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    RockChat Rewind with Joe Milliken
    On this day in 1981, Blue Oyster Cult released their eighth studio album titled “Fire Of Unknown Origin.” Recorded on the Columbia label at Kingdom Sound Studio on Long Island and The Automatt in San Francisco, and produced by Martin Birch, it would be the band’s last recording featuring the original lineup, for they would fire original drummer, Alan Bouchard, during the subsequent tour.
    Several of the songs were originally intended for the soundtrack to the animated film “Heavy Metal,” but the only song that would end up on the soundtrack was “Veteran of the Psychic Wars,” co-written with science fiction author Michael Moorcock. Another song from the album, the haunting “Joan Crawford,” was also co-written with Patti Smith.
    “Fire Of Unknown Origin” would be a resurgence for Blue Oyster Cult, after their previous two albums had been somewhat of a disappointment (sales-wise) for the band. The album would climb to #24 on the Billboard album chart and #29 on the UK chart, while the hit single, “Burnin’ For You,” would crack the Top 40 on the Hot 100 singles chart and also hit #1 on the “Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks” chart.
    With cover art by Greg Scott, the album also featured some of the fans favorite “deep cut” concert favorites including “Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver,” “After Dark,” and the title track (also this editor’s favorite BOC song “Don’t Turn Your Back), and “Fire Of Unknown Origin” would be certified Gold in both America and the UK,
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