Leaving Here
Encyclopedia
"Leaving Here" is a song written in 1963 by Motown songwriters Holland–Dozier–Holland. Written at the beginning of the partnership, it is notable in several recordings. "Leaving Here" was originally released as a single in December 1963 by H-D-H lyricist Eddie Holland
and peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100
and at number 27 on the Billboard R&B chart.
The original recording has subsequently been released on compilation albums such as Heaven Must Have Sent You: Holland/Dozier/Holland Story, released in 2005, and The Complete Motown Singles Vol.3, (1963), released in 2006.
heavy metal
band Motörhead. Despite "Leaving Here" being their first single, only Lemmy remained from the band's original line-up.
On April 28, 1979, Motörhead founder Lemmy was interviewed by John Tobler on BBC Radio 1
's Rock on Saturday show, "Motorhead
", "Leaving Here" and "Limb from Limb" were played.
The recording was inspired by The Birds
' 1965 cover version of Eddie Holland's "Leaving Here". Lemmy was a great fan of the band.
, but unsure of its commercial viability their record company United Artists
, to whom they were still under contract, were refusing to issue it. Jake Riviera
of Stiff Records
, a casual acquaintance of Lemmy's, offered to release a new single from the band. No official deals were made, the band paid for the studio time whilst Riviera paid all other expenses. The single was scheduled for release with catalogue number BUY9 when United Artists intervened forcing Stiff to shelve its distribution.
The single was issued in France (on Skydog Records, MH001, black on white sleeve) and Sweden (on Blitz Records, MH001, purple on white sleeve) with some copies being imported into the UK. The tracks were included on two 1977 Stiff compilation albums, A Bunch of Stiff Records
(SEEZ2,1/April/1977) contained "White Line Fever", and Hits Greatest Stiffs
(FIST1,16/September/1977) contained "Leavin' Here". The single did eventually see a release as part of a box set of Stiff's first ten singles, limited to 5000 in 1979. Both tracks are currently available on the Stone Deaf Forever!
CD box set.
A live version of "Leaving Here" was issued in 1980 as the lead track on The Golden Years EP, reaching #8 in the UK singles chart. "White Line Fever" was re-recorded for their 1977 debut album release Motörhead
.
recorded the song in the studio twice in 1965, and once for BBC Radio
, but none of these recordings were released officially for decades; The 1985 compilation Who's Missing
and the 1998 remaster of the Odds & Sods compilation album both included the song, though the latter states it is a previously unreleased version. An alternate take also appeared on the My Generation
Deluxe Edition. Additionally, it is available as downloadable content
for the music video game
series Rock Band
as part of The Best of The Who pack.
In 1965, The Birds
recorded a cover version of "Leaving Here" which inspired heavy metal
band Motörhead to produce their debut single with a cover of the song twelve years later.
The song appeared as "Leavin' Here" on singles released by the Rationals in 1966 and 1967, as did a 1989 version by Tinsley Ellis
on his debut album, Fanning the Flames.
Pearl Jam
recorded the song for the 1996 Home Alive
compilation album which was released to fund women's self-defense classes. The song was later included on the band's 2003 Lost Dogs
double album of B-sides
and rarities.
In 2001, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
recorded the song for their debut album, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
, one of two cover songs used on the album, the other songs all being original. The version is very similar to the Motörhead cover version. Ron Wood included a cover of the song on his 2001 album Not for Beginners
.
This song often features in live sets by The Sadies
, and Meeting of Important People
frequently play it at live shows.
Edward Holland, Jr.
Edward Holland, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter and record producer....
and peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and at number 27 on the Billboard R&B chart.
The original recording has subsequently been released on compilation albums such as Heaven Must Have Sent You: Holland/Dozier/Holland Story, released in 2005, and The Complete Motown Singles Vol.3, (1963), released in 2006.
Motörhead version
"Leaving Here" is the debut single from EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Motörhead. Despite "Leaving Here" being their first single, only Lemmy remained from the band's original line-up.
On April 28, 1979, Motörhead founder Lemmy was interviewed by John Tobler on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Rock on Saturday show, "Motorhead
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...
", "Leaving Here" and "Limb from Limb" were played.
The recording was inspired by The Birds
The Birds (band)
The Birds were a popular rhythm and blues band in the United Kingdom during the mid 1960s, although they recorded fewer than a dozen songs and released only four singles. Starting out with a hard R&B sound, they later began infusing it with Motown-style vocal harmonies...
' 1965 cover version of Eddie Holland's "Leaving Here". Lemmy was a great fan of the band.
Releases
The band had originally recorded a version of this song for their debut album On ParoleOn Parole
On Parole is the debut recording made by English heavy metal band Motörhead. While it was originally recorded in September 1975, United Artists was not convinced of the album's commercial potential and did not want to release it...
, but unsure of its commercial viability their record company United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
, to whom they were still under contract, were refusing to issue it. Jake Riviera
Jake Riviera
Jake Riviera is a music business entrepreneur best known for his management of such performers as Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe and as co-founder of pioneering British indie label Stiff Records.Riviera was in school bands and local groups in north-west London in the 60s, and became road manager of...
of Stiff Records
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a record label created in London in 1976, by entrepreneurs Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman , and active until 1985. It was reactivated in 2007....
, a casual acquaintance of Lemmy's, offered to release a new single from the band. No official deals were made, the band paid for the studio time whilst Riviera paid all other expenses. The single was scheduled for release with catalogue number BUY9 when United Artists intervened forcing Stiff to shelve its distribution.
