Motörhead
Encyclopedia
Motörhead (ˈmoʊtəhɛd) are an English rock
band formed in 1975 by bassist
, singer and songwriter
Ian Fraser Kilmister, known mainly by his stage name Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. The band is often considered a precursor to or one of the earliest members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
, which re-energised heavy metal
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Usually a power trio
, Motörhead had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart
. The albums Overkill
, Bomber
, Ace of Spades
, and particularly No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
, cemented Motörhead's reputation as one of Britain's foremost rock bands.
Motörhead are typically classified as heavy metal, and their fusion of punk rock
into the genre helped to pioneer speed metal
and thrash metal
. Motörhead's approach has remained the same over the band's career, preferring to play what they enjoy and do best; their appreciation of early rock and roll is reflected in some of their occasional cover songs. Motörhead's lyrics typically cover such topics as war, good versus evil, abuse of power, promiscuous sex, substance abuse, and, most famously, gambling. The name "Motörhead" is a reference to users of the drug amphetamine
. The band's distinctive fanged-face logo, with its oversized boar's horns, chains, and spikes, was created by artist Joe Petagno
in 1977 for the cover of the Motörhead
album and has appeared in many variations on covers of ensuing albums. The fanged face has been referred to variously as "War-Pig" and "Snaggletooth". The band is ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
in May 1975 for, as he says, "doing the wrong drugs." He was arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine at the Canadian border and spent five days in prison, causing the band to cancel some of their North America tour dates. Now on his own, Lemmy decided to form a new band called Motörhead, inspired by the final song he had written for Hawkwind.
Lemmy's stated aim was to "concentrate on very basic music: loud, fast, city, raucous, arrogant, paranoid, speedfreak rock n roll... it will be so loud that if we move in next door to you, your lawn will die". On the recommendation of Mick Farren
, he recruited Larry Wallis
(ex-Pink Fairies
) on electric guitar
and Lucas Fox
on drums
. According to Lemmy, the band's first practice was in a furniture store in Chelsea
, England in 1975. Kilmister has said they used to steal equipment, as the band was short on gear. Their first gig was supporting Greenslade
at The Roundhouse
, London
on 20 July 1975. On 19 October, having played 10 gigs, they became the supporting act to Blue Öyster Cult
at the Hammersmith Odeon
.
The band were contracted to United Artists
by Andrew Lauder
, the A&R man for the band Lemmy was previously in, Hawkwind. They recorded sessions at Rockfield Studios
in Monmouth
with producer Dave Edmunds
, during which Fox proved to be unreliable and was replaced by drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, a casual acquaintance of Lemmy's. Their record label
was dissatisfied with the material and refused to release it, although it was subsequently issued as On Parole
in 1979 after the band had established some success.
In February 1976, deciding that two guitarists were required, the band auditioned "Fast" Eddie Clarke
. Wallis, who was continuing to tour with a reformed Pink Fairies, quit immediately after the auditions and Clarke remained as the sole guitarist. This trio
of Lemmy – Clarke – Taylor is today regarded as the "classic" Motörhead line-up. In December, the band recorded the "Leaving Here" single for Stiff Records
, but United Artists intervened to prevent its general release as the band were still under contract to them, despite their refusal to issue their debut album. Initial reactions to the band had been unfavourable; they won a poll for "the best worst band in the world" in the music magazine NME
.
By April 1977, living in squats and with little recognition, Taylor and Clarke wanted to give it up, and after some debate, the band agreed to do a farewell show at the Marquee Club
in London. Lemmy had become acquainted with Ted Carroll from Chiswick Records
and asked him to bring a mobile studio to the show to record it for posterity. Carroll was unable to get the mobile unit to the Marquee Club but showed up backstage after the gig and offered them two days at Escape Studios with producer Speedy Keen to record a single. The band took the chance, and instead of recording a single they laid down 11 unfinished tracks. Carroll gave them a few more days at Olympic Studios
to finish the vocals and the band completed 13 tracks for release as an album. Chiswick issued the single "Motorhead" in June, followed by the album Motörhead
in August, which spent one week in the UK Albums Chart
at number 43. The band toured the UK supporting Hawkwind in June, then from late July they commenced the 'Beyond the Threshold of Pain' tour with The Count Bishops.
In August, Tony Secunda
took over the management of the band, and their cohesiveness became so unstable that by March 1978, Clarke and Taylor had formed and were gigging as The Muggers with Speedy Keen and Billy Rath.
. The resulting "Louie Louie" single was issued in September peaking at number 68 on the UK Singles Chart
, and the band toured the UK to promote it, recorded a BBC Radio 1
John Peel in session on 18 September (these tracks were later issued on the 2005 BBC Live & In-Session
album), and appeared for the first time on BBC Television
's Top of the Pops
on 25 October. Chiswick capitalised on this new level of success by re-issuing the debut album Motörhead on white vinyl through EMI Records
.
The single's success led to Bronze extending their contract, and put the band back into the studio to record an album, this time with producer Jimmy Miller at Roundhouse Studios
. A hint of what the band had recorded for the album came on 9 March 1979 when the band played "Overkill
" on Top of the Pops to support the release of the single ahead of the Overkill
album, which was released on 24 March. It became Motörhead's first album to break into the top 40 of the UK Albums chart, reaching number 24, with the single reaching number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. These releases were followed by the 'Overkill' UK tour which began on 23 March. A subsequent single was released in June, coupling the album track "No Class
" as the A-side
with the previously unreleased song "Like a Nightmare" on the B-side. It fared worse than both the album and previous single but reached number 61 on the UK singles chart.
During July and August, except for a break to appear at the Reading Festival, the band were working on their next album, Bomber
. Released on 27 October, it reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart. On 1 December, it was followed by the "Bomber
" single, which reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. The 'Bomber' Europe and UK tour followed, with support from Saxon
. The stage show featured a spectacular aircraft bomber
-shaped lighting rig. The title-track of the Bomber album was inspired by the Len Deighton
novel Bomber
, which was a real-time chronicle of an RAF
bombing raid from the points of view of all concerned: from the RAF crews, the Luftwaffe
, and the civilians on the ground. During the 'Bomber' tour, United Artists put together tapes recorded during the Rockfield Studios sessions in 1975/6 and released them as the album On Parole, which peaked at number 65 on the UK Albums Chart in December.
On 8 May 1980, while the band were on tour in Europe
, Bronze released The Golden Years, which sold better than any of their previous releases, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart. The band had, however, preferred the title Flying Tonight, in reference to the 'Bomber' lighting rig. On 20 August, the band (40 minutes) and Girlschool
(20 minutes) were filmed performing live at the Nottingham Theatre Royal for the Rockstage programme, broadcast on UK television by the ATV
station on 4 April 1981.
. The "Ace of Spades
" single was released on 27 October 1980 as a preview of the Ace of Spades
album, which followed on 8 November. The single reached #15 and the album reached #4 on the UK charts. Bronze celebrated its gold record
status by pressing a limited edition
of the album in gold vinyl. Motörhead made two appearances on Top of the Pops in October that year with "Ace of Spades", and between 22 October and 29 November the band were on their 'Ace Up Your Sleeve' UK tour with support from Girlschool and Vardis
, and also made an appearance as guests on the ITV
children's show Tiswas
on 8 November. The 'Arizona desert-style' pictures used on the album sleeve and tour booklet cover were taken during a photo session at a sandpit
in Barnet
. "Ace of Spades", considered to be the definitive Motörhead anthem, "put a choke on the English music charts and proved to all that a band could succeed without sacrificing its blunt power and speed".
To coincide with the Ace of Spades release, Big Beat
, who had inherited the Chiswick catalogue, put together four unused tracks from the Escape Studios sessions in 1977 and released them as Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers
, which reached #43 on the UK Singles Chart in November.
The band had more chart hits in 1981 with the releases St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP, their collaboration with Girlschool which reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart in February; the live version of "Motorhead", which reached #6 on the UK Singles Chart in July; and the album it was taken from, No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
, which reached #1 on the UK Albums Chart in June. During March 1981, the band had been touring Europe, and in the final week of the month they conducted the 'Short Sharp, Pain In The Neck' UK tour from which the recordings for No Sleep 'til Hammersmith were made.
From April through to July, the band toured North America for the first time as guests of Blizzard of Ozz, an early incarnation of Ozzy Osbourne
's band, but were still able to make an appearance on Top of the Pops on 9 July to promote the live "Motorhead" single. In October the band recorded tracks at BBC's Maida Vale
4 studio for the David Jensen
show broadcast on 6 October. The band commenced a European tour on 20 November, supported by Tank
, followed by Clarke producing Tank's debut album Filth Hounds of Hades
at Ramport Studios
in December and January.
Between 26 and 28 January 1982, the band started recording their self-produced new album at Ramport Studios, before moving onto Morgan Studios
to continue the sessions throughout February. On 3 April the single "Iron Fist
" was released, reaching #29 on the UK Singles Chart, followed by the parent album Iron Fist
, released on 17 April and peaking at #6 on the UK Albums Chart. They were the last releases to feature the Lemmy, Clarke, Taylor line-up, though the line-up continued to perform in the Iron Fist UK tour between 17 March and 12 April, and the band's first headling North America tour from 12 May until Clarke's last gig at the New York Palladium on 14 May.
, a cover version
of the Tammy Wynette
classic, in collaboration with Wendy O. Williams
and the Plasmatics
. Clarke felt that the song compromised the band's principles, refused to play on the recording and resigned, later forming his own band, Fastway
. Lemmy and Taylor made numerous telephone calls to find a guitarist, including one to Brian Robertson
, formerly with Thin Lizzy
, who was recording a solo album
in Canada. He agreed to help out and complete the tour with them. Robertson signed a one-album deal resulting in 1983's Another Perfect Day
and the two singles from it, "Shine" and "I Got Mine
". In June and July the band played five dates in Japan, and from mid-October until mid-November they toured Europe. From late May until early July, the band conducted the 'Another Perfect Tour', followed by an American tour between July and August, and another European tour in October and November. Robertson began to cause friction in the band as a result of his on-stage attire, consisting of shorts and ballet shoes, and, furthermore, with his point blank refusal to play the old standards that every Motörhead audience expected to hear. This led to an amicable agreement that Robertson would leave, playing his last gig with the band at the Berlin Metropol on 11 November.
After Robertson's departure in 1983, the band were sent tapes from all over the world from potential guitarists. The group returned to the concept of dual lead guitars by hiring unknowns Würzel
and Phil Campbell
(ex-Persian Risk
). In February 1984, the Lemmy, Campbell, Würzel and Taylor line-up recorded "Ace of Spades" for the "Bambi
" episode in the British television
series, The Young Ones
. Scenes of the band playing are interspersed with the characters' antics as they rush to the railway station, in a parody of The Beatles
' comedy film A Hard Day's Night
. Taylor quit the band after that recording, causing Lemmy to quip: "Did I leave them or did they leave me?". Before joining Motörhead, Phil Campbell had met ex-Saxon
drummer Pete Gill
, and the trio decided to call him to see if he would like to visit London. The try-outs went well and Gill was hired.
and insisted that Motörhead record four brand new tracks to go at the end of each side of the album. During the sessions between 19 May and 25 May 1984 at Britannia Row Studios, London, the band recorded six tracks for the single's B-side and the album. The single "Killed by Death" was released on 1 September and reached #51 in the UK Singles Chart, the double album No Remorse was released on 15 September and reached silver disc status, attaining the position of #14 in the UK Album charts.
The band were involved in a court case with Bronze over the next two years, believing that their releases were not being promoted properly, and the record company banned them from the recording studio. The band looked to more touring for income; Australia and New Zealand
in late July to late August, a brief tour of Hungary in September, and the No Remorse 'Death On The Road' tour between 24 October and 7 November. On 26 October the band made a live appearance on the British Channel 4
music programme The Tube, performing "Killed By Death", "Steal Your Face" (over which the programme's end-credits were played) and the unbroadcast "Overkill", before going on to their next gig that evening. From 19 November to 15 December the band toured America with Canadian speed metal band Exciter
and Danish Metal band Mercyful Fate
and from 26 December to 30 December performed five shows in Germany.
On 5 April 1985, ITV broadcast three songs that were recorded after the band went off air on their earlier appearance on The Tube programme. A week later the band, dressed in tuxedos, played three songs on the live Channel 4 music show ECT (Extra-Celestial Transmission). To celebrate the band's tenth anniversary, two shows were arranged at Hammersmith Odeon on 28 June and 29 June, a video of the second show was taken and later released as The Birthday Party
. From early June until early August the band were on their 'It Never Gets Dark' tour of Sweden and Norway, an American tour followed in mid-November until late December.
. Recording took place in Master Rock Studios, London and the single "Deaf Forever
" was released on 5 July as a taster for the Orgasmatron
album, which was released on 9 August. On the same day as the release of the album, Lemmy and Würzel were interviewed by Andy Kershaw
on the BBC Radio 1 Saturday Live show and "Orgasmatron" and "Deaf Forever" were played. The single reached #67 and the album reached #21 in the UK charts.
On 16 August, the band played at the Monsters of Rock
at Castle Donington
and was recorded by BBC Radio 1 for a future Friday Rock Show broadcast. The performance closed with a flyover by a couple of WW2 German aircraft. Also that day Lemmy was filmed giving his views on spoof metal act 'Bad News' for inclusion in a Peter Richardson Comic Strip film entitled 'More Bad News' since the band featuring Rik Mayall
, Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer
and Adrian Edmondson
were also performing at Donington. In September the band conducted their 'Orgasmatron' tour in Great Britain
, supported by fledgling act Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. In October they toured America and in December were in Germany.
In 1987, during the filming of Eat the Rich — in which Lemmy was taking a starring role alongside well-known comedy actors such as Robbie Coltrane
, Kathy Burke
, the regulars from The Comic Strip
ensemble, and various other musician cameo appearance
s — Gill left the band and Taylor returned to appear in the band's cameo as 'In House Club Band' alongside Würzel and Campbell. The band wrote "Eat the Rich
" especially for the film, its soundtrack featured tracks from Orgasmatron and Würzel's solo single "Bess". The band's second album for GWR was Rock 'n' Roll
, released on 5 September, after a tight work schedule in the studio. While having some popular tracks and using "Eat the Rich" as its second track, the band commented that the album was virtually "nailed together".
