The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Richard Pryor did the flaming bit too but I don't think it was on purpose.

If you like Arthur Brown, you should really dig Screaming Jay Hawkins, the originator of "I Put a Spell on You". He was Arthur Brown's main influence and inspiration. Indeed, I got deep into Screaming Jay Hawkins in the '60s, after first hearing his stuff done well, but less effectively, by Arthur Brown and by The Animals.

Vincent Crane was the keyboard player and actually wrote the song. He split off and formed atomic rooster.
There are actually quite a few brown albums worth owning and he has that screaming jay hawkins type shreiking down, which not everyone likes.

Arthur Brown: the rumor (who can remember accurately even the rumors of that era?) is that he was discovered by Peter Townsend as Pete heard him shrieking in the room next to his at a clinic. Brown had a mildly successful career until the crane which would deposit him onto the stage malfunctioned one night, leaving Brown suspended in air a few moments... in flames (he customarily would, while wearing protective clothing, be lit on fire to the opening bars of his signature song, and then quickly lowered to the stage to begin his concerts). Well, supposedly his mind regressed after that night and he was re-committed. I heard he came out again and tried to fire-up his career, but, alas, he was washed up. I think his work holds up remarkably well; can't hold the Screamin' Jay similarities against him, or one could summarily dismiss Clapton and Winwood for their "cloning" as well, no?

>> Vincent Crane was the keyboard player and actually wrote the song. He split off and formed atomic rooster. <<

And, if memory serves, the drummer was Carl Palmer (of ELP fame), who joined Vincent in Atomic Rooster. I saw Atomic Rooster at the Wheaton Civic Center *way* back when, I think the admission $.50 Awesome show...