The single was issued in France (on Skydog Records, MH001, black on white sleeve) and Sweden (on Blitz Records, MH001, purple on white sleeve) with some copies being imported into the UK. The tracks were included on two 1977 Stiff compilation albums, A Bunch of Stiff Records
A Bunch of Stiff Records
A Bunch of Stiff Records, also known as A Bunch of Stiffs, is a various artists album to promote some of the first acts to be signed by Stiff Records....
(SEEZ2,1/April/1977) contained "White Line Fever", and Hits Greatest Stiffs
Hits Greatest Stiffs
Hits Greatest Stiffs is a various artists compilation album, drawn from ten of the first eleven Stiff Records singles, BUY 1 – BUY 11.The tracks follow the numerical order of the singles, but feature mostly the b sides, although several singles were originally issued as double a-sides...
(FIST1,16/September/1977) contained "Leavin' Here". The single did eventually see a release as part of a box set of Stiff's first ten singles, limited to 5000 in 1979. Both tracks are currently available on the Stone Deaf Forever!
Stone Deaf Forever!
Stone Deaf Forever!, released in 2003, is the first fully comprehensive box set collection covering the British band Motörhead's career from 1975–2002 and is the first box set to be issued with full band approval: the track listing was compiled in association with the band and its fan club.The...
CD box set.
A live version of "Leaving Here" was issued in 1980 as the lead track on The Golden Years EP, reaching #8 in the UK singles chart. "White Line Fever" was re-recorded for their 1977 debut album release 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...
.
Single track listing
- "Leaving Here" (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie HollandHolland-Dozier-HollandHolland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
) - 3:20 - "White Line FeverWhite Line Fever (song)"White Line Fever" is a song written by Motörhead in 1977. it was chosen as the B-side of their debut single, "Leaving Here" and appeared later on the band's eponymous Motörhead album.The song is credited to Eddie Clarke, Lemmy and Phil Taylor....
" (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:...
, Ian Kilmister, Phil Taylor) - 3:00
Other cover versions
The WhoThe Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
recorded the song in the studio twice in 1965, and once for BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
, but none of these recordings were released officially for decades; The 1985 compilation Who's Missing
Who's Missing (album)
Who's Missing is a compilation of rare and previously unreleased songs by The Who. Its second part Two's Missing was released on 11 April 1987.-Track listing:Side one#"Shout and Shimmy" – 3:18...
and the 1998 remaster of the Odds & Sods compilation album both included the song, though the latter states it is a previously unreleased version. An alternate take also appeared on the My Generation
My Generation
My Generation is the debut album by the English rock band The Who, released by Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom in December 1965. In the United States it was released by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track...
Deluxe Edition. Additionally, it is available as downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for the music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
series Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
as part of The Best of The Who pack.
In 1965, The Birds
The Birds (band)
The Birds were a popular rhythm and blues band in the United Kingdom during the mid 1960s, although they recorded fewer than a dozen songs and released only four singles. Starting out with a hard R&B sound, they later began infusing it with Motown-style vocal harmonies...
recorded a cover version of "Leaving Here" which inspired heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Motörhead to produce their debut single with a cover of the song twelve years later.
The song appeared as "Leavin' Here" on singles released by the Rationals in 1966 and 1967, as did a 1989 version by Tinsley Ellis
Tinsley Ellis
Tinsley Ellis is an American blues and rock musician, who grew up in southern Florida.-Biography:...
on his debut album, Fanning the Flames.
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
recorded the song for the 1996 Home Alive
Home Alive
Home Alive was a non-profit organization based in Seattle which promotes anti-violence. The organization offered self-defense classes and public education and awareness in order to reduce and prevent violence. The Home Alive group trained its own instructors. They held a range of courses including...
compilation album which was released to fund women's self-defense classes. The song was later included on the band's 2003 Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs (album)
Lost Dogs is a two-disc compilation album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 11, 2003 through Epic Records. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA in the United States.-Overview:...
double album of B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
and rarities.
In 2001, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards were an American street punk band formed to release the songs that Lars had written. Their songs include subject matter consisting of drinking, fighting, drugs, sex, prostitutes, gangs, and street life...
recorded the song for their debut album, Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards (Album)
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards is the eponymous debut album by the American punk rock band Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. All of the songs were written by lead singer/guitarist Lars Frederiksen and his Rancid bandmate, Tim Armstrong, with the exception of two covers...
, one of two cover songs used on the album, the other songs all being original. The version is very similar to the Motörhead cover version. Ron Wood included a cover of the song on his 2001 album Not for Beginners
Not for Beginners
- Track listing :All tracks composed by Ronnie Wood; except where indicated# "Wayside"# "Rock 'n Roll Star" # "Whadd'ya Think"# "This Little Heart"# "Leaving Here" # "Hypershine"...
.
This song often features in live sets by The Sadies
The Sadies
The Sadies are a Canadian indie rock and alternative country band from Toronto, Ontario.-Background:The band consists of Dallas Good , Travis Good, Sean Dean and Mike Belitsky...
, and Meeting of Important People
Meeting of Important People
Meeting of Important People is an American indie pop/rock band based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The trio consists of guitarist/vocalist Josh Verbanets, basist Aaron Bubenheim, and drummer Matt Miller...
frequently play it at live shows.