Known as the era of the “Three Friends”, Lemmy, “Fast” Eddie Clarke and Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor joined their strength and began their extraordinary trip to the top of the Hard Rock elite.
Originally recorded in 1976, The Manticore Tapes Includes material never heard from the iconic formation of the “Three Friends”: Lemmy (bass/voice), “Fast” Eddie Clarke (guitar) and Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor (drums) that today is launched for the first time through BMG. This formation, which was consolidated just one year after the creation of the band, marked the beginning of the most powerful legacy of Motörhead.
In August 1976, the band settled in the legendary Manticore study of Emerson, Lake & Palmer In Fulham to rehearse and show the new training. While they were there they recorded together for the first time and now, forty -nine years later, this lost tape came to light, dusty and restored throughout its raw glory to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band.
Together with the album, it was also published “Leavin ‘Here”the second single and its explosive video clip. This strident visual mixture fuses unique characters and scenarios with unpublished Motörhead file images, capturing the pure essence of the band in its wildest stage. Previously, the song and video clip “Motörhead” had been released.
The story behind “The Manticore Tapes”
It is quite surreal, even incredible, that half a whole century has elapsed since that vital moment of 1976. Equal surprising, especially for those who remind Lemmy, hammering the fruit vending machines of the London pubs or as the most extraordinarily accessible rock star of the time, it has been the rise of this man always humble to the immortality of Mount Rushmore as an Ícon Definitive rock and roll, despite having died unfortunately almost ten years ago. Without a doubt, Lemmy himself would have laughed out loud.
The tenacious struggles faced by Motörhead in the first four of his 50 years are well documented and the almost accidental manifestation of this album – and the circumstances in which they were recorded – present a new element just known so far in the history of the band of that time when their own future seemed gloomy if the events had not taken a different course.
Part of that early story had to do with a little mentioned man called Frank Kenningtonwho made Roadie to The Who Before going to management and briefly take care of the Motörhead in trouble. One of Kennington’s maneuvers was to house the trio at the ABC cinema converted from Fulham Palace Road, which served as a headquarters to the Emerson musical supergroup, Lake and Palmer, known as Manticore. Call for the mythical beast of Persian folklore that adorned the cover of its albums, Manticore was the ideal place for the groups, since the projection room housed the offices, while the main auditorium, without seats, served as a stage for the groups to rehearse. Motörhead settled in Manticore to record his performance in the mobile study of Ronnie Laneoperated by Ron Faucus, Ronnie’s trusted friend.
These old tapes have been restored by Webb CameronMotörhead collaborator for years, in the Maple Studios de California, and masterful by Andrew Alekel In Bolskine House of Los Angeles. The result is a truly historical moment in the evolution of the best Hard-Rock icons, restoring and making the public known for the first time a vital part of the evolution and history of Motörhead.
“The Manticore Tapes” is already available in an enlarged luxury edition that will contain a double LP and a single of 7 ”, simple LP, CD and digital format.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
