Iron Fist (album)
Encyclopedia
Iron Fist is the fifth album
by the British
band Motörhead. Released on 17 April 1982, it peaked at #6 on the UK
album charts. It was preceded by the release of the title track "Iron Fist
" as a single on 3 April, which peaked in the UK singles chart at #29. It was the final album to be recorded by the Lemmy, Eddie Clarke
and Phil Taylor line-up.
at his Jackson's Studio in Rickmansworth in 1981. A break in recording for the band to play some November and December dates with Tank
was followed by Clarke producing Tank's debut album with help from Will Reid Dick. Clarke was unhappy with the Maile produced sessions and decided that the album should be recorded themselves, although Lemmy lamented at the time that "it's a shame to have lost Vic in a way because I thought it was successful".
The album was recorded during the best part of late January and February 1982 at Morgan Studios
and Ramport Studios
in London, with Clarke producing and Dick engineering. The band retrospectively acknowledge that this was a bad move, with Lemmy claiming in 2000 that the album was "bad, inferior to anything else we've ever done. Having Eddie produce it was a mistake that even he would now probably admit to".
The writing of lyrics and recording of vocals are tasks that Lemmy performs once the recording of the music has been completed. Struggling to think of a name for the title track for the album, he remembered the time the band had performed live under the name Iron Fist and the Hordes from Hell for contractual reasons (a subsequent album What's Words Worth? was released of that event), and decided this was an apt name for this project. The name was eventually shortened to simply Iron Fist.
The band undertook a UK tour from 17 March through to 12 April with support from Tank. This was to be the first tour to drop the bomber lighting rig, with Lemmy feeling that they had "to do something new sooner or later" despite it being "the best show I've ever seen in my life". The band continued touring to promote the album visiting North America in May and June, Japan at the end of June, and after some summer festival appearances, mainland Europe in October and November.
The first date of the North America tour, 12 May at Maple Leaf Gardens
in Toronto
, was filmed and subsequently released on video as Live in Toronto and later as the bonus disc of the deluxe edition of the CD. After the second date on 14 May at New York
's Palladium, Clarke left the band, his replacement being former Thin Lizzy
guitarist Brian Robertson
with the tour recommencing a week later on the 21 May in Detroit.
Promotion for the album went as far as the May 1982 edition of Rennbahn Express, an Austrian magazine, which included a free flexidisc with excerpts from "Iron Fist
", "Sex and Outrage", "Don't Let 'em Grind You Down" and "Loser". Lemmy is interviewed by Robert Reumann in English and is overdubbed with a German translation.
The release of the album prompted Bronze/Mercury in Canada to issue The Complete Motörhead Kit. This featured a limited edition 12" vinyl containing "Iron Fist", "Too Late, Too Late", "Remember Me, I'm Gone", "Ace of Spades
" and "Motorhead" (from the No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
album), plus a tour programme, tour poster, and an embroidered patch of the band's logo.
, Phil Taylor.
Track 1: B-side of Iron Fist
single
Tracks 2-15: Live at Maple Leaf Gardens
, Toronto, Ontario, 12 May 1982
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Motörhead. Released on 17 April 1982, it peaked at #6 on the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
album charts. It was preceded by the release of the title track "Iron Fist
Iron Fist (song)
"Iron Fist" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1982, in 7" pressings in blue, black and translucent red vinyl....
" as a single on 3 April, which peaked in the UK singles chart at #29. It was the final album to be recorded by the Lemmy, Eddie Clarke
Eddie Clarke
Edward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
and Phil Taylor line-up.
History
As with previous albums, recording commenced with producer Vic MaileVic Maile
Vic Maile was a British record producer. After starting his career as sound engineer with Pye mobile studios for The Animals on their song, "We Gotta Get out of This Place", Maile worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, The...
at his Jackson's Studio in Rickmansworth in 1981. A break in recording for the band to play some November and December dates with Tank
Tank (band)
Tank is a British heavy metal band, formed in 1980 by Algy Ward, a former member of The Damned. The band is known as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement...
was followed by Clarke producing Tank's debut album with help from Will Reid Dick. Clarke was unhappy with the Maile produced sessions and decided that the album should be recorded themselves, although Lemmy lamented at the time that "it's a shame to have lost Vic in a way because I thought it was successful".
