Editing Motörhead (section)

===1980–1982: ''Ace of Spades'' and ''Iron Fist''===
[[File:Ace of Spades tour booklet.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Cover of the "Ace Up Your Sleeve" tour booklet, using one of the shots taken during the photography session in [[Chipping Barnet|Barnet]] for the ''[[Ace of Spades (Motörhead album)|Ace of Spades]]'' album cover]]

During August and September 1980, the band were at Jackson's Studios in Rickmansworth, recording with producer [[Vic Maile]]. The "[[Ace of Spades (song)|Ace of Spades]]" single was released on 27 October 1980 as a preview of the ''[[Ace of Spades (Motörhead album)|Ace of Spades]]'' album, which followed on 8 November.<ref name="RC1"/> The single reached No. 15 and the album reached No. 4 on the UK charts, the latter being the highest position in the band's history.<ref name="Mhcharts" /> Bronze celebrated its [[Music recording sales certification|gold record]] status by pressing a [[Special edition|limited edition]] of the album in gold vinyl.

Motörhead made an appearance on ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' in November that year with "Ace of Spades", and between 22 October and 29 November the band were on their "Ace Up Your Sleeve" UK tour with support from [[Girlschool]] and [[Vardis]], and also made an appearance as guests on the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] children's show ''[[Tiswas]]'' on 8 November.<ref name="ICGM"/> The "Arizona desert-style" pictures used on the album sleeve and tour booklet cover were taken during a photo session at a [[quarry|sandpit]] in [[Chipping Barnet|Barnet]].<ref name="PL">{{cite web|url=http://playlouder.com/feature/+lemmy/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205003736/http://www.playlouder.com/feature/%2Blemmy/ |archive-date=5 December 2006 |title=Dr Rock VS Lemmy interview 19 July 2004 |access-date=27 February 2007 |publisher=[[PlayLouder]] |url-status=dead }}</ref> "Ace of Spades", considered to be the definitive Motörhead anthem,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Konow |first=David |title=Bang Your Head |publisher=Three Rivers Press, c2002|isbn=0-609-80732-3 |page=226 has "Motorhead's signature song, Ace of Spades" |year=2002 }}</ref> "put a choke on the English music charts and proved to all that a band could succeed without sacrificing its blunt power and speed".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Christe |first=Ian |title=Sound of the Beast |publisher=Allison & Busby |isbn=0-7490-8351-4 |year=2004 }}</ref>

To coincide with the ''Ace of Spades'' release, [[Big Beat Records (Ace subsidiary)|Big Beat]], who had inherited the Chiswick catalogue, put together four unused tracks from the Escape Studios sessions in 1977 and released them as ''[[Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers (EP)|Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers]]'', which reached No. 43 on the UK Singles Chart in November.<ref name="RC1"/><ref name="Mhcharts" />

The band had more chart hits in 1981 with the releases ''[[St. Valentine's Day Massacre (EP)|St. Valentine's Day Massacre]]'' EP, their collaboration with Girlschool which reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in February; the live version of "[[Motorhead (live)|Motorhead]]", which reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart in July; and the album it was taken from, ''[[No Sleep 'til Hammersmith]]'', which reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart in June.<ref name="Mhcharts" /> During March 1981, the band had been touring Europe, and in the final week of the month they conducted the "Short Sharp, Pain in the Neck" UK tour from which the recordings for ''No Sleep 'til Hammersmith'' were made.<ref name="ICGM"/>

From April through to July, the band toured North America for the first time as guests of [[Blizzard of Ozz]], an early incarnation of [[Ozzy Osbourne]]'s band, but were still able to make an appearance on ''Top of the Pops'' on 9 July to promote the live "Motorhead" single. In October the band recorded tracks at BBC's [[Maida Vale]] studio for the [[David Jensen]] show broadcast on 6 October. The band commenced a European tour on 20 November, supported by [[Tank (band)|Tank]],after which Clarke produced Tank's debut album ''[[Filth Hounds of Hades]]'' at [[Ramport Studios]] in December and January.

Between 26 and 28 January 1982, the band started recording their self-produced new album at Ramport Studios, before moving onto [[Morgan Studios]] to continue the sessions throughout February. On 3 April the single "[[Iron Fist (song)|Iron Fist]]" was released, reaching No. 29 on the UK Singles Chart, followed by the parent album ''[[Iron Fist (album)|Iron Fist]]'', released on 17 April and peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart.<ref name="Mhcharts" /> They were the last releases to feature the Lemmy, Clarke, Taylor line-up, though the line-up continued to perform in the ''Iron Fist'' UK tour between 17 March and 12 April, and the band's first headlining North America tour from 12 May until Clarke's last engagement at the [[Palladium (club)|New York Palladium]] on 14 May.<ref name="ICGM"/>