In late 1987 The Alarm had to record a B side for the Rescue Me single. For the first time in our lives we had no new songs and no new recordings in the can. Before we could rectify the situation the deadline for the artwork was upon us and so we gave out this fictitious song title for inclusion on the singles artwork and then set to write the song. Little did we know that we would be throwing away one of The Alarm’s finest songs. In the recording studio we soon realised what we had and desperately tried to have the single withdrawn, as we knew we had a song too good to be a B side. I think this song could and should have been an Alarm single in it’s own right – Mike Peters. Second Generation Volume 1 rare Songs of the Alarm revisited sleeve notes
IRS wanted to release Rescue Me as a UK single in December 1987 while we were going to be on tour in the US and so we had to record some more tracks for b-sides. Also, IRS needed the titles of the songs for the artwork before we actually had the chance to record them. To speed things along, we sent the title of one of Dave Sharp’s songs My Land Your Land. We had decided to cover another Woody Guthrie song Pastures of Plenty and we didn’t have any other new songs lying around and didn’t want to do another cover, Eddie Macdonald suggested a title Elders & Folklore (inspired by the title of our recent tour Electric Folklore), which we put forward for the artwork. While the record sleeve went in production, we came up with a song to go with the title. When we had finished Elders & Folklore we all thought this song was too good for a b-side and tried to change the artwork, We were too late – Mike Peters, Alarm 2000 collection sleeve notes
We recorded the sessions at Ezee Studios while we prepared to go on tour. We had managed to put all the bad feelings that had arisen during the previous year behind us and were able to concentrate on being The Alarm again. We really enjoyed these sessions – just being left alone to create our music and play as a band without any outside pressures – Mike Peters, Alarm 2000 collection sleeve notes
Rescue Me B Side Recording 1987
Running length 3:30
Written by The Alarm
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals
Dave Sharp – Electric Guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar
Nigel Twist – Drums, Backing Vocals
Mark Taylor – Keyboards
Backing track recorded 25th October 1987 at Ezee Studios, London, England
Produced by The Alarm
Engineered by Gary Bradshaw
Fan comments/memories :
Alternative studio recording releases – Re-recording, Remaster, Re-imagined
(v) 1995 – Elevator Studios, Liverpool, England recording
Running length 3:54
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Owen Thomas – Drums
Recorded & mixed at Elevator Studios, Liverpool, England 16th-18th September 1995
Produced by Michael Peters
Engineered & mixed by Mark Phythanian
2000 – The Alarm – The Alarm 2000 Collection Box Set : Eye Of The Hurricane 1987-1988 [Remastered]
Running length 3:32
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead vocals
Dave Sharp – Electric guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Bass guitar
Nigel Twist – Drums & backing vocals
Mark Taylor – Keyboards
Remastered from the 1987 recording by Mike Peters
Remastering Engineered by Gary Butler @ RTS Liverpool in 2000
2019 – Mike Peters presents The Alarm – Stream {Hurricane of Change} – Downstream disc
Running length 2:36 plus 0:17 intro narration
Musicians
Mike Peters – 1st Voice, electric, acoustic guitars, harmonica and narration
Smiley –Drums, percussion, tambourine
Jules Jones Peters – Piano
George Williams – Bass guitar
Recorded at Sain Studios, Wales 8th – 12th February 2019
Recorded and engineered by George Williams
Assistant recording engineer Aled Hughes
Demonstration tape engineer Mark Warden
Album Appearances and discography of studio recordings
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
(v) 1995 : Mike Peters – Second Generation Volume 1 – Rare songs of the Alarm revisited
Released on CD by The Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C002
1995 Elevator Studios recording
2000 – The Alarm – Eye Of The Hurricane (1987-1988) – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C013 (CD). Appearing as part of the Alarm 2000 collection box set and then later as an individual disc. 1987 recording remastered.
2000 – The Alarm – The Alarm 2000 collection sampler Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C018 (CD). 1987 recording remastered.
2007 – The Alarm – The Collection – EMI GOLD, catalogue number 50999 5 08656 2 8 (CD). 1987 recording.
2019 – Mike Peters presents The Alarm – Stream {Hurricane of Change} – Downstream disc – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C112 (CD). 2019 recording.
