Nine Below Zero

The two classic albums, ’Don’t Point Your Finger’ and ‘Third Degree’ were re-packaged, re-mastered and released through Universal Music earlier this year.

The band’s original drummer Mickey ‘Stix’ Burkey will re-join the band for the tour.

He recently played live with the band for the first time since the 80s, in November 2012 at the 30th Anniversary of The Assembly Room in Islington. Mickey and frontman Dennis Greaves co-wrote many of the songs on ‘Don’t Point Your Finger’ and ‘Third Degree’.

Don’t Point Your Finger, originally released in 1981, was Nine Below Zero’s second album. Recorded in 12 days at Olympic Sound Studios in Barnes and produced by the legendary Glyn Johns. Dennis says, “We were walking in the footsteps of some of the all-time greats. Led Zeppelin’s first album was recorded there, along with “Who’s Next” and “Beggars Banquet” by The Stones.

It was the most inspiring experience”. The double CD also includes a live performance recorded for the BBC Radio One’s In Concert series in 1981 at The Granary Club in Bristol.

Third Degree, originally released in 1982, included the single 11+11, which was performed on the first episode of cult TV show, The Young Ones. This album spent six weeks in the album chart. David Bailey, renowned photographer of The Beatles, The Stones and the Kray Twins (to name a few), took the photograph for the album front cover artwork.

Nine Below Zero originally recorded the album, again with Glyn Johns, at his studio in Sussex. However, with it’s raw sound, A&M wanted to hear the album with a more clynical production and the band went on to re-record it with producer Simon Boswell. Now available for the first time, Johns’ original recording will be available on the re-release along with the more familiar version of the album.

Dennis says “I think it will be interesting for fans to see how a series of songs can sound so different and how the production process affects the finished article”.