hurricane” in ’87. The U2 influence on the “Rain In The Summertime” was undeniable. The distant airy vocals, the tightly repetitive, percussive guitar lines and explosive crescendos, it was all there.
If you’re going to mine the same vein as another group, you could do a lot worse than U2.
“Change” rolled out in ’89 and had the aggressive “Sold Me Down The River.” After “Sixty-Eight Guns” it was the Alarm’s best effort. As they entered the ‘90s, the Alarm cut a cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (The War Is Over) and produced “Raw” – the fifth and final studio album released by the original line-up.
Sold Me Down The River
Peters died on April 29th, 2025 after a battle with cancer.
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