On Parole

On Parole
Studio album by Motörhead
Released	8 December 1979[1]
Recorded	September, December 1975 - February 1976 at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales
Genre	Hard rock, rock and roll
Length	36:59
Label	United Artists
Producer	Fritz Fryer
Motörhead chronology
On Parole (1976/1979) Motörhead (1977)
1981 reissue cover
1997 CD reissue cover

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

On Parole is the debut recording made by English hard rock band Motörhead. Four of the songs appearing on the album were recorded in a single session at Rockfield Studios in September 1975, while the rest were taped in December, with various overdubs laid down in January and February 1976. Originally intended for a 1976 release date,^[1] United Artists was not convinced of the album's commercial potential and did not want to release it. As a result, it would remain unreleased for over three years.

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.^[3]

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 learned whilst roadying for The Birds. "On Parole" was recorded and released by Larry Wallis, who was backed by two members of Eddie And The Hot Rods; bassist Paul Gray, and drummer Steve Nicol 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 the label 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".^[4] After the band's profile had risen with the commercial success of the albums Overkill and Bomber in 1979, United Artists re-appraised the album and gave it a belated release at the end of that year.

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

Personnel

• Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) – bass, lead vocals
• Larry Wallis – guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals ("Vibrator", "Fools")
• 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
• 1981 – UK vinyl – Liberty, LN66125 – Black-and-white photograph of Lemmy, Wallis and Fox in the studio.
• 1982 – 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 – Netherlands CD – Disky, 901611 – Black-and-white photograph of Lemmy posing. With bonus tracks.

References

External links

• On Parole at Discogs (list of releases)