Fastway (band)
Encyclopedia
Fastway is a British
heavy metal
band
formed by guitarist
, "Fast" Eddie Clarke
, formerly of Motörhead, and bassist
, Pete Way
, formerly of UFO
.
Jerry Shirley
, formerly of Humble Pie
, and the then unknown vocalist Dave King. They took their name from a combination of the founding members' names. However, Way then discovered that he could not escape from his recording contract
with Chrysalis Records
, and then received a tempting offer to play for Ozzy Osbourne
, so abandoned the project. Bringing in session
bassist Mick Feat, the band then recorded
their debut album, Fastway
.
A critical and commercial success, the band toured to promote the album (with Alfie Agius as their session bass
player). The band then recruited Charlie McCracken, formerly of Taste
, as "permanent" bassist, and released another success in the form of All Fired Up
the following year. After the hardships of touring, Shirley and McCracken subsequently left. In 1986 Clarke and King reformed Fastway with a new line-up. Recruiting Shane Carroll (second guitar), Paul Reid (bass), and Alan Connor (drums) from Dave King's first band Stillwood, this line-up released Waiting for the Roar. The record took an album-oriented rock
approach instead of the driving bluesy-metal of the previous albums. The success of the record was limited, and it disappointed many fans. In 1986 Fastway was approached to make the soundtrack
for the heavy metal horror
film
, Trick or Treat
. The film flopped, but the soundtrack re-established Fastway as a hard hitting metal band. The soundtrack was a moderate success, and stayed on the Billboard Top 200 chart
for eleven months. The success of the soundtrack, and the very little money the band received, caused in-fighting and the band disbanded. King took most of the band with him and started Q.E.D., a more AOR
styled outfit. They released a two-track
single
.
King then got a call from David Geffen
and Jon Kolodner to come to the United States
to head up a heavy metal supergroup
called Katmandu. Katmandu also featured Mandy Meyer
from Krokus
on guitars. The band was rounded out by Cain Carruthers of the punk rock
band The Untouchables, and Mike Alonso of the punk band The Meanies
. Katmandu released one self titled album and had a couple of minor hits. Dave King now fronts the Irish punk rockers Flogging Molly
.
Meanwhile, Clarke decided to restart Fastway again from scratch using vocalist Lea Hart and session men, quickly releasing On Target in the same year, but it sold poorly.
In 1990 this duo
released Bad Bad Girls, employing various session musicians including members of Girlschool
. It was widely ignored and sold poorly. After calling it a day in 1991, they released a perfunctory live album
Say What You Will LIVE (an older recording, curiously with King on vocals). In 1997 Clarke and Hart reunited and released a reworked version of On Target, but there was no commercial success.
On 25 May 2007, Toby Jepson
, former lead singer with Little Angels
, announced he had accepted an approach from Fastway to perform lead vocal duties during the year's festival
appearances. An updated line-up played Sweden Rock Festival
, Japanese Hard Rock Hell, and the Download Festival
at Castle Donington
. Besides guitarist Clarke, and Jepson, the band featured drummer Steve Strange (not the singer Steve Strange
) and John McManus (Mama's Boys
).
In an interview with Komodo Rock at the Hard Rock Hell Festival in November 2007, Eddie Clark confirmed that he and Toby Jepson would be working on new material. He said "Toby and I are going to sit down and maybe do a few tunes over the winter. See if we can write some tunes." As of 2008, Toby Jepson announced he would go on to front Scottish hard rockers Gun
full time.
In late 2010 "Fast" Eddie Clarke returned to the recording studio to record a new album with Toby Jepson, titled "Eat Dog Eat". The album will be released on November 14th, 2011, by SPV/Steamhammer, and it is the first album of entirely new material from Fastway in over twenty years.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed by guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, "Fast" Eddie Clarke
Eddie Clarke
Edward Allan Clarke better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke, is a guitarist who was a member of British heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.-Early days:...
, formerly of Motörhead, and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, Pete Way
Pete Way
Peter 'Pete' Frederick Way is a bass player.He is the bassist of UFO, Waysted and formerly, Fastway and Ozzy Osbourne....
, formerly of UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
.