Single Appearances and discography of studio recordings
UK Release
December 1987 : 12″ Vinyl – Rescue Me
Track listing : (a-side) Rescue Me, My Land Your Land / (b-side) Elders And Folklore, Pastures Of Plenty
Released by IRS Records catalogue number IRMT 150
Original 1987 full recording
Europe Release
December 1987 – 12″ vinyl maxi-single – B-Side of Rescue Me – IRS Records, catalogue number ILS 651355 6
Canada Release
December 1987 – 7″ vinyl single – B-Side of Rescue Me – IRS Records, catalogue number 53361
Officially Released Live Recordings – Audio
All the following are Worldwide releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
24th August 2003. Recorded at William Aston Hall, NEWI, Wrexham, Wales
Running Length 3:24. Mike Peters Solo acoustic.
Released in 2003 on Alarmstock Volume 6 – A Road Less Travelled
20th August 2005. Recorded at Capitol Records Studio A, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Running Length 4:39 Mike Peters Solo acoustic.
Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III vol 3 – Los Angeles – Set 2 When We Were Bullet Proof
3rd November 2011. Record at The Flowerpot, Derby, England
Running Length 1:50. Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released on CD in 2012 Mike Peters of the Alarm – 30th Anniversary Acoustic Alarm Tour 1981-2011, catalogue number 21C059
Officially Released Live Recordings – Video/DVD
All the following are Worldwide releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
12th January 2001. Recorded at The Gathering 9, The North Wales Conference Centre, Llandudno, Wales. Mike Peters solo acoustic set
Released on DVD in 2005 – The Alarm – The Gathering History, catalogue number 21CDVD003
Lyrics
In the heart of darkness I’ve waited for you
Since the world’s creation, in the depths of Hades
In the Garden of Eden, Jerusalem
I stumbled I fell.
Since the dawn of man, time honoured I ran
Saints in the light, angels in hell
Unholy city, Jericho
I wait for you.
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh! come away with me
And I will show you, elders and folklore.
Ever since the first born, the first blood ran
The eighth day started, I ran as fast as I can
Temples in desert, Jerusalem
I wait for you.
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh! come away with me
And I will show you, elders and folklore.
Oh, I will show you, of elders and folklore.
And I will show you, elders and folklore.
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh come away with me
And I will show you, of elders and folklore.
Elders & folklore
Alternative lyrics – Second Generation Vol 1 recording
In the heart of darkness I wait for you
Since the world’s creation, in the depths of Hades
In the Garden of Eden, Jerusalem
I stumbled I fell
Since the dawn of man, time honoured I ran
Saints in the light, angels in hell
Unholy city, Jericho
I wait for you
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh! come away with me
I will show you of elders and folklore
Ever since the first born, the first blood ran
The eighth day started, I ran as fast as I can
Temples in desert, Jerusalem
I wait for you
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh! come away with me
I will show you of elders and folklore
Oh, I will show you of elders and folklore
Oh I will show you of elders and folklore
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh come away with me
I will show you
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh come away with me
I will show you of elders and folklore
Oh I will show you
Alternative Lyrics – 2019 Downstream narration and lyrics
Narration
In the heart of darkness I had waited for you, to come away with me and to show you treasures never seen. Elders and folklore, it was time to head back upstream.
Lyrics
In the heart of darkness I’ve waited for you
Since the world’s creation, in the depths of Hades
In the Garden of Eden, Jerusalem
I stumbled I fell
Stumbled I fell
Since the dawn of man, time honoured I ran
Saints in the light, angels in hell
Unholy city, Jericho
I’m waiting for you
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh! come away with me
I will show you, elders and folklore
Elders and folklore
Ever since the first born, the first blood ran
The eighth day started, I ran as fast as I can
Temples in desert, Jerusalem
I’m waiting for you
Waiting for you
Come away, come away, away with me
I’ll show you treasure, you’ve never seen
Away, oh! come away with me
I will show you, elders and folklore
Elders and folklore
Come away with me
Into the height of darkness
Into the height of darkness
Into the height of darkness
Elders and folklore
Electric Folklore
Come away with me
Elders and folklore
Elders and folklore
Audio & Visual Sources
Audio Link – Remaster version of the original 1987 recording. Uploaded to the official The Alarm youtube channel.
Audio Link – 1995 Second Generation version uploaded to youtube
Video Link – Live version recorded at UCLA, California USA 13th May 2018. Uploaded to youtube by user Ted Weitzman. Audience recording.
(Page updated 03/01/2024)