Kings of Speed is a 1975 song by 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...

 rock group Hawkwind

Hawkwind

Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....

. It was originally released as a single in the UK (UP35808) on 7 March 1975 and was subsequently included on the album Warrior on the Edge of Time

Warrior on the Edge of Time

Warrior on the Edge of Time is Hawkwind's fifth studio album. It reached #13 on the UK album charts and was their third and last album to make the US Billboard chart, where it peaked at #150...

.

Kings of Speed

The lyrics for this song were written by Michael Moorcock

Michael Moorcock

Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....

, "Frank and Beasley" refer to characters from Moorcock's Cornelius books. Simon King stated that it was originally intended for inclusion of the Deep Fix album New Worlds Fair

New Worlds Fair

New Worlds Fair is a 1975 concept album by UK rock group Michael Moorcock & Deep Fix.Moorcock was an established science fiction author who had contributed lyrics and occasionally performed with Hawkwind...

.

"It's very powerful - it's got two drums on it and it sounds fucking great. It's like a Phil Spector thing." - Alan Powell

Motorhead

The b-side has become one of Hawkwind's most well known songs because, written by Lemmy, he named his subsequent band after it. It is notable that the song title does not have an umlaut in it, that was added to the band name at a later stage. The lyrics, "Sun rise wrong side of another day, sky high and six thousand miles away" are explained as:

"I was on tour with Hawkwind in 1974, we were staying at the Riot House [Hyatt Hotel in Los Angeles] and Roy Wood and Wizzard were also in town. I got this urge to write a song in the middle of the night. I ran downstairs to the Wizzard room, got Roy's Ovation acoustic guitar, then hurried back to mine. I went on to the balcony and howled away for four hours. Cars were stopping and the drivers were listening then driving off, and there I was yelling away at the top of my voice." - Lemmy, Riffs That Changed The World

Other versions

Neither song made it into the live set. It would be years until "King of Speed" would surface for a 1989 tour, while "Motorhead" has only recently been added to the band's current retro-show, with Alan Davey playing the part of Lemmy.

Outtake

The original backing tracks were taken by Brock from this Olympic Studio session, and he later added overdubs and released them through independent record companies. "Kings of Speed" was released as an instrumental (and the claim that it was 'live') on the Hawkwind Zoo 12" EP (Flicknife Records, FLEP100, 1-May-1981). "Motorhead" was released as the A-side to a 7" and 12" single (Flicknife Records, FLS205, 2-July-1981), this time having a Brock vocal and synthesizer overdubs.

Covers

Motörhead released their version of "Motorhead" in 1977 as a single

Motorhead (Motörhead song)

"Motorhead" was recorded and released by Motörhead as a 7" vinyl single in June 1977, initially issued with the 'Map Of Chiswick' label, later it was switched to the 'Big Beat' label and pressed in other formats. The reverse cover is taken up almost entirely with the song's lyrics, printed in a...

 and on their debut Motörhead

Motörhead (album)

Motörhead is the debut album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead, released in 1977.-History:On April 1, 1977, after nearly two years of toiling in obscurity hoping for a record deal, Motörhead decided to perform their last show at the Marquee Club in London. They asked Ted Carroll, head of...

album, and a live version in 1981 as a single (reaching #6 in the UK charts) and on 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.

Cover versions of "Motorhead" have been recorded by Corduroy

Corduroy (band)

Corduroy were a four-piece acid jazz outfit based in London, formed around twins Ben Addison and Scott Addison , who were previously in Sire Records act Boys Wonder . Joining the twins in the band were Richard Searle and guitarist Simon Nelson-Smith...

 in 1993 as a single and on their Out Of Here album, by Primal Scream

Primal Scream

Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...

 on their 1997 Vanishing Point

Vanishing Point (album)

Vanishing Point is a 1997 album by Primal Scream. It is named after and inspired by the 1971 film Vanishing Point, especially the song "Kowalski", which is meant to be an alternative soundtrack to the movie...

album, and by Lawnmower Deth

Lawnmower Deth

Lawnmower Deth are an English thrash metal band who parodied the genre and recorded three-and-a-half albums. Initially active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they reformed in 2008.-Main career :...

on their 1990 album Ooh Crikey...It's Lawnmower Deth.