''3 Hits from Hell'' (stylized as 3 hits from HeLL) is the sixth release by American

horror punk Horror punk is a music genre that mixes punk rock and 1950s-influenced doo-wop and rockabilly sounds with morbid and violent imagery and lyrics which are often influenced by horror films and science fiction B-movies. The genre was pioneered by ...

band

Misfits Misfits or The Misfits may refer to: Film and television * ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift * ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film * ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...

. The 7" EP was released in April 1981 via

Plan 9 Records Plan 9 Records, originally known as Blank Records, was an independent record label that was founded in 1977 by Glenn Danzig of the horror punk band The Misfits. The label was discontinued in 1995. In 1977, Danzig founded Blank Records as a mea ...

. While there was no actual insert, some of the first pressing included a Misfits Fiend Club ad. All three songs were recorded on 2" 16-track tape at Master Sound Productions in

Franklin Square, New York Franklin Square is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, United States. The hamlet is an unincorporated area in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 29,320 at the 2010 census. The area was originally known ...

, on August 7, 1980, with

Bobby Steele Bobby Steele (born Robert Charles Kaufhold on March 18, 1956) is an American punk rock musician. He is the current guitar player, songwriter, and sole original member of the punk band The Undead. He has been a member of multiple other bands, m ...

on guitar for the main riff of "

London Dungeon The London Dungeon is a tourist attraction along London's South Bank, England, which recreates various gory and macabre historical events in a gallows humour style. It uses a mixture of live actors, special effects and rides. History The Lo ...

" and producer Robbie Alter playing the chords, while

Jerry Only Gerald Caiafa Jr. (born April 21, 1959), better known by his stage name Jerry Only, is an American musician, best known as the bassist for the Misfits and later the vocalist as well. He is the only member to appear in every Misfits lineup. Biog ...

's younger brother

Doyle Doyle is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a back-formation from O'Doyle, which is an Anglicisation of the Irish (), meaning "descendant of ''Dubhghall''". There is another possible etymology: the Anglo-Norman surname ''D'Oyley'' with agglut ...

(Paul Caiafa) recorded guitar on the rest of the songs on September 5, 1980, following Bobby's departure. It was during this session that Doyle officially joined the band as Bobby's replacement. While none of the other ten songs from this session were released until 1985, after the band had broken up, all 13 tracks were later remixed for the '' 12 Hits from Hell'' release. "London Dungeon" was written by

Glenn Danzig Glenn Allen Anzalone (born June 23, 1955), better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, film director, and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns t ...

about his experience while jailed in

Brixton Brixton is a district in south London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th ce ...

on December 2, 1979. Both "Horror Hotel" and "Ghouls Night Out" were based on horror films: ''

Horror Hotel ''The City of the Dead'' (U.S. title: ''Horror Hotel'') is a 1960 supernatural horror film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey and starring Christopher Lee, Venetia Stevenson, Betta St. John, Patricia Jessel and Valentine Dyall. The film mark ...

'' (a 1960

Christopher Lee Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. In a long career spanning more than 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimat ...

vehicle) and the 1958

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novel author. In the 1950s, Wood directed several low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult cla ...

film ''

Night of the Ghouls ''Night of the Ghouls'' is a horror film written and directed by Ed Wood. The film was shot between April and May 1958. Cast member Paul Marco recalled that the film had a preview screening in 1959 at the Vista Theatre in Hollywood, after which ...

'', respectively.

Pressing history

The pressing history and details of this three-song EP are the most confounding to record collectors of any Misfits' release. Since all of the known pressing records were incomplete or incorrect, it is impossible to know any more than a few facts mixed with much conjecture. There were at least two, but possibly as many as five, distinct pressings. Estimates on the number and order of the various combinations of record attributes ranges from 3,000 to 7,000 black vinyl with a grey label and large spindle, which is known conclusively to be the earliest pressing, 2,000 to 7,000 black vinyl with a red label and large spindle, of which as many as 10 to 100 may actually be from an abbreviated earlier pressing, and 400 to 1,000 black vinyl with a red label and small spindle. The only fixed number is that there were 400 white vinyl copies with a red label and a large spindle, which was the final pressing. The total number of EPs pressed is estimated to be either 6,500 or 10,000, depending on which pressing information is to be believed.

Track listing

Personnel

The Misfits *

– vocals *

– background vocals, bass *

– guitar on "Horror Hotel" and "Ghouls Night Out" *

Arthur Googy Arthur Googy is an American percussionist known for being the drummer of horror punk band The Misfits from 1980 to 1982. Originally from Jackson Heights, New York, he attended Blessed Sacrament elementary school followed by a brisk visit to Newt ...

– drums *

– guitar on "London Dungeon" Production * Rob Alter – producer, additional guitar and sound effects on "London Dungeon"

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:3 Hits From Hell Misfits (band) EPs Horror punk EPs 1981 EPs Plan 9 Records EPs