{{good article}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = 1000 Fires | type = studio | artist = Traci Lords | cover = Tracilords_1000fires_cover.jpg | border = yes | alt = | released = {{Start date|1995|2|28}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Traci+Lords&titel=1%2C000+Fires&cat=a|title=Traci Lords - 1,000 Fires (album)|website=Finnish charts portal|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=January 12, 2014}}</ref> | recorded = 1994 in London, United Kingdom | venue = | studio = | genre = {{flatlist| * Techno<ref name=allmusic/><ref name="guardian-genre">{{cite news |newspaper=The Guardian Weekly|title=Your Essential Guide to The New CDs: Pop|page=A12|date=April 14, 1995 |issn=0261-3077|quote="Lords has unexpectedly gone for a techno sound, and her come-hither whisper works well on ambient items like Distant Land."|last=Sullivan|first=Caroline}}</ref> }} | length = {{Duration|m=55|s=51}} | label = Radioactive | producer = {{flatlist| * Gary Kurfirst <small>(exec.)</small> * Juno Reactor * Mike Edwards * Babble }} | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Singles | name = 1000 Fires | type = studio | single1 = Control | single1date = December 20, 1994<ref name=allmusiccontrol>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/control-mr0001240074/|title=Control - Traci Lords|website=AllMusic|publisher=All Media Network|access-date=February 13, 2015}}</ref> | single2 = Fallen Angel | single2date = August 3, 1995<ref name=allmusicfallenangel>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/fallen-angel-mr0002772264|title=Fallen Angel - Traci Lords|website=AllMusic|publisher=All Media Network|access-date=February 13, 2015}}</ref> }} }}
'''''1000 Fires''''' is the debut studio album by American singer and actress Traci Lords, released on February 28, 1995, by Radioactive Records. The album remains her only full-length music release to date. Lords started working on the album in April 1994, and collaborated with producers Juno Reactor, Mike Edwards and Babble. Executive produced by Gary Kurfirst, ''1000 Fires'' is predominantly influenced by electronic music with elements of techno, trance and trip hop. Lyrically, it mostly focuses on dark themes, referring to Lords's past in the porn industry or dealing with thoughts of suicide on "Fallen Angel". It was widely believed that Lords revealed her rape experience on the song "Father's Field," but Lords clarified that the song was about a "story character" and not herself: on page 213 of her 2003 autobiography, Underneath It All, Lords wrote, “I spent my free time in the hotel room staring out the window at the ocean below. Listening to a new artist named Tori Amos, I became inspired by the candid stories she told in her lyrics. She sang about being raped, and I found myself writing about the same thing, filling notebooks with random thoughts from years before. I titled that section of words ‘Father’s Field,’ although it had nothing to do with my father's field. My father's backyard brought such vivid images to my mind that that's where my story character was placed.”
Upon its release, the album received mixed reviews from music critics. It achieved moderate commercial success, but failed to enter the ''Billboard'' 200. It is currently out of print. During the promotion of the album, Lords performed as a DJ and opened shows for other artists such as Moby and the band My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult.
Two singles from the album were released. The lead single, "Control", peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs and its instrumental version was featured in the film ''Mortal Kombat'' (1995). The soundtrack to the film was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which earned Lords her first music award. Its following single, "Fallen Angel", was also successful in charts, peaking at number eleven on Hot Dance Club Songs. The Paul Oakenfold remix of the song was included on the soundtrack to the film ''Virtuosity'' (1995), in which Lords had a cameo appearance.
