Shelter appeared on the Eye Of The Hurricane album released on 9th November 1987. All the songs on Eye of the Hurricane had a suffix after the title to indicate where they were written or the location the idea of the song came from, in this case it was Shelter [Blaenau]
Mixed during the original Eye of the Hurricane recording sessions and completed on 16th July 1987, it has never been released until now. Previous versions of the album feature a mix by David Leonard that was carried out – with little or no involvement from any members of the band members – in Los Angeles in August 1987 – Alarm 2000 collection sleeve notes
You can really hear the difference between the two mixes of this version of Shelter. On the original released version there are no electric guitars in the verse. On this John Porter / Tony Platt mix Dave Sharp’s playing can be heard throughout – Mike Peters – Alarm 2000 collection sleeve notes
Shelter was the name of the official Alarm Fanclub that was run by Pauline, Michelle and Andy in the last 1980’s early 1990’s
Running length 3:09
Written by Macdonald / Peters
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Electric Guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar
Nigel Twist – Drums
Backing track recorded 17th April 1987 at Jam Studios, Islington, London N4, England
Produced by John Porter
Engineered Tony Platt
Mixed by David Leonard
Alternative studio recording releases ~ Acoustic, Remastered ~ New Recording ~ Re-imagined
1997 – Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1987-1991
Running length 2:14
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Recorded in 1995 by Dan Mcloughlin at Fort Apachache Studios, Boston, Massachusetts USA
Produced by Michael Peters
2000 – The Alarm – The Alarm 2000 Collection Box Set : Eye Of The Hurricane 1987-1988 [Remastered]
Running length 3:09
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Sharp – Electric Guitar
Eddie Macdonald – Bass Guitar
Nigel Twist – Drums
Remastered from the 1987 John Porter Mix recording by Mike Peters
Remastering Engineered by Gary Butler @ RTS Liverpool in 2000
2011 – The Alarm – The Sound And The Fury – 30th Anniversary
Running length 3:24
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Lead vocals & acoustic guitar
James Stevenson – Electric & acoustic guitar
Craig Adams – Bass guitar & backing vocals
Mark Taylor – Piano
Steve “Smiley” Barnard – Drums, percussion & backing vocals
Recorded at Foel Studio, Llanfair Caereinion, Wales. Additional recording at Pink Gun Studios, London, England and Sonic Hills, Guildford, England
Produced by Mike Peters and Smiley
Recorded and mixed by Chris Fielding
Additional recording by Mark Warden
2019 – Mike Peters presents The Alarm – Stream {Hurricane of Change} – Downstream disc
Running length 2:23 plus 0:16 intro narration
Musicians & Credits
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 for studio versions
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
9th November 1987 – The Alarm – Eye Of The Hurricane – IRS Records vinyl MIRG 1023, cassette MIRGC 1023 , CD DMIRG 1023 (UK Release). Original 1987 recording
Declaration was also released on vinyl, cassette and CD in USA, Canada, Europe and Spain. Vinyl and cassette in Australia. Vinyl and CD in Japan. Vinyl only Greece, Netherlands and Brazil. Cassette only Taiwan.
1997 – Mike Peters – Acoustic Works 1987-1991 – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number No. 21C005. (CD) 1995 Fort Apache Acoustic 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 recorded John Porter mix remastered.
2007 – The Alarm – The Collection – EMI GOLD, catalogue number 50999 5 08656 2 8 (CD). 1987 recorded John Porter mix.
2011 – The Alarm – The Sound And The Fury – 30th Anniversary. Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C056 (CD). 2011 New recording.
2012 – The Alarm – Two classic albums: Strength / Eye of the Hurricane – EMI GOLD, no catalogue number (CD). 1987 recorded version.
2019 – Mike Peters presents The Alarm – Stream {Hurricane of Change} – Downstream disc – Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C112 (CD). 2019 recording.
Officially released live recordings – Audio
All the following are Worldwide releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
15th December 1987. Recorded live at The Vic Theatre, Chicago, Illinois. USA
Running length 3:30
Band Line up : Mike Peters, Dave Sharp, Eddie Macdonald, Nigel Twist and Mark Taylor.
Released on CD in 2000 as The Alarm Electric Folklore [Live] 1987-1988. Catalogue number 21C014
20th August 2005. Recorded at Capitol Records Studio A, Los Angeles, California, USA
Running Length 3:35 Mike Peters Solo acoustic
Released in 2005 on Alarmstock III Los Angeles Set 2 – When We Were Bullet Proof
28th January 2012. Recorded at The Gathering 20, Pontins Prestatyn Sands, Holiday Park, Prestatyn, Wales
Running length : 3.42 Band line-up : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor and Steve Norman
Released in 2012 – The Alarm – The Music Must And Shall Be Preserved (audio disc), catalogue number 21CDVD016
Officially released live recordings – Video/DVD
All the following are Worldwide releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
17th December 1993. Recorded at The Gathering 2, The Town Hall, Rhyl, Wales
Mike Peters solo acoustic
Released on VHS Video in 1995 – Mike Peters – The Gathering 2
9th June 2001. Recorded at The Town Hall, Rhyl, Wales
Mike Peters Solo acoustic.
Released in 2001 on DVD The Story Of The Alarm (20th Anniversary), catalogue number 21CDVD002
28th January 2012. Recorded at The Gathering 20, Pontins Prestatyn Sands, Holiday Park, Prestatyn, Wales
Running length : 3.42 Band line-up : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Craig Adams, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Mark Taylor and Steve Norman
Released in 2012 – The Alarm – The Music Must And Shall Be Preserved, catalogue number 21CDVD016
Lyrics
Shelter
I’ve been branded
I’ve been washed up and left for dead
I’ve been cast out from this world
I’m in exile
I’m stranded on the streets
Ain’t got no place left to run
No one wants me anymore, anymore, anymore
Now they hunt me down
Come on take me to the shelter
Shelter
Give me what I want to night
Shelter
Shelter take me undercover tonight
Shelter
Oh Oh Oh
I’ve been tortured
I’ve been raging in the breach
In this wicked world
Persecution
I’m been carrying my cross
I’ve been down there on my knees
Oh no one wants me anymore, anymore, anymore
Now they hunt me down
Come on take me to the shelter
Shelter
Give me what I want to night
(Give me your love and)
Shelter
Shelter take me undercover tonight
Shelter
Oh Oh Oh
Yeah
Oh Oh Oh
Now now
Come on take me to the shelter
Shelter
Give me what I want to night
(Give me your love and)
Shelter
Shelter
Sleeping on the streets tonight
(Give me your love)
Come on Shelter
Shelter give me what want tonight
(Give me your love)
Come on Shelter
Shelter give me what want tonight
Oh Oh Oh
2019 Downstream narration and lyrics
Narration
A rose beyond the wall beckoned, and it was into an unknown world of needle and thorn that I descended, cast out by my own free will and branded for carrying a cross into this wicked world.
Lyrics
I’ve been branded
Been washed up and left for dead
I’ve been cast out from this world
I’m in exile
Stranded on the streets
Ain’t no place left to run to
Left to run to
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
I’ve been tortured
Raging in the breach
In this wicked world
Persecution
Carrying my cross
I’ve been down there, on my knees
On my Knees
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
No one wants me anymore
Now they hunt me down
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter
Audio & Visual Sources
Audio Link – The remaster 2000 version
Audio Link – Live version from Th Vic Chicago 1987 released on Electric Folklore remaster
Audio Link – The Sound and Fury 30th Anniversary version
Video Link – Mike Peters solo live at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff 2nd March 2014 (audience recording)