On 2 July 1988 Motörhead were recorded performing at the Giants of Rock Festival in Hämeenlinna
, Finland. The tracks were released as No Sleep at All
on 15 October. A single from the album was planned with the band wanting "Traitor" as the A-side, but "Ace of Spades" was chosen instead. When the band noticed the change, they refused to allow the single to be distributed to the shops, and it was withdrawn and became available only on the 'No Sleep at All' tour and through the Motörheadbangers fan club. The band again felt unhappy with their career, and a court case with GWR followed, which was not resolved until mid-1990.
and spent the last half of 1990 recording a new album and single in Los Angeles. Just prior to the album sessions the band's former manager, Doug Smith, released the recording of the band's tenth anniversary show, much against the bands wishes, having previously told him that they did not want it released, in 1986. In the studio they recorded four songs with the producer, Ed Stasium, before deciding he had to go. When Lemmy listened to one of the mixes of "Going to Brazil", he asked for him to turn up four tracks, and on doing so heard claves
and tambourine
s that Stasium had added without their knowledge. Stasium was fired and Pete Solley was hired as producer. The story according to Stasium was that Lemmy's drug and alcohol intake had far exceeded the limitations of Stasium's patience so he quit. The single "The One to Sing the Blues
" issued on 5 January 1991, was followed by the album 1916
in February. The single, which was issued in 7", cassette, shaped picture disc
, 12" and CD single, reached #45 in the UK Singles Chart, the album reached #24 in the UK Album Charts.
The band conducted their 'It Serves You Right' tour of Britain in February, the 'Lights Out Over Europe' tour followed, lasting until early April, when the band returned to Britain to play another six venues. In June the band played five dates in Japan and five dates in Australia and New Zealand. Between July and August, they played across the US with Judas Priest
, Alice Cooper
and opener Dangerous Toys
on the 'Operation Rock 'n' Roll' tour. The band finished the year with six dates in Germany during December.
On 28 March 1992 the band played what would turn out to be Taylor's last gig at Irvine Meadows, Irvine, California. The band had been wanting Lemmy to get rid of their manager, Doug Banker, for some time and after an unsolicited visit from Todd Singerman, who insisted he should manage them despite never having managed a band before, the band met with Singerman and decided to take him on board, firing Banker. In the midst of this, the band were recording an album at Music Grinder Studios, in the city's east part of Hollywood during the 1992 Los Angeles riots
. Three drummers participated in the making of the March ör Die
album: Phil Taylor, who was fired because he did not learn the drum tracks on the song "I Ain't No Nice Guy"; Tommy Aldridge
who recorded most of the material on the album; and Mikkey Dee
, who recorded "Hellraiser
", a song originally written by Lemmy for Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears
album. The March ör Die album features guest appearances by Ozzy Osbourne and Slash
.
had toured with Motörhead. He had asked Dee to become Motörhead's drummer before, but Dee had declined due to his commitment to King Diamond. On this occasion, Dee was available and met the band to try out. Playing the song "Hellraiser" first, Lemmy thought "he was very good immediately. It was obvious that it was going to work." After recording "Hellraiser" and "Hell on Earth" in the studio, Dee's first gig with Motörhead was on 30 August at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center
. The new line-up then went on tour, playing dates with Ozzy Osbourne, Skew Siskin and Exodus
. On 27 September, the band played at the Los Angeles Coliseum
with Metallica
and Guns N' Roses
. The band toured Argentina and Brazil during October and conducted the 'Bombers and Eagles in '92' tour of Europe with Saxon
throughout December.
Motörhead played two dates at the Arena Obras Sanitarias
in Buenos Aires
in April 1993 and toured Europe from early June until early July, returning to the states to play one show at the New York Ritz
on 14 August. A new producer was sought for the band's next album and eventually Howard Benson
, who was to produce the band's next four albums, was chosen. The band recorded at A & M Studios and Prime Time Studios in Hollywood and the resultant album, Bastards
, was released on 29 November 1993. The single "Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me
" included the song "Born to Raise Hell
" which also appeared on the album and would later be re-recorded with collaborative vocals from both Ice T
and Ugly Kid Joe
frontman, Whitfield Crane
and released as a single in its own right. Although Bastards received airtime, the record company, ZYX, would not pay for promotional copies, so the band sent out copies themselves. A further tour of Europe was made throughout December that year.
In February and March 1994, Motörhead toured the US with Black Sabbath
and Morbid Angel
. In April the band resumed their tour of the States until early May, playing a gig with the Ramones
on 14 May at the Estadio Velez
in Buenos Aires, attracting a crowd of 50,000 people. The band toured Japan in late May and Europe in June, August and December.
, until the band succumbed to influenza and headed back to Los Angeles, to Cherokee Studios
in Hollywood where they were to record an album. During the sessions it became clear that Würzel was not extending himself and left the band after the recording. The title track from the album, Sacrifice
, was later used in the movie Tromeo and Juliet
, a film in which Lemmy appears as the narrator. The band decided to continue as a three-man line-up and a tour of Europe was performed throughout October and the first two days of November. A three-day tour of South America followed the week after. Lemmy celebrated his 50th Birthday later that year with the band at the Whiskey A Go Go
in Los Angeles; Metallica
played at the event under the name "The Lemmy's".
In 1996 the band began touring the States in early January and played thirty venues up to 15 February a seven-date tour of Europe in June and July was followed by two gigs in South America during August.
and Speedball began with two shows (Los Angeles & Hollywood) in early October 1996 and concluded in Washington on 4 December. During this time the band had recorded Overnight Sensation
, at Ocean Studio and Track House Recording Studio. The album was released on 15 October, the first official album of the band as a three-piece since Another Perfect Day and the best distributed album the band had had for years. The band concluded the year's touring with thirteen dates in Germany.
During 1997, the band toured extensively, beginning with the first leg of the Overnight Sensation tour in Europe on 12 January at the London Astoria
, where the guest musicians were Todd Campbell, Phil Campbell's son, on "Ace of Spades" and Fast Eddie Clarke for "Overkill". The European leg lasted until March and was followed by four dates in Japan, from late May to 1 June, and an American tour with W.A.S.P. throughout the rest of June. In August, three dates in Europe were followed by seven dates in Britain, which ended with a show at the Brixton Academy
on 25 October, where the guest musician was Paul Inder, Lemmy's son, for "Ace of Spades". A further four dates in October in Russia
concluded the year 1997.
, recorded in various studios and released on 10 March 1998.
The band joined with Judas Priest at the Los Angeles Universal Amphitheatre
on 3 April, to begin their 'Snake Bite Love' tour. On 21 May, Motörhead were recorded at The Docks in Hamburg. The tracks from this performance were later released as Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
. During this tour, Jared Allen
served as a roadie for the band. The band were invited to join the Ozzfest Tour and played dates across the States during early July until early August and were in Europe from early October until late November. The British leg of the tour was dubbed the 'No Speak With Forked Tongue' tour and included support bands Groop Dogdrill
, Radiator and Psycho Squad, which was fronted by Phil Campbell's son Todd.
, Germany
to record their next album, We Are Motörhead
, which was released in May the following year. During the time the album sessions took place, the band played at venues around Europe
, the first of which was at Fila Forum in Assago
, near Milan
, where Metallica's James Hetfield
joined the band on-stage to play "Overkill". In October and early November, the band toured the states with Nashville Pussy
. Throughout the rest of November, the band conducted their European 'Monsters Of The Millennium' tour with Manowar, Dio and Lion's Share, ending the Millennium with two shows at the London Astoria. The two shows were billed under the Kerrang!
"X-Fest" banner and at the first show were supported by Backyard Babies and during the second show guest vocals were provided by Skin
from Skunk Anansie
and Nina C. Alice from Skew Siskin for "Born to Raise Hell", and Ace from Skunk Anansie played "Overkill" with the band.
In May 2000, the release of We Are Motörhead and the single from it, "God Save the Queen", coincided with the start of the band's 'We Are Motörhead' tour across South and North America during May and June, with a further nine shows across in Europe in July. Shows in the USA and France were followed by the release of a double-disc compilation album, The Best Of, on 12 September. Four dates in Japan preceded the band's 25th Anniversary concert on 22 October at the Brixton Academy in London, where guest appearances were made by "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Brian May
, Doro Pesch
, Whitfield Crane
, Ace, Paul Inder and Todd Campbell. The show also featured the return of the Bomber-lighting rig. The event was filmed and released the following year as the 25 & Alive Boneshaker
DVD, and the CD of the show, Live at Brixton Academy
, was released two years after that. Lemmy states the reason for the DVD as wanting "to record it for the posterity or whatever it is. I nodded off through the tenth anniversary, we never did anything on the twentieth, so the twenty-fifth made sense."
A tour of West and East Europe followed the anniversary concert, taking the band through October, November and December. The schedule for the Eastern European tour was quite brutal, involving two eighteen-hour drives back-to-back and little time off, at the Warsaw venue the band did not arrive until eleven o'clock and the crew were still loading into the venue at one in the morning, while the fans waited.
. This album, Hammered, was released the following year. On 1 April 2001 the band gave a one song performance for Triple H
's entrance at WrestleMania X-Seven
at the Reliant Astrodome
in Houston. The second leg of the 'We Are Motörhead' tour began in May in Ireland, moving across to the United Kingdom. In Manchester, the band were supported by Goldblade
, and by Pure Rubbish
at the two London shows. The second London show also included Backyard Babies
and Paul Inder, who was guest musician for "Killed By Death". Between June and August, Motörhead played at a number of rock festivals in Europe; including as the Graspop Metal Meeting
in Belgium
, the Quart Festival
in Norway, and the Wacken Open Air
on 4 August, where four songs were recorded for the 25 & Alive Boneshaker DVD. The band returned to the States for a seven show tour between late September and early October.
In April 2002 a DVD of some of Motörhead's performances from the '70s and '80s along with some stock footage of the band was released as The Best of Motörhead
. Two weeks earlier, the Hammered album was released and supported by the 'Hammered' tour, which kicked off in the States at around the same time. The USA dates continued until late May, and a European leg followed between June and August. In October, the band played five dates in Great Britain with Anthrax
, Skew Siskin and Psycho Squad. The final venue was the Wembley Arena in London, where instead of Psycho Squad, the band were supported by Hawkwind, with Lemmy performing "Silver Machine" on stage with them. Throughout the rest of October and better part of November, the band were on a European tour with Anthrax.
In April and May 2003, the band continued to promote the Hammered album in the States, and on the three dates Phil Campbell had to miss, his mother having died, Todd Youth
stood in for him. Between late May and mid-July the band played seven dates at Summer Festivals in Europe and from late-July until the end of August, they were touring the USA with Iron Maiden
and Dio. On 7 October a comprehensive five-disc collection of the band's recordings covering 1975–2002 was released as Stone Deaf Forever!
. On 1 September 2003, the band returned to Hollywood's Whisky A Go-Go club for the Hollywood Rock Walk Of Fame Induction. During October, the band performed a tour of Great Britain with The Wildhearts
and Young Heart Attack. The band performed seven shows across Belgium, Holland and Spain between 21 October and 28 October and from late-November until early-December they were in Germany and Switzerland, touring with Skew Siskin and Mustasch. On 9 December, the previously recorded Live at Brixton Academy album was released.
in Covent Garden
, London; at Summer Festivals in South America during May; and also Europe during June, July and August. The band had already spent time in the recording studio, working on their next album, Inferno, which was released on 22 June and was followed by the 'Inferno' tour of Ireland with Class Of Zero for three dates, before being joined by Sepultura
and taking it to Great Britain. Some of the London show at the Hammersmith Apollo was filmed for TV as Gene Simmons
introduced the extra opening act
, The Class – a band made up of school children appearing in his Channel 4 series, Rock School
– and Würzel joined as guest musician for "Overkill". The band continued the tour with Sepultura across Europe through the rest of November and December. At the show in Magdeburg
, Germany on 4 December Motörhead joined Sepultura on stage during their support slot playing the song "Orgasmatron", in celebration of Sepultura's 20th Anniversary. The show on 7 December at the Philipshalle in Düsseldorf
was recorded and later released as the Stage Fright
DVD.
Motörhead picked up their first Grammy
in the awards of 2005
in the Best Metal Performance
category for their cover of Metallica
's "Whiplash
" on Metallic Attack: The Ultimate Tribute. From March until early May, the band toured the USA, and in June and August were on the '30th Anniversary' tour in Europe. On 22 August, the band were the subject of an hour-long documentary, Live Fast, Die Old, which was aired on Channel 4
as part of The Other Side series of documentaries, filmed by new and established directors. On 20 September, a compilation album containing the band's appearances on BBC Radio 1 and a concert recording from Paris Theatre, London, was released as BBC Live & In-Session
. In October, the band toured Europe with Mondo Generator
before returning to Great Britain to tour with In Flames
and Girlschool in October and November. During the show at the Brixton Academy on 19 November, Lemmy joined Girlschool on stage to play "Please Don't Touch". Motörhead finished the year's tours in December, with two gigs in New Zealand and five in Australia with Mötley Crüe
.
In 2006, the band performed a four-date House Of Blues
tour in the States in March with Meldrum
and from June until early August played at European open-air festivals with some indoor headlining shows. On 28 October, the band performed at The Rock Freakers Ball in Kansas City
before heading off to tour Great Britain with Clutch
and Crucified Barbara
.
, was released on 29 August 2006 via Sanctuary Records
, with a video for "Be My Baby". The tour ended with a gig on 25 November at the Brixton Academy, where Phil Campbell was guest guitarist for "Killed By Death" played during Crucified Barbara's support set. A further twelve shows in Europe with Meldrum
took them through the end of November to early December, the first two shows also featuring Skew Siskin.
In November, the band agreed to a sponsorship deal with the Greenbank B under-10s football team from North Hykeham
, Lincoln
, putting the band's name as well as War-Pig on the team's shirts; the under-10s run out to "Ace of Spades". Lemmy is old friends with Gary Weight, the team's manager; Weight "sent an email off to them and they came back and said it was a great idea" and hopes the deal will draw inspired performances from his team. On 25 April 2007, the band played at the Poliedro de Caracas in Caracas
, Venezuela
, and on 29 April at the Fundiçao Progresso, Rio de Janeiro
. In June, Motörhead played a gig at the Royal Festival Hall
as part of Jarvis Cocker
's Meltdown
.
On 26 February 2008, No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
was reissued again as a two disc CD.
. Mikkey Dee's drum tracks were recorded at Dave Grohl's
studio. Motörizer was released on 26 August. It does not feature artwork from Joe Petagno, the artist who designed many of their classic album covers.
In June 2008 the band performed at the main stage of the Download festival
. Between 6 August and 31 August, Motörhead joined with Judas Priest
, Heaven & Hell and Testament
on the Metal Masters Tour
. On 20 August the band played one date at the Roseland Ballroom
, New York, as part of 'The Volcom Tour 2008' which continued with bands The Misfits, Airbourne
, Valient Thorr
and Year Long Disaster
at House of Blues
, Anaheim, California
on 2 September, playing a further thirteen dates. The band concluded the tour without the supporting bands, playing one more show at the Roseland Ballroom on 20 September, and the final gig, at The Stone Pony
, Asbury Park, New Jersey on 21 September.
