Description
Borrowed Time is a recording by Diamond Head. This is Diamond Heads fourth recording, their second on the MCA label. The album was recorded in 1981 and released in 1982, reaching Number 24 on the UK album chart.
This was the bands first major label released after being signed to MCA Records in 1981. The cover featured a lavish Rodney Matthews illustrated gatefold sleeve, based on the albums Elric theme, which was the most expensive sleeve commissioned by MCA at the time. The investment paid off as it was very well received and it managed to get to #24 in the UK album charts, enabling the band to perform a full scale UK arena tour, performing large venues such as London’s Hammersmith Apollo.
This album also saw the band move away from all out heavy riffs and towards softer and more progressive songs, such as “In the Heat of the Night” and “Don’t You Ever Leave Me”, which was well received by fans, as the former has remained a regular in the live set list to this day. As this was their first album under a major label, the album was much cleaner and better produced. However, some now say that MCA were the wrong label for Diamond Head, which is one of the contributions to their downfall.
In a recent interview guitarist Brian Tatler announced that this was his favourite period with Diamond Head and that the band “seemed to be getting somewhere after six years of building.”
The cover featured a lavish Rodney Matthews illustrated gatefold sleeve, based on the albums Elric theme, which was the most expensive sleeve commissioned by MCA at the time.
Metallica’s – Garage Inc.  album came out in 1998 and sold over five million copies. It contains four Diamond Head songs, and the royalties have changed my life a lot [says Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler]. I bought a house with my wife, and the constant flow of royalties mean that I no longer have to work.
“In 1998, I was visiting our drummer Karl in San Francisco, and I got a call from Lars Ulrich, who invited us to come and visit him at The Record Plant studio in Sausalito, California, where Metallica were recording Garage Inc. Lars showed us around and treated us to a playback of It’s Electric, that they’d just recorded.
“Later on we drove back into San Francisco to celebrate, and l asked Lars how many copies the record would sell. And he said, ‘this is probably going to sell five million copies, based on the the last few. So the beers are on you!’
“To get four songs on a Metallica album… I’ve been very lucky there. It’s just the way it is. They did great versions of our songs. They are very tight and make it rock. They introduced Diamond Head to millions of American fans that didn’t know Diamond Head, because we had never toured the US back in the day.
“I sometimes think of some of the other NWOBHM bands that didn’t get covered. It could have been Angelwitch. It could have been Tygers Of Pan Tang. I’m just very lucky.”  [Diamond Head’s Brian Tatler]
Label: MCA Records ‎– DH 1001
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country: UK
Released: 12 Mar 1982
Phonographic Copyright (p) – MCA Records, Inc.
Copyright (c) – MCA Records, Inc.
Made By – MCA Records
Recorded At – Playground Studio, London
“In the Heat of the Night” – 4:57
“To Heaven from Hell” – 6:14
“Call Me” – 3:54
“Lightning to the Nations” – 4:09
“Borrowed Time” – 7:39Â www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfDWK5bOvzE
“Don’t You Ever Leave Me” – 7:56
“Am I Evil?” – 7:21
Diamond Head – Borrowed Time (FULL ALBUM)
Artwork By [Illustrated By] Rodney Matthews
Artwork By [Sleeve Co-ordination & Mechanical Artwork] Cream
Artwork By [Sleeve Concept] Sean Harris
Bass, Bass [Taurus Bass Pedals], Backing Vocals Colin Kimberley
Drums, Percussion Duncan Scott
Engineer Leo Peppas (tracks: A2 to B3), Mike Hedges
Guitar, Backing Vocals Brian Tatler
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Effects [Vocoder] Sean Harris
Photography Simon Fowler
Producer Diamond Head, Mike Hedges
Written-By Tatler*, Sean Lindon Harris*
Borrowed Time is a recording by Diamond Head. This is Diamond Heads fourth recording, their second on the MCA label. The album was recorded in 1981 and released in 1982, reaching Number 24 on the UK album chart.
This was the bands first major label released after being signed to MCA Records in 1981. The cover featured a lavish Rodney Matthews illustrated gatefold sleeve, based on the albums Elric theme, which was the most expensive sleeve commissioned by MCA at the time. The investment paid off as it was very well received and it managed to get to #24 in the UK album charts, enabling the band to perform a full scale UK arena tour, performing large venues such as Londons Hammersmith Apollo.