The album was recorded during the best part of late January and February 1982 at Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios
Morgan Studios, also known as Morgan Sound Studios, were recording studios in Willesden, North London. The studios were notable for many recordings of the 1960s and 1970s by many British bands and artists such as Ten Years After, Yes, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Joan Armatrading, Cat...
and Ramport Studios
Ramport Studios
Ramport Studios was a South London recording studio owned by The Who. Several major albums were recorded at Ramport, including the 1974 album Crime of the Century by the progressive rock band Supertramp. The 1973 album Quadrophenia was recorded there . Eventually, Virgin Records acquired it...
in London, with Clarke producing and Dick engineering. The band retrospectively acknowledge that this was a bad move, with Lemmy claiming in 2000 that the album was "bad, inferior to anything else we've ever done. Having Eddie produce it was a mistake that even he would now probably admit to".
The writing of lyrics and recording of vocals are tasks that Lemmy performs once the recording of the music has been completed. Struggling to think of a name for the title track for the album, he remembered the time the band had performed live under the name Iron Fist and the Hordes from Hell for contractual reasons (a subsequent album What's Words Worth? was released of that event), and decided this was an apt name for this project. The name was eventually shortened to simply Iron Fist.
Promotion and tour
A promotional film was made of the band dressed in studded leather armour and wielding broadswords, described by Lemmy as "all dressed up as idiots, prancing about in a wood in South Mimms as opposed to prancing about in South Mimms dressed as cowboy idiots", although Clarke was more reticent about the project fearing looking "like a bunch of fairies prancing about with armour on... It's very hard not to".The band undertook a UK tour from 17 March through to 12 April with support from Tank. This was to be the first tour to drop the bomber lighting rig, with Lemmy feeling that they had "to do something new sooner or later" despite it being "the best show I've ever seen in my life". The band continued touring to promote the album visiting North America in May and June, Japan at the end of June, and after some summer festival appearances, mainland Europe in October and November.
The first date of the North America tour, 12 May at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, was filmed and subsequently released on video as Live in Toronto and later as the bonus disc of the deluxe edition of the CD. After the second date on 14 May at New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Palladium, Clarke left the band, his replacement being former Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
guitarist Brian Robertson
Brian Robertson
Brian "Robbo" David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.-Early life:...
with the tour recommencing a week later on the 21 May in Detroit.
Promotion for the album went as far as the May 1982 edition of Rennbahn Express, an Austrian magazine, which included a free flexidisc with excerpts from "Iron Fist
Iron Fist (song)
"Iron Fist" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1982, in 7" pressings in blue, black and translucent red vinyl....
", "Sex and Outrage", "Don't Let 'em Grind You Down" and "Loser". Lemmy is interviewed by Robert Reumann in English and is overdubbed with a German translation.
The release of the album prompted Bronze/Mercury in Canada to issue The Complete Motörhead Kit. This featured a limited edition 12" vinyl containing "Iron Fist", "Too Late, Too Late", "Remember Me, I'm Gone", "Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades (song)
"Ace of Spades" is a song by the English band Motörhead, released in 1980 as a single and the title track to the album Ace of Spades. The song spent 12 weeks in the United Kingdom Singles Chart, peaking at #15.-Overview:...
" and "Motorhead" (from the No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
No Sleep ’til Hammersmith is the first live album by Motörhead. Released on 27 June 1981, it peaked at #1 on the UK album charts. It was followed by the release of the single "Motorhead" on 11 July, which peaked in the UK singles chart at #6.-History:With the exception of "Iron Horse / Born To...
album), plus a tour programme, tour poster, and an embroidered patch of the band's logo.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Ian Kilmister, Eddie ClarkeEddie Clarke
Edward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
, Phil Taylor.
Side 1
- "Iron FistIron Fist (song)"Iron Fist" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1982, in 7" pressings in blue, black and translucent red vinyl....
