#FAT25 · 10th track: Fuel My Fire · L7 Cover

Today we’re diving into the final track on The Prodigy’s ‘The Fat of the Land’ — the legendary ‘Fuel My Fire’. Most of you probably know that this tune is a cover of a song by L7. But did you know The Prodigy recorded several different versions of it? The first demos date back to 1995, and over the years, many people have worked on it — including two of the band’s iconic guitarists, Gizz Butt and Jim Davies. We caught up with Gizz to uncover some behind-the-scenes details about ‘Fuel My Fire’, and he shared dozens of previously unreleased facts. This one turned out to be a deep dive — so let’s get straight into it.

First things first — ‘Fuel My Fire’ isn’t actually an original L7 song. Turns out, L7 borrowed the instrumental from a 1989 track called ‘Lost Cause’ by Australian punk/yob rock band Cosmic Psychos, and layered it with their own lyrics.

L7’s ‘Fuel My Fire’ appeared on their 1994 album ‘Hungry For Stink’. It’s a typically raucous, driving punk tune, built around two heavy guitar riffs. What’s hard to figure out, though, is how The Prodigy decided to cover it in the first place! According to Gizz Butt, the track went through several stages before reaching its final form.

‘Hungry For Stink’ by L7 was released in July 1994 — the same time as ‘Music for the Jilted Generation’. So the very first ‘Fuel My Fire’ demo likely came post-‘Jilted’, presumably in 1995, around the same time The Prodigy recorded their cover of ‘Ghost Town’. It was an instrumental demo with no vocals, but featured Jim Davies on guitar. Gizz told us: ‘It’s definitely more along the lines of the “Jilted Generation” stuff. It’s not a fast punk 4/4 like the album mix.’

Gizz Butt: After a count of 8 on the hi-hats, a Killing-Joke-type rhythm kicked in (lots of floor tom stuff and hi-hats). There was a very basic guitar with a kind of distortion (Jim Davies was the player), doubled with a bass. There is no high note in the chorus. The keyboard line in the pre-verse has a sound of a similar one I’ve heard from a Madness track and the riff reminds me slightly of ‘Break & Enter’. There are gaps with the drums continuing.

The second version of ‘Fuel My Fire’ was also an instrumental. In fact, it was a reworked version of the previous demo — this time the track was more thoroughly produced. This mix also featured backing vocals recorded by Saffron from another great band, Republica.

Gizz Butt: There begins a distorted flanged bass two-note pattern, then a dub style bass line. The two-note pattern is really deep, a sample coming in on every third beat reminding of the sample in ‘Poison’ 30 secs in, every third beat but metallic, sounding like a guitar sample, a single note creating a major seventh against the root note (technical talk!). The beat on this version is like a cross between ‘Break & Enter’ and ‘Voodoo People’. Only the bass carrying the original tune which is more subliminal. On this version, there are backing vocals from Saffron of Republica same as the final version. In the chorus, the drum fills are using double-kick drum ideas. There is a 3-note keyboard pattern: A/Fsh – D – Csh – A/Fsh. The track follows the same arrangement as the first version, and then there is a break which is the same as the intro (3-note synth swelling in and out). The main beat re-enters, then the 3-note pattern comes in sounding very ring modulated (like the sound of radio interference being tuned). The most well-known use of ring modulation is the voice of Daleks in the TV series ‘Dr. Who’.

After that, there was a third version, when the track was completely reworked into a punky style with Keef on vocals. It was mixed and co-produced by Kris Needs from the band Secret Knowledge. At Keef’s initiative, the demo was pulled from Liam’s shelf and transformed into a rawer punk version with full vocals, under the direction of Kris and Gizz.

Liam to VOX magazine: its the odd track out, that’s why it’s at the end. Also its the last track we do on stage and we enjoy doing it. Keith came round to my house one day with this L7 tune and he reckoned it would work. We recorded it, and I thought, no, it’s not gonna go on the album. But later I thought, yeah. It’s definitely gonna be a track people won’t like, but I like it.”

Butt recalls that this version really kicks arse — like Keith Flint meets Motörhead meets Metallica meets Robert Fripp (David Bowie era). Both Kris and Gizz loved it and genuinely hoped it would see the official light of day. This is the version that was mistakenly referred to as the Heavy Metal Remix for years, but in fact, it’s one of the demo versions that could have been released as an alternate take or B-side after the album dropped. Unfortunately, that never happened.

