Bonfire - 'Who's Foolin' Who' (MMXXIII Version)

Sometimes you get lost in the world
Get out of touch with your heart
Then one day you wake up
Did we drift to far apart
Are we going pick up the pieces
Just wait 'til our lease is up
What about all the things we lived for
No one wins if we walk on out that door

Who's foolin' who
If we don't stay together
We're foolin' ourselves
Who's foolin' who
Without you girl
It's a livin' in hell
Who's foolin' who

All caught up, all worn out
This prison doesn't change
Got to talk, spell it out
Before it's just to late
All the times I didn't see
Even when you cried in front of me
How could I think that I didn't need you
How could you think that I'd ever be untrue

Who's foolin' who
If we don't stay together
We're foolin' our selves
Who's foolin' who
Without you girl
It's a livin' in hell
Who's foolin' who

Are we going pick up the pieces
Just wait 'til our lease is up

Who's foolin' who
If we don't stay together
We're foolin' our selves
Who's foolin' who
Without you girl
It's a livin' in hell
Who's foolin' who
Who's foolin' who
If we don't stay together
We're foolin' our selves
Who's foolin' who
Without you girl
It's a livin' in hell
Who's foolin' who

Οι Bonfire μας έρχονται από την Γερμανία. Δημιουργήθηκαν το μακρινό 1972 ως Cacumen (με δισκογραφικό απολογισμό ένα single, δύο albums και ένα ep) και το 1986 -κατόπιν προτροπής της δισκογραφικής τους εταιρείας και του manager της μπάντας- άλλαξαν το όνομά τους σε Bonfire.

Δραστήρια δισκογραφικά μπάντα με 19 "ολοκληρωμένους" δίσκους στο ενεργητικό της (συν επτά live albums και τέσσερις συλλογές). Οι τρεις 80ς δίσκοι των Bonfire ("Don't Touch the Light", "Fire Works", "Point Blank") θα κυκλοφορήσουν επανηχογραφημένοι τον προσεχή Σεπτέμβρη (οι MMXXIII versions) σε cd και βινύλιο μέσω της AFM Records...

Δελτίο τύπου: «Since more than 35 years Bonfire are the embodiment of "Hard'n'Heavy made in Germany“. Now they are releasing their most wanted albums "Point Blank", "Fireworks" and "Don't Touch the Light" as MMXXIII re-recording versions with an entirely new artwork! Available for the very first time as digital format on all streaming providers, as colored limited and none limited vinyl and as CD digipak.

Sometimes you get the feeling that time stands still. Surely 1986 was only yesterday? And haven’t the hits from back then lost none of their magic? Then you dig out your favourite records and discover that the tracks that sound alive and fresh in your memory have acquired a little patina in recent years.

Which is pretty much what happened to Bonfire guitarist Hans Ziller when he remembered his band’s first major successes. Bonfire are one of the most iconic German hard rock bands of the past forty years, and their 2020 album ‘Fistful Of Fire’ garnered high positions in the German charts.

Their first three releases ‘Don’t Touch The Light’ (1986), ‘Fireworks’ (1987) and ‘Point Blank’ (1989), which have shaped a whole era, still hold a special position in Bonfire’s career. As one of the group’s founding members and its main composer, Ziller came up with an ambitious idea: How would the songs from those now slightly dated releases sound if they were re-recorded in contemporary studio conditions?

This concept was particularly exciting because the band’s current line-up is one of the strongest of their entire career. And so his idea began to take shape: The outstanding current Bonfire line-up has completely re-recorded all three albums, supported by updated cover artwork and a sound to make your heart beat faster.

The result will be released on 22 September 2023 on AFM/Soulfood. Ziller: “What we wanted to do was to record the songs as if Bonfire had been a metal band in the eighties!” Naturally, you need first-rate musicians for this kind of ambitious undertaking, and that’s precisely what Bonfire mark 2023 have: Greek singer Dyan Mair, one of the greatest European vocal talents of our time, has recently joined the Bonfire fold.

Ziller hadn’t realised that the man from southern Europe has always been a huge Bonfire fan for whom a lifelong dream came true. In less than two weeks, the 30-year-old had mastered all 35 songs from the three cult albums. Ziller enthuses: “Dyan can simply sing anything, from rock vocals to falsetto.

You only have to listen to him to realise that he will excel live.” In addition to Mair and Ziller, the line-up includes solo guitarist Frank Pané (Valley’s Eve, Sainted Sinners), New York bassist Ronnie Parkes and drummer Fabio Allesandrini (Annihilator).

What literally screams metal by name definitely sounds like it: These recent recordings of ‘Don't Touch The Light’, ‘Fireworks’ and ‘Point Blank’ see Bonfire deliver the timeless material from the original albums in a powerful sound that, despite its unbridled power, has lost none of its complexity.

Ziller: “Of course, we kept to the original arrangements as much as possible, perhaps slightly changing a riff now and then or updating the sound of a guitar part. But all the essential elements, right down to the lyrics, have remained untouched.”

Bonfire have taken an equally sensitive approach to the cover design: The main features of the original artwork have remained unchanged, but there are a few subtle alterations: ‘Don’t Touch The Light’ now features two women instead of two children, the cover of ‘Fireworks’ has been given a little more “heat”, and a monk is now standing in front of the huge gate on ‘Point Blank’, instead of a woman.

“The direct reference to the originals has been retained, but at the same time you can see that these are new versions of the albums”, explains Ziller. And so we can now all look forward to fantastic new versions of great Bonfire hits such as ‘Ready 4 Reaction’, ‘American Nights’, ‘Fantasy’, ‘Never Enough’, ‘Waste No Time’ and ‘Never Surrender’, which have lost none of their compositional timelessness and could hardly sound more haunting.

It comes as no surprise that Ziller & Co. plan to present their stroke of genius as extensively as possible. They are set to release seven (!!) lead singles and are also thinking about a lavish collector’s box, including great fan gadgets.

According to Ziller, there’s plenty of material: “Of course it’s still a secret what the content will be, but I can tell you this much: I’m currently busy writing a book about my career as a musician. So who knows?”»

Band: Bonfire
Country of origin: Germany
Location: Ingolstadt, Bavaria
Formed in: 1986
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Lyrical themes: Life, Relationships, Rock
Years active: 1972-1986 (as Cacumen), 1986-present

Video: "Who's Foolin' Who"
Music, Lyrics: Hans Ziller/Claus Lessmann
Produced by: Hans Ziller
Mixed by: Tom Müller (Flatliners Studio)
Mastered by: Tom Müller (Flatliners Studio)
Directed by: Bob Corey

Album: "Point Blank MMXXIII"
Type: Full length / Reissue
Release date: September 22nd, 2023
Label: AFM Records
Format: CD, LP, Digital

Track listing:
01. Bang Down the Door (MMXXIII Version)
02. Hard on Me (MMXXIII Version)
03. Who's Foolin' Who (MMXXIII Version)
04. Why is It Never Enough (MMXXIII Version)
05. Tony's Roulette (MMXXIII Version)
06. You're Back (MMXXIII Version)
07. Look of Love (MMXXIII Version)
08. The Price of Loving You (MMXXIII Version)
09. Freedom is My Belief (MMXXIII Version)
10. Gimme Some (MMXXIII Version)
11. Say Goodbye (MMXXIII Version)
12. Never Surrender (MMXXIII Version)
13. (20th Century) Youth Patrol (MMXXIII Version)
14. Know Right Now (MMXXIII Version)
15. Waste No Time (MMXXIII Version)