NEW YORK (Sanctuary press release) -
Motorhead is a true original. Ever since vocalist/bassist Lemmy unleashed the British band on the world in 1975, multiple generations of music fans have embraced its one-of-a-kind brand of eardrum-battering, brain-bashing, utterly uncompromising rock 'n' roll. And now
Motorhead is finally being honored with a proper box set.
'Stone Deaf Forever!' is a five-CD, 99-song career-spanning overview set for release on Metal-Is/Sanctuary Records on October 7, 2003. It's the first fully comprehensive box set containing recordings made for multiple record companies during the period 1975-2002. And it's also the first one ever released with full band approval.
The track listing was compiled with input from
Motorhead and its fan club. Among the classic hits and rarities are 19 previously unreleased tracks.
The 60-page booklet includes rare and unpublished photos and memorabilia from the
Motorhead archives in addition to an in-depth essay by Mick Wall, the noted heavy metal journalist and editor of Classic Rock magazine. Another special treat is the cover artwork, which incorporates a newly commissioned painting by longtime
Motorhead artist Joe Petagno.
The
Motorhead story has simply become a part of rock 'n' roll lore. It began when former
Jimi Hendrix roadie Lemmy (born Ian Kilmister, the son of a vicar) was dismissed from his membership in the space-rock band Hawkwind after being busted in Canada for possession. The last song he wrote for the band was called "Motorhead" and after deciding against his original choice Bastard as the moniker for his new band, he chose Motorhead. Joining Lemmy in the original lineup were guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer
Lucas Fox. Soon, Fox left and was replaced by "Philthy" Phil Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke joined. Wallis left and the famous trio of Lemmy/Taylor/Clarke remained in place until 1982.
With Lemmy's throaty howls leading the way,
Motorhead thundered onto the scene with albums like its self-titled debut, 'Overkill' and 'Bomber' and a curious thing happened -- the band was embraced by both heavy metal and punk fans. Considering the division between the legendary British punk scene and the "New Wave of British
Heavy Metal" in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it took the power of
Motorhead to bring the two worlds together. The album 'Ace of Spades' took
Motorhead to even greater heights of creativity and popularity but the legendary 1981 live album 'No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith' pushed everything over the top. The album debuted at # 1 on the British charts.
Clarke left the band in 1982 and was replaced by Brian Robertson, formerly of Thin Lizzy. Robertson himself left a year later and was replaced by Wurzel and Philip Campbell, once again giving
Motorhead a two-guitar attack. Taylor soon departed and was replaced by Saxon alumnus Pete Gill. In 1987, Taylor returned to take over for Gill.
Respect for
Motorhead manifested itself in a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance for 1991's acclaimed '1916' album. Through this time period for the band, Lemmy's songwriting had been growing, particularly in songs addressing the horrors of war. By 1992 Taylor had left
Motorhead once again, this time to be replaced by former King Diamond skins-basher Mikkey Dee, who joined for 'March or Die.' Wurzel left in 1996 and the current lineup of Lemmy/Campbell/Dee has been the longest-running version of the band, yielding such strong albums as 'We Are Motorhead' and 'Hammered.'
Motorhead retains both underground and mainstream appeal. For example, the song "
The Game" became the theme song for World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Triple H.
As
Motorhead nears its third decade of existence, there are no signs of slowing down. Lemmy and his cohorts are eternal.