Career
In 1983, both players had been disgruntled with their own bands and decided to work together in a new outfit. They recruited drummerDrummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Jerry Shirley
Jerry Shirley
Jerry Shirley is an English rock drummer, best known for his work with the rock band Humble Pie and appeared on all their albums...
, formerly of Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
, and the then unknown vocalist Dave King. They took their name from a combination of the founding members' names. However, Way then discovered that he could not escape from his recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records
Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis...
, and then received a tempting offer to play for Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, so abandoned the project. Bringing in session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
bassist Mick Feat, the band then recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
their debut album, Fastway
Fastway (album)
Fastway is the first album by the band, Fastway.Though credited, Pete Way did not actually play on the album. By the time the recording sessions began he had already left the band...
.
A critical and commercial success, the band toured to promote the album (with Alfie Agius as their session bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player). The band then recruited Charlie McCracken, formerly of Taste
Taste (band)
Taste was an Irish rock and blues band formed in 1966 that gained fame in large part because of their unique style, and the talent and charisma of the band's founder, songwriter and musician Rory Gallagher...
, as "permanent" bassist, and released another success in the form of All Fired Up
All Fired Up
All Fired Up is the second album by the hard rock band Fastway. It was released in 1984.-Track listing:# All Fired Up - 2:43# Misunderstood - 3:22# Steal the Show - 3:38# Station - 2:56# Non-Stop Love - 4:52# Hurtin' Me - 4:30# Tell Me - 3:50...
the following year. After the hardships of touring, Shirley and McCracken subsequently left. In 1986 Clarke and King reformed Fastway with a new line-up. Recruiting Shane Carroll (second guitar), Paul Reid (bass), and Alan Connor (drums) from Dave King's first band Stillwood, this line-up released Waiting for the Roar. The record took an album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
approach instead of the driving bluesy-metal of the previous albums. The success of the record was limited, and it disappointed many fans. In 1986 Fastway was approached to make the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for the heavy metal horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat (1986 film)
Trick or Treat is a 1986 horror film by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, starring Marc Price, Tony Fields, and Lisa Orgolini, with special appearances by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne.-Plot:...
. The film flopped, but the soundtrack re-established Fastway as a hard hitting metal band. The soundtrack was a moderate success, and stayed on the Billboard Top 200 chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for eleven months. The success of the soundtrack, and the very little money the band received, caused in-fighting and the band disbanded. King took most of the band with him and started Q.E.D., a more AOR
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
styled outfit. They released a two-track
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
.
King then got a call from David Geffen
David Geffen
David Geffen is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist. Geffen is noted for creating Asylum Records in 1970, Geffen Records in 1980, and DGC Records in 1990...
and Jon Kolodner to come to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to head up a heavy metal supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
called Katmandu. Katmandu also featured Mandy Meyer
Mandy Meyer
Armand Mandy Meyer is a Swiss guitar player best known for being a member of the hard rock band Gotthard, the progressive rock band Asia and the heavy metal band Krokus. Meyer has also worked with Cobra, Stealin' Horses and Katmandu. He was born August 29, 1960 in the town of Balcarres,...
from Krokus
Krokus (band)
Krokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed moderate success in North America during the 1980s.Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1974 by bassist Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer...
on guitars. The band was rounded out by Cain Carruthers of the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band The Untouchables, and Mike Alonso of the punk band The Meanies
The Meanies
The Meanies are an indie Australian punk rock band, formed in 1989. The current band members include Link Meanie , Ringo Meanie and Wally Meanie . The Meanies had a hiatus in the mid-late 1990s, but began performing again in 1998...
. Katmandu released one self titled album and had a couple of minor hits. Dave King now fronts the Irish punk rockers Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...
.
Meanwhile, Clarke decided to restart Fastway again from scratch using vocalist Lea Hart and session men, quickly releasing On Target in the same year, but it sold poorly.
In 1990 this duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
released Bad Bad Girls, employing various session musicians including members of Girlschool
Girlschool
Girlschool are a British heavy metal band originating out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene in 1978 and frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead. They are the longest running all-female rock band, still active after more than 30 years...
. It was widely ignored and sold poorly. After calling it a day in 1991, they released a perfunctory live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Say What You Will LIVE (an older recording, curiously with King on vocals). In 1997 Clarke and Hart reunited and released a reworked version of On Target, but there was no commercial success.