Gizz Butt: This one starts with the guitar feedback tones that you hear on the album version but this is a semi-tone lower. Keith’s lines ‘I’ve got a word of thanks’ are heavily effected with delays. The beats on this are fast and reminding me of Motorhead’s ‘Overkill’ with lots of fills. There is a guitar chord on each the first beat of a group of 16 notes. A metallic guitar riff playing fast palm muted 16th notes performing an A to Eb chord change. The guitar plays 8 riffs, then it’s doubled when the verse vocal enters, Keith’s vocal sounds chilling. Then comes the chorus, finally the bass enters, the punk guitar riff is played twice, then a more sophisticated palm-muted version of the riff with the feedback. Saffron’s backing vocal on the bridge. I am playing the high note played on version 2. After that a break drums and bass and swelling feedback A violent crashing guitar on each first beat, a pick slide, then a palm-muted version of the version with interjected open chords and slides, after 4 riffs an open punk version of the riff is followed by an octave riff with a new melody (similar to live versions on YouTube and on live DVD). There is a break with just the rhythm guitar riff, the drum fills with rim shots swelling in volume, and feedback swelling. We remember plugging in my gear wrongly and this freaky feedback that sounded like the amp was gonna explode, we recorded that! The second time around the guitar is doubled with bass, a pick scratch, everything exploded, and the violent slamming guitars re-enter. A tapping overdub on the last 4 riffs, Saffron backing vocals. The song ends with the feedback.

Gizz also added that some elements from this version made their way into the early live performances of the track.

Gizz Butt: Live version from Brixton 1996 has lots of live melodies from the Kris Needs version with a Sex Pistols guitar solo.

The fourth and final version of ‘Fuel My Fire’ was the one released on ‘The Fat Of The Land’ LP — and Gizz still had a few things to say about it!

Gizz Butt: The album version begins with my feedback and sounds from the Kris Needs version. The guitars have a different tone and may have been re-recorded. The drums are similar but have a different sound and different hi-hat pattern. Same kick drum pattern, my feedback comes in halfway through verse and is detuned on chorus. Effects come in a high note in chorus, 2 note police sire keyboard line is there, guitar feedback on pre-verse Keith vocals, and Saffron’s backing vocals are the same as the Kris Needs version.
 
On the live version from Brixton 1997, the melodies have changed a bit and the solo became simpler, I’m using more effects.

You can find rare live videos, exclusive guitar riffs recorded for The Prodigy, and other rare material on Gizz Butt’s Patreon.

It’s also quite touching that The Prodigy quite literally helped L7 financially and gave them a new lease on life. In an interview with Kyle Meredith, L7’s Donita Sparks recalled: ‘It didn’t make us rich, but it really got us out of the red.’

Donita Sparks: We didn’t even know that they have covered it! We weren’t friends, and our french promoter played it for us, he was like ‘Have you heard The Prodigy cover?’, and we were like ‘What?’ — and he played it for us, and we were just staying around the boombox like ‘Oh my God, this is amazing’… We were so flattered, and it was such a different take on the song, and they sold a gazilion records. And them covering that song got us out of the red with our publishing deal. So we still would have been, you know, breaking rock in the hot sun! It’s all really bizzare. I mean, no connection, you know, British guys, they were just fans, so that was really cool. It didn’t make us rich, but it really got us out of the red.

When asked if she had any connection with Keith Flint, Donita fondly recalled sharing the stage with him.

Donita Sparks: We played a couple of festivals with them in Germany with David Bowie headlining, which was amazing. We had gotten bouquets from our french promoter, and I gave one to Bowie, and I gave one to Keith from The Prodigy, so they were both very happy. And I was so happy to present them both bouquets of flowers because that’s how I roll!

A quick recap:

• The cover of ‘Fuel My Fire’ was first started in 1995, around the same time as ‘Ghost Town’, and originally had a sound more in line with the Jilted Generation era — not the fast 4/4 punk energy of the album version.
• In 1996, Keith Flint pulled the track off Liam’s shelf and suggested reviving it — Gizz Butt and Kris Needs then reworked it into a heavier version, this time featuring Flint’s full vocals.
• The version co-produced by Kris and Gizz leaned more toward a metal vibe — and although often mistakenly called the Heavy Metal Remix, it’s actually a demo of the final version, not a remix.
• This version was at one point considered for release as a B-side for a future single.
• The final album version was produced by Liam with Keith on vocals and Saffron from Republica on backing vocals — parts of the Gizz & Kris demo were also reused in the final track.
• You can hear a nearly final version of the song on the 1996 Brixton live recording — it features a slightly different intro (without guitar feedback) and includes some of Gizz’s original riffs from the earlier demo.

Headmasters: SIXSHOT, SPLIT
Additional thanks to: Gizz Butt, NoiseCrumbs

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