On 30 September, Reuters
reported that Neverdie Studios had signed a deal with Lemmy and Motörhead to develop and market Lemmy's Castle and Motorhead Stadium inside the virtual world of Entropia Universe
, an online virtual universe. The year's touring ended with a 34-date tour of Europe with a variety of support bands including Danko Jones
, Saxon
, Witchcraft
, and Airbourne. On 6 March 2009, the band played in the Middle East for the first time, at the annual Dubai Desert Rock Festival
in Dubai
. On 1 April Motörhead are reported to have entered into a two year sponsorship deal with UK Roller Derby team the Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Girls.
In November 2009, the band are being supported by NWOBHM veterans Sweet Savage
on the Irish leg of the tour (30 years after first sharing the stage together) and punk
and goth rock legends The Damned on the UK leg of their world tour. On The Damned's official website, Captain Sensible
is quoted as saying:
On 25 January 2010 it was confirmed that Motörhead would play at Download Festival
in June 2010, and on 24 February 2010 it was also confirmed that they would play at Rock in Rio
in May 2010.
In an interview with Hungarian television in July 2010, drummer Mikkey Dee
announced that the album was finished, with 11 tracks. The album's name was said to be The Wörld Is Yours
. On 3 November 2010, Future PLC, a UK media company, announced that Motörhead are to release The Wörld is Yours via an exclusive publishing deal with Classic Rock
magazine on 14 December. The standard CD release of The Wörld is Yours would go on sale on 17 January 2011, through Motörhead's own label, Motörhead Music.
To coincide with the release of their upcoming album, Motörhead embarked on a 35th Anniversary UK tour, from 8–28 November 2010, and a European tour from 31 November 2010 – 19 December 2010. They will also take their tour to the Americas in 2011.
In October, the band recorded a slow blues version of their longtime hit "Ace of Spades"
for a TV spot for Kronenbourg
beer. The file will be available for free download from the Kronenbourg website.
On 5 December the single "Get Back In Line" was released, followed by the release of a video for the single on 6 December.
In December, Mikkey Dee stated to French journalists that Motörhead are planning to release a box-set with several DVDs in 2011. He did not give any details but said that it will come in a "beautiful package including many surprises".
On 17 January 2011, it was announced that Motörhead would be part of the Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth. In August 2011, they will be headlining the Brutal Assault
open-air festival in the Czech Republic
.
On 2 March 2011 Motörhead performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
.
On 9 July 2011, former guitarist Würzel
died of a heart attack.
In an interview at Germany's Wacken Open Air
festival on 6 August 2011, Lemmy said that the next Motörhead album may be an album featuring song covers.
, wrote: "Motörhead's overwhelmingly loud and fast style of heavy metal was one of the most groundbreaking styles the genre had to offer in the late '70s" and though "Motörhead wasn't punk rock ... they were the first metal band to harness that energy and, in the process, they created speed metal and thrash metal." Whether they created these genres might be subject to debate, but Motörhead were unquestionably influential.
Lemmy has stated that he generally feels more kinship with punk rockers than with metal bands: Motörhead had gigs with fellow Brits The Damned, with whom he played bass on a handful of late 1970s gigs, as well as having penned the song "R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
" as a tribute to the Ramones
. Motörhead, Lemmy states, have more in common aesthetically with The Damned than Black Sabbath
, and nothing whatsoever in common with Judas Priest
. Lemmy says he feels little kinship with the speed metal bands Motörhead have inspired:
The NME
stated that their brief solos were just long enough "...to open another bottle of beer", while a 1977 Stereo Review
commented that "they know they're like animals, and they don't want to appear any other way. In view of the many ugly frogs in heavy metal who think they are God's gift to womankind these Quasimodos even seem charming in their own way". Motörhead's approach has not changed drastically over the band's career, though this is a deliberate choice: erstwhile Motörhead drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor said that rock icons like Chuck Berry
and Little Richard
never drastically altered their style, and, like them, Motörhead preferred to play what they enjoyed and did best. This fondness for the first decade of rock and roll (mid-1950s to mid-1960s) is also reflected in some of Motörhead's occasional cover songs from that era.
who then produced the first 'Motörhead Magazine'. Around the same time, drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor's sister, Helen Taylor, had started the Motörheadbangers fan club. Burridge and Taylor worked together to print the latest news for Motörhead fans, the first fanzine was published in January 1980. The Motörheadbangers fanzine is printed three times a year, and has 3,000 subscribers.
Paul Hadwen, who had worked on the 'cartoon' style of the early Motörheadbangers fanzines with Chris Harris during Helen Taylor's leadership, and also drew the 'comic strip' art included with the 'Another Perfect Day' album, died at his home in Leeds
in late July 2007, aged 50. The club now has roughly over 3000 members since starting in 1980.
's entrance music, "The Game", since January 2001 & onward. In addition to the track being heard whenever Triple H appears on WWE Raw
or WWE Friday Night SmackDown and at other pay-per-view wrestling shows, the band have performed the song live at two WrestleMania
events, WrestleMania X-Seven
and WrestleMania 21
. They also provided the entrance music for Triple H's (now defunct) faction "Evolution
" titled "Line in the Sand". "The Game" was released on both the American version of Hammered album and WWF The Music, Vol. 5
, and the Evolution theme song was released on the WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6
album. Since then, Motörhead have performed a new track titled "King of Kings", emphasising Triple H's "King of Kings" character, which made its debut at WrestleMania 22
. Their song "Rock Out" was also used as the theme song of the pay-per-view Unforgiven
in 2008.
during the Washington Capitals
hockey games. In the UK, it occasionally follows the National Anthem at the Altrincham Ice Dome
before Manchester Phoenix
hockey games face off.
The song "King of Kings" is also the walk on music for PDC
professional darts player Mervyn King
Motörhead's song Ace of Spades
was also featured in the video review of the 2010 Formula One Season
.
Other Motörhead tribute bands include "We're Not Motörhead" from Portsmouth, "Ace Of Spades" from Varberg, Sweden, "Motorkill" from the Midlands, United Kingdom, "Motorheat" of Belgium, "Bömbers" from Norway, featuring Abbath (Immortal
), "Lemmy's Wärt", "Mauro Tolot Kilmister" and the "Reptiles" from Italy, "Motörheads" from Moscow, Russia, "Motörhead Tribute" formed by UCLA and USC
students out of the Los Angeles
area, "Bastardi" from Italy
, "Snaggletoöth" from Holland,"Overhead" from Norway
, "Motorizer" from Ottawa, Canada, "Elderhead" from New York City, "Motörment" and "Motorock", both from Germany, "Capricorn USA" from Austin
, Texas
, Motörheadcase from West Yorkshire
, Matërhead from Matera, Italy, Moottörin Jyrinä from Finland, Manturhead from Latina, Italy, Motörfuckers from São Paulo, Brazil, Iron Fist and Doctor Rock from Chile, "No Remorse" from Athens, Greece.
Slash
is known to have started a Motörhead tribute band called Road Crew as his first band as a teenager.
s, markedly in the years since 1999. Genres range from hardcore punk
and rock, to black
and death metal
and industrial
.
character ö
is possibly derived from the similar "heavy metal umlaut
" in the name of their 1975 acquaintances Blue Öyster Cult
. However, this umlaut does not alter the pronunciation of the band's name. When asked if Germans pronounced the band "Motuuuurhead", Lemmy answered "No, they don't. I only put it in there to look mean".
Snaggletooth is the fanged face that serves as the symbol of Motörhead. Artist Joe Petagno
drew it in 1977 for the cover of the band's debut album (with designer Phil Smee
who turned it into a negative and did the lettering to complete the logo), having met Lemmy while doing some work with Hawkwind. Petagno stated;
Eddie Clarke was less sure about the imagery to begin with:
It has remained a symbol of Motörhead throughout the years, with Petagno creating many variations of War-Pig for the covers of ensuing albums. To date, only two of the original covers for Motörhead's 20 studio albums do not feature any variation of War-Pig on the cover: On Parole and Overnight Sensation (of which, On Parole was never sanctioned by the band, and was in any case reissued with a black War-Pig on a white background. Phil is wearing a War-Pig badge on the cover of Ace of Spades
. The cover of 'Iron Fist' depicts a metal gauntlet wearing four skull-shaped rings, one of which is War-Pig, while the rear of the album-sleeve shows a fully detailed 3-D metal sculpture of the symbol. Originally the War-Pig design included a swastika on one of the helmet's spikes. This was painted out on later re-releases of the albums on CD.
On 21 September 2007 Petagno announced that "there will be no more "HEADS" from my hand", citing irreconcilable differences between himself and the band's current management, Singerman Entertainment. Petagno stated:
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in 1975 by bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
Ian Fraser Kilmister, known mainly by his stage name Lemmy, who has remained the sole constant member. The band is often considered a precursor to or one of the earliest members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
, which re-energised 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...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Usually a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
, Motörhead had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The albums Overkill
Overkill (album)
Overkill is the second album released by Motörhead, in 1979, and their first for Bronze Records. It peaked at number 24 on the UK charts.It had a big impact in the British punk culture of that time, paving the way for UK82. Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No...
, Bomber
Bomber (album)
Bomber is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead. It was recorded in 1979, the same year as Overkill. The album reached number 12 on the UK charts and brought some of Motörhead's most popular songs, like "Bomber", "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and "Stone Dead...
, Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades (album)
Ace of Spades is the fourth album by the British band Motörhead. Released on 8 November 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts and reached Gold status by March 1981...
, and particularly 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...
, cemented Motörhead's reputation as one of Britain's foremost rock bands.
Motörhead are typically classified as heavy metal, and their fusion of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
into the genre helped to pioneer speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
. Motörhead's approach has remained the same over the band's career, preferring to play what they enjoy and do best; their appreciation of early rock and roll is reflected in some of their occasional cover songs. Motörhead's lyrics typically cover such topics as war, good versus evil, abuse of power, promiscuous sex, substance abuse, and, most famously, gambling. The name "Motörhead" is a reference to users of the drug amphetamine
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
. The band's distinctive fanged-face logo, with its oversized boar's horns, chains, and spikes, was created by artist Joe Petagno
Joe Petagno
Joe Petagno is an artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers, for bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Nightshade, and Illdisposed....
in 1977 for the cover of the 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 has appeared in many variations on covers of ensuing albums. The fanged face has been referred to variously as "War-Pig" and "Snaggletooth". The band is ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
1975–1977 – Early years – The Motörhead album
Lemmy was fired from HawkwindHawkwind
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....
in May 1975 for, as he says, "doing the wrong drugs." He was arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine at the Canadian border and spent five days in prison, causing the band to cancel some of their North America tour dates. Now on his own, Lemmy decided to form a new band called Motörhead, inspired by the final song he had written for Hawkwind.
Lemmy's stated aim was to "concentrate on very basic music: loud, fast, city, raucous, arrogant, paranoid, speedfreak rock n roll... it will be so loud that if we move in next door to you, your lawn will die". On the recommendation of Mick Farren
Mick Farren
Michael Anthony 'Mick' Farren is an English journalist, author and singer associated with counterculture and the UK Underground.-Music:...
, he recruited Larry Wallis
Larry Wallis
Larry Wallis is a guitarist, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a member of the Pink Fairies and an early member of Motörhead.-Early bands:...
(ex-Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies
Pink Fairies were an English rock band active in the London underground and psychedelic scene of the early 1970s. They promoted free music, drug taking and anarchy and often performed impromptu gigs and other agitprop stunts, such as playing for free outside the gates at the Bath and Isle of Wight...
) on electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and Lucas Fox
Lucas Fox
Lucas Fox is a drummer, who was a member of British heavy metal band Motörhead, and London punk rockers Warsaw Pakt.-Motörhead:In 1975 Fox was invited, along with Larry Wallis, to start Lemmy's band, Bastards. After taking advice, the band was renamed Motörhead. The band supported Greenslade at...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. According to Lemmy, the band's first practice was in a furniture store in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, England in 1975. Kilmister has said they used to steal equipment, as the band was short on gear. Their first gig was supporting Greenslade
Greenslade
Greenslade is an English progressive rock band. It was originally formed in the autumn of 1972 with the following line-up:* Dave Greenslade - keyboards...
at The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 20 July 1975. On 19 October, having played 10 gigs, they became the supporting act to Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
at the Hammersmith Odeon
Hammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
.
The band were contracted to 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....
by Andrew Lauder
Andrew Lauder (music executive)
Andrew Lauder is a record company executive and former A&R manager. Initially noted for his adventurous signings of bands as diverse as Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Can, Hawkwind and Brinsley Schwarz to Liberty Records and United Artists Records in the 1960s and 70s, he went on to form numerous...
, the A&R man for the band Lemmy was previously in, Hawkwind. They recorded sessions at Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
with producer Dave Edmunds
Dave Edmunds
David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
, during which Fox proved to be unreliable and was replaced by drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, a casual acquaintance of Lemmy's. Their record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
was dissatisfied with the material and refused to release it, although it was subsequently issued as On Parole
On 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...
in 1979 after the band had established some success.
In February 1976, deciding that two guitarists were required, the band auditioned "Fast" 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:...
. Wallis, who was continuing to tour with a reformed Pink Fairies, quit immediately after the auditions and Clarke remained as the sole guitarist. This trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
of Lemmy – Clarke – Taylor is today regarded as the "classic" Motörhead line-up. In December, the band recorded the "Leaving Here" single for 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....
, but United Artists intervened to prevent its general release as the band were still under contract to them, despite their refusal to issue their debut album. Initial reactions to the band had been unfavourable; they won a poll for "the best worst band in the world" in the music magazine NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
.
By April 1977, living in squats and with little recognition, Taylor and Clarke wanted to give it up, and after some debate, the band agreed to do a farewell show at the Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
in London. Lemmy had become acquainted with Ted Carroll from Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records
Chiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"...
and asked him to bring a mobile studio to the show to record it for posterity. Carroll was unable to get the mobile unit to the Marquee Club but showed up backstage after the gig and offered them two days at Escape Studios with producer Speedy Keen to record a single. The band took the chance, and instead of recording a single they laid down 11 unfinished tracks. Carroll gave them a few more days at Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes, South West London, England. The studio is best known for the huge number of famous rock and pop recordings made there from the late 1960s onward....
to finish the vocals and the band completed 13 tracks for release as an album. Chiswick issued the single "Motorhead" in June, followed by the album 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...
in August, which spent one week in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number 43. The band toured the UK supporting Hawkwind in June, then from late July they commenced the 'Beyond the Threshold of Pain' tour with The Count Bishops.
In August, Tony Secunda
Tony Secunda
Anthony Michael "Tony" Secunda was a British manager of rock groups in the 1960s and 1970s, including The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, The Move, and T...
took over the management of the band, and their cohesiveness became so unstable that by March 1978, Clarke and Taylor had formed and were gigging as The Muggers with Speedy Keen and Billy Rath.
1978–1979 – Rise to success: Overkill and Bomber
In July 1978, the band returned to the management of Douglas Smith, who secured a one-off singles deal with Bronze RecordsBronze 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...
. The resulting "Louie Louie" single was issued in September peaking at number 68 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and the band toured the UK to promote it, recorded a 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...
