Ace of Spades (song)

"Ace of Spades"
Single by Motörhead
from the album Ace of Spades
B-side Dirty Love
Released 27 October 1980
Format 7"
12"
Recorded 4 August – 15 September 1980
Jackson's Studios, Rickmansworth, England
Genre Heavy metal, speed metal
Length 2:49
Label Bronze
Writer(s) Eddie Clarke, Ian Kilmister, Phil Taylor
Producer(s) Vic Maile
Motörhead singles chronology
"Bomber"
(1979)		 "Ace of Spades"
(1980)		 "Motorhead (live)"
(1981)
Alternative cover
Christmas picture sleeve edition

"Ace of Spades" is a song by English heavy metal band Motörhead, released in 1980 as a single and the title track to the album Ace of Spades. The song spent 12 weeks in the United Kingdom Singles Chart, peaking at No. 15.

Overview

Initially issued as a 7" vinyl single on 27 October 1980 as a preview to the album Ace of Spades and autumn tour, Bronze Records also released a 12" vinyl pressing in special Christmas picture sleeves, limited to 50,000 copies. The picture of the band in Santa outfits used on the cover was taken at the Aylesbury Fair, while the band were on tour.[1]

Bronze also issued German and Spanish 7" vinyl versions which had a different sleeves, as well as a Japanese release, with a colour picture insert with song lyrics in English and Japanese. One sided test pressings (not mis-presses, but used in the trade) escaped the pressing plant and are on the market.[2]

The song opens with an overdriven bass intro played by Lemmy. For the lyrics, he said he "used gambling metaphors, mostly cards and dice – when it comes to that sort of thing, I'm more into the one-arm bandits actually, but you can't really sing about spinning fruit, and the wheels coming down".[3]

On 6 September 1980 Lemmy was interviewed by Graham Neale on BBC Radio 1's Rock On Saturday show, "Bomber", "Ace of Spades" and "Love Me Like a Reptile" were played. The following month, on 6 and 20 October, the band played the song on BBC TV show Top of the Pops.[4]

In the studio version, the last lines of the bridge are "I don't want to live forever/And don't forget the Joker". In some live versions and the Rock Band 2 remake, the last lines are "I don't want to live forever/But, apparently I am". In the version on the live album Nö Sleep at All, the last lines are "I don't want to live forever/And don't forget the bastard".

Critical reception

The song is considered to be the definitive Motörhead anthem,[5] and "put a choke on the English music charts and proved to all that a band could succeed without sacrificing its blunt power and speed".[6]

In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at No. 27 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks, stating "This song has an intro which wouldn't be out of place ushering in the end of the world". In 2009, it was named the 10th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.[7]

In 2014, NME ranked it number 155 in their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[8]

Track listing

  1. "Ace of Spades" (Ian Kilmister, Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor) – 2:49
  2. "Dirty Love" (Kilmister, Clarke, Taylor) – 2:57

Personnel

Live version

"Ace of Spades (live)"
Single by Motörhead
from the album No Sleep at All
B-side Dogs/Traitor
Released 1988
Format 7"
Recorded 2 July 1988
Hämeenlinna "Giants of Rock" Festival, Finland
Length 2:51
Label GWR
Writer(s) Eddie Clarke
Lemmy
Phil Taylor
Producer(s) Motörhead
Guy Bidmead
Motörhead singles chronology
"Eat the Rich"
(1987)		 "Ace of Spades (live)"
(1988)		 "The One to Sing the Blues"
(1990/1991)

"Ace of Spades (live)" is a 1988 7-inch vinyl release of the song by Motörhead. The single has no picture sleeve; it was issued (and withdrawn) in a plain white paper cover. All three songs on the single appeared on the band's No Sleep at All live album, which was recorded at the Giants of Rock Festival in Hämeenlinna, Finland on 2 July 1988.

The band had wanted "Traitor" as the A-side, but "Ace of Spades" was chosen instead, when the band noticed the change, they refused to allow the single to be distributed to the shops. So despite the popularity the song had achieved, this single was not as successful as the original version, which reached No. 15 in the UK Singles Chart in 1980, as it became only available at gigs and through the Motörheadbangers fan club.[9]

The song became a staple of the band's live set, with Lemmy acknowledging that despite becoming "sick" of performing it, they "can't ditch Ace of Spades, it wouldn't be right. If I go to see Little Richard, I expect to hear Good Golly Miss Molly, or I'd be pissed off".[10] Live versions have appeared on the albums No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981), Nö Sleep at All (1988), Everything Louder than Everyone Else (1999), Live at Brixton Academy (2003) and Better Motörhead than Dead: Live at Hammersmith (2007).

It was the first song that Phil Campbell and Würzel played with the band – on the Bambi episode of The Young Ones. The lineup is particularly rare until 1987: Lemmy, Campbell, Würzel and Taylor. Taylor had already left the band by the time the filming started, but kept to his promise of making the performance.[4]

In September 1993, WGAF Records re-released the original 1980s track on CD-single, cassette single, 12" vinyl picture sleeve and picture disc versions, the song was coupled with "Louie Louie", "Dirty Love", and "Ace of Spades (The CCN Remix)", and although the band were not too pleased with the CCN Remix version, this single peaked at No. 23 in the UK charts.[4]

Single track listing

  1. "Ace of Spades" (Lemmy, Eddie Clarke, Phil Taylor)
  2. "Dogs" (Lemmy, Würzel, Phil Campbell, Taylor)
  3. "Traitor" (Lemmy, Würzel, Campbell, Taylor)

Cover versions

Studio (or studio and live)

Live only

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. ↑ Burridge, Alan (April 1991). "Motörhead". Record Collector (140): 18–19.
  2. ↑ Burridge, Alan; Mick Stevenson (July 1993). "Motörhead". Record Collector (167): 72.
  3. ↑ Kilmister, Lemmy & Garza, Janiss. White Line Fever. Published: 2002, Simon & Schuster (Trade Division). ISBN 0-684-85868-1.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Burridge, Alan. Illustrated Collector's Guide to Motörhead. Published: 1995, Collector's Guide Publishing. ISBN 0-9695736-2-6.
  5. ↑ Konow, David (2002). Bang Your Head. Three Rivers Press, c2002. p. 226 has "Motorhead's signature song, Ace of Spades". ISBN 0-609-80732-3.
  6. ↑ Christe, Ian (2004). Sound of the Beast. Allison & Busby. ISBN 0-7490-8351-4.
  7. ↑ "spreadit.org music". Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  8. ↑ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/nme_500_greatest_songs_2014.htm
  9. ↑ Burridge, Alan; Mick Stevenson (July 1993). "Motörhead". Record Collector (167): 72–73.
  10. ↑ Shaw, Harry (2002). Lemmy... In his own words. Omnibus Press (c) 2002. p. 39. ISBN 0-7119-9109-X.
  11. ↑ BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel. 11 November 1986, The Shop Assistants.
  12. ↑ "Jughead Official Website". Archived from the original on 28 April 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  13. ↑ "Motörhead madness-athon". globeandmail.com article. Archived from the original on 9 February 2007. Retrieved 11 April 2007.
  14. ↑ "Professor Gabriel". Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.

External links