Motörhead‘s cover of the Motown tune “Leavin’ Here” from The Manticore Tapes, a lost 1976 album, has been unveiled ahead of the archival LP’s June 27th release date.
Motörhead originally released a live cover of the Holland/Dozier/Holland song on ‘The Golden Years’ – Live EP in 1980, but this newly unearthed recording — culled from shelved tapes that were tracked at Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Manticore Studio in ’76 — is far leaner and more angular than that aforementioned live cut.
The minimal production and rawness drives home the punk influences present in Motörhead’s sound at this early juncture in their career. Fast Eddie Clarke’s guitar playing, in particular, has an almost New York Dolls-style nonchalantness to it that would be tightened up over time. For Motörhead collectors, it makes for an intriguing document of the band in its formative era.
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According to a press release, “In August 1976 the band set up at Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s legendary Manticore Studio in Fulham to rehearse and showcase the new lineup. While they were there they recorded together for the very first time and now, forty nine years later, this long lost tape has surfaced, been dusted off and restored in all its raw glory, to celebrate the seminal hard rock bands 50th anniversary.”
The recording was originally captured by Ron Faucus and recently restored by longtime Motörhead collaborator Cameron Webb at Maple Studios in California, with mastering by Andrew Alekel at Bolskine House in Los Angeles. The studio portion of the release also features runthroughs of “Vibrator,” “Help Keep Us on the Road,” “The Watcher,” and the eponymous “Motörhead,” as well as numerous instrumentals and alternate takes.
A physical 2-LP vinyl deluxe package is rounded out by the “Blitzkreig on Birmingham ’77” live recordings on a separate disc, as well as the two-song 7-inch single “Live at Barbarella’s Birmingham ’77.” Single LP and CD editions are also available and include only the studio tracks.
You can pre-order the various formats via Motörhead’s website. Stream “Leavin’ Here” below.
Content shared from consequence.net.