==Background and recording== After her departure from the adult film industry and transition to mainstream films, Lords got signed for a development deal with Capitol Records, but was later dropped due to disagreements between her and the label. "They wanted to market me in the way that would make the most money. They wanted to make me the new Samantha Fox. And I never wanted that. That wasn't what it was about for me. I pretty much had a sense of myself, and I knew that I would be an imposter," Lords said.<ref name=bigofeature>{{cite magazine |last=Lim|first=Gerrie|date=February 1995|title=Traci Lords: The Other Side of an X-Rated Star|url=http://bigozine2.com/feature/?p=236|magazine=BigO|publisher=Michael Cheah|issue=110|access-date=July 9, 2009}}</ref>
Following the split up from her husband Brook Yeaton, Lords decided to focus on her career outside acting. She began taking vocal lessons and was encouraged by her coach to search for a new record deal. After meeting with American DJ Rodney Bingenheimer at a birthday party, she was recommended to Jeff Jacklin, who hired her to record the song "Love Never Dies" for the 1992 film ''Pet Sematary Two''. The producer of the soundtrack, Gary Kurfirst, signed her for a development deal with his label Radioactive Records.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Newman|first=Melinda|date=March 18, 1995|title=Heard At Grammys: Radio Complaints; New Projects by Ramone, Seger, Loeb|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2wsEAAAAMBAJ&q=traci+lords&pg=PA14|magazine=Billboard |page=14|access-date=January 26, 2015}}</ref>
{{Quote box|width=35%|quote="I've kept personal journals since about the age of nine, and some lyrics were actually taken from them; I remember talking to Ben (Watkins of Juno Reactor) one day about suicide when something struck a chord - I looked back at the journals that I'd written when I was about ten, and the words that I found were the same words that I used in the song, words that I wrote when I was just a child."|source=—Lords on creating the lyrics to the song "Fallen Angel"<ref name=satellite>{{cite magazine|last=Moore|first=Nik|date=June 1995|title=Star Interview... Traci Lords|magazine=Satellite Times|page=29<!-- |access-date=July 12, 2015 -->}}</ref>}}
In April 1994, the label arranged her to fly to London and meet with producer Tom Bailey. They recorded the songs "I Want You", "Fly" and "Just Like Honey", which was later re-recorded by Keith Fernley of Bailey's group Babble with a different set of lyrics and became the song "Father's Field". Lords used lyrics she had previously written in New Zealand, having been inspired by Tori Amos.<ref name=underneathitall>{{cite book|last=Lords|first=Traci Elizabeth|date=2003|title=Traci Lords: Underneath It All|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p5P_Puwa860C|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780062217233 |access-date=January 26, 2015}}</ref> After finishing her recording with Bailey, Lords wanted something with a harder edge to add another dimension to her album. She was introduced to producer Ben Watkins of the electronic group Juno Reactor and decided to incorporate more rave sound. Mainly inspired by the music she would hear at warehouse parties during her stay in London,<ref name=bigofeature/> Lords teamed up with American singer Wonder with whom she created the lyrics to the song "Control". Lords later commented on the inspiration behind the album's sound: "It was in England that I fell in love with techno music. I was working in the UK doing some modelling a couple of years ago, and I was sharing a flat with some other girls in South London. We were really broke, and the cheapest place to go and have a good night out were raves - you could get in for about three bucks. So I went to a lot of raves and clubs, and I fell in love with the music - it was something that wasn't happening in the States at the time."<ref name=satellite/> Lords recorded three more songs with Watkins; "Good-N-Evil", "Outlaw Lover" and "Fallen Angel".