John Peel in session on 18 September (these tracks were later issued on the 2005 BBC Live & In-Session
BBC Live & In-Session
BBC Live & In-Session is a compilation by the British band Motörhead which contains the band's appearances on BBC Radio 1 and a concert recording from Paris Theatre, London.-Track listing:...
album), and appeared for the first time on BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
's Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
on 25 October. Chiswick capitalised on this new level of success by re-issuing the debut album Motörhead on white vinyl through EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
.
The single's success led to Bronze extending their contract, and put the band back into the studio to record an album, this time with producer Jimmy Miller at Roundhouse Studios
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
. A hint of what the band had recorded for the album came on 9 March 1979 when the band played "Overkill
Overkill (song)
"Overkill" is a song by the band Motörhead. It was released in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings in 1979. It is backed with B-side "Too Late Too Late" which appears on the CD re-issues of the Overkill album. Early copies came with a free "Overkill" badge...
" on Top of the Pops to support the release of the single ahead of the Overkill
Overkill (album)
Overkill is the second album released by Motörhead, in 1979, and their first for Bronze Records. It peaked at number 24 on the UK charts.It had a big impact in the British punk culture of that time, paving the way for UK82. Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No...
album, which was released on 24 March. It became Motörhead's first album to break into the top 40 of the UK Albums chart, reaching number 24, with the single reaching number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. These releases were followed by the 'Overkill' UK tour which began on 23 March. A subsequent single was released in June, coupling the album track "No Class
No Class
"No Class" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released in 1979, in 7" vinyl pressings. The song first appeared on the 1979 album Overkill, and became one of the "cornerstones" of the classic 1981 live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith...
" as the A-side
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...
with the previously unreleased song "Like a Nightmare" on the B-side. It fared worse than both the album and previous single but reached number 61 on the UK singles chart.
During July and August, except for a break to appear at the Reading Festival, the band were working on their next album, Bomber
Bomber (album)
Bomber is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead. It was recorded in 1979, the same year as Overkill. The album reached number 12 on the UK charts and brought some of Motörhead's most popular songs, like "Bomber", "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and "Stone Dead...
. Released on 27 October, it reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart. On 1 December, it was followed by the "Bomber
Bomber (song)
"Bomber" is a song by the English heavy metal band Motörhead, recorded and released in 1979 . It is the title track to their album Bomber and was released as a single peaking at 34 on the UK singles chart....
" single, which reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart. The 'Bomber' Europe and UK tour followed, with support from Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
. The stage show featured a spectacular aircraft bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
-shaped lighting rig. The title-track of the Bomber album was inspired by the Len Deighton
Len Deighton
Leonard Cyril Deighton is a British military historian, cookery writer, and novelist. He is perhaps most famous for his spy novel The IPCRESS File, which was made into a film starring Michael Caine....
novel Bomber
Bomber (novel)
Bomber is a novel written by Len Deighton and published in the UK in 1970. It is the fictionalised account of the events of 31 June [sic], 1943 in which an RAF bombing raid on the Ruhr area of western Germany goes wrong...
, which was a real-time chronicle of an RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
bombing raid from the points of view of all concerned: from the RAF crews, the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, and the civilians on the ground. During the 'Bomber' tour, United Artists put together tapes recorded during the Rockfield Studios sessions in 1975/6 and released them as the album On Parole, which peaked at number 65 on the UK Albums Chart in December.
On 8 May 1980, while the band were on tour in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Bronze released The Golden Years, which sold better than any of their previous releases, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart. The band had, however, preferred the title Flying Tonight, in reference to the 'Bomber' lighting rig. On 20 August, the band (40 minutes) and Girlschool
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
(20 minutes) were filmed performing live at the Nottingham Theatre Royal for the Rockstage programme, broadcast on UK television by the ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
station on 4 April 1981.
1980–1982 – Ace of Spades and Iron Fist
During August and September 1980, the band were at Jackson's Studios in Rickmansworth, recording 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...
. The "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:...
" single was released on 27 October 1980 as a preview of the Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades (album)
Ace of Spades is the fourth album by the British band Motörhead. Released on 8 November 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts and reached Gold status by March 1981...
album, which followed on 8 November. The single reached #15 and the album reached #4 on the UK charts. Bronze celebrated its gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status by pressing a limited edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
of the album in gold vinyl. Motörhead made two appearances on Top of the Pops in October that year with "Ace of Spades", and between 22 October and 29 November the band were on their 'Ace Up Your Sleeve' UK tour with support from Girlschool and Vardis
Vardis
Vardis were an influential three-piece heavy metal band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, who enjoyed hits between 1978 and 1986.They formed a prominent part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, then prevalent in the United Kingdom. They consisted of frontman Steve Zodiac on guitar and lead...
, and also made an appearance as guests on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
children's show Tiswas
Tiswas
Tiswas was a Saturday morning children's British television series which ran from 5 January 1974 to 3 April 1982 and was produced for the ITV network by ATV Network Limited....
on 8 November. The 'Arizona desert-style' pictures used on the album sleeve and tour booklet cover were taken during a photo session at a sandpit
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
. "Ace of Spades", considered to be the definitive Motörhead anthem, "put a choke on the English music charts and proved to all that a band could succeed without sacrificing its blunt power and speed".
To coincide with the Ace of Spades release, Big Beat
Big Beat Records (Ace subsidiary)
Big Beat Records is a British record label and import distributor owned by Ace Records, specialising in garage rock.-Roster:Releases include:*Big Star*Dean Carter*The Chocolate Watchband*Count Five*The Cramps*The Flaming Stars*Frumious Bandersnatch...
, who had inherited the Chiswick catalogue, put together four unused tracks from the Escape Studios sessions in 1977 and released them as Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers
Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers (EP)
Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers EP is a 1980 release of a 1977 recording session by the English band Motörhead.- Overview :The songs were recorded during the Motörhead album sessions but, considered outtakes, they only saw a belated release as the band's popularity was at a high with the commercial...
, which reached #43 on the UK Singles Chart in November.
The band had more chart hits in 1981 with the releases St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP, their collaboration with Girlschool which reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart in February; the live version of "Motorhead", which reached #6 on the UK Singles Chart in July; and the album it was taken from, 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...
, which reached #1 on the UK Albums Chart in June. During March 1981, the band had been touring Europe, and in the final week of the month they conducted the 'Short Sharp, Pain In The Neck' UK tour from which the recordings for No Sleep 'til Hammersmith were made.
From April through to July, the band toured North America for the first time as guests of Blizzard of Ozz, an early incarnation of Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
's band, but were still able to make an appearance on Top of the Pops on 9 July to promote the live "Motorhead" single. In October the band recorded tracks at BBC's Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
4 studio for the David Jensen
David Jensen
David "Kid" Jensen , is a Danish Canadian-born, British radio DJ.-Early career:Born in a Danish family residing Victoria, British Columbia, Jensen began his career in his home country at the age of sixteen playing jazz and classical music. He then joined Radio Luxembourg at the age of eighteen in...
show broadcast on 6 October. The band commenced a European tour on 20 November, supported by 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...
, followed by Clarke producing Tank's debut album Filth Hounds of Hades
Filth Hounds of Hades
Filth Hounds of Hades is the debut album of heavy metal band Tank, released in 1982.The album was produced by "Fast" Eddie Clarke, and recorded between December 1981 and January 1982 at Ramport Studios in London. The Attic Records pressing had an alternate blue cover with the dogs in maroon and...
at 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 December and January.
Between 26 and 28 January 1982, the band started recording their self-produced new album at Ramport Studios, before moving onto 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...
to continue the sessions throughout February. On 3 April the single "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....
" was released, reaching #29 on the UK Singles Chart, followed by the parent album Iron Fist
Iron Fist (album)
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...
, released on 17 April and peaking at #6 on the UK Albums Chart. They were the last releases to feature the Lemmy, Clarke, Taylor line-up, though the line-up continued to perform in the Iron Fist UK tour between 17 March and 12 April, and the band's first headling North America tour from 12 May until Clarke's last gig at the New York Palladium on 14 May.
1982–1984 – Departures from the band and Another Perfect Day
Clarke left as a consequence of the band recording Stand By Your ManStand by Your Man (EP)
Stand by Your Man is a 7" EP by Lemmy of the British band Motörhead and Wendy O. Williams of the American punk rock band Plasmatics, recorded and released in 1982.-History:...
, a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
classic, in collaboration with Wendy O. Williams
Wendy O. Williams
Wendy Orlean Williams , better known as Wendy O. Williams, was the lead singer for the American punk band the Plasmatics, as well as a solo artist...
and the Plasmatics
Plasmatics
The Plasmatics were an American heavy metal and punk band formed by Yale University art school graduate Rod Swenson with Wendy O. Williams. The band was a controversial group known for wild live shows that broke countless taboos...
. Clarke felt that the song compromised the band's principles, refused to play on the recording and resigned, later forming his own band, Fastway
Fastway (band)
Fastway is a British heavy metal band formed by guitarist, "Fast" Eddie Clarke, formerly of Motörhead, and bassist, Pete Way, formerly of UFO.-Career:...
. Lemmy and Taylor made numerous telephone calls to find a guitarist, including one to 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:...
, formerly with 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...
, who was recording a solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
in Canada. He agreed to help out and complete the tour with them. Robertson signed a one-album deal resulting in 1983's Another Perfect Day
Another Perfect Day
- Deluxe Edition :In 2006, the album was re-issued with a bonus CD, featuring a live performance, recorded in Manchester on June 10, 1983. The writing credits for the songs on the deluxe edition differed from those on the original, credited all the original songs to Robertson, Lemmy, and...
and the two singles from it, "Shine" and "I Got Mine
I Got Mine (Motörhead song)
"I Got Mine" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. Released in 1983 in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings, the 12" has the bonus track "Tales of Glory". It is back with the B-side, "Turn You Round Again", which appears on CD re-issues of the Another Perfect Day album...
". In June and July the band played five dates in Japan, and from mid-October until mid-November they toured Europe. From late May until early July, the band conducted the 'Another Perfect Tour', followed by an American tour between July and August, and another European tour in October and November. Robertson began to cause friction in the band as a result of his on-stage attire, consisting of shorts and ballet shoes, and, furthermore, with his point blank refusal to play the old standards that every Motörhead audience expected to hear. This led to an amicable agreement that Robertson would leave, playing his last gig with the band at the Berlin Metropol on 11 November.
After Robertson's departure in 1983, the band were sent tapes from all over the world from potential guitarists. The group returned to the concept of dual lead guitars by hiring unknowns Würzel
Würzel
Michael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
and Phil Campbell
Phil Campbell (musician)
Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
(ex-Persian Risk
Persian Risk
Persian Risk were a heavy metal band from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era formed in 1979 and hailing from Cardiff, Wales. The brainchild of ex-Stoned Soul Party guitarist Phil Campbell, he recruited vocalist Jon Deverill, second guitarist Dave Bell, bass player Nick Hughes, and drummer Razz...
). In February 1984, the Lemmy, Campbell, Würzel and Taylor line-up recorded "Ace of Spades" for the "Bambi
Bambi (Young Ones episode)
"Bambi" was the seventh episode of British sitcom The Young Ones. It was written by Ben Elton, Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer, and directed by Geoff Posner. It was first aired on BBC2 on 8 May 1984...
" episode in the British television
British television
Public television broadcasting started in the United Kingdom in 1936, and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channelsTaking the base Sky EPG TV Channels. A breakdown is impossible due to a) the number of...
series, The Young Ones
The Young Ones (TV series)
The Young Ones is a British sitcom, first broadcast in 1982, which ran for two series on BBC2. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers...
. Scenes of the band playing are interspersed with the characters' antics as they rush to the railway station, in a parody of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' comedy film A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (film)
A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British black-and-white comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring The Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists...
. Taylor quit the band after that recording, causing Lemmy to quip: "Did I leave them or did they leave me?". Before joining Motörhead, Phil Campbell had met ex-Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
drummer Pete Gill
Pete Gill
Pete Gill is a heavy metal drummer, formerly a member of The Glitter Band, Saxon and Motörhead.Gill was one of the two drummers in The Glitter Band, then formed part of the original line up Saxon in 1978. He stayed with them until 1981 when he injured his hand...
, and the trio decided to call him to see if he would like to visit London. The try-outs went well and Gill was hired.
1984–1985 – No Remorse
Bronze Records thought the new line-up would not make the grade and decided to 'nail down the lid' on the group with a compilation album. When Lemmy found out, he took over the project, selecting tracks, providing sleeve notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
and insisted that Motörhead record four brand new tracks to go at the end of each side of the album. During the sessions between 19 May and 25 May 1984 at Britannia Row Studios, London, the band recorded six tracks for the single's B-side and the album. The single "Killed by Death" was released on 1 September and reached #51 in the UK Singles Chart, the double album No Remorse was released on 15 September and reached silver disc status, attaining the position of #14 in the UK Album charts.
The band were involved in a court case with Bronze over the next two years, believing that their releases were not being promoted properly, and the record company banned them from the recording studio. The band looked to more touring for income; Australia and New Zealand
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
in late July to late August, a brief tour of Hungary in September, and the No Remorse 'Death On The Road' tour between 24 October and 7 November. On 26 October the band made a live appearance on the British Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
music programme The Tube, performing "Killed By Death", "Steal Your Face" (over which the programme's end-credits were played) and the unbroadcast "Overkill", before going on to their next gig that evening. From 19 November to 15 December the band toured America with Canadian speed metal band Exciter
Exciter (band)
Exciter is a Canadian speed metal band from Ottawa, Ontario. They are widely considered to be one of the first speed metal bands and a seminal influence of the thrash metal genre. Exciter have sold nearly 2.3 million units in the USA and a total sells at 10 million units worldwide...
and Danish Metal band Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate was a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen. Initially active from 1981 to 1985, they reunited in 1992. The band went on hiatus again in 2000, when frontman King Diamond decided to continue his solo career...
and from 26 December to 30 December performed five shows in Germany.
On 5 April 1985, ITV broadcast three songs that were recorded after the band went off air on their earlier appearance on The Tube programme. A week later the band, dressed in tuxedos, played three songs on the live Channel 4 music show ECT (Extra-Celestial Transmission). To celebrate the band's tenth anniversary, two shows were arranged at Hammersmith Odeon on 28 June and 29 June, a video of the second show was taken and later released as The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (video)
The Birthday Party is a 1985 video by Motörhead. It features the band's 10th anniversary show at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. During the performance of "Motörhead" all of the past members and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott joined the band onstage...
. From early June until early August the band were on their 'It Never Gets Dark' tour of Sweden and Norway, an American tour followed in mid-November until late December.
1986–1989 – Orgasmatron and Rock 'n' Roll
From 26 March to 3 April 1986, the band toured Germany, Holland and Denmark on their 'Easter Metal Blast' and in June, played two dates in Bologna and Milan in Italy. The court case with Bronze was finally settled in the band's favour. The band's management instigated their own label, GWRGWR Records
GWR Records was a record label active in the UK from 1986 through to 1991.By 1984, Gerry Bron's Bronze Records were in financial difficulty leading to a hiatus in recording activity for Motörhead...
