- On Parole
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On Parole
CD reissue coverStudio album by Motörhead Released December 8, 1979[1] Recorded September 1975 at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales Genre Hard rock, heavy metal Length 36:59 (original)
53:32 (reissue)Label United Artists Producer Fritz Fryer Motörhead chronology On Parole
(1975/1979)Motörhead
(1977)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [2]
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On Parole is the debut recording made by English heavy metal band Motörhead. While it was originally recorded in September 1975, United Artists was not convinced of the album's commercial potential and did not want to release it. Originally intended for a 1976 release date,[3] the album would not be released until three years later.
Contents
History
This is the only album to feature the band's original line-up of Lemmy on vocals and bass, Larry Wallis on guitar and vocals, and Lucas Fox on drums. During the sessions, original producer Dave Edmunds relinquished his duties being replaced by Fritz Fryer. Drummer Fox was then replaced by Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, a casual acquaintance of Lemmy's who had been persuaded to drive him to Rockfield Studios. Taylor overdubbed all of Fox's tracks except for "Lost Johnny" as he was being held in custody following an arrest for alleged drunk-and-disorderly conduct when that session was due to take place.[4]
Of the tracks, three ("Motorhead", "The Watcher" and "Lost Johnny") were re-recordings of songs Lemmy had written and recorded with Hawkwind, "City Kids" was a re-recording of a Wallis track co-written and recorded with The Pink Fairies, "Leaving Here" was a cover version of a Holland/Dozier/Holland Motown song Lemmy had learnt whilst roadying for The Birds. "On Parole" was recorded and released by Larry Wallis (backed by Eddie and the Hot Rods) as a b-side to the Stiff Records "Police Car" single in 1977, after this album had been recorded but prior to its release.
At the time United Artists were not convinced of the album's commercial potential and shelved its release despite the band "[shooting] down to UA every day saying: 'What the fuck's happening? When's the album coming out? When are you gonna get us some gigs? What's happening about getting us an agency?' All we'd get was bullshit about the sleeve, you know, photographs and all that. When we got back from Rockfield with the masters, of course, we got the big: 'Oh, great, fantastic', but in the ensuing weeks it was just excuses and bullshit".[5] After the band's profile had risen with the commercial success of the albums Overkill and Bomber, UA re-appraised the album and gave it a belated release at the end of 1979.
Due to the record company's initial refusal to release this album, when a reconfigured Motörhead (featuring Eddie Clarke on guitar) were given studio time by Chiswick Records in 1977, they chose to re-record the album in almost its entirety (only "Fools" and "Leaving Here" were not re-recorded) leading to their debut release Motörhead.
Track listing
Side 1
- "Motorhead" (Ian Kilmister) – 2:57
- "On Parole" (Larry Wallis) – 5:38
- "Vibrator" (Wallis, Des Brown) – 2:53
- "Iron Horse/Born to Lose" (Phil Taylor, Mick Brown, Guy "Tramp" Lawrence) – 5:17
Side 2
- "City Kids" (Wallis, Duncan Sanderson) – 3:43
- "Fools" (Wallis, D.Brown) – 5:35
- "The Watcher" (Kilmister) – 4:50
- "Leaving Here" (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland) – 2:56
- "Lost Johnny" (Kilmister, Mick Farren) – 3:31
CD reissue Bonus Tracks
- "On Parole" (Wallis) [Alternate Take] – 6:58
- "City Kids" (Wallis, Sanderson) [Alternate Take] – 3:48
- "Motorhead" (Kilmister) [Alternate Take] – 2:48
- "Leaving Here" (Holland, Dozier, Holland) [Alternate Take] – 3:01
Personnel
- Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) – bass, lead vocals, backing vocals
- Larry Wallis – guitar, lead vocals ("Vibrator", "Fools"), backing vocals
- Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums
- Lucas Fox – drums on "Lost Johnny"
Release history
- 1979 – UK vinyl – United Artists Rockfile, LBR1004 – single white sleeve with George Bodnar black-and-white photographs of Lemmy on front and back
- 198? – UK vinyl – EMI/Liberty Fame, FA3009 – single sleeve with colour photograph of Lemmy on stage.
- 1991 – USA CD – Cleopatra, CLEO-57212-2 – Black-and-white photograph of Lemmy, Wallis and Fox in studio.
- 1997 – UK CD – EMI, 8 54794 2 – Black on white Snaggletooth logo. Sleeve notes by Mick Farren. With bonus tracks.
- 2000 – UK CD – EMI Gold, 8 54794 2 – Black-and-white photograph of Lemmy, Wallis and Fox in the studio. With bonus tracks.
- 2004 – UK CD – Disky, 901611 – Black-and-white photograph of Lemmy posing. With bonus tracks.
References
- ^ Metal-Archives.com
- ^ Allmusic Review
- ^ Metal-Archives.com
- ^ Burridge, Alan (April 1991). "Motorhead". Record Collector (140): 16–22.
- ^ Phil Taylor
External links
Categories:- Motörhead albums
- 1979 albums
- United Artists Records albums
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