No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
Encyclopedia
No Sleep ’til Hammersmith is the first live album
by Motörhead. Released on 27 June 1981, it peaked at #1 on the UK
album charts. It was followed by the release of the single "Motorhead" (coupled with the non-album track "Over the Top") on 11 July, which peaked in the UK singles chart at #6.
Backstage at the Leeds and Newcastle shows the band were presented with silver record and gold record for sales of Ace of Spades
, a silver record for Overkill
and a silver record for "Please Don't Touch
".
Lemmy has stated that originally they intended it to be a double album but they only had enough material for three sides. At time of the album's release, the band were in the middle of their first North America
tour, supporting Ozzy Osbourne
.
The US 1996 CD version added detail to the effect that the bonus tracks were recorded "live in the studio at about the same time as the Hammersmith shows". Presumably this means at about the same time as the shows for the live album, since the Hammersmith Odeon was not played on the tour. One of the Newcastle dates was most certainly used on the record for the song "(We Are) The Roadcrew,"
as evidenced by a roadie saying "Come on then Newcastle! Let's hear it for the road crew!"
album and single. Lemmy believes its success was due to a building anticipation from their fan base for a live album, due to the band having toured so heavily in the past, but also considered it "our downfall" due to the difficulty in following up its success.
The album is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
.
.
The album title has been parodied or referenced on:
, Ian Kilmister and Phil Taylor except where stated.
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...
by Motörhead. Released on 27 June 1981, it peaked at #1 on the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
album charts. It was followed by the release of the single "Motorhead" (coupled with the non-album track "Over the Top") on 11 July, which peaked in the UK singles chart at #6.
History
With the exception of "Iron Horse / Born To Lose" which was from a 1980 show, it was recorded at the Leeds and Newcastle shows during the Short, Sharp Pain In The Neck five-date tour in 1981. The name of the tour was a reference to the injury sustained by Phil Taylor when he was dropped on his head during some after-show horseplay. Despite the title of the album, the London venue the Hammersmith Odeon was not played on the tour, the shows being:- 27 March 1981: West Runton Pavilion, Norfolk, England
- 28 March 1981: Queens Hall, Leeds, England
- 29 March 1981: City Hall, Newcastle, England
- 30 March 1981: City Hall, Newcastle, England
- 3 April 1981: Maysfield Leisure Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Backstage at the Leeds and Newcastle shows the band were presented with silver record and gold record for sales of Ace of Spades
Ace of Spades (album)
Ace of Spades is the fourth album by the British band Motörhead. Released on 8 November 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts and reached Gold status by March 1981...
, a silver record for Overkill
Overkill (album)
Overkill is the second album released by Motörhead, in 1979, and their first for Bronze Records. It peaked at number 24 on the UK charts.It had a big impact in the British punk culture of that time, paving the way for UK82. Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No...
and a silver record for "Please Don't Touch
Please Don't Touch (song)
Please Don't Touch is the debut single by English rock and roll group Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, released in 1959 reaching number 25 on the UK singles charts.-Personnel:*Johnny Kidd – vocals*Mike West, Tom Brown – backing vocals*Alan Caddy – lead guitar...
".
Lemmy has stated that originally they intended it to be a double album but they only had enough material for three sides. At time of the album's release, the band were in the middle of their first North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
tour, supporting 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...
.
The US 1996 CD version added detail to the effect that the bonus tracks were recorded "live in the studio at about the same time as the Hammersmith shows". Presumably this means at about the same time as the shows for the live album, since the Hammersmith Odeon was not played on the tour. One of the Newcastle dates was most certainly used on the record for the song "(We Are) The Roadcrew,"
as evidenced by a roadie saying "Come on then Newcastle! Let's hear it for the road crew!"
Critical reception
No Sleep 'til Hammersmith is the band's most successful in terms of chart positioning, peaking at #1 on the UK charts, having capitalised on the preceding success of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP and Ace of SpadesAce of Spades (album)
Ace of Spades is the fourth album by the British band Motörhead. Released on 8 November 1980, it peaked at #4 on the UK album charts and reached Gold status by March 1981...
album and single. Lemmy believes its success was due to a building anticipation from their fan base for a live album, due to the band having toured so heavily in the past, but also considered it "our downfall" due to the difficulty in following up its success.