On 25 May 2007, Toby Jepson
Toby Jepson
Toby Jepson is a singer, songwriter and was lead vocalist and guitarist in the British rock band, Little Angels between the years of 1984 and 1994...
, former lead singer with Little Angels
Little Angels
Little Angels were a hard rock band of the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s.-History and members:Little Angels formed in Scarborough, England in 1984, under the name Mr Thrud. The founding members were Toby Jepson , Mark Plunkett , Dave Hopper and the brothers Bruce John and Jimmy Dickinson...
, announced he had accepted an approach from Fastway to perform lead vocal duties during the year's festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
appearances. An updated line-up played Sweden Rock Festival
Sweden Rock Festival
Sweden Rock Festival is an annual rock/metal festival held in Sweden since 6 June 1992. While having a clear rock/metal focus, the festival is noted for its diversity across these genres, having featured southern rock bands such as Molly Hatchet to death metal legends like Obituary.The first...
, Japanese Hard Rock Hell, and the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
at Castle Donington
Castle Donington
Castle Donington is a village, with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, part of the Derby postcode area and on the edge of the National Forest. It is the closest town to East Midlands Airport.-Transport and housing:...
. Besides guitarist Clarke, and Jepson, the band featured drummer Steve Strange (not the singer Steve Strange
Steve Strange
Steve Strange , is a Welsh pop singer, best known as the lead singer and frontman of the 1980s pop group Visage...
) and John McManus (Mama's Boys
Mama's Boys
Mama's Boys were a 1980s hard rock/heavy metal group from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland featuring the three McManus brothers Pat, a.k.a. 'The Professor", , John , Tommy . Later in their career they became a four-piece adding Rick Chase on vocals in 1985 who was later replaced by Keith Murrell...
).
In an interview with Komodo Rock at the Hard Rock Hell Festival in November 2007, Eddie Clark confirmed that he and Toby Jepson would be working on new material. He said "Toby and I are going to sit down and maybe do a few tunes over the winter. See if we can write some tunes." As of 2008, Toby Jepson announced he would go on to front Scottish hard rockers Gun
Gun (band)
Gun are a rock band from Glasgow, Scotland, best known for their cover of Cameo's "Word Up!".-Early career:Originally called Blind Allez then for a short time, 'Phobia', GUN were formed in 1987 by Giuliano Gizzi and Cami Morlotti , with Mark Rankin , Alan Thornton and David Aitken...
full time.
In late 2010 "Fast" Eddie Clarke returned to the recording studio to record a new album with Toby Jepson, titled "Eat Dog Eat". The album will be released on November 14th, 2011, by SPV/Steamhammer, and it is the first album of entirely new material from Fastway in over twenty years.
Discography
- FastwayFastway (album)Fastway is the first album by the band, Fastway.Though credited, Pete Way did not actually play on the album. By the time the recording sessions began he had already left the band...
(1983) #43 UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, #31 U.S.Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... - All Fired UpAll Fired UpAll Fired Up is the second album by the hard rock band Fastway. It was released in 1984.-Track listing:# All Fired Up - 2:43# Misunderstood - 3:22# Steal the Show - 3:38# Station - 2:56# Non-Stop Love - 4:52# Hurtin' Me - 4:30# Tell Me - 3:50...
(1984) #59 U.S. - Waiting for the RoarWaiting for the RoarWaiting for the Roar is the third album by the heavy metal band Fastway. It was released in 1985.-Track listing:# "The World Waits For You" - 6:24# "Kill Me With Your Heart" - 4:49# "Tired of Your Love" - 3:57# "Change" - 4:52# "Move Over" - 4:05...
(1985) - Trick or Treat (soundtrack, 1986) #156 U.S.; #35 AUSTRALIA
- On Target (1988) #135 U.S.
- Bad Bad Girls (1990)
- Say What You Will - Live (1991)
- On Target Reworked (1997)
- The Collection (2001)
- Fastway/All Fired Up remastered (2003)
- Waiting For The Roar remastered (2005)
- Eat Dog Eat (2011)
Singles and EPs
- We Become One (1983)
- Easy Livin’ (1983)
- All Fired Up (1984)
- The Stranger (1984)
- The World Waits For You (1986)
- A Fine Line (1988)
- I’ve Had Enough (1990)
- Bad Bad Girls (1990)