On Parole
The songs they recorded were some of Lemmys compositions with Hawkwind (Motorhead, Lost Johnny, The Watcher) some of Larrys numbers (Vibrator, City Kids, On Parole, Fools), a cover (Leaving Here) and one original song never recorded by anyone before, Iron Horse/Born To Lose. But that song was not written by anyone in Motorhead though Phil has been credited. It was written by Tramp and Brown, one a roadie and the other a member of Hells Angels. In the middle of the recording sessions Lemmy was in London and needed to get back to the studio in Wales. A friend of his, Phil Taylor, had a car and Lemmy asked him for a lift to Wales. He also asked him to bring his drums. Phil did.
When they arrived to Rockfield Lucas drums were still set so Phil tried them out and Larry is supposed to have said: "What a horrible little cunt, he´s perfect!" and that was the end for Lucas in Motorhead. Phil overdubbed all Lucas drums except for "Lost Johnny". He was supposed to do that track as well but instead he was caught by the police for being drunk and disorderly and when he was released the studio time had run out.
Producer for the album was Dave Edmunds, an old hero of Lemmy. He could however not finnish his work because of other obligations so instead Fritz Fryer took over and finnished the album. According to Mick Farren "the recordings...found Lemmy and Larry going hell for leather into an insomniac endurance contest". Dave Edmunds work can be heard on an Acetate with four songs that also were included as bonus tracks on a CD re-issue in 1997.
The record company did not like the album so they shelved it. One rumour says that they complained about the lack of bass and that it sounded like there were just guitars on the album. Lemmy and Phil were frequently down at the office trying to pursuade them to release the album but nothing happened. First in December 1979, after the success of Overkill and Bomber, UA decided it was time to release it and cash in.
The cover was in black and white with a live picture of Lemmy on the front and a picture of his face on the rear. In UK it reached no 65 in the charts. The catalogue number of the UK version was LBR 1004. In Europe the catalogue number usually included the number 183017. A few years later the album was re-issued by Fame and in some countries, among them in the UK, it got a completely different sleeve in colour. It still featured a live picture of Lemmy but it was a different picture. Most of these re-issues had a catalogue number including the number 1575421. In Canada a version with yet another sleeve emerged. This sleeve featured a picture of the original line up with Lemmy, Larry and Lucas. German and Dutch re-issues by Fame stuck with the original black and white sleeve but with a red Fame logo.
Tracklist
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W o r l d w i d e r e l e a s e s, L P | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Label |
Catalogue no |
Origin |
Date |
Notes |
|
| Master Room | white scotch tapes | UK | 1976 | Acetate | |
| UA | LBR 1004 | UK | 1979-12-08 | ||
| UA | LBR 1004 | UK | 1979-12-08 | Promo, promo stamp | |
| UA | LBR 1004 | UK | 1979-11? | Test Pressing | |
| Fame | FA 3009 | UK | 1982-05 | Re-issue | |
| Fame | FA 3009 | UK | 1982-05 | Test Pressing, Re-issue | |
| EMI | FA 3251 | UK | 1990 | Second Re-issue | |
| Electrola | 1A 054-83017 | Ger | 1979-12-08 | ||
| Fame | 1C 038 1575421 | Ger | 1982 | Re-issue | |
| Fame | 1C 038 1575421 | Ger | 1982 | Test pressing | |
| EMI | 6038 | Ger | ? | Second re-issue? | |
| Liberty | 038-79 2067 1 | Ger | 1986 | Third re-issue? | |
| Liberty | 1A 054-83017 | Holl | 1979-12-08 | ||
| Fame | 1C 038 1575421 | Holl | 1982 | Re-issue | |
| Pathe Marconi | 1830171 | Fra | 1984 | The sleeve is in two versions? | |
| Pathe Marconi | 1830171 | Fra | 1984 | Test pressing | |
| Fame | 1575421 | Fra | 1982 | Re-issue | |
| Liberty | 062 1830171 | Gre | 1982? | ||
| MFP | 046-183017 1 | Spa | 1983 | ||
| Liberty | 056-183017 1 | Spa | 1985 | ||
| EMI | 4 1830171 | Italy | 1979-12-08 | ||
| Liberty | LN 66125 | Can | 1981 | ||
| EMI | LN 10340 | USA | 1982 | ||
| Liberty | MID 18 | Aus | 1979? | ||
| Liberty | MID 18 | NZ | 1979? | ||
| Liberty | MID 18 | NZ | 1979? | Promo | |
| EMI/Liberty | 31C 040 83017 | Bra | 1983 | serie standard | |
| EMI/Liberty | 31C 040 83017 | Bra | 1983 | Promo, serie standard | |
| EMI/Liberty | 064 183017-1 | Bra | 1989 | serie luxo | |
| EMI/Liberty | 064 183017-1 | Bra | 1989 | Promo, serie luxo | |
| EMI/Liberty | 1C 038 1575421 | Arg | 1982? | ||
| EMI/Liberty | 1C 038 1575421 | Arg | 1982? | Promo | |
| EMI/Liberty | 1C 038 1575421 | Arg | 1982? | Test pressing | |
| EMI/Liberty | SLEM 1169 | Mex | 1983 | ||
| EMI | SLEM 1169 | Mex | 1983 | Master tape | |
| Back on Black | BOBV166LP | UK | 2009-09 | 2 LP, white vinyl | |
| Back on Black | BOBV166LP | UK | 2009-09 | 2 LP, Test pressing | |
| Back on Black | BOBV166LP | UK | 2011 | 2 LP, red/clear vinyl | |
W o r l d w i d e r e l e a s e s , C D | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Label |
Catalogue no |
Origin |
Date |
Notes |
|
| EMI | CD-FA 3251 | UK | 1990-10 | ||
| Cleopatra | CD LL 57666 | Can | 1991-12-16 | Cloth bag, black and/or purple | |
| Cleopatra | CD LL 57666 | USA | 1991-12-16 | long box (just first edition?) | |
| EMI | 7243 8 54794 2 7 | UK | 1997-02-03 | Re-issue, Remastered w bonus tracks | |
| EMI | 7243 8 54794 2 7 | EU | 1997-02-03 | Re-issue, Remastered w bonus tracks | |
| Parlophone | 7243 8 54794 2 7 | EU | 2014 | Re-issue, Remastered w bonus tracks | |
| EMI | 7243 8 54794 2 7 | Italy | 1997 | Re-issue, Remastered w bonus tracks | |
| EMI | 7243 8 54794 2 7 | Aus | 1997 | Re-issue, Remastered w bonus tracks | |
| EMI | 7242 8 54794 2 7 | Arg | 1997 | Re-issue, Remastered w bonus tracks | |
| Disky | SI 901611 | Holl | 2004-02-26 | Third re-issue, remastered w bonus tracks | |
| Disky | SI 904675 | Holl | 2007-03-15 | Fourth re-issue, remastered w bonus tracks | |
| Agat Company LTD | ? | Rus | 2001? | Pirate w Motorhead + Louie Louie single | |