Later she met Mike Edwards, the lead singer of the band Jesus Jones. They recorded the songs "Distant Land", "Say Something" and "Okey Dokey"; the latter of which they recorded as a joke at the end of a recording session.<ref name=underneathitall/>
==Title and artwork== When asked about the album's title, Lords said: "I think that fire is something that's really representative of the record. It's really, really peaceful and you're drawn to it. But if you get too close, it can torch you and kill you. But if you just get close enough, it's warm and it's soothing, it's mesmerising and it's peaceful. It can give you everything or destroy you, depending on how smart you are."<ref name=bigofeature/> The cover sleeve was shot by Joshua Jordan.<ref name=press>{{cite press release|date=February 1995|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Traci Lords - 1000 Fires|publisher=Radioactive Records|agency= <!-- |access-date=July 12, 2015 -->}}</ref>
==Composition== {{listen | filename = Traci Lords - Control.ogg | title = "Control" (1994) | description = An up-tempo dance track featuring heavy guitar riffs and techno influenced beat. | pos = right }} The album's opening track and lead single, "Control", is an up-tempo electronic song. Heavily influenced by techno and trance, it contains a prominent electric guitar riff. "I told Ben [Watkins] I wanted to do a song that had elements of rock and roll but with a techno vibe and he ran with it, creating a slamming heavy metal guitar intro on an insanely hyper track." The song is about a dominant female who nurses a broken heart as she sings, "Let me kiss it and make it better/After tonight you will forget her".<ref name=underneathitall/><ref name=theadvocate>{{cite news|last=McAuley|first=J.V.|date=March 21, 1995|title=Working Girl|newspaper=The Advocate|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mWMEAAAAMBAJ&q=traci+lords&pg=PA68|issue=677|pages=68–69|access-date=January 26, 2015}}</ref> "Fallen Angel" is also an up-tempo techno-trance song with elements of ambient music. It features Spanish guitar and castanets. The lyrics were influenced by and written surrounding the death of Kurt Cobain.<ref name=press/> The third track, "Good-N-Evil", incorporates elements of industrial music. "Fly" is a mid-tempo song built around a trip hop beat. The album's fifth track and the only ballad on the album, "Distant Land", contains elements of ambient music and features mellow guitar melody. Lyrically, the song is a tale of a woman waking up lost and not knowing where she is, searching for light in a distant land.<ref name=underneathitall/><ref name=theadvocate/>
"Outlaw Lover", the sixth track from the album, is an up-tempo electronic song. It contains strong techno elements and features male opera vocals. Lords cast herself as a woman in a small town who had been wronged, and tells her unfaithful lover "You best be warned I'm a woman scorned," before shooting him dead. The lyrics were inspired by cowboy stories and old westerns. The following track, "I Want You", is another song with strong trip hop influences and oriental vibe. "Say Something" also incorporates trip hop music within its composition.
==Release and promotion== Following the release of the album, Lords embarked on a small tour performing as a DJ, mostly in the Miami club scene.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goyanes|first=Ily|date=July 5, 2013|title=Traci Lords at Florida Supercon: 'I Love Miami ... I Packed My Bikini' |newspaper=Miami New Times|url=http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/cultist/2013/07/traci_lords_first_day_at_the_f.php|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref> On August 12, 1995, she was the opening act of the Lollapalooza after party, Enit Festival, alongside Moby, Sven Väth, DJ Keoki and Single Cell Orchestra.<ref>{{cite news|last=Riemenschneider|first=Chris|date=August 12, 1995|title=Lollapalooza Fans Can Dance Till Dawn at Post-Concert Rave|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-12-ca-34292-story.html|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Romero|first=Dennis|date=August 16, 1995|title=Pop Music Review: Enit Festival a Successful Mix of Traditional, Progressive|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-16-ca-35561-story.html|access-date=March 6, 2015}}</ref>
"Control" was released as the lead single from the album on December 20, 1994.<ref name=allmusiccontrol/> The song received critical acclaim, especially for its rave sound which was unexpected from Lords.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Huey|first=Steve|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/430331/traci-lords/biography|title=Traci Lords - Biography|magazine=Billboard |access-date=February 15, 2015}}</ref> It peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs and number 84 on the UK Singles Chart. Its instrumental version was featured on the soundtrack to the 1995 film ''Mortal Kombat.'' The music video was shot in Los Angeles, California, and was inspired by James Bond with Lords portraying the female version of the character.
The album's second single, "Fallen Angel", released on August 3, 1995,<ref name=allmusicfallenangel/> was also successful in charts, peaking at number eleven on Hot Dance Club Songs. Lords managed to get Paul Oakenfold add the song to his DJ set.<ref name=underneathitall/> His remix of the song was included on the soundtrack to the film ''Virtuosity'' (1995), in which Lords had a cameo. Two music videos for the song were released: one features the original version of the song and was shot during the making of the film ''Virtuosity''; the second version, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui, features the "Honeymoon Stitch Mix", produced by Chad Smith and Dave Navarro, then of Red Hot Chili Peppers.
==Reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/1000-fires-mw0000125903|title=1000 Fires - Traci Lords|website=AllMusic|publisher=All Media Network|access-date=December 23, 2014}}</ref> | rev2 = Robert Christgau | rev2score = {{Rating-Christgau|dud}}<ref name=robertchristgau>{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Traci+Lords|title=CG: Traci Lords|website=Robert Christgau|access-date=February 25, 2015}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Entertainment Weekly'' | rev3score = B+<ref name=entertainmentweekly>{{cite news|last=Svetkey|first=Benjamin|date=April 7, 1995|title=1000 Fires Review|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,296702,00.html|newspaper=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=January 26, 2015|archive-date=June 30, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630183515/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,296702,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev4 = ''The Guardian'' | rev4score = {{rating|2|4}}<ref name="guardian-review" /> | rev5 = ''Knoxville News Sentinel'' | rev5score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>Campbell, Chuck (March 31, 1995). "Traci Lords' Passion Turns To Techno Music". ''Knoxville News Sentinel''.</ref> | rev6 = ''NME'' | rev6score = 6/10<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Udo |first=Tommy |date=8 April 1995 |title=Long Play |magazine=New Musical Express |page=51}}</ref> }}
Upon its release, ''1000 Fires'' received mixed reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic called it "a competent exercise in techno". He criticized Lords's vocals as being "thin" and not having much range, but also remarked that "she does have a forceful and distinctive personality, which gives the record a cohesive sound."<ref name=allmusic/> Benjamin Svetkey at ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the album a B+, referring to Lords as "Moby with estrogen injections".<ref name=entertainmentweekly/> ''The Guardian'' stated that "there's no saying a former under-age porn star can't make decent records and – shock! – that's exactly what her debut album is." noting that her "come-hither whisper works well on ambient items like Distant Land." while the album was brought down by "some terrible dance-by-numbers things"<ref name="guardian-review">{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian Weekly|title=Your Essential Guide to The New CDs: Pop|page=A12|date=April 14, 1995 |issn=0261-3077|last=Sullivan|first=Caroline}}</ref>
''Cashbox'' stated "before the gales of laughter kick in, there’s one thing fans should know. The record isn’t half-bad. Lords doesn’t attempt to show herself as a serious songwriter or an accomplished musician, instead having fun with her techno stylings. Fans of techno dance will find some pleasure in this record, but she still shouldn’t give up acting."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1995/CB-1995-03-11.pdf|magazine=Cash Box|title=Pop Albums|issue=11 March 1995 |page=13 |access-date=September 1, 2024}}</ref>
Despite the good chart position of the lead single, ''1000 Fires'' did not achieve mainstream success.<ref> {{cite magazine|last=Sprague|first=David|date=April 1, 1995|title=Roles On TV: A Help Or Hindrance To Musicians?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6gsEAAAAMBAJ&q=traci+lords&pg=PA17|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|page=17|access-date=January 26, 2015}}</ref> Lords later commented: "The problem with that album was that it was ahead of its time. Electronica was just starting to happen. Moby was just starting to be huge. I opened for Thrill Kill Kult and Moby as a DJ back then. The masses didn't know who Moby was. I think if it had been slightly delayed it would have done better. Madonna had it right to wait for ''Ray of Light''. She has been a lot better with her timing than me. I am proud of that album because I hear it now and it still feels current. It doesn't feel dated."<ref name=fusion>{{cite web |last=Nunn |first=Jerry |url=http://dance.fusion.fm/news/2012/02/traci-lords |title=Interview: Ruling Traci Lords |website=Fusion |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150126135114/http://dance.fusion.fm/news/2012/02/traci-lords |archive-date=2015-01-26 |access-date=January 26, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing | total_length = 55:51 | extra_column = Producer(s) | title1 = Control | writer1 = {{flat list| * Traci Lords * Ben Watkins * Wonder }} | extra1 = {{flat list| * Juno Reactor }} | length1 = 7:10
