Recording for "Playing with Fire" recommenced; they returned to VHF Studios, outside Rugby, where they had recorded "The Perfect Prescription". By now, song-writing duo Peter Kember and Jason Pierce were formulating new song ideas entirely separate from one another. Both their personal and working relationships were beginning to disintegrate. Pierce's romance with Kate Radley was impacting on his time with the band and his contributions. Of the eventual tracks on "Playing with Fire", six were Kember's compositions, whilst only three were Pierce's. The recording process for this album was different: individual parts were recorded separately, which meant band members did not have to be present at the same time.