Portal:Motörhead
The Motörhead Portal
Motörhead are a Grammy Award-winning British heavy metal band formed in 1975 by bassist, singer and songwriter Lemmy (real name Ian Kilmister), who has remained the sole constant member.
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, its follow on, Bomber, Ace of Spades, and particularly No Sleep 'til Hammersmith, cemented Motörhead's reputation as one of Britain's foremost heavy metal groups. More recent exposure has included providing wrestler Triple H's entrance music, and performing live at WrestleMania events; and in 2004, contributing the song, "You Better Swim", to the soundtrack of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. In 2005 the band received their first Grammy.
While Motörhead are typically classified as heavy metal, speed metal or thrash metal (and often regarded as a foundational influence on the latter two syles); Lemmy dislikes such labels, preferring to describe the band's music simply as "rock and roll". Motörhead's approach has remained the same over the band's career, preferring to play what they enjoy and do best, their like for the 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 "life on the road". World-wide the band has sold more than 41 million albums.
The band's distinctive fanged face logo 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.
Selected article
No Sleep 'til Hammersmith was Motörhead's first live album. The recordings were almost exclusively from three shows: (Leeds, March 28, 1981 and Newcastle March 29 and March 30, 1981). "Iron Horse / Born To Lose" having been recorded live in 1980. Backstage at the last two shows in Leeds and Newcastle the band were presented with silver and gold albums for Ace of Spades, a silver disc for Overkill and a silver for "Please Don't Touch".
The album was released after the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP and built on the success of that single and the earlier LPs, debuting at Number One on the UK charts and marking the band's most successful period. Lemmy says that originally they intended it to be a double album but they only had enough material for three sides. By the time the record was released the band were on their first U.S. tour with Ozzy Osbourne.
The single, "Motorhead (live)", was issued using the album's final track for the A-side, covered with the non-album track "Over the Top" recorded on the same tour, reaching number 6 in the UK Singles Charts. This was released in a picture-sleeve and also as a picture-disc (p/d UK cat Bronze BROP 124).
The original vinyl album has a photo-montage inner-sleeve and was available in black (UK cat. Bronze BRON 535) and later 'gold' vinyl (UK cat. Bronze BRONG 535). (read more...)
Selected picture
Current drummer Mikkey Dee has been with Motörhead since 1992, here he is seen during a drum solo while playing in concert at Reds, West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada in May, 2005. Photograph by Mark Marek.
Selected biography
Philip Anthony Campbell, born on May 7, 1961 in Pontypridd, Wales, is the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band, Motörhead and former guitarist of Persian Risk.
Campbell started playing guitar when he was 10 years old, inspired by guitarists such as; Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Jimmy Page, Michael Schenker and Todd Rundgren, at the age of 12, Campbell got Lemmy's autograph after a Hawkwind gig. By the time he was 13, he was playing semi-professionally with a cabaret band at gigs around South Wales. He bought his first Les Paul in 1973; following the fate of many of his guitars, it was stolen.
In 1979 he formed the heavy metal band, Persian Risk, playing on their 7" singles, "Calling For You" (1981) and "Ridin' High" (1983). Compilation albums have been issued which feature some of his work with Persian Risk.
In 1984, following the departure of Brian Robertson, Motörhead frontman, Lemmy Kilminster, held auditions for a new guitarist, narrowing the candidates down to two guitarists - Phil Campbell and Michael "Würzel" Burston. Lemmy had first planned only to hire one guitarist, but upon hearing Würzel and Campbell play together, Lemmy hired them both. (read more...)
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Did you know...
- ...that Lemmy's father was a minister?
- ...Lemmy worked as a roadie for The Jimi Hendrix Experience for a short time?
- ...the song "Dog Face Boy" from the 1995 Sacrifice album was inspired by Campbell's looks?
- ...Fast Eddie Clarke met drummer Phil Taylor while working as hands re-fitting a houseboat?
- ...Fast Eddie Clarke performed the lead vocal on four Motörhead songs?
Quotes
- "If this band moved in next door to you, your lawn would die."
- People don't read any more. It's a sad state of affairs. Reading's the only thing that allows you to use your imagination. When you watch films it's someone else's vision, isn't it? — Interview in the English newspaper The Independent, 15 October 2005.
- "We've never had a good world, we don't understand how to make it a good world. the only thing we've learned in 2000 years of civilization is how to kill more people from further away, so we don't have to see it. our mindset hasn't improved at all."
- "Safe sex, safe music, safe clothing, safe hair spray, safe ozone layer. Too late! Everything that's been achieved in the history of mankind has been achieved by not being safe."
- "The only time I've seen any rebellion was in the fifties, sixties and early seventies. The rest of it you can keep."
- "One thing I am very glad of is that I went through the sixties. People who didn't really don't know what they missed. We pushed a certain consciousness, a way of life and it was exciting - no AIDS, people weren't dying so much from drug abuse and it was truly a time of freedom and change."
- "That was a great time, the summer of '71 - I can't remember it, but I'll never forget it!"
- "If you think you are too old to rock 'n roll then you are."
Categories
WikiProjects
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| Motörhead Portal | ||
| Motörhead WikiProject | Wikipedia:WikiProject Metal |
Topics
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- Albums On Parole - Motörhead - Overkill - Bomber - Ace of Spades - No Sleep 'til Hammersmith - Iron Fist - Another Perfect Day - No Remorse - Orgasmatron - Rock 'n' Roll - No Sleep at All - 1916 - March ör Die - Bastards - Sacrifice - Overnight Sensation - Snake Bite Love - Everything Louder than Everyone Else - We Are Motörhead - Deaf Forever: The Best of Motörhead - The Best Of - Hammered - Live at Brixton Academy - Inferno - BBC Live & In-Session - Kiss of Death - Better Motörhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith - Motörizer
- Singles "Leaving Here" - "Motorhead" - "Louie Louie" - "Overkill" - "No Class" - "Bomber" - "Ace of Spades" - "Motorhead (live)" - "Iron Fist" - "I Got Mine" - "Shine" - "Killed by Death" - "Deaf Forever" - "Eat the Rich" - "Ace of Spades (live)" - "The One to Sing the Blues" - "Hellraiser" - "Don't Let Daddy Kiss Me" - "Born to Raise Hell" - "God Save the Queen"
- EPs The Golden Years - Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers - St. Valentine's Day Massacre - Stand by Your Man - '92 Tour EP
- Current members: Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister - Phil Campbell - Mikkey Dee
- Former members: Larry Wallis - "Fast" Eddie Clarke - Brian "Robbo" Robertson - Michael "Würzel" Burston - Lucas Fox - Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor - Pete Gill - Tommy Aldridge
- Record labels: Bronze - Epic - GWR - Sanctuary - Stiff - SPV
- Related Articles: Motörhead discography - Joe Petagno - Alan Burridge - Headgirl - White Line Fever - Metal Masters Tour
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