The album is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
.
Cultural references
The band's second live album is designated the brother of No Sleep 'til Hammersmith and is called Nö Sleep at AllNo Sleep at All
Nö Sleep at All is the second official live album by the British band Motörhead, following 1981's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. It was recorded on 2 July 1988 at a Giants of Rock Festival performance in Hämeenlinna, Finland.-History:...
.
The album title has been parodied or referenced on:
- MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's No Life 'til Leather demo - The Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
' track title "No Sleep till BrooklynNo Sleep Till Brooklyn"No Sleep till Brooklyn" is a song by Beastie Boys as well as the sixth single on their debut studio album Licensed to Ill. The name of the song itself is a play on Motörhead's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith album.-Production and play:...
" from their album Licensed to IllLicensed to IllIn 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums.It is still the only album by a white hip-hop act to receive the coveted 5 mics from The Source.... - Stiff Little FingersStiff Little FingersStiff Little Fingers are a punk rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. They formed in 1977, at the height of the Troubles. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star , doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They split up after six years and four albums, although they...
' 1988 live album No Sleep 'til BelfastNo Sleep 'Til BelfastNo Sleep 'til Belfast is a live Punk album by the band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1988 .-Track listing:#"Alternative Ulster" – 3:08... - Strapping Young LadStrapping Young LadStrapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
's live No Sleep 'till BedtimeNo Sleep 'till BedtimeNo Sleep 'till Bedtime is a live album by Canadian heavy metal band Strapping Young Lad. It was recorded live in Melbourne Australia, October 12, 1997; however, the live tracks present here are the only ones recorded before the tape ran out. Tracks 8 and 9 are new studio tracks that were added by... - Morris Minor and the MajorsMorris Minor and the MajorsMorris Minor and the Majors was a band led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks. They were made vaguely famous by their 1988 song, "Stutter Rap ". The song aimed to parody the then popular Beastie Boys. The other two members were Rusty Wing and Phil Errup .It reached No. 4 in the UK Singles...
' song "Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime)", which itself is a parody of "No Sleep till BrooklynNo Sleep Till Brooklyn"No Sleep till Brooklyn" is a song by Beastie Boys as well as the sixth single on their debut studio album Licensed to Ill. The name of the song itself is a play on Motörhead's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith album.-Production and play:...
." - The first CD on Die ÄrzteDie ÄrzteDie Ärzte is a punk band from Berlin. Die Ärzte are one of the best-known German punk rock bands and have released over 20 albums. The band consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub, drummer Bela B. and bass player Rodrigo González...
's double Live album Wir wollen nur deine SeeleWir wollen nur deine SeeleWir wollen nur deine Seele is the second live album by Die Ärzte and was released on November 22, 1999. It is a compilation of songs from different concerts...
, which is called "Nö Sleep 'til Viehauktiönshalle Öldenbürg" - The Australian No Sleep Til FestivalNo Sleep Til FestivalThe No Sleep Til Festival was a music festival that was held across Australia and New Zealand in December 2010. The Festival was headlined by Megadeth, who played their album Rust in Peace in its entirety. Other bands included were NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, and Parkway Drive...
, which has featured bands such as MegadethMegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, NOFXNOFXNOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
and Frenzal RhombFrenzal RhombFrenzal Rhomb are an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1992 with mainstay Jason Whalley on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. In 1996, Lindsay McDougall joined the line-up on lead guitar and backing vocals. Two of the group's albums have peaked into the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart, A...
. - In the video game Brütal LegendBrütal LegendBrütal Legend is an action-adventure/real-time strategy game created by Double Fine Productions and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released during October 2009 in North America and Europe...