The complete track listing for
'Stone Deaf Forever!' - with cited sources and an asterisk (*) denoting previously unreleased tracks - is as follows:
DISC ONE: 1975-1980
MOTORHEAD - Hawkwind B-side
LOST JOHNNY - On Parole
LEAVIN' HERE - Stiff single
WHITE LINE FEVER - Stiff single
THE WATCHER - Motorhead
CITY KIDS - Motorhead
I'M YOUR WITCHDOCTOR - Motorhead
MOTORHEAD - Motorhead
LOUIE LOUIE* - Peel Session '78
KEEP US ON THE ROAD* - Peel Session '78
TEAR YA DOWN* - Peel Session '78
I'LL BE YOUR SISTER* - Peel Session '78
OVERKILL - Overkill
STAY CLEAN - Overkill
CAPRICORN - Overkill
LIMB FROM LIMB - Overkill
DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES - Bomber
STONE COLD FOREVER - Bomber
STEP DOWN - Bomber
BOMBER - Bomber
OVER THE TOP - Motordam
SHOOT YOU IN THE BACK - Ace of Spades
DISC TWO: 1980-1986
ACE OF SPADES - Ace of Spades
BITE THE BULLET - Ace of Spades
THE CHASE IS BETTER THAN THE CATCH - Ace of Spades
LIVE TO WIN* - BBC Session '80
LIKE A NIGHTMARE* - BBC Session '80
PLEASE DON'T TOUCH - Ace of Spades
IRON FIST - Iron Fist
HEART OF STONE - Iron Fist
DON'T NEED RELIGION - Iron Fist
SHINE - Another Perfect Day
ONE TRACK MIND - Another Perfect Day
I GOT MINE - Another Perfect Day
SNAGGLETOOTH - No Remorse
UNDER THE KNIFE (SLOW VERSION) - No Remorse
AIN'T MY CRIME - Orgasmatron
NOTHING UP MY SLEEVE - Orgasmatron
KILLED BY DEATH* - BBC Session '86
DEAF FOREVER* - BBC Session '86
ORGASMATRON (SPOKEN WORD)* - BBC Session '86
ORGASMATRON* - BBC Session '86
DR ROCK* - BBC Session '86
DISC THREE: 1987-1996
ROCK 'N' ROLL - Rock 'n' Roll
EAT THE RICH - Rock 'n' Roll
JUST COS YOU GOT THE POWER - Rock 'n' Roll
BLACK LEATHER JACKET* - Channel 4 TV
NO VOICES IN THE SKY - 1916
GOING TO BRAZIL - 1916
LOVE ME FOREVER - 1916
YOU BETTER RUN - March or Die
I AIN'T NO NICE GUY - March or Die
HELL ON EARTH - Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth original soundtrack
BURNER - Bastards
I AM THE SWORD - Bastards
BAD WOMAN - Bastards
DEVILS - Bastards
SACRIFICE - Sacrifice
SEX AND DEATH - Sacrifice
OVER YOUR SHOULDER - Sacrifice
OUT OF THE SUN - Sacrifice
I DON'T BELIEVE A WORD - Overnight Sensation
DISC FOUR: 1996-2002
OVERNIGHT SENSATION - Overnight Sensation
BROKEN - Overnight Sensation
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART - Overnight Sensation
LOVE FOR SALE - Snakebite Love
SNAKEBITE LOVE - Snakebite Love
TAKE THE BLAME - Snakebite Love
JOY OF LABOUR - Snakebite Love
ORGASMATRON 2000* -
Internet download
STAY OUT OF JAIL - We Are Motorhead
ONE MORE F---ING TIME - We Are Motorhead
WE ARE MOTORHEAD - We Are Motorhead
SHOOT EM DOWN - Twisted Sister tribute
WALK A CROOKED MILE - Hammered
BRAVE NEW WORLD - Hammered
MINE ALL MINE - Hammered
VOICES FROM THE WAR - Hammered
DISC FIVE: LIVE: 1975-2002
ON PAROLE - What's Words Worth
TRAIN KEPT A ROLLIN' - What's Words Worth
TOO LATE TOO LATE* - BBC In Concert
(I WON'T) PAY YOUR PRICE* - BBC In Concert
IRON HORSE - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
WE ARE THE ROADCREW - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
NADINE* - Beware the Dog - bootleg
STEAL YOUR FACE* - BBC In Concert
MEAN MACHINE - The Birthday Party
NO CLASS - The Birthday Party
STONE DEAF IN THE USA - Live At Brixton
DOGS - Live at Brixton
TRAITOR - No Sleep At All
BUILT FOR SPEED - No Sleep At All
ACROPOLIS (METROPOLIS)* - Greek 45
ANGEL CITY -
Everything Louder
R.A.M.O.N.E.S. -
Everything Louder
SILVER MACHINE* - Bootleg version
ON YOUR FEET OR ON YOUR KNEES -
Everything Louder
I'M SO BAD, BABY I DON'T CARE -
Everything Louder
BORN TO RAISE HELL -
Everything Louder
