Spectres (album)

Spectres
Studio album by Blue Öyster Cult
Released	November 1977
Recorded	The Record Plant, New York City, July–September 1977
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	40:29
Label	Columbia
Producer	Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, David Lucas, Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult chronology
Agents of Fortune (1976) Spectres (1977) Some Enchanted Evening (1978)
Singles from Spectres
"Going Through the Motions / Searchin' for Celine" Released: November 1977 "Godzilla / Nosferatu" Released: February 1978 "Godzilla (Live) / Godzilla (Studio)" Released: April 1978 "I Love the Night / Nosferatu" Released: August 1978

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(B)[2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	10/10[3]
Q	[4]

Spectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978^[5] and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night".

The cover art is demonstrative of BÖC's use of lasers in their live show at that time. Though the album did not remain on the charts as long as its predecessor Agents of Fortune, it is a BÖC fan favorite.

A remaster of this album was released on CD on February 13, 2007 and included four previously unreleased outtakes from Spectres sessions as bonus tracks.

As of June 2012, this was the last studio album to have been remastered and reissued with bonus tracks in the BÖC catalogue.

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Godzilla"	Donald Roeser	Roeser	3:41
2.	"Golden Age of Leather"	Roeser, Bruce Abbott	Roeser	5:53
3.	"Death Valley Nights"	Albert Bouchard, Richard Meltzer	A. Bouchard	4:07
4.	"Searchin' for Celine"	Allen Lanier	Eric Bloom	3:35
5.	"Fireworks"	A. Bouchard	A. Bouchard	3:14

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
6.	"R. U. Ready 2 Rock"	A. Bouchard, Sandy Pearlman	Bloom	3:45
7.	"Celestial the Queen"	Joe Bouchard, Helen Wheels	J. Bouchard	3:24
8.	"Goin' Through the Motions"	Bloom, Ian Hunter	Bloom	3:12
9.	"I Love the Night"	Roeser	Roeser	4:23
10.	"Nosferatu"	J. Bouchard, Wheels	J. Bouchard	5:23
Total length:				40:29

2007 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
11.	"Night Flyer"	J. Bouchard, Murray Krugman	Roeser	3:48
12.	"Dial M for Murder"	Roeser	Bloom	3:11
13.	"Please Hold"	Lanier	Lanier	2:47
14.	"Be My Baby" (The Ronettes cover)	Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector	Bloom	3:01
Total length:				12:47

Personnel

Band members

• Eric Bloom – guitar, vocals
• Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – lead and rhythm guitars, vocals
• Allen Lanier – keyboards, guitar, vocals
• Joe Bouchard – bass guitar, guitar, vocals
• Albert Bouchard – drums, harmonica, vocals

Additional musicians

• Newark Boys Chorus – vocals on "Golden Age of Leather"

Production

• David Lucas, Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, – producers
• Shelly Yakus – engineer, mixing
• John Jansen, Corky Stasiak, Thom Panunzio, Andy Abrams – engineers
• Gray Russell, Dave Thoener, Jay Krugman, Rod O’Brien, Sam Ginsberg – assistant engineers
• Joe Brescio – mastering
• Roni Hoffman – design
• Eric Meola – photos
• David Infante – laser effects and photo assistance

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1977	Swedish Album Chart[6]	47
1978	Billboard 200 (North America)[7]	43
	UK Album Chart[8]	60
	RPM100 Albums (Canada)[9]	58

Sales Certifications

Year	Country	Organization	Sales
1978	U.S.	RIAA	Gold (500,000+)[5]

Cover versions

• A cover of "Godzilla" was featured in Guitar Hero. The master track is featured in Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, and as downloadable content for the Rock Band series.
• Thunderpuss 2000 has remixed "Godzilla" several different ways, including a Radio Mix (03:13), Extended Mix (05:25), Atomic Funky Dub (05:27), and Thunderpuss 2000 Club Mix (06:12)
• Akira Yamaoka, featuring vocals by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, covered "Godzilla" for the closing credits of Julia X 3D, released in 2011.
• American jam band moe. has covered "Godzilla" in concert numerous times.
• A live cover of "Godzilla" by heavy metal singer Sebastian Bach, was released on his Bring 'Em Bach Alive! album in 1998.^[10]
• "Goin' Through the Motions" was later covered by Bonnie Tyler on her album Faster Than the Speed of Night.

References

1. Jurek, Thom. "Blue Öyster Cult Spectres review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
2. Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide Reviews: Spectres". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
3. Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN 978-1894959025.
4. Mongredien, Phil (April 2007). "Blue Öyster Cult - Spectres". Q (249).
5. "RIAA Searchable Database - search for Spectres". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
6. "Blue Öyster Cult – Spectres (Album)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
7. "Spectres Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
8. "Spectres Chart Stats". Chart Stats.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
9. "Top Albums/CDs – Volume 28, No. 15 & 16, January 14, 1978". Library and Archives Canada. 14 January 1978. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
10. http://www.discogs.com/Sebastian-Bach-Friends-Bring-Em-Bach-Alive/release/1567826