" – 2:55 - "Heart of Stone" – 3:04
- "I'm the Doctor" – 2:43
- "Go to Hell" – 3:10
- "Loser" – 3:57
- "Sex & Outrage" – 2:10
Side 2
- "America" – 3:38
- "Shut It Down" – 2:41
- "Speedfreak" – 3:28
- "(Don't Let 'em) Grind Ya Down" – 3:08
- "(Don't Need) Religion" – 2:43
- "Bang to Rights" – 2:43
CD bonus tracks
- "Remember Me, I'm Gone" [B-side of Iron Fist] – 2:18
- "(Don't Let 'em) Grind Ya Down" [Alternate Version] – 3:09
- "Lemmy Goes to the Pub" [Alternate Version of Heart of Stone] – 3:02
- "Same Old Song, I'm Gone" [Alternate Version of Remember Me, I'm Gone] – 2:20
- "Young and Crazy" [Instrumental Version of Sex & Outrage] – 2:12
Deluxe edition: Disc 2 (Live in Toronto)
- "Remember Me, I'm Gone" – 2:19
- "Overkill" – 2:52
- "Heart of Stone" – 3:07
- "Shoot You in the Back" – 3:10
- "The Hammer" – 3:19
- "Jailbait" – 3:56
- "America" – 3:23
- "(Don't Need) Religion" – 3:20
- "Capricorn" – 4:23
- "(Don't Let 'Em) Grind You Down" – 3:24
- "(We Are) The Roadcrew" – 3:08
- "No Class" – 2:32
- "Bite the Bullet" – 1:30
- "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" – 5:13
- "Bomber" – 4:53
Track 1: B-side of Iron Fist
Iron Fist (song)
"Iron Fist" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1982, in 7" pressings in blue, black and translucent red vinyl....
single
Tracks 2-15: Live at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
, Toronto, Ontario, 12 May 1982
Credits
- "Fast" Eddie ClarkeEddie ClarkeEdward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
– guitar, co-producer - Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) – bass, vocals
- Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums
- Alan Ballard – Photography, Cover Art
- Steffan Chirazi – Liner Notes
- Curtis Evans – Reissue Design
- Evil Red Neck (Will Reid) – Producer
- Charles Harrowell – Tape Operator
- Martin Poole – Artwork, Photography, Cover Art
- Hatsumi Sakoda – Liner Notes
- Mick Stevenson – Photography
- John Strednansky – Liner Notes
- "Noise by shouting and hitting things"
- Recorded from 1 February to 1 March 1982 at Morgan StudiosMorgan StudiosMorgan Studios, also known as Morgan Sound Studios, were recording studios in Willesden, North London. The studios were notable for many recordings of the 1960s and 1970s by many British bands and artists such as Ten Years After, Yes, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Joan Armatrading, Cat...
– except "Iron Fist" and "Shut it Down", recorded 26 – 28 January 1982 at Ramport StudiosRamport StudiosRamport Studios was a South London recording studio owned by The Who. Several major albums were recorded at Ramport, including the 1974 album Crime of the Century by the progressive rock band Supertramp. The 1973 album Quadrophenia was recorded there . Eventually, Virgin Records acquired it...
, UK.
Release history and variations
| Date | Region | Label | Catalogue | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 April 1982 | UK | Bronze Bronze Records Bronze Records is an independent English record label set up in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron, and based in Chalk Farm, London.Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up this new label for future Uriah Heep releases, along with Juicy Lucy, Richard Barnes and Colosseum... |
BRON 539 | vinyl | Peaked at #6 in the album chart |
| 17 April 1982 | North America | Mercury Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
SRM-1-4042 | vinyl | peaked at 174 on Billboard Pop Albums chart |
| 1982 | France | WEA Filipacchi Music | 893048 | vinyl | |
| 1982 | Germany | Bronze | 204 636 | vinyl | |
| 21/Dec/1982 | Yugoslavia | Jugoton | LSBRO 11019 | vinyl | |
| 1982 | Australia/NZ | Bronze | L-37841 | vinyl | |
| 1982 | Brazil | Bronze | 6328444 | vinyl | |
| 1987 | France | Castle Communications | CLACD 123 | CD | |
| 1996 | UK | Essential, Castle Music | ESM CD 372 | CD | with 5 bonus tracks |
| 1999 | US | Castle Music America | CDX CMACD-523 | CD | with 5 bonus tracks |
| 2001 | North America | Metal-Is | CDX 85211 | CD | with 5 bonus tracks |
| 2003 | Italy | Earmark | LPPIC 41017 | 180g vinyl picture disc, gatefold cover | |
| 2005 | UK | Sanctuary | SMED-244 | 2CD | with bonus disk |