A Breed Apart was a song written for the Vinyl film and soundtrack by Mike Peters and long time friend Steve Allan Jones. It appears as the opening track on the album released on 4th March 2013, prior to the film release in cinemas on 15th March 2013. This song was first performed at The Gathering in 2012 and features on The Music Must And Shall Be Preserved DVD release of that year but not the audio disc.
“We knew we needed an end credit song for Vinyl. When a film is being constructed the director will often insert a temp track in place of new music. The temp here was the Pistols version of My Way. So we knew that Sara had that in mind as an idea for the new tune. I have just worked on another project with Sara where a similar process occurred. Mike had the lyrical idea of A Breed Apart and a rough melody and chord sequence. He played it to me at the Chapel where we did most of the mixing of the soundtrack. We batted ideas back and forth tweaking and changing. The line (off the top of my head) “I’m made of life flesh and blood“ has a major to minor chord change. I said to Mike that if we did that it would be redolent of the 68 Guns chorus. Apart from a few tiny changes I suggested the words are all Mike’s – we split the music equally. The version in the movie is a different mix / version to the soundtrack one. I think Mike was on tour during the movie soundtrack mixes so most of those fell to Mark Warden and myself. I remember going back to my studio and working out the orchestral parts for the song. Timpani / strings / horns / tubular bells are all in there! Mark and I also added extra vocal harmonies. By the time we had finished it has a slight flavour of My Way but is really a brand-new tune. Incidentally the lyrical slant for the song is a throwback in part to the struggle us musicians had to make our career in music when we had just started out. There was no track record of successful rock bands from North Wales and Mike, myself and the rest of our friends got a lot of negative comments in the early days. Mike remixed the song for the soundtrack album a few months later expanding it to be an album track. The movie mix was designed to run under the credits, as much of my work is theatrical, I think more in terms of music for images. I’m immensely proud of A Breed Apart. Mike and I had tried writing songs together before but I’m not a good collaborator usually! However, writing with Mike was great fun. Another interesting aspect was that I noticed what Eddie brought to the original songwriting team. We all need someone to bounce off and I found myself in a role Eddie may have taken on, Ed and I have spoken about it since. My takeaway from it was I was probably too single-minded to collaborate with anyone (and sort of still am!) Mike and Eddie were lucky to find each other in that respect” – Steve Allan Jones June 2021 www.steveallanjones.co.uk
2013 Vinyl soundtrack album recording
Running length 3:21
Written by Mike Peters / Steve Allan Jones
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Punk Rock Guitar
James Stevenson – Bass & Electric Guitar
Steve “Smiley” Barnard – Drums
Craig Adams – Bass Guitar
Steve Allan Jones – Piano, Farfissa Organ, Orchestration, Backing Vocals
Recorded at Aerial Studios, Wrexham, Wales
Recorded by Mark Warden, Martin Wilding and Mark Joy
Produced by Mike Peters
Music Supervisor Steve Allan Jones
Mastered by Kai Blankenberg @ Skyline Tonfabrik
Click on above image for audio of A Breed Apart from the Vinyl soundtrack album, hosted on the Official The Alarm youtube channel
Alternative studio/session/podcast recordings
2018 Remastered
2020 Big Night In Live-Stream
2018. 2013 recording remastered in 2018
Running length 3:50
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Punk Rock Guitar
James Stevenson – Bass & Electric Guitar
Steve “Smiley” Barnard – Drums
Craig Adams – Bass Guitar
Steve Allan Jones – Piano, Farfissa Organ, Orchestration, Backing Vocals
Appears on the album 21 [Redux] as an MP3 Download released on 16th March 2018 
Click on above image for audio of A Breed Apart 2018 remastered, hosted on the Official The Alarm youtube channel
(v) 18th April 2020. Big Night In broadcast for Season 1 Episode 5 live stream
Running Length 2:50
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Guitar
Recorded for Big Night In, Dyserth, Wales
Appears on the album The Alarm Music Will Keep Us Strong Disc 2 released in 2020
Album appearances & discography of studio/session/podcast/Multi-Media broadcasts versions
The following are Worldwide releases unless stated
(v) 4th March 2013 : The Alarm – Vinyl Free Rock and Roll
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C062
2013 original recording
16th March 2018 : The Alarm – 21 [Redux]
Released as an MP3 Download and on the 21 [Redux] Spotify playlist and Youtube playlist by Twenty First Century Recording Company, no catalogue release number
2018 Remastered 2013 recording
10th September 2020 : The Alarm – Music Will Keep Us Strong (Disc 2)
Released on CD as The Alarm Music Will Keep Us Strong – Disc 2 by First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C118
Recorded on 18th April 2020 for the Big Night In broadcast from Season 1 Episode 5 live stream recording
(v) 4th June 2021 : The Alarm- History Repeating 1981-2021
Released on disc 1 of double CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C120
2013 original recording remastered
(v) 15th October 2021 : The Alarm- History Repeating 1981-2021
Released on disc 2 of Double Album Vinyl by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C123LP
2013 original recording remastered
Officially released live recordings ~ Audio
All are Worldwide releases unless stated
(v) 26th January 2013. Recorded at The Gathering 21, Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wales
Running length 3:27
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor
Released on double CD Disc 2 in 2013 as The Alarm Abide With Us Live at The Gathering 2013 by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C063
1st February 2014. Recorded at The Gathering 22, Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wales
Running length 3:36
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor
Released on 4 Disc CD/DVD box set, Act 1 disc, in 2014 as The Alarm No Barriers The Gathering 2014 by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21CDVD018
12th March 2016 : Recorded at Brixton Academy, London, England
Running length 3:22
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor
Released on CD in October 2016 as Mike Peters & The Alarm In Session 2016 by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C083
Officially released recordings ~ DVD
All are Worldwide releases unless stated
28th January 2012. Recorded at The Gathering 20, Pontins Prestatyn Sands, Holiday Park, Prestatyn, Wales
Running length 3:02
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor, Steve Norman
Released on 4 disc DVD/CD, DVD disc 2, in 2012 : The Alarm The Music Must And Shall Be Preserved by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21CDVD016
1st February 2014. Recorded at The Gathering 22, Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wales
Running length 3:36
Performed by The Alarm : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor
Released on 4 disc DVD/CD, DVD disc 1 in 2014 : The Alarm No Barriers The Gathering 2014 by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21CDVD018
Lyrics ~ 2013 Vinyl Free Rock And Roll album
Here I stand
On my own two feet
Tearing at the walls
Running down a dream
In defeat or victory
I don’t owe no-one, no-one owes me
I’m made of life, flesh and blood
I was dealt the cards of a breed apart
I don’t give up and I don’t back down
Never compromise, always aim high
No surrender, no defeat
I don’t owe no-one, no-one owes me
I’m made of life, flesh and blood
I was dealt the cards of a breed apart
I’m made of life
I never say never, I never say die
I’ll never be broken, while I’m alive
I never give up without a fight
I don’t need no-one to tell me how or why
I’m made of life, flesh and blood
I was dealt the cards of a breed apart
I’m made of life
A breed apart
I’m made of life, flesh and blood
I was dealt the cards of a breed apart
I’m made of life
A breed apart
A breed apart
Video Performances of A Breed Apart
Click on image for video of The Alarm recorded 26th January 2013 live at The Gathering 21- Audience recording 
Click on mage for video of The Alarm recorded at Inverness 2016 – Audience recording
(Page updated 04/10/2025)