. Recording took place in Master Rock Studios, London and the single "Deaf Forever
Deaf Forever
"Deaf Forever" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead, released in 1986 in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. It is covered with B-sides, "On the Road ", and on the 12" vinyl, a bonus track, "Steal Your Face ". The title song is taken from the Orgasmatron album and the sleeve artwork was created by...
" was released on 5 July as a taster for the Orgasmatron
Orgasmatron (album)
Orgasmatron is the seventh album by the British band Motörhead, released in 1986. It is the only full Motörhead album to feature Pete Gill on the drums, although he also played on the four new tracks recorded for the 1984 No Remorse compilation album....
album, which was released on 9 August. On the same day as the release of the album, Lemmy and Würzel were interviewed by Andy Kershaw
Andy Kershaw
Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...
on the BBC Radio 1 Saturday Live show and "Orgasmatron" and "Deaf Forever" were played. The single reached #67 and the album reached #21 in the UK charts.
On 16 August, the band played at the Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
at Castle Donington
Castle Donington
Castle Donington is a village, with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, part of the Derby postcode area and on the edge of the National Forest. It is the closest town to East Midlands Airport.-Transport and housing:...
and was recorded by BBC Radio 1 for a future Friday Rock Show broadcast. The performance closed with a flyover by a couple of WW2 German aircraft. Also that day Lemmy was filmed giving his views on spoof metal act 'Bad News' for inclusion in a Peter Richardson Comic Strip film entitled 'More Bad News' since the band featuring Rik Mayall
Rik Mayall
Richard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
, Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer
Nigel Planer
Nigel George Planer is an English actor, comedian, novelist and playwright.Planer is perhaps best known for his role as Neil Pye in the cult BBC comedy The Young Ones. He has appeared in many West End musicals, including Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked and Hairspray...
and Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
were also performing at Donington. In September the band conducted their 'Orgasmatron' tour in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, supported by fledgling act Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. In October they toured America and in December were in Germany.
In 1987, during the filming of Eat the Rich — in which Lemmy was taking a starring role alongside well-known comedy actors such as Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
, Kathy Burke
Kathy Burke
Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke is an English actress, comedienne, playwright and theatre director. She is best known for her portrayals of Perry in the Harry Enfield film Kevin and Perry Go Large, and of Linda La Hughes in the British sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme...
, the regulars from The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip is a group of British comedians, known for their television series The Comic Strip Presents.... The core members are Adrian Edmondson, Dawn French, Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson and Jennifer Saunders, with frequent appearances by Keith Allen, Robbie Coltrane and...
ensemble, and various other musician cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s — Gill left the band and Taylor returned to appear in the band's cameo as 'In House Club Band' alongside Würzel and Campbell. The band wrote "Eat the Rich
Eat the Rich (Motörhead song)
"Eat the Rich" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1987, in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. Both formats featured the b-side "Cradle to the Grave", and the 12" also included "Just 'Cos You Got the Power"....
" especially for the film, its soundtrack featured tracks from Orgasmatron and Würzel's solo single "Bess". The band's second album for GWR was Rock 'n' Roll
Rock 'n' Roll (Motörhead album)
Rock 'N' Roll is the eighth album by the British band Motörhead and the first appearance of their four-piece line up of Lemmy, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, Würzel and Philip Campbell, which lasted from 1987 until 1992...
, released on 5 September, after a tight work schedule in the studio. While having some popular tracks and using "Eat the Rich" as its second track, the band commented that the album was virtually "nailed together".
On 2 July 1988 Motörhead were recorded performing at the Giants of Rock Festival in Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
, Finland. The tracks were released as No Sleep at All
No Sleep at All
Nö Sleep at All is the second official live album by the British band Motörhead, following 1981's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. It was recorded on 2 July 1988 at a Giants of Rock Festival performance in Hämeenlinna, Finland.-History:...
on 15 October. A single from the album was planned with the band wanting "Traitor" as the A-side, but "Ace of Spades" was chosen instead. When the band noticed the change, they refused to allow the single to be distributed to the shops, and it was withdrawn and became available only on the 'No Sleep at All' tour and through the Motörheadbangers fan club. The band again felt unhappy with their career, and a court case with GWR followed, which was not resolved until mid-1990.
1990–1992 – Epic/WTG years: 1916 and March ör Die
With the court case resolved, the band signed to Epic/WTGEpic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
and spent the last half of 1990 recording a new album and single in Los Angeles. Just prior to the album sessions the band's former manager, Doug Smith, released the recording of the band's tenth anniversary show, much against the bands wishes, having previously told him that they did not want it released, in 1986. In the studio they recorded four songs with the producer, Ed Stasium, before deciding he had to go. When Lemmy listened to one of the mixes of "Going to Brazil", he asked for him to turn up four tracks, and on doing so heard claves
Claves
Claves are a percussion instrument , consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone), consisting of a pair of short Claves (Anglicized pronunciation: clah-vays, IPA:[ˈklαves]) are a percussion instrument (idiophone),...
and tambourine
Tambourine
The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
s that Stasium had added without their knowledge. Stasium was fired and Pete Solley was hired as producer. The story according to Stasium was that Lemmy's drug and alcohol intake had far exceeded the limitations of Stasium's patience so he quit. The single "The One to Sing the Blues
The One to Sing the Blues
"The One to Sing the Blues" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead, which Epic Records released in a number of formats; 7"and 12" vinyl, cassette-single, CD-single as well as a shaped picture disc. It reached number 45 in the UK Singles Chart. It is the opening track on the 1916 album...
" issued on 5 January 1991, was followed by the album 1916
1916 (album)
-Motörhead:* Lemmy – bass, vocals* Phil Campbell – guitar* Würzel – guitar* Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums, except "1916", which featured a drum machine.-Additional Credits:...
in February. The single, which was issued in 7", cassette, shaped picture disc
Unusual types of gramophone records
The overwhelming majority of records manufactured have been of certain sizes , playback speeds , and appearance...
, 12" and CD single, reached #45 in the UK Singles Chart, the album reached #24 in the UK Album Charts.
The band conducted their 'It Serves You Right' tour of Britain in February, the 'Lights Out Over Europe' tour followed, lasting until early April, when the band returned to Britain to play another six venues. In June the band played five dates in Japan and five dates in Australia and New Zealand. Between July and August, they played across the US with Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
and opener Dangerous Toys
Dangerous Toys
Dangerous Toys is an Austin, Texas-based hard rock band with often humorous lyrics. Founded in 1987, Dangerous Toys put out four full-length albums and one live album before unofficially disbanding at the turn of the millennium....
on the 'Operation Rock 'n' Roll' tour. The band finished the year with six dates in Germany during December.
On 28 March 1992 the band played what would turn out to be Taylor's last gig at Irvine Meadows, Irvine, California. The band had been wanting Lemmy to get rid of their manager, Doug Banker, for some time and after an unsolicited visit from Todd Singerman, who insisted he should manage them despite never having managed a band before, the band met with Singerman and decided to take him on board, firing Banker. In the midst of this, the band were recording an album at Music Grinder Studios, in the city's east part of Hollywood during the 1992 Los Angeles riots
1992 Los Angeles riots
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots or South Central Riots, also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest were sparked on April 29, 1992, when a jury acquitted three white and one hispanic Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King following a...
. Three drummers participated in the making of the March ör Die
March ör Die
March ör Die is the tenth album by the British band Motörhead. It was recorded and released in 1992.-History:Recorded at Music Grinder Studios, Los Angeles, three drummers participated in the making of this album: Phil Taylor, who was fired after "I Ain't No Nice Guy" was recorded , Tommy Aldridge...
album: Phil Taylor, who was fired because he did not learn the drum tracks on the song "I Ain't No Nice Guy"; Tommy Aldridge
Tommy Aldridge
Tommy Aldridge is a veteran heavy metal and hard rock drummer. Aldridge is noted for his work with numerous bands and vocalists, most notable being Black Oak Arkansas, Pat Travers Band, Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, Ted Nugent and Thin Lizzy.Self taught, Aldridge was inspired by Cream,...
who recorded most of the material on the album; and Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
, who recorded "Hellraiser
Hellraiser (song)
Hellraiser is a song written by Ozzy Osbourne, his guitarist Zakk Wylde, and Lemmy Kilmister, the frontman of heavy metal band Motörhead. The song was written for Osbourne's No More Tears album, in 1991, and despite being one of the most well known Ozzy Osbourne songs, Ozzy never released it as a...
", a song originally written by Lemmy for Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears
No More Tears
- 2002 Reissue :- Personnel :Musicians* Ozzy Osbourne – vocals* Zakk Wylde – guitar* Bob Daisley – bass* Randy Castillo – drums* John Sinclair – keyboards, pianoAdditional personnel* Mike Inez – inspiration, musical direction...
album. The March ör Die album features guest appearances by Ozzy Osbourne and Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
.
1993–1994 – Bastards
Lemmy had known Mikkey Dee from the time when King DiamondKing Diamond (band)
King Diamond is the heavy metal band that King Diamond formed after the split up of his heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, and the departure of Hank Shermann. He was joined by most members of the then defunct Mercyful Fate. The Satanic focus was replaced by a focus on horror stories...
had toured with Motörhead. He had asked Dee to become Motörhead's drummer before, but Dee had declined due to his commitment to King Diamond. On this occasion, Dee was available and met the band to try out. Playing the song "Hellraiser" first, Lemmy thought "he was very good immediately. It was obvious that it was going to work." After recording "Hellraiser" and "Hell on Earth" in the studio, Dee's first gig with Motörhead was on 30 August at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is an amphitheater in Saratoga Springs, New York, which presents summer festivals of all kinds of music , dance, and opera, as well as a Wine & Food Festival...
. The new line-up then went on tour, playing dates with Ozzy Osbourne, Skew Siskin and Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
. On 27 September, the band played at the Los Angeles Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
with Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
. The band toured Argentina and Brazil during October and conducted the 'Bombers and Eagles in '92' tour of Europe with Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
throughout December.
Motörhead played two dates at the Arena Obras Sanitarias
Arena Obras Sanitarias
Arena Obras Sanitarias, also known as Estadio Obras Sanitarias is an indoor arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Built in 1978, it holds 3,030 people, and 4,700 for concerts....
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in April 1993 and toured Europe from early June until early July, returning to the states to play one show at the New York Ritz
Ritz (rock club)
-History:The Ritz was founded in 1980 by Jerry Brandt on 11th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of New York City. Formerly a ballroom known as Webster Hall, The Ritz still retained some of its previous incarnation's Art Deco style. As a venue, it focused...
on 14 August. A new producer was sought for the band's next album and eventually Howard Benson
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is a two-time Grammy-nominated music producer and aerospace engineer.-Biography:Howard Benson has a degree in materials engineering from Drexel University and studied composition at the Philadelphia College for Performing Arts. Later he worked for Garrett AiResearch, where he worked...
, who was to produce the band's next four albums, was chosen. The band recorded at A & M Studios and Prime Time Studios in Hollywood and the resultant album, Bastards
Bastards (Motörhead album)
Bastards is the eleventh album by the British band Motörhead, and the first studio album they recorded with the short-lived Lemmy, Campbell, Würzel and Mikkey Dee line-up...
, was released on 29 November 1993. The single "Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me
Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me
"Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was written by Lemmy and released as a single in 1993. The song is covered with "Born to Raise Hell", which was released as a separate single, and "Death or Glory". All three songs are from the Bastards album.The song is...
" included the song "Born to Raise Hell
Born To Raise Hell
"Born to Raise Hell" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. Originally written by Lemmy for the German band Skew Siskin, it plays over the opening credits of the film Airheads in which Lemmy makes a cameo appearance....
" which also appeared on the album and would later be re-recorded with collaborative vocals from both Ice T
Ice T
Tracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
and Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe
Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band's name spoofs that of another band, Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound includes a range of styles, including rock, glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal....
frontman, Whitfield Crane
Whitfield Crane
William Whitfield Crane IV was born on January 19, 1968 in Palo Alto, California. Whit was a founding member and lead singer of the rock band Ugly Kid Joe, which formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1997...
and released as a single in its own right. Although Bastards received airtime, the record company, ZYX, would not pay for promotional copies, so the band sent out copies themselves. A further tour of Europe was made throughout December that year.
In February and March 1994, Motörhead toured the US with Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida. UK music magazine Terrorizer ranked one Morbid Angel album in its “Top 40 greatest death metal albums”, with their 1989 debut Altars of Madness appearing at number 1...
. In April the band resumed their tour of the States until early May, playing a gig with the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
on 14 May at the Estadio Velez
Estadio José Amalfitani
The Estadio José Amalfitani is a stadium located in the Liniers neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The venue is mainly used for football matches and is the home of the Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sársfield. The stadium is nicknamed El Fortín or El Fortín de Liniers...
in Buenos Aires, attracting a crowd of 50,000 people. The band toured Japan in late May and Europe in June, August and December.
1994–1995 – Sacrifice
The band's 1995 touring schedule began in Europe in late April. In June, they went on a second tour with Black Sabbath, this time supported by TiamatTiamat (band)
-Biography:Initially, the band played straightforward black metal under the name Treblinka. After having recorded the album Sumerian Cry in 1989, vocalist/guitarist Johan Edlund and bassist Jörgen Thullberg parted ways with the other two founding members, and subsequently changed the name to Tiamat...
, until the band succumbed to influenza and headed back to Los Angeles, to Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios
Cherokee Studios was a recording facility in Hollywood, founded in 1972 and closed in August 2007 to make way for a new building, after 35 years of operation under the Cherokee name as a well-renowned studio...
in Hollywood where they were to record an album. During the sessions it became clear that Würzel was not extending himself and left the band after the recording. The title track from the album, Sacrifice
Sacrifice (Motörhead album)
Sacrifice is the twelfth studio album by British band Motörhead. Released in 1995, it is the second, and last album, to feature the four man line up of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel, and Mikkey Dee, as Würzel left the band at the end of recording this album....
, was later used in the movie Tromeo and Juliet
Tromeo and Juliet
Tromeo and Juliet is a 1996 independent transgressive comedy film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Troma Entertainment...
, a film in which Lemmy appears as the narrator. The band decided to continue as a three-man line-up and a tour of Europe was performed throughout October and the first two days of November. A three-day tour of South America followed the week after. Lemmy celebrated his 50th Birthday later that year with the band at the Whiskey A Go Go
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
in Los Angeles; Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
played at the event under the name "The Lemmy's".
In 1996 the band began touring the States in early January and played thirty venues up to 15 February a seven-date tour of Europe in June and July was followed by two gigs in South America during August.