| title2 = Fallen Angel | writer2 = {{flat list| * Lords * Watkins * Johann Bley }} | extra2 = {{flat list| * Juno Reactor }} | length2 = 4:58
| title3 = Good-N-Evil | writer3 = {{flat list| * Watkins }} | extra3 = {{flat list| * Juno Reactor }} | length3 = 6:29
| title4 = Fly | writer4 = {{flat list| * Babble }} | extra4 = {{flat list| * Babble }} | length4 = 4:08
| title5 = Distant Land | writer5 = {{flat list| * Lords * Mike Edwards * Bleu<!-- Not to be confused with the the abovementioned Johann Bley. --> }} | extra5 = {{flat list| * Edwards }} | length5 = 7:07
| title6 = Outlaw Lover | writer6 = {{flat list| * Lords * Watkins * Maria Nayler * Stephane Holweck }} | extra6 = {{flat list| * Juno Reactor }} | length6 = 3:58
| title7 = I Want You | writer7 = {{flat list| * Babble }} | extra7 = {{flat list| * Babble }} | length7 = 6:00
| title8 = Say Something | writer8 = {{flat list| * Lords * Edwards }} | extra8 = {{flat list| * Edwards }} | length8 = 4:07
| title9 = Father's Field | writer9 = {{flat list| * Lords * Babble }} | extra9 = {{flat list| * Babble }} | length9 = 5:41
| title10 = Okey Dokey | writer10 = {{flat list| * Lords }} | extra10 = {{flat list| * Edwards }} | length10 = 6:13 }} {{Track listing | headline = Japanese edition bonus track | total_length = 63:12 | extra_column = Producer(s) | title11 = Control | note11 = Overlords House Mix | writer11 = {{flat list| * Lords * Watkins * Wonder }} | extra11 = {{flat list| * Juno Reactor * Christian Johansson{{ref|a|[a]}} * Rune Bendixen{{ref|a|[a]}} }} | length11 = 7:21 }}
;Notes * <sup>{{note|a|[a]}}</sup> signifies an additional producer
==Credits and personnel== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
*Traci Lords – vocals *Gary Kurfirst – executive production *Juno Reactor – programming, production *Babble – production *Mike Edwards – production, remixing *Nick Burton – drums (track 3) *B. J. Cole – pedal steel guitar (track 6) *Ronald Sam – operatic vocals (track 6) *Otto the Barbarian – engineering (tracks 1–3, 6) *Nahoko Maehara – engineering assistance (tracks 1–3) *Keith Fernley – engineering, mixing, production assistance (tracks 4, 7, 9) *Mike Ash – remixing (track 4) *Ian Richardson – engineering (tracks 5, 8, 10) *Eddy Schreyer – mastering
{{col-2}}
*Tim Stedman – art direction *Joshua Jordan – photography *REY International – design
{{col-end}}
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes|others=Traci Lords|title=1000 Fires|year=1995|publisher=Radioactive Records|id=RARD-11211|type=liner notes}}</ref>
==Chart performance== ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Chart !! Position |- |rowspan="4"|1995 |rowspan="2"|"Control" |US ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs<ref>{{cite magazine|date=February 25, 1995|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/430331/traci-lords/chart|title=Traci Lords - chart history|magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 26, 2015}}</ref> |align="center"|2 |- |UK Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19950402/7501|title=Official Singles Chart Top 100 - 02 April 1995 - 08 April 1995|website=Official Charts Company|access-date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> |align="center"|81 |- |rowspan="2"|"Fallen Angel" |US ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 30, 1995|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/dance-club-play-songs/1995-09-30|title=Hot Dance Music/Club Play: Week Ending September 30, 1995|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|access-date=June 1, 2015}}</ref> |align="center"|11 |- |UK Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19951001/7501/|title=Archive Chart – Singles October 7, 1995|website=Official Charts Company|access-date=June 1, 2015}}</ref> |align="center"|72 |}
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== *{{Discogs master|type=album|67030}}
{{Traci Lords}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Traci Lords albums Category:1995 debut albums Category:Radioactive Records albums