(in which Lemmy voices a character modeled after him) a member of the Ironheade faction says "No sleep 'til Battersmith!". - The Macc LadsMacc LadsThe Macc Lads were a punk and hard rock band from Macclesfield, UK. Self-proclaimed "rudest, crudest, lewdest, drunkest band in Christendom", The Macc Lads used irreverent and foul-mouthed lyrics, political incorrectness, drinking, sexism and homophobia....
' "No Sheep 'Til Buxton" from their "Sheepless Nights" EP
Track listing
All songs by Eddie ClarkeEddie 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:...
, Ian Kilmister and Phil Taylor except where stated.
Side 1
- "Ace of SpadesAce of Spades (song)"Ace of Spades" is a song by the English band Motörhead, released in 1980 as a single and the title track to the album Ace of Spades. The song spent 12 weeks in the United Kingdom Singles Chart, peaking at #15.-Overview:...
" (3:01) - "Stay Clean" (2:50)
- "Metropolis" (3:31)
- "The Hammer" (3:05)
- "Iron Horse/Born to Lose" (Taylor, Mick Brown, Guy "Tramp" Lawrence) (3:58)
- "No ClassNo Class"No Class" is a song by the heavy metal band Motörhead. It was released in 1979, in 7" vinyl pressings. The song first appeared on the 1979 album Overkill, and became one of the "cornerstones" of the classic 1981 live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith...
" (2:34)
Side 2
- "OverkillOverkill (song)"Overkill" is a song by the band Motörhead. It was released in 7" and 12" vinyl pressings in 1979. It is backed with B-side "Too Late Too Late" which appears on the CD re-issues of the Overkill album. Early copies came with a free "Overkill" badge...
" (5:13) - "(We Are) the Road Crew" (3:31)
- "Capricorn" (4:40)
- "BomberBomber (song)"Bomber" is a song by the English heavy metal band Motörhead, recorded and released in 1979 . It is the title track to their album Bomber and was released as a single peaking at 34 on the UK singles chart....
" (3:24) - "Motorhead" (Kilmister) (4:47)
1996 Essential Records CD bonus tracks
- "Over the Top" [B-side] (3:04)
- "Capricorn" [alternate] (4:54)
- "Train Kept A-Rollin'Train Kept A-Rollin'"Train Kept A-Rollin" is a song written by Tiny Bradshaw, Howard Kay, and Lois Mann. Bradshaw first recorded the song as a jump blues in 1951—his best known recording. After a rock and roll version of the song was recorded and released by Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio in 1956, numerous...
" (Tiny BradshawTiny BradshawMyron C. Bradshaw was an American jazz and rhythm and blues bandleader, singer, composer, pianist, and drummer from Youngstown, Ohio.-Early years:...
, Howard Kay, Lois Mann) (2:44)
2001 Metal-Is Records "Complete Edition": Disc 1 bonus tracks
- "Over The Top" [B-side] (2:57)
- "Shoot You in the Back" [previously unreleased] (2:43)
- "Jailbait" [previously unreleased] (3:34)
- "Leaving Here" [previously unreleased] (2:48)
- "Fire, Fire" [previously unreleased] (2:55)
- "Too Late, Too Late" [previously unreleased] (3:04)
- "Bite the Bullet/The Chase Is Better than the Catch" [previously unreleased] (6:38)
2001 Metal-Is Records "Complete Edition": Disc 2
- "Ace of Spades" [alternate] (2:47)
- "Stay Clean" [alternate] (2:54)
- "Metropolis" [alternate] (3:46)
- "The Hammer" [alternate] (3:01)
- "Capricorn" [alternate] (5:00)
- "No Class" [alternate] (2:44)
- "(We Are) the Road Crew" [alternate] (3:31)
- "Bite the Bullet/The Chase Is Better than the Catch" [alternate] (6:07)
- "Overkill" [alternate] (4:53)
- "Bomber" [alternate] (3:26)
- "Motorhead" [alternate] (Kilmister) (5:31)
Chart positions
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The 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... |
1 |
Credits
- Lemmy (Ian Kilmister): bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lead vocals - "Fast" Eddie ClarkeEddie ClarkeEdward 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:...
: guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, backