Chase the Dragon

Chase the Dragon
Studio album by Magnum
Released	March 1982
Recorded	Town House Studios London United Kingdom 1980
Genre	Rock Melodic Rock Progressive rock
Length	1982: 35:19 2005: 78:12
Label	Jet Records
Producer	Jeff Glixman
Magnum chronology
Marauder (1980) Chase the Dragon (1982) The Eleventh Hour (1983)
Singles from Chase The Dragon
"The Lights Burned Out" Released: February 1982 "Live In America" Released: September 1982 "Live In America (EP)" Released: September 1982

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
All Music	[1]

Chase the Dragon is the third studio album by British melodic rock band Magnum. It was released in 1982 on Jet Records.

Overseen by Kansas producer Jeff Glixman, 1982's Chase the Dragon would debut new keyboard player Mark Stanway, although he would make his live debut at Magnum's appearance at the Reading Festival in 1980. The album was recorded over 13 days at Town House Studios in London, and the following year Tony Clarkin flew to Axis Studios in Atlanta to mix the album . However, there was a two-year delay until the album's release in 1982.^[2]

Many of the tracks have remained in Magnum's live set for many years, including "Soldier of the Line", "The Spirit" and "Sacred Hour".

Chase the Dragon was eventually released in March 1982, two years after the recording sessions, reaching the Top 20 in the UK charts, peaking at #17. "The Lights Burned Out" was released as a single in February 1982, followed by an EP in September 1982 with two new studio songs "Back to Earth" and "Hold Back Your Love" with two live tracks recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1982, whilst supporting Ozzy Osbourne (later released on Invasion Live) .

It is also noted to be the first Magnum album to feature Rodney Matthews' artwork.

The 2005 expanded version of the album was reissued on 22 September 2006 in Japan with Mini LP/Paper Sleeve packaging through Arcangelo. The album was also included in a limited edition Japanese Box Set, consisting of all six of Sanctuary Records Expanded and Remastered releases with Mini LP/Paper Sleeve packaging. The set included an outer box featuring Magnum's Chase the Dragon artwork.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Tony Clarkin. 

Original 1982 Release
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Soldier of the Line"	4:16
2.	"On the Edge of the World"	4:22
3.	"The Spirit"	4:17
4.	"Sacred Hour"	5:35
5.	"Walking the Straight Line"	4:53
6.	"We All Play the Game"	4:07
7.	"The Teacher"	3:21
8.	"The Lights Burned Out"	4:32

2005 Expanded Edition
No.	Title	Length
9.	"Back to Earth" (originally released on the EP Live In America)	6:17
10.	"Hold Back Your Love" (originally released on the EP Live In America)	4:24
11.	"Soldier of the Line" (originally released on the EP Live In America)	3:55
12.	"Sacred Hour" (originally released on the EP Live In America)	4:10
13.	"Long Days, Black Nights" (originally released on the single The Lights Burned Out)	5:38
14.	"The Lights Burned Out" (Demo recording originally released on Archive)	3:13
15.	"The Spirit" (originally released on Invasion Live)	6:13
16.	"Soldier of the Line" (1993 Acoustic Recording originally released on Keeping The Nite Light Burning)	5:10

Cover Sleeve

The cover art was designed by Rodney Matthews.

"My original brief for Magnum's 'Chase the Dragon' album cover was given by Tony Clarkin, founder member of the band, who writes all the music and lyrics. In the first instance the record was to have been called 'The Spirit' and my rough visuals were prepared with that title in mind. The album, which was intended to be a gatefold sleeve, ended up in a standard container because the record company could not justify the extra expense.