1996–1997 – Overnight Sensation
A tour of the USA with DioDio (band)
Dio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
and Speedball began with two shows (Los Angeles & Hollywood) in early October 1996 and concluded in Washington on 4 December. During this time the band had recorded Overnight Sensation
Overnight Sensation
Overnight Sensation, released in 1996, is the thirteenth studio album by the British band Motörhead.-History:Following the departure of Würzel in 1995, the band returned to the same three man formula as "the classic Motörhead line up"; Bass Guitar/Vocals, Lead Guitar and Drums. This album is also...
, at Ocean Studio and Track House Recording Studio. The album was released on 15 October, the first official album of the band as a three-piece since Another Perfect Day and the best distributed album the band had had for years. The band concluded the year's touring with thirteen dates in Germany.
During 1997, the band toured extensively, beginning with the first leg of the Overnight Sensation tour in Europe on 12 January at the London Astoria
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished...
, where the guest musicians were Todd Campbell, Phil Campbell's son, on "Ace of Spades" and Fast Eddie Clarke for "Overkill". The European leg lasted until March and was followed by four dates in Japan, from late May to 1 June, and an American tour with W.A.S.P. throughout the rest of June. In August, three dates in Europe were followed by seven dates in Britain, which ended with a show at the Brixton Academy
Carling Academy Brixton
The Brixton Academy, officially called O2 Academy, Brixton, is one of London's leading music venues, nightclubs and theatres. Situated in Brixton, South London, England, the building has hosted a range of leading rock acts since becoming a music venue in 1983...
on 25 October, where the guest musician was Paul Inder, Lemmy's son, for "Ace of Spades". A further four dates in October in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
concluded the year 1997.
1998–1999 – Snake Bite Love and Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
Lemmy recalled that the touring was going particularly well, with some countries like Argentina and Japan putting the band in larger venues, and the English promoters discovered that "they could turn a nice profit with Motörhead shows". In his opinion the three-piece line-up were performing excellently and it was high time they made another live record. The band did eventually, but made another studio album first, Snake Bite LoveSnake Bite Love
Snake Bite Love is the fourteenth album by the British band Motörhead. It was released on March 10, 1998 and was distributed by BMG. This album features the three piece line up of Lemmy, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell.-History:...
, recorded in various studios and released on 10 March 1998.
The band joined with Judas Priest at the Los Angeles Universal Amphitheatre
Gibson Amphitheatre
The Gibson Amphitheatre is a theatre located in Universal City, California, USA. It seats up to 6,189 for concerts, including 6,089 chairback seats...
on 3 April, to begin their 'Snake Bite Love' tour. On 21 May, Motörhead were recorded at The Docks in Hamburg. The tracks from this performance were later released as Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
Everything Louder Than Everyone Else
Everything Louder than Everyone Else is the third live album by the British band Motörhead. The title refers to a remark repeated by Ian Gillan of Deep Purple on their Made in Japan live album: "Could we have everything louder than everything else?". Recorded at a show in Hamburg, Germany on May...
. During this tour, Jared Allen
Jared Allen
-Kansas City Chiefs:Allen was drafted by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and signed for a one-year, $100,000 contract. On May 21, 2007, Allen, as a restricted free agent, signed the Chiefs' one-year tender offer of $2.35 million for the 2007 season. Allen credited his early...
served as a roadie for the band. The band were invited to join the Ozzfest Tour and played dates across the States during early July until early August and were in Europe from early October until late November. The British leg of the tour was dubbed the 'No Speak With Forked Tongue' tour and included support bands Groop Dogdrill
Groop Dogdrill
Groop Dogdrill were a rock band formed in the early 1990s in the Northern English town of Doncaster, UK, by Damien "Damo" Fowkes , Pete Spiby and Hugh "Hug" Kelly...
, Radiator and Psycho Squad, which was fronted by Phil Campbell's son Todd.
2000–2001 – We Are Motörhead and 25 & Alive
In 1999 Motörhead made a tour of the states between 20 April and 2 June, before going to Karo Studios in BrackelBrackel
Brackel is a municipality in the district of Harburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
to record their next album, We Are Motörhead
We Are Motörhead
We Are Motörhead is the fifteenth album by the British band Motörhead. It was released in 2000, and features a cover of the punk band The Sex Pistols' song "God Save the Queen", for which the band recorded a promo video atop an open-top London bus....
, which was released in May the following year. During the time the album sessions took place, the band played at venues around Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the first of which was at Fila Forum in Assago
Assago
Assago is a town and comune in the province of Milan, in the northern Italian region of Lombardy.----- Sport :Football Teams: and O.S.M....
, near Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, where Metallica's James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
joined the band on-stage to play "Overkill". In October and early November, the band toured the states with Nashville Pussy
Nashville Pussy
Nashville Pussy is an American hard rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. Their musical style mixes boogie rock, Southern metal and psychobilly. Much of the band's lyrical themes mostly revolve around sex, drugs, drinking, fighting, and rock 'n' roll...
. Throughout the rest of November, the band conducted their European 'Monsters Of The Millennium' tour with Manowar, Dio and Lion's Share, ending the Millennium with two shows at the London Astoria. The two shows were billed under the Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
"X-Fest" banner and at the first show were supported by Backyard Babies and during the second show guest vocals were provided by Skin
Deborah Dyer
Deborah Anne Dyer, known by the stage name Skin, is a singer and occasional model. As Deborah Dyer, Skin studied Interior Design at Teesside University in Middlesbrough and they later honoured her with an honourary degree. She is currently the lead vocalist of English band Skunk Anansie...
from Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie
Skunk Anansie is an English rock band whose members include Skin , Cass , Ace and Mark Richardson .Skunk Anansie formed in March 1994, disbanded in 2001 and reformed in 2009...
and Nina C. Alice from Skew Siskin for "Born to Raise Hell", and Ace from Skunk Anansie played "Overkill" with the band.
In May 2000, the release of We Are Motörhead and the single from it, "God Save the Queen", coincided with the start of the band's 'We Are Motörhead' tour across South and North America during May and June, with a further nine shows across in Europe in July. Shows in the USA and France were followed by the release of a double-disc compilation album, The Best Of, on 12 September. Four dates in Japan preceded the band's 25th Anniversary concert on 22 October at the Brixton Academy in London, where guest appearances were made by "Fast" Eddie Clarke, Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
, Doro Pesch
Doro (musician)
Dorothee Pesch , popularly known as Doro Pesch or Doro, is a female rock vocalist, formerly of the German heavy metal band Warlock ....
, Whitfield Crane
Whitfield Crane
William Whitfield Crane IV was born on January 19, 1968 in Palo Alto, California. Whit was a founding member and lead singer of the rock band Ugly Kid Joe, which formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1997...
, Ace, Paul Inder and Todd Campbell. The show also featured the return of the Bomber-lighting rig. The event was filmed and released the following year as the 25 & Alive Boneshaker
25 & Alive Boneshaker
25 & Alive Boneshaker is a live DVD featuring Motörhead's 25th anniversary concert at Brixton Academy, on October 22, 2000. The concert has also been released as a CD entitled Live At Brixton Academy....
DVD, and the CD of the show, Live at Brixton Academy
Live at Brixton Academy (Motörhead album)
Live at Brixton Academy is the fourth official live album by the British band Motörhead. Recorded at their 25th anniversary concert on October 22, 2000 at the Brixton Academy, London, UK. Various guests made appearances, including Queen's Brian May and ex-Skunk Anansie guitarist Ace...
, was released two years after that. Lemmy states the reason for the DVD as wanting "to record it for the posterity or whatever it is. I nodded off through the tenth anniversary, we never did anything on the twentieth, so the twenty-fifth made sense."
A tour of West and East Europe followed the anniversary concert, taking the band through October, November and December. The schedule for the Eastern European tour was quite brutal, involving two eighteen-hour drives back-to-back and little time off, at the Warsaw venue the band did not arrive until eleven o'clock and the crew were still loading into the venue at one in the morning, while the fans waited.
2002–2003 – Hammered
After taking a month off, the band began working on a new album at Chuck Reid's house in the Hollywood HillsHollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
. This album, Hammered, was released the following year. On 1 April 2001 the band gave a one song performance for Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
's entrance at WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...
at the Reliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome
Reliant Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas, USA. The stadium is part of the Reliant Park complex...
in Houston. The second leg of the 'We Are Motörhead' tour began in May in Ireland, moving across to the United Kingdom. In Manchester, the band were supported by Goldblade
Goldblade
Goldblade are an English punk rock band from Manchester, England. The band formed in early 1995 when ex Membranes frontman, John Robb, put the band together with Wayne Simmons and former A Witness vocalist Keith Curtis on bass, Rob Haynes on drums and Jay Taylor on guitar.The band signed to...
, and by Pure Rubbish
Pure Rubbish
Pure Rubbish was a rock band from Houston, Texas from late 1995 to April 2003. The band's moniker was lifted from Mick Jagger's published opinion about the 1960s rock band Herman's Hermits. Pure Rubbish had 3 records released between 1998 - 2001...
at the two London shows. The second London show also included Backyard Babies
Backyard Babies
Backyard Babies are a rock band, from Nässjö, Sweden. The band was formed in 1987 and over the years they have released five studio albums and won a Swedish Grammy. The band is now located in Stockholm, Sweden....
and Paul Inder, who was guest musician for "Killed By Death". Between June and August, Motörhead played at a number of rock festivals in Europe; including as the Graspop Metal Meeting
Graspop Metal Meeting
Graspop Metal Meeting is an annual metal festival in Dessel, Belgium that has taken place each year since 1996. Despite the small size of the festival grounds the festival draws a large number of international spectators, with a total of 142,000 visitors in the course of the 2011 edition...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Quart Festival
Quart Festival
The Quart Festival was an annual popular music festival that took place in Kristiansand, Norway in the beginning of July. It was the most visited music festival in Norway....
in Norway, and the Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
on 4 August, where four songs were recorded for the 25 & Alive Boneshaker DVD. The band returned to the States for a seven show tour between late September and early October.
In April 2002 a DVD of some of Motörhead's performances from the '70s and '80s along with some stock footage of the band was released as The Best of Motörhead
The Best of Motörhead
Best of Motörhead is a 2002 compilation DVD featuring the British heavy metal band Motörhead, filmed while they were under contract to Bronze Records in 1980-84. The video was originally released in 1986 as Deaf Not Blind, although with a slightly different programme...
. Two weeks earlier, the Hammered album was released and supported by the 'Hammered' tour, which kicked off in the States at around the same time. The USA dates continued until late May, and a European leg followed between June and August. In October, the band played five dates in Great Britain with Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Skew Siskin and Psycho Squad. The final venue was the Wembley Arena in London, where instead of Psycho Squad, the band were supported by Hawkwind, with Lemmy performing "Silver Machine" on stage with them. Throughout the rest of October and better part of November, the band were on a European tour with Anthrax.
In April and May 2003, the band continued to promote the Hammered album in the States, and on the three dates Phil Campbell had to miss, his mother having died, Todd Youth
Todd Youth
-Biography:Youth grew up in New York and started playing as young as 12 years old in several New York City hardcore bands. He made his playing debut with Agnostic Front in 1983 but did not play on any recordings. Youth also appeared for New York City act Warzone until around 1986...
stood in for him. Between late May and mid-July the band played seven dates at Summer Festivals in Europe and from late-July until the end of August, they were touring the USA with Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
and Dio. On 7 October a comprehensive five-disc collection of the band's recordings covering 1975–2002 was released as 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...
. On 1 September 2003, the band returned to Hollywood's Whisky A Go-Go club for the Hollywood Rock Walk Of Fame Induction. During October, the band performed a tour of Great Britain with The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts
The Wildhearts are a British rock group originally formed in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The band's sound is a mixture of hard rock and melodic pop music, often described in the music press as combining influences as diverse as The Beatles and 1980s-era Metallica...
and Young Heart Attack. The band performed seven shows across Belgium, Holland and Spain between 21 October and 28 October and from late-November until early-December they were in Germany and Switzerland, touring with Skew Siskin and Mustasch. On 9 December, the previously recorded Live at Brixton Academy album was released.
2004–2005 – Inferno
On 22 February 2004 Motörhead performed an invitation only concert at the Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, London; at Summer Festivals in South America during May; and also Europe during June, July and August. The band had already spent time in the recording studio, working on their next album, Inferno, which was released on 22 June and was followed by the 'Inferno' tour of Ireland with Class Of Zero for three dates, before being joined by Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
and taking it to Great Britain. Some of the London show at the Hammersmith Apollo was filmed for TV as Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
introduced the extra opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
, The Class – a band made up of school children appearing in his Channel 4 series, Rock School
Rock School
Rock School is a British reality TV series starring Gene Simmons , in which he has a short time to turn a class of school children into a fully fledged rock band, at the end of which they must perform in a supporting slot for a leading rock band.Rock School is made by British production company...
– and Würzel joined as guest musician for "Overkill". The band continued the tour with Sepultura across Europe through the rest of November and December. At the show in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Germany on 4 December Motörhead joined Sepultura on stage during their support slot playing the song "Orgasmatron", in celebration of Sepultura's 20th Anniversary. The show on 7 December at the Philipshalle in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
was recorded and later released as the Stage Fright
Stage Fright (Motörhead DVD)
Stage Fright is a 2005 DVD by the British rock and roll band Motörhead. It was filmed in Düsseldorf, Germany to commemorate the band's 30th anniversary.-DVD 1: Concert at Düsseldorf Philipshalle:# "Dr...
DVD.
Motörhead picked up their first Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the awards of 2005
Grammy Awards of 2005
The 47th Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were hosted by Queen Latifah , and televised in the United States by CBS. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year...
in the Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
category for their cover of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's "Whiplash
Whiplash (song)
-External links:*...
" on Metallic Attack: The Ultimate Tribute. From March until early May, the band toured the USA, and in June and August were on the '30th Anniversary' tour in Europe. On 22 August, the band were the subject of an hour-long documentary, Live Fast, Die Old, which was aired on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
as part of The Other Side series of documentaries, filmed by new and established directors. On 20 September, a compilation album containing the band's appearances on BBC Radio 1 and a concert recording from Paris Theatre, London, was released as BBC Live & In-Session
BBC Live & In-Session
BBC Live & In-Session is a compilation by the British band Motörhead which contains the band's appearances on BBC Radio 1 and a concert recording from Paris Theatre, London.-Track listing:...
. In October, the band toured Europe with Mondo Generator
Mondo Generator
Mondo Generator is an American metal/punk hybrid band founded in 1997 by Nick Oliveri. The name of the band originated when Brant Bjork spray-painted the words on the side of Oliveri's Sunn amplifier. Mondo means "world" in Italian...
before returning to Great Britain to tour with In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
and Girlschool in October and November. During the show at the Brixton Academy on 19 November, Lemmy joined Girlschool on stage to play "Please Don't Touch". Motörhead finished the year's tours in December, with two gigs in New Zealand and five in Australia with Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
.
In 2006, the band performed a four-date House Of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
tour in the States in March with Meldrum
Meldrum
Meldrum is a multi-national Heavy Metal band formed by ex-Phantom Blue guitarist Michelle Meldrum.-History:American guitarist Michelle Meldrum started her first band Wargod with Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan, later going on to form Phantom Blue, with whom she released two albums and an EP...
and from June until early August played at European open-air festivals with some indoor headlining shows. On 28 October, the band performed at The Rock Freakers Ball in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
before heading off to tour Great Britain with Clutch
Clutch (band)
Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
and Crucified Barbara
Crucified Barbara
Crucified Barbara is a Swedish all-female metal band, formed in Stockholm in 1998. Their music may best be described as a cross between heavy metal, Thrash metal and rock'n'roll.-Background:...
.
2006–2007 – Kiss of Death
While that tour was still going, their next album, Kiss of DeathKiss of Death (Motörhead album)
Kiss Of Death is the eighteenth studio album by the British band Motörhead, released on August 29, 2006, through SPV. The follow-up to 2004's Inferno, it was produced by Cameron Webb, as was their previous studio album.-History:...
, was released on 29 August 2006 via Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
, with a video for "Be My Baby". The tour ended with a gig on 25 November at the Brixton Academy, where Phil Campbell was guest guitarist for "Killed By Death" played during Crucified Barbara's support set. A further twelve shows in Europe with Meldrum
Meldrum
Meldrum is a multi-national Heavy Metal band formed by ex-Phantom Blue guitarist Michelle Meldrum.-History:American guitarist Michelle Meldrum started her first band Wargod with Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan, later going on to form Phantom Blue, with whom she released two albums and an EP...
took them through the end of November to early December, the first two shows also featuring Skew Siskin.
In November, the band agreed to a sponsorship deal with the Greenbank B under-10s football team from North Hykeham
North Hykeham
North Hykeham is administratively a town immediately south of Lincoln, in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Geographically it is part of the greater Lincoln urban sprawl, and comprises 4,915 dwellings...
, Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, putting the band's name as well as War-Pig on the team's shirts; the under-10s run out to "Ace of Spades". Lemmy is old friends with Gary Weight, the team's manager; Weight "sent an email off to them and they came back and said it was a great idea" and hopes the deal will draw inspired performances from his team. On 25 April 2007, the band played at the Poliedro de Caracas in Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and on 29 April at the Fundiçao Progresso, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. In June, Motörhead played a gig at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
as part of Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s. Following Pulp's hiatus Cocker has led a successful solo career...
's Meltdown
Meltdown (festival)
Meltdown is an annual, English festival, held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward...
.
On 26 February 2008, 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...
was reissued again as a two disc CD.
2008–2009 – Motörizer
From March through to June 2008, the band convened in Los Angeles with producer Cameron Webb to begin work on their 19th album MotörizerMotörizer
Motörizer is the nineteenth studio album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released on 26 August 2008.-Album cover:The album cover was revealed on the front page of the group's official website on 11 June 2008. The cover artwork is by Mark De Vito and features a Motörhead-themed...
. Mikkey Dee's drum tracks were recorded at Dave Grohl's
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
studio. Motörizer was released on 26 August. It does not feature artwork from Joe Petagno, the artist who designed many of their classic album covers.
In June 2008 the band performed at the main stage of the Download festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
. Between 6 August and 31 August, Motörhead joined with Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Heaven & Hell and Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
on the Metal Masters Tour
Metal Masters Tour
The Metal Masters Tour was a short 2008 American and Canadian concert tour featuring Judas Priest, Motörhead, Heaven & Hell, and Testament.Heaven & Hell, Motörhead, Judas Priest, and Testament used the three-week arena tour to support their recent albums The Rules of Hell, Motörizer, Nostradamus,...
. On 20 August the band played one date at the Roseland Ballroom
Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom is a multi-purpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theatre district, on West 52nd Street....
, New York, as part of 'The Volcom Tour 2008' which continued with bands The Misfits, Airbourne
Airbourne (band)
Airbourne are an Australian hard rock band formed in Warrnambool in 2001. Mainstay members are Joel O'Keeffe on lead vocals and lead guitar, his brother, Ryan O'Keeffe on drums, and David Roads on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. They were later joined by Justin Street on bass guitar and backing...
, Valient Thorr
Valient Thorr
-History:Valient Thorr began playing together in 2000. Their first show was on Easter of 2001. They released two demos, "Raw" and "We Come From The Morning Star"...
and Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster
Year Long Disaster is a Stoner rock band from Los Angeles, California.-History:The band had its beginnings in 2003 when guitarist and singer Daniel Davies met bassist Rich Mullins of Karma to Burn in a Hollywood grocery store; at the time Mullins was having drug problems and was homeless...
at House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
, Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
on 2 September, playing a further thirteen dates. The band concluded the tour without the supporting bands, playing one more show at the Roseland Ballroom on 20 September, and the final gig, at The Stone Pony
The Stone Pony
The Stone Pony, located in Asbury Park, New Jersey, is one of the world's best known music venues. It is known as a starting point for many musicians, first and foremost for Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, who were the house-band for much of the mid-seventies, but also for New Jersey natives...
, Asbury Park, New Jersey on 21 September.
On 30 September, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
reported that Neverdie Studios had signed a deal with Lemmy and Motörhead to develop and market Lemmy's Castle and Motorhead Stadium inside the virtual world of Entropia Universe
Entropia Universe
Entropia Universe is a massively multiplayer online virtual universe designed by the Swedish software company MindArk, based in Gothenburg. Entropia uses a micropayment business model, in which players may buy in-game currency with real money that can be redeemed back into real world funds at a...
, an online virtual universe. The year's touring ended with a 34-date tour of Europe with a variety of support bands including Danko Jones
Danko Jones
Danko Jones is a Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario. The band consists of Danko Jones and JC...
, Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
, Witchcraft
Witchcraft (band)
Witchcraft is a Swedish hard rock band founded in 2000.-History:Magnus Pelander formed Witchcraft in 2000 in order to record a tribute to Pentagram's Bobby Liebling and Roky Erickson. The "No Angel or Demon" single was released in 2002 by Primitive Art Records which caught the ear of Lee Dorrian's...
, and Airbourne. On 6 March 2009, the band played in the Middle East for the first time, at the annual Dubai Desert Rock Festival
Dubai Desert Rock Festival
The Dubai Desert Rock Festival was an event celebrating various styles of rock and metal music on one stage in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At the time, it was the only festival of its kind in the Middle East. As well as live music, extreme sports were also featured as crowd attractions...
in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. On 1 April Motörhead are reported to have entered into a two year sponsorship deal with UK Roller Derby team the Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Girls.
In November 2009, the band are being supported by NWOBHM veterans Sweet Savage
Sweet Savage
Sweet Savage are a metal band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1979. The band once included former Dio and Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell...
on the Irish leg of the tour (30 years after first sharing the stage together) and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and goth rock legends The Damned on the UK leg of their world tour. On The Damned's official website, Captain Sensible
Captain Sensible
Captain Sensible is a singer, songwriter, guitarist who grew up in Croydon, England, and co-founded the punk rock band The Damned in 1976. After leaving the band, he reinvented himself as an alternative pop singer with a rebellious, self-conscious image...
is quoted as saying:
"Ha ha..... we're working with Lemmy again are we? Excellent! He's the real deal, the absolute antithesis to all that the likes of Simon Cowell stand for. And for that we should all be grateful. This tour will be a celebration of all things rock 'n' roll..... pity the poor roadies is all I can say!"
2010–present – The Wörld Is Yours
In a November 2009 interview with ABORT Magazine's E.S. Day, Lemmy stated that Motörhead would enter the studio in February 2010 "to rehearse, write and record" their 20th studio album, to be released on 13 December 2010. The album was recorded with Cameron Webb and Welsh producer Romesh Dodangoda in Longwave Studio, Cardiff.On 25 January 2010 it was confirmed that Motörhead would play at Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
in June 2010, and on 24 February 2010 it was also confirmed that they would play at Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
in May 2010.
In an interview with Hungarian television in July 2010, drummer Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
announced that the album was finished, with 11 tracks. The album's name was said to be The Wörld Is Yours
The World Is Yours
The World Is Yours was the world's first color television series, making its debut on June 26, 1951, on five stations of the CBS television network in the eastern United States. This half-hour daytime program was produced and hosted from New York by naturalist and author Ivan T. Sanderson, and...
. On 3 November 2010, Future PLC, a UK media company, announced that Motörhead are to release The Wörld is Yours via an exclusive publishing deal with Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
magazine on 14 December. The standard CD release of The Wörld is Yours would go on sale on 17 January 2011, through Motörhead's own label, Motörhead Music.
To coincide with the release of their upcoming album, Motörhead embarked on a 35th Anniversary UK tour, from 8–28 November 2010, and a European tour from 31 November 2010 – 19 December 2010. They will also take their tour to the Americas in 2011.
In October, the band recorded a slow blues version of their longtime hit "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:...
for a TV spot for Kronenbourg
Kronenbourg
Kronenbourg Brewery is a brewery founded in 1664 by Geronimus Hatt in Strasbourg, France as the Hatt Brewery. The name comes from the area where the brewery relocated in 1850. The company is owned by the Carlsberg Group...
beer. The file will be available for free download from the Kronenbourg website.
On 5 December the single "Get Back In Line" was released, followed by the release of a video for the single on 6 December.
In December, Mikkey Dee stated to French journalists that Motörhead are planning to release a box-set with several DVDs in 2011. He did not give any details but said that it will come in a "beautiful package including many surprises".
On 17 January 2011, it was announced that Motörhead would be part of the Sonisphere Festival in Knebworth. In August 2011, they will be headlining the Brutal Assault
Brutal assault
Brutal Assault is an extreme metal open-air music festival taking place in the 18th century army Fortress Josefov in Jaroměř, Czech Republic. It takes place each August traditionally on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the beginning of the month. The festival was started in 1995 featuring mostly...
open-air festival in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
On 2 March 2011 Motörhead performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
.
On 9 July 2011, former guitarist Würzel
Würzel
Michael Burston commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead....
died of a heart attack.
In an interview at Germany's Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
festival on 6 August 2011, Lemmy said that the next Motörhead album may be an album featuring song covers.
Style
In a biography of the band, senior editor for Allmusic, Stephen ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
, wrote: "Motörhead's overwhelmingly loud and fast style of heavy metal was one of the most groundbreaking styles the genre had to offer in the late '70s" and though "Motörhead wasn't punk rock ... they were the first metal band to harness that energy and, in the process, they created speed metal and thrash metal." Whether they created these genres might be subject to debate, but Motörhead were unquestionably influential.
Lemmy has stated that he generally feels more kinship with punk rockers than with metal bands: Motörhead had gigs with fellow Brits The Damned, with whom he played bass on a handful of late 1970s gigs, as well as having penned the song "R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
R.A.M.O.N.E.S.
"R.A.M.O.N.E.S." is a song first recorded by the British rock band Motörhead on their 1991 album 1916 as a tribute to their friends and contemporaries, the Ramones. The bands were long standing admirers of each others' work...
" as a tribute to the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
. Motörhead, Lemmy states, have more in common aesthetically with The Damned than Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, and nothing whatsoever in common with Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
. Lemmy says he feels little kinship with the speed metal bands Motörhead have inspired:
"They've just got the wrong bit. They think that being fast and loud is the whole thing and it isn't. The guitar solos are not really difficult for a guitar player, it's just playing scales. To feel a solo and bend into it & I mean Hendrix is the best guitarist you've ever seen in your life. And he learned from people like Buddy GuyBuddy GuyGeorge "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, Lightnin' HopkinsLightnin' HopkinsSam John Hopkins better known as Lightnin’ Hopkins, was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from Houston, Texas...
and people like that inspired Hendrix. To be influenced by something, you're gonna have to play it the same."
The NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
stated that their brief solos were just long enough "...to open another bottle of beer", while a 1977 Stereo Review
Stereo Review
Stereo Review was an American magazine first published in 1958 by Ziff-Davis with the title HiFi and Music Review. It was one of a handful of magazines then available for the individual interested in high fidelity. Throughout its life it published a blend of record and equipment reviews, articles...
commented that "they know they're like animals, and they don't want to appear any other way. In view of the many ugly frogs in heavy metal who think they are God's gift to womankind these Quasimodos even seem charming in their own way". Motörhead's approach has not changed drastically over the band's career, though this is a deliberate choice: erstwhile Motörhead drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor said that rock icons like Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
and Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
never drastically altered their style, and, like them, Motörhead preferred to play what they enjoyed and did best. This fondness for the first decade of rock and roll (mid-1950s to mid-1960s) is also reflected in some of Motörhead's occasional cover songs from that era.
Motörheadbangers
During the 1979 'Bomber' tour of Great Britain, the band met with writer Alan BurridgeAlan Burridge (writer)
Alan Burridge , is the official biographer of the heavy rock band, Motörhead. He is also a writer of fiction novels and local interest books.- Life :...
who then produced the first 'Motörhead Magazine'. Around the same time, drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor's sister, Helen Taylor, had started the Motörheadbangers fan club. Burridge and Taylor worked together to print the latest news for Motörhead fans, the first fanzine was published in January 1980. The Motörheadbangers fanzine is printed three times a year, and has 3,000 subscribers.
Paul Hadwen, who had worked on the 'cartoon' style of the early Motörheadbangers fanzines with Chris Harris during Helen Taylor's leadership, and also drew the 'comic strip' art included with the 'Another Perfect Day' album, died at his home in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
in late July 2007, aged 50. The club now has roughly over 3000 members since starting in 1980.
WWE
Motörhead are well-known in the professional wrestling community for performing popular wrestler Triple HTriple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
's entrance music, "The Game", since January 2001 & onward. In addition to the track being heard whenever Triple H appears on WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
or WWE Friday Night SmackDown and at other pay-per-view wrestling shows, the band have performed the song live at two WrestleMania
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...
events, WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...
and WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It started off with an interpormotional battle royal, for which Booker T...
. They also provided the entrance music for Triple H's (now defunct) faction "Evolution
Evolution (professional wrestling)
Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....
" titled "Line in the Sand". "The Game" was released on both the American version of Hammered album and WWF The Music, Vol. 5
WWF The Music, Vol. 5
WWF The Music, Vol. 5 is a compilation album released by the World Wrestling Federation in 2001. It collected together the most recent theme tunes of the wrestlers on the roster at the time...
, and the Evolution theme song was released on the WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6
WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6
WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6 is a compilation album released by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2004. It mostly features recent theme songs of wrestlers on the roster at the time...
album. Since then, Motörhead have performed a new track titled "King of Kings", emphasising Triple H's "King of Kings" character, which made its debut at WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 22
Notes: .The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated...
. Their song "Rock Out" was also used as the theme song of the pay-per-view Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
in 2008.
