Motörhead (album)
| Motörhead | ||||
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| Studio album by Motörhead | ||||
| Released | 21 August 1977 | |||
| Recorded | 27–29 April 1977 | |||
| Studio | Escape Studios, Kent, England | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, punk rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 32:52 (Original) 52:14 (Reissue) |
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| Label |
Chiswick (1977) Big Beat Records (1988) Chiswick (Ace Records) (2001) |
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| Producer | Speedy Keen | |||
| Motörhead chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Motörhead | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
Motörhead is the self-titled debut studio album by the band Motörhead, released on 21 August 1977, on Chiswick Records, one of the first for the label. It is considered the band's first album, as the recordings they did with United Artists were shelved until 1979, when the band had some commercial success after their next two albums.
This would be the first album with the 'classic' line up of Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor – their only release under Chiswick – as due to the success of this album they were signed to Bronze Records by early 1978.
In May 1975, bassist Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister was fired from Hawkwind after he was arrested at the Canadian/US border in Windsor, Ontario on drug possession charges. Lemmy later explained to Classic Albums that he had been at odds with the band because:
"..[I] did the wrong drugs, you know, I didn't do the designer drugs...I did the street stuff, so I was massively unpopular for that.."
After he got back to England, he put together a new band, which he wanted to, and temporary did, call Bastard; recruiting guitarist Larry Wallis (former member of the Pink Fairies, Steve Took's Shagrat and UFO) and drummer Lucas Fox to his side. The (at the time) manager Doug Smith stated to the band, that:
"..they wouldn't get on Top of the Pops with a name like Bastard.."
So he suggested Motorhead, as it was the last song Lemmy wrote with Hawkwind, which seemed fitting, so it became the name and history was written. They managed to get signed by United Artists, mainly because it was the label Hawkwind were signed with, and they recorded songs for an album at Rockfield Studios in Wales over the British winter of 1975–76, but United Artists doubted its commercial viability and refused to release it. The Umlaut over the second o was added later by Lemmy after he and Joe Petagno had talked, as the Hawkwind version of the song does not have it on the original release of the track.
On 1 April 1977, disheartened by their experience with United Artists and their lack of commercial success in general, the band – which had consisted of drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, who joined the band when it was clear Lucas Fox wasn't that committed, as he was also an acquaintance of Lemmy's from the 'bikie' drug scene who said to Lemmy when giving him a lift to the studio one day 'he could play the drums'; plus guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke, who Philthy knew from a house boat painting job he had, as Eddie was the foreman on site who had claimed he 'played guitar in some bands' previously; Eddie had originally joined the band as the second guitarist in what was to be a double guitar 4-piece, but Larry Wallis left shortly after for his own reasons – had decided to disband after playing one final show at the Marquee Club in London that year. Ted Carroll had started the Chiswick Records label after Lemmy had been fired from Hawkwind, and as they knew each other well from the rare 45 Record's store that Ted owned in London, Lemmy was a frequent customer, Ted decided to give them the break they needed, almost as a favour, because UA had shelved the album they had made over the British winter of 1975–76 in Wales; what would later be released as On Parole in 1979 by United Artists. As Clarke recalls in the documentary The Guts and the Glory:
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