"This was a pity I felt, because I had designed two images to relate to each other and read from front to inside spread. The first being the work 'Chase the Dragon' and the second, 'Sanctuary'. The city depicted in each was appropriated to the title 'The Spirit', but I find it difficult to equate it with the replacement title 'Chase the Dragon' which is a slang term for an oriental practice in drug abuse."^[3] — Rodney Matthews

Reissues

Date of Release	Formats	Label	Catalogue Number	Notes
02/82	LP, PD	Jet Records	JETLP235, JETPD235	Rodney Matthews artwork
01/87	CD	Jet Records	JETCD004
06/88	LP, PD, CD	FM Records	WKFMLP112, WKFMPD112, WKFMXD112
01/88	CD	Castle Communications	CLACD222
01/91	CD	Castle Communications	CLACD222
08/99	CD	Castle Essentials	ESMCD570	Includes Bonus Tracks
10/05	CD	Sanctuary Records	CMQDD1231	Expanded and Remastered with Bonus Tracks

Bonus tracks

Sanctuary Records released a 2005 Remastered and Expanded edition with a Bonus Tracks.

"Back to Earth", "Hold Back Your Love", "Soldier of the Line" and "Sacred Hour" (Disc 1, 9 — 12)
Were released and an EP called "Live in America", featuring two live tracks recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1982, whilst supporting Ozzy Osbourne (originally released on Invasion Live) and two new studio tracks recorded during the Chase the Dragon sessions.

"Long Days Black Nights" (Disc 1, 13)
Was the B-Side to the single "The Light Burned Out".

"Lights Burned Out" (Disc 1, 14)
This was recorded at Zella Studios, Birmingham in late 1979 and is the original version before a chorus was written. This was intended for the album Chase the Dragon.^[4] — Tony Clarkin

Originally released in Jet Records' 1993 compilation Archive.

"The Spirit" (Disc 1, 15)
Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1982, whilst supporting Ozzy Osbourne, (originally released on Invasion Live).

"Soldier of the Line" (Disc 1, 16)
Released in 1993 on Magnum's acoustic album Keeping The Nite Light Burning in 1993.

Singles

The Lights Burned Out 7" (February 1982)

1. "The Lights Burned Out" [LP Version] — 4:32
2. "Long Days Black Nights" [B-Side] — 3:11

Live in America 7" (September 1982)

1. "Back to Earth" [A-Side] — 3:39
2. "Hold Back Your Love" [A-Side] — 3:22

Live in America EP (September 1982)

1. "Back to Earth" [A-Side] — 3:39
2. "Hold Back Your Love" [A-Side] — 3:22
3. "Soldier of the Line" [Live] — 3:51
4. "Sacred Hour" [Live] — 5:45

Personnel

• Tony Clarkin — Guitar
• Bob Catley — Vocals
• Wally Lowe — Bass
• Mark Stanway — Keyboards
• Kex Gorin — Drums

Production

• Recorded at the Town House Studios, London, England
• Produced and Engineered by Jeff Glixman
• Assistant Engineer — Steve Prestage
• Mixed at Axis Sound Studios, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Related Info

The song "The Spirit" was covered by German Power Metal band Edguy on their 2005 EP "Superheroes"

Stian Aarstad former pianist of the symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir used the intro to Sacred Hour as the intro the song Alt Lys er Svunnet Hen on their album Stormblåst Aarstad neglected to tell them this. Later on the intro to the song was left out in the rerecording of the album in 2005

References

1. ^ All Music review
2. ^ Clarkin, Tony & Ling, David (2006). Sleeve Notes. In Chase the Dragon: Expanded Edition (pp. 2) [CD liner notes]. London: Sanctuary Records.
3. ^ Matthews, Rodney; & Suckling, Nigel; (1985). In Search Of Forever (1st ed.). Great Britain: Dragon's World Ltd. ISBN 1-85028-003-7.
4. ^ Clarkin, Tony (1993). Sleeve Notes. In Archive (pp. 3) [CD liner notes]. London: Jet Records.

External links

• www.magnumonline.co.uk — Official Magnum site
• Chase The Dragon: Expanded Edition - Sanctuary Records' mini site
• Record Covers — at rodneymatthews.com