Editing Motörhead (section)

===1975–1977: Formation and early years===
[[File:Motorhead Snaggletooth Belt Buckle.jpg|thumb|Motörhead War-Pig 'Snaggletooth' belt buckle by Alchemy England 1977<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alchemyengland.com/site/index.php/motorhead-alchemy-buckles/ |title=Motorhead with Alchemy buckles &#124; Alchemy England Blog |website=Alchemyengland.com |access-date=18 January 2018}}</ref>|alt=Official War-Pig buckle made by Alchemy in 1991 and worn by Motorhead]]
{{listen
| filename     = Motörhead.ogg
| title        = "Motörhead"
| description  = Released in 1977 as a single from ''[[Motörhead (album)|Motörhead]]''
}}

Lemmy was dismissed from [[Hawkwind]] in May 1975 after being arrested in Canada for drug possession;<ref>{{cite news|title = Obituary: Lemmy, Motorhead frontman|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-24806076|work = BBC News|access-date = 23 February 2016|language = en-GB|archive-date = 13 February 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160213204048/http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-24806076|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Lemmy: 'Apparently I am still indestructible'|url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/13/lemmy-apparently-i-am-still-indestructible-motorhead-album-bad-magic|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]|date = 13 August 2015|access-date = 23 February 2016|issn = 0261-3077|language = en-GB|first = Michael|last = Hann}}</ref> he said "the band dismissed me for doing the wrong drugs".<ref>[[Lemmy]], ''[[White Line Fever (book)|White Line Fever]]'', p. 94. (2002). Simon & Schuster. {{ISBN|0-684-85868-1}}.</ref> Now on his own, Lemmy decided to form a new band called Motörhead, the name was inspired by [[Motorhead (song)|the final song]] he had written for Hawkwind.<ref>''White Line Fever'', p. 99.</ref>

Lemmy wanted the music to be "fast and vicious, just like the [[MC5]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Motörhead|title=Aftershock|magazine=Classic Rock|year=2013|page=57}}</ref> His 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".<ref name="PFFT">{{Cite book|last=Frame|first=Pete |title=Rock Family Trees |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|isbn=978-0-7119-0465-1 |year=1983 }}</ref> He recruited guitarist [[Larry Wallis]] (formerly of [[Pink Fairies]]) on the recommendation of [[Mick Farren]], based on Wallis' work with [[Steve Peregrin Took]]'s band [[Shagrat (band)|Shagrat]], and Lucas Fox on drums. According to Lemmy, the band's first practice was at the now defunct Sound Management rehearsal studios, in Kings Road, [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]] in 1975. Sound Management leased the basement area of furniture store The Furniture Cave, located in adjacent Lots Road. Kilmister has said they used to steal equipment, as the band was short on gear.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theorion.com/2.692/make-em-deaf-forever-1.19715|title=Make 'em deaf forever}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Their first engagement was supporting [[Greenslade]] at [[The Roundhouse]], London on 20 July 1975.<ref name="ICGM">Burridge, Alan ''Illustrated Collector's Guide to Motorhead'' Published: 1995, Collector's Guide Publishing {{ISBN|0-9695736-2-6}}. Used for the line-up numbers as listed in albums in band members section as well as information on recordings and performances.</ref> On 19 October, having played 10 gigs, they became the supporting act to [[Blue Öyster Cult]] at the [[Hammersmith Odeon]].<ref>''White Line Fever'', p. 101.</ref>

The band were contracted to [[United Artists]] by [[Andrew Lauder (music executive)|Andrew Lauder]], the [[Artists and repertoire|A&R]] man for Lemmy's previous band, Hawkwind.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Max |date=19 September 2004 |title=Paradise recalled |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/paradise-recalled-33328.html |access-date=5 September 2017 |archive-date=22 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222054241/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/paradise-recalled-33328.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name="RC1">{{Cite magazine|last=Burridge |first=Alan |date=April 1991 |title=Motörhead |magazine=[[Record Collector]] |issue=140 |pages=16–22 }}</ref>

In March 1976, deciding that two guitarists were required, the band auditioned an acquaintance of drummer Taylor's named [[Eddie Clarke (musician)|"Fast" Eddie Clarke]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/motorhead-guitarist-fast-eddie-clarke-dead-at-67-127749/|title=Motorhead Guitarist 'Fast' Eddie Clarke Dead at 67|last=Grow|first=Kory|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073922/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/motorhead-guitarist-fast-eddie-clarke-dead-at-67-127749/|url-status=live}}</ref> Wallis, who was continuing to tour with a reformed Pink Fairies, quit immediately after the auditions and Clarke remained as the sole guitarist. This [[power trio|trio]] of Lemmy/Clarke/Taylor is today regarded as the "classic" Motörhead line-up.<ref>{{cite web |author=Adams, Bret |title=''Ace of Spades'' DVD Review |website=[[AllMusic]] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ace-of-spades-dvd-mw0001412269 |access-date=14 April 2008 |archive-date=2 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902143602/http://www.allmusic.com/album/ace-of-spades-dvd-mw0001412269 |url-status=live }}</ref> In December, the band recorded the [[Holland–Dozier–Holland]] composition "[[Leaving Here]]" for early [[punk rock]] and pub rock label, [[Stiff Records]], but United Artists intervened to prevent its general release as the band were still under contract to them, despite the label's 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]]''.<ref name="RSM">Dansby, Andrew. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/motorhead-roll-on-20020823 Motorhead Roll On] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222105403/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/motorhead-roll-on-20020823 |date=22 December 2017 }}. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. 23 August 2002. Retrieved 9 October 2006.</ref>

By April 1977, living in squats and with little recognition, Taylor and Clarke decided to quit the band, and after some debate, they 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 on 1 April 1977,<ref name="imotorhead.com Motörhead Marquee Club London, England 01 Apr 1977">{{cite web |url=https://imotorhead.com/tour-history/1977-04-01/ |title=Date: 01 Apr 1977 |date=August 2021 |website=imotorhead.com |accessdate=13 August 2021 |archive-date=13 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813035006/https://imotorhead.com/tour-history/1977-04-01/ |url-status=live }}</ref> but showed up backstage after the engagement 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.<ref>''White Line Fever'', pp. 112–113.</ref> Chiswick issued the single "[[Motorhead (Motörhead song)|Motorhead]]" in June, followed by the album ''[[Motörhead (album)|Motörhead]]'' in August, which spent one week in the [[UK Albums Chart]] at number 43.<ref name="ICGM"/><ref name="Mhcharts" >{{cite web |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17135/MOTORHEAD/ |title=Motorhead Official Charts |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |access-date=17 May 2015 |archive-date=3 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403055605/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17135/motorhead/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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]],<ref name="ICGM"/> a band who were gaining some popularity on the early punk rock and pub rock scene.

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 performing as the Muggers with Speedy Keen and [[Billy Rath]] of American punk band [[The Heartbreakers]].<ref name="PFFT" />