That Eric Alper

In 1976, the seminal line-up of Motörhead was solidified a year after the band’s initial inception. Known as the ‘Three Amigos’ era of Motörhead, Lemmy (bass/vocals), Fast Eddie Clarke (guitar), and Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor (drums) joined forces and began their extraordinary journey to the top of the hard rock elite.

In August 1976, the band set up at Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s legendary Manticore Studio in Fulham to rehearse and showcase the new lineup. While they were there, they recorded together for the very first time, and now, 49 years later, this long-lost tape has surfaced, been dusted off and restored in all its raw glory, to celebrate the seminal hard rock band’s 50th anniversary.

It’s quite surreal, even unbelievable, that a whole half century has elapsed since that vital time in 1976. Just as remarkable, especially for those who remember Lemmy hammering the fruit machines of London’s pubs or as the era’s most extraordinarily approachable rock star, has been this always humble man’s ascension to Mount Rushmore-like immortality as rock n’ roll’s ultimate icon, this despite his having sadly passed away nearly ten years ago. Lemmy himself certainly would have cackled.

The dogged struggles Motörhead faced in the first four of their 50 years are well documented and the almost accidental manifestation of this album – and the circumstances under which it was recorded – present a previously barely known new element in the band’s history from that time when it’s very future looked bleak had events not taken a different course.

Part of that early story involved a little-mentioned man called Frank Kennington, who roadied for The Who before moving into management and briefly taking on the struggling Motörhead. One of Kennington’s moves was booking the trio into the converted ABC cinema on Fulham Palace Road that served as prog supergroup Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s HQ – which was known as Manticore. Named after the mythical beast in Persian folklore that adorned their album sleeves, Manticore was one-stop shopping for bands, with the projection room housing offices while the seatless main auditorium provided a useful soundstage for bands to rehearse in. Motörhead were ensconced at Manticore recording their set on Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio, which was operated by Ronnie’s trusted mate Ron Faucus.

Faucus did a fine job capturing Motörhead’s blossoming raw power and high velocity onslaughts on songs that would remain in their live set until 1979. These aging tapes were brought to life with restoration duties dutifully handled by longtime Motörhead collaborator Cameron Webb at Maple Studios in California and mastered by Andrew Alekel at Bolskine House in Los Angeles. The result is a truly historical moment in the evolution of hard rock’s finest heavy icons, restoring and bringing to the public eye for the first time ever a vital part of Motörhead’s evolution and history.

Track Listings:

Deluxe Expanded Bookpack:

LP1:

1. Intro (Instrumental)
2. Leavin’ Here
3. Vibrator
4. Help Keep Us on the Road
5. The Watcher
6. Motörhead
7. Witch Doctor (Instrumental)
8. Iron Horse / Born to Lose (Instrumental)
9. Leavin’ Here (Alternate Take)
10. Vibrator (Alternate Take)
11. The Watcher (Alternate Take)

LP2 Live: Blitzkrieg on Birmingham ’77:

1. Motörhead
2. Vibrator
3. Keep Us On The Road
4. The Watcher
5. Iron Horse
6. Leavin’ Here
7. On Parole
8. I’m Your Witch Doctor
9. Train Kept a-Rollin’
10. City Kids
11. White Line Fever

7″ Live at Barbarella’s Birmingham ’77 (previously unreleased):

1. Motörhead
2. Keep Us On The Road

LP & CD:

1. Intro (Instrumental)
2. Leavin’ Here
3. Vibrator
4. Help Keep Us on the Road
5. The Watcher
6. Motörhead
7. Witch Doctor (Instrumental)
8. Iron Horse / Born to Lose (Instrumental)
9. Leavin’ Here (Alternate Take)
10. Vibrator (Alternate Take)
11. The Watcher (Alternate Take)