Sports
Triple H's theme music "The Game" can often be heard at the Verizon CenterVerizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
during the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
hockey games. In the UK, it occasionally follows the National Anthem at the Altrincham Ice Dome
Altrincham Ice Dome
Altrincham Ice Dome is an ice rink in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It has 2,000 seats according to the rink website, and up to 500 standing places. despite this, the building has a capacity capped at 2,000 for ice hockey as standing around the plexi glass is not allowed in the...
before Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix
Manchester Phoenix are a professional ice hockey team from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in...
hockey games face off.
The song "King of Kings" is also the walk on music for PDC
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
professional darts player Mervyn King
Motörhead's song 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:...
was also featured in the video review of the 2010 Formula One Season
2010 Formula One season
The 2010 Formula One season was the 61st Formula One season of World Championship motor racing competition. Red Bull Racing won its maiden Constructors' Championship with a one-two finish in Brazil, while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel won the Drivers' Championship after winning the final race...
.
Tribute bands
UK tribute band Motörheadache was formed in May 2003 and embarked on its first "Beyond the Threshold of Pain" tour of the UK from August of that year. Based in Sheffield, the band features original members Rob (Lemmy) and Nigel Plant (more Phil Campbell than 'Fast Eddie') and has had many different drummers. During the course of their career they have been joined onstage by 'Fast' Eddie Clarke and supported Girlschool.Other Motörhead tribute bands include "We're Not Motörhead" from Portsmouth, "Ace Of Spades" from Varberg, Sweden, "Motorkill" from the Midlands, United Kingdom, "Motorheat" of Belgium, "Bömbers" from Norway, featuring Abbath (Immortal
Immortal (band)
Immortal is a black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1990 by current frontman/guitarist Abbath Doom Occulta and former guitarist Demonaz Doom Occulta...
), "Lemmy's Wärt", "Mauro Tolot Kilmister" and the "Reptiles" from Italy, "Motörheads" from Moscow, Russia, "Motörhead Tribute" formed by UCLA and USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
students out of the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
area, "Bastardi" from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, "Snaggletoöth" from Holland,"Overhead" from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, "Motorizer" from Ottawa, Canada, "Elderhead" from New York City, "Motörment" and "Motorock", both from Germany, "Capricorn USA" from Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Motörheadcase from West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, Matërhead from Matera, Italy, Moottörin Jyrinä from Finland, Manturhead from Latina, Italy, Motörfuckers from São Paulo, Brazil, Iron Fist and Doctor Rock from Chile, "No Remorse" from Athens, Greece.
Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
is known to have started a Motörhead tribute band called Road Crew as his first band as a teenager.
Tribute albums
Motörhead have been the subject of several tribute albumTribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
s, markedly in the years since 1999. Genres range from hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and rock, to black
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
and death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
and industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
.
- Built for Speed: A Motörhead Tribute: 1999, Victory Records, various hardcore and punk artists
- A Motörhead Tribute: 2000, Pink Honey Records, various rock artists
- Tribute to Motörhead: 2006, Crimson Mask, various black metal and death metal artists
- Dead Forever: Tribute to Motörhead: 1999, Dwell, various death metal and industrial artists
- Make 'Em Deaf Forever: A Tribute to the Loudest Band in the World, Motörhead: 1997
- Homenaje a Motörhead: Spanish release, 2005, El Diablo
- Remember Me Now... I'm Motörhead: 2005, Scatboy Records, USA
- Motörmorphösis – A Tribute to Motörhead Part 1: 2001, Remedy Records
- Saint Valentine's Day Massacre – Tribute to Motörhead: 2005, Bad Reputation Records
- Strength to Endure – A Tribute to Ramones and Motörhead by Rioygun and Bullet Treatment: 2002, Basement Records
- Sheep in Wolves' Clothing: 2008; Compiled and released by the band's Fan Club, Motörheadbangers World; features contributions from The Deviants with Philthy Animal Taylor and GirlschoolGirlschoolGirlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
with Fast Eddie Clarke
Cover art
The band's name is usually printed in a lowercase form of blackletter. The umlautUmlaut (diacritic)
The diaeresis and the umlaut are diacritics that consist of two dots placed over a letter, most commonly a vowel. When that letter is an i or a j, the diacritic replaces the tittle: ï....
character ö
Ö
"Ö", or "ö", is a character used in several extended Latin alphabets, or the letter O with umlaut to denote the front vowels or . In languages without umlaut, the character is also used as a "O with diaeresis" to denote a syllable break, wherein its pronunciation remains an unmodified .- O-Umlaut...
is possibly derived from the similar "heavy metal umlaut
Heavy metal umlaut
A metal umlaut is a diaeresis that is sometimes used gratuitously or decoratively over letters in the names of hard rock or heavy metal bands—for example those of Mötley Crüe and Motörhead...
" in the name of their 1975 acquaintances Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
. However, this umlaut does not alter the pronunciation of the band's name. When asked if Germans pronounced the band "Motuuuurhead", Lemmy answered "No, they don't. I only put it in there to look mean".
Joe Petagno
Joe Petagno is an artist known principally for creating images used on rock album covers, for bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, Motörhead, Roy Harper, Marduk, Nightshade, and Illdisposed....
drew it in 1977 for the cover of the band's debut album (with designer Phil Smee
Phil Smee
Phil Smee is an English music journalist, designer and record collector, most widely known for designing music album covers and his Bam-Caruso music label, best known for the Rubble series of albums. One of his more notable designs is the lettering of the Motörhead logo .-External links:...
who turned it into a negative and did the lettering to complete the logo), having met Lemmy while doing some work with Hawkwind. Petagno stated;
The inspiration came from just being a naturally pissed-off bastard! And Lemmy's the same way! So it was bound to be an alchemal wedding of a more "primordial nature". I did a lot of research on skull types and found a cross-breed gorilla-wolf-dog combination would work nicely with some oversized boars horns. Lemmy added Helmet, chains, spit, spikes and grit.
Eddie Clarke was less sure about the imagery to begin with:
I shuddered when I saw it the first time. I thought, "Blimey, this ain't gonna go down that well", because it was just way over the top, then. But I grew to love it... [At first] it was not scary or horrifying, it would've been, in those days, deemed bad taste.
It has remained a symbol of Motörhead throughout the years, with Petagno creating many variations of War-Pig for the covers of ensuing albums. To date, only two of the original covers for Motörhead's 20 studio albums do not feature any variation of War-Pig on the cover: On Parole and Overnight Sensation (of which, On Parole was never sanctioned by the band, and was in any case reissued with a black War-Pig on a white background. Phil is wearing a War-Pig badge on the cover of Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades (album)
Ace of Spades is the fourth album by the British band Motörhead. Released on 8 November 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts and reached Gold status by March 1981...
. The cover of 'Iron Fist' depicts a metal gauntlet wearing four skull-shaped rings, one of which is War-Pig, while the rear of the album-sleeve shows a fully detailed 3-D metal sculpture of the symbol. Originally the War-Pig design included a swastika on one of the helmet's spikes. This was painted out on later re-releases of the albums on CD.
On 21 September 2007 Petagno announced that "there will be no more "HEADS" from my hand", citing irreconcilable differences between himself and the band's current management, Singerman Entertainment. Petagno stated:
It has been a long, exciting and industrious journey, full of art and intuition, difference in repetition, and creative innovation. I feel I accomplished something unique in Metal history over the last 31 years by breathing life again and again into a figment of my own imagination, an image or better an entity which has taken on a life of its own, which I actually believe goes beyond the music it was created to represent. I'm damn proud of that!In reply, Lemmy stated:
As many of you know, we have been working with Joe Petagno for 31 years. We always treated Joe fairly, and I would like to stress that at no time did my manager demand what Joe thinks he demanded - it is all a colossal misunderstanding. We have always loved his artwork, obviously, and if he now decides to stop working with us, we have no choice but to use someone else. However... if he will not discuss this personally and try to work things out, I think it's a great tragedy. If Joe continues with us, no one would be more delighted than me. If it's goodbye, Joe, I wish you well, but I hope, even at this stage, to be reconciled and continue our association.
Current band members
- Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister – leadLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1975–present) - Phil CampbellPhil Campbell (musician)Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
– leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and rhythmRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(1984–present) - Mikkey DeeMikkey DeeMicael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1992–present)
Discography
Though hard to track, the band has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, and 15 million in the U.S. alone.| Title | Year | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
1977 | Chiswick Chiswick Records Chiswick Records was a British record company. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era"... |
||
| Overkill Overkill (album) Overkill is the second album released by Motörhead, in 1979, and their first for Bronze Records. It peaked at number 24 on the UK charts.It had a big impact in the British punk culture of that time, paving the way for UK82. Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No... |
1979 | 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... |
||
| Bomber Bomber (album) Bomber is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead. It was recorded in 1979, the same year as Overkill. The album reached number 12 on the UK charts and brought some of Motörhead's most popular songs, like "Bomber", "Dead Men Tell No Tales" and "Stone Dead... |
1979 | Bronze | ||
| On Parole On 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... |
1979 | 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.... |
||
| Ace of Spades Ace of Spades (album) Ace of Spades is the fourth album by the British band Motörhead. Released on 8 November 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts and reached Gold status by March 1981... |
1980 | Bronze | ||
| Iron Fist Iron Fist (album) 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... |
1982 | Bronze | ||
| Another Perfect Day Another Perfect Day - Deluxe Edition :In 2006, the album was re-issued with a bonus CD, featuring a live performance, recorded in Manchester on June 10, 1983. The writing credits for the songs on the deluxe edition differed from those on the original, credited all the original songs to Robertson, Lemmy, and... |
1983 | Bronze | ||
| Orgasmatron Orgasmatron (album) Orgasmatron is the seventh album by the British band Motörhead, released in 1986. It is the only full Motörhead album to feature Pete Gill on the drums, although he also played on the four new tracks recorded for the 1984 No Remorse compilation album.... |
1986 | GWR GWR Records GWR Records was a record label active in the UK from 1986 through to 1991.By 1984, Gerry Bron's Bronze Records were in financial difficulty leading to a hiatus in recording activity for Motörhead... |
||
| Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll (Motörhead album) Rock 'N' Roll is the eighth album by the British band Motörhead and the first appearance of their four-piece line up of Lemmy, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, Würzel and Philip Campbell, which lasted from 1987 until 1992... |
1987 | GWR | ||
| 1916 1916 (album) -Motörhead:* Lemmy – bass, vocals* Phil Campbell – guitar* Würzel – guitar* Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums, except "1916", which featured a drum machine.-Additional Credits:... |
1991 | WTG Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
||
| March ör Die March ör Die March ör Die is the tenth album by the British band Motörhead. It was recorded and released in 1992.-History:Recorded at Music Grinder Studios, Los Angeles, three drummers participated in the making of this album: Phil Taylor, who was fired after "I Ain't No Nice Guy" was recorded , Tommy Aldridge... |
1992 | WTG | ||
| Bastards Bastards (Motörhead album) Bastards is the eleventh album by the British band Motörhead, and the first studio album they recorded with the short-lived Lemmy, Campbell, Würzel and Mikkey Dee line-up... |
1993 | ZYX ZYX Music ZYX Music is a German record label which was founded in 1971 by Bernhard Mikulski. Until 1992, the label's name was Pop-Import Bernhard Mikulski. The label specialized in disco and early house music. Founder Bernhard Mikulski is credited with coining the term Italo disco in the 1980s... |
||
| Sacrifice Sacrifice (Motörhead album) Sacrifice is the twelfth studio album by British band Motörhead. Released in 1995, it is the second, and last album, to feature the four man line up of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel, and Mikkey Dee, as Würzel left the band at the end of recording this album.... |
1995 | CMC CMC International CMC International was an American independent record label founded by Tom Lipsky in 1991, focused mainly on classic rock, and classic heavy metal. The label was the haven of many hard rock, arena rock, glam metal and AOR artists in the period when all the majors were investing all their financial... |
||
| Overnight Sensation Overnight Sensation Overnight Sensation, released in 1996, is the thirteenth studio album by the British band Motörhead.-History:Following the departure of Würzel in 1995, the band returned to the same three man formula as "the classic Motörhead line up"; Bass Guitar/Vocals, Lead Guitar and Drums. This album is also... |
1996 | CMC | ||
| Snake Bite Love Snake Bite Love Snake Bite Love is the fourteenth album by the British band Motörhead. It was released on March 10, 1998 and was distributed by BMG. This album features the three piece line up of Lemmy, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell.-History:... |
1998 | CMC | ||
| We Are Motörhead We Are Motörhead We Are Motörhead is the fifteenth album by the British band Motörhead. It was released in 2000, and features a cover of the punk band The Sex Pistols' song "God Save the Queen", for which the band recorded a promo video atop an open-top London bus.... |
2000 | CMC | ||
| Hammered | 2002 | Steamhammer SPV GmbH SPV GmbH is an independent German record label.Founded on January 1, 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors and record labels worldwide.... |
||
| Inferno | 2004 | Steamhammer | ||
| Kiss of Death Kiss of Death (Motörhead album) Kiss Of Death is the eighteenth studio album by the British band Motörhead, released on August 29, 2006, through SPV. The follow-up to 2004's Inferno, it was produced by Cameron Webb, as was their previous studio album.-History:... |
2006 | Steamhammer | ||
| Motörizer Motörizer Motörizer is the nineteenth studio album by the British heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released on 26 August 2008.-Album cover:The album cover was revealed on the front page of the group's official website on 11 June 2008. The cover artwork is by Mark De Vito and features a Motörhead-themed... |
2008 | Steamhammer | ||
| The Wörld Is Yours The World Is Yours The World Is Yours was the world's first color television series, making its debut on June 26, 1951, on five stations of the CBS television network in the eastern United States. This half-hour daytime program was produced and hosted from New York by naturalist and author Ivan T. Sanderson, and... |
2010 | Future PLC/Motörhead Music |
Filmography
- 1988: Eat the Rich: soundtrack includes "Nothing up My Sleeve", "Built for Speed", "Orgasmatron", "Doctor Rock", "On the Road", "Eat the RichEat the Rich (Motörhead song)"Eat the Rich" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released as a single in 1987, in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings. Both formats featured the b-side "Cradle to the Grave", and the 12" also included "Just 'Cos You Got the Power"....
" and "Bess" – New Line Home Entertainment. Halfway through shooting, the idea of gradually replacing the members of the ballroom band with Motörhead was hit upon. At first there are no Motörhead personnel, then Phil Campbell appears, followed by Würzel and Phil Taylor. The scene involving Lemmy riding a motorcycle is played by a female stunt doubleStunt doubleA stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
as Lemmy was on tour with Motörhead in America at the time the scene had to be shot.
Further reading
- Lemmy, White Line FeverWhite Line Fever (book)White Line Fever is the autobiography of Lemmy, the founder of Motörhead.Rather than focusing just on Motörhead, the book covers Lemmy's entire life...
. Simon & Schuster (2002). ISBN 0-684-85868-1 - Harry Shaw, Lemmy... In his own words. Omnibus Press 2002. ISBN 0-7119-9109-X