The sun has risen, and we’re glad to say that we’ve awoken to the right side of the day. That’s because it turns out a lost Motörhead session from the band’s most celebrated line-up is coming our way soon. The collection of previously unreleased recordings is called The Manticore Tapes.
A press release explains that the upcoming release comprises the first recorded material from the band’s seminal, “Three Amigos” line-up of vocalist-bassist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor. The sessions took place in August of 1976 at prog group Emerson Lake & Palmer’s Manticore Studio in Fulham, UK.
The sessions were dubbed using Small Faces member Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio set-up, and they were engineered by Ron Faucus. The 11-song Manticore Tapes are said to capture “Motörhead’s blossoming raw power and high velocity onslaughts on songs that would remain in their live set until 1979.” This includes a raw and raging take on the band’s titular theme — which you can check out in the player up above —along with early takes on “Vibrator,” instrumental versions of “Iron Horse / Born to Lose” and more.
The 49-year-old recordings were restored by longtime Motörhead collaborator Cameron Webb at Maple Studios in California, and later mastered by Andrew Alekel at Bolskine House in Los Angeles.
The Manticore Tapes will be presented in standard, 11-song CD and LP pressings, as wella s a deluxe, double-LP package that tacks on the 11-song Live: Blitzkrieg on Birmingham ’77 concert album, as well as a 7-inch featuring a pair of unreleased live recordings.
The archival project arrives June 27th, and you can pre-order the various versions of The Manticore Tapes over here.
The Manticore Tapes tracklisting:
Intro (Instrumental)
Leavin’ Here
Vibrator
Help Keep Us on the Road
The Watcher
Motörhead
Witch Doctor (Instrumental)
Iron Horse / Born to Lose (Instrumental)
Leavin’ Here (Alternate Take)
Vibrator (Alternate Take)
The Watcher (Alternate Take)