This album also saw the band move away from all out heavy riffs and towards softer and more progressive songs, such as “In the Heat of the Night” and “Don’t You Ever Leave Me”, which was well received by fans, as the former has remained a regular in the live set list to this day. As this was their first album under a major label, the album was much cleaner and better produced. However, some now say that MCA were the wrong label for Diamond Head, which is one of the contributions to their downfall.
In a recent interview guitarist Brian Tatler announced that this was his favourite period with Diamond Head and that the band “seemed to be getting somewhere after six years of building.”
The cover featured a lavish Rodney Matthews illustrated gatefold sleeve, based on the albums Elric theme, which was the most expensive sleeve commissioned by MCA at the time.
The album managed to get to No. 24 in the UK album charts, becoming the bands first and only album to chart. The band went on to perform a full scale UK arena tour, performing large venues such as Londons Hammersmith Apollo.
Sean Harris – vocals
Brian Tatler – guitar
Colin Kimberley – bass
Duncan Scott – drums
All tracks by Sean Harris & Brian Tatler
5.0 out of 5 stars See for yourself why Diamond Head is a legend …,
Diamond Heads classic 1982 “Borrowed Time” LP, sounds as fresh as ever. If “Am I Evil” doesn’t make your hair stand up, check your pulse. Be ready for the definitive recording of “In the Heat of the Night.”
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT album
Great album very catchy and yes melodic but it does have its heavy moments not all NWOBHM was heavy. All of the songs to me are memorable with borrowed time being my favourite.
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential NWOBHM
Iron Maiden is of course the quintessential New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), and Saxon and Def Leppard are other high profile bands that emerged from that scene, but to me, Diamond Head is the band that will always be synonymous with everything the NWOBHM represented.
1982s Borrowed Time is Diamond Heads second full length album, and it is an amazing slab of British metal. Sean Harris’ soaring, dramatic vocals against the backdrop of Brian Tatlers chugging guitars and those dark, mystical lyrics made for a powerful and unforgettable sound whose influence was felt an ocean away. You can totally picture the wide-eyed teenage James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich listening to songs like “Lightning to the Nations” and “Am I Evil” and channelling that spirit into what would become Metallica. Borrowed Time is at once epic and gritty, streetwise and bluesy (see the closing minutes of “Don’t You Ever Leave Me”), and is the kind of album you’d hand someone to say “THIS is what the NWOBHM scene was all about!”
Now, Borrowed Time still stands as a masterpiece of the NWOBHM scene, and a mandatory purchase for anyone interested in classic British heavy metal.
5.0 out of 5 stars GREATEST ALBUM,
… This is one of my favorite albums ever released period! I bought this simply because of the Rodney Matthews cover art depicting Michael Moorcocks Elric. What lay inside the album did not dampen my expectations. The precision of the band, their story telling, the music, it was all a finely woven tapestry of metal and fantasy….
Sean Harris portrays a vivid picture with his soul searching vocals and Brian Tatler adds great solos and rhythms with his guitar. The rhythm section builds the tempo and the background vocals and harmonies are great. There isn’t a bad song on this album, but my favorites are “Am I Evil”, “To Heaven From Hell”, and “Borrowed Time”. The rest of the album is great music, as well, but the Elric tie-ins are special to me. “Call Me”, “Lightning to the Nations, and “In the Heat of the Night” should have all been hits! “Don’t You Ever Leave Me” is also a very good song. If you have the money to spend or buy great music, this is worthy of your money. This is by far the best album Diamond Head ever released!
5.0 out of 5 stars Don’t overlook this album!,
I have appx. 3300 albums and I’ve been listening to hard rock/metal for close to 30 years. This album is in my top ten. Every song is great and has so many cool riffs it’ll make your head spin. This is the band Metallica wishes it could be.
DIAMOND HEAD: Canterbury [Tape 1983, original UK] Totally classic. Check video + ALL audio samples
DIAMOND HEAD: In The Heat Of The Night 12″ w. Play it loud (Rare 1982) Check video
DIAMOND HEAD: sampler PROMO only CD w. Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath & Dave Mustaine of Megadeth
DIAMOND HEAD: Sucking My Love 12″ [Recorded live at the Reading Festival 1982] Check video.
DIAMOND HEAD: Sucking My Love 12″ Recorded live at the Reading Festival 1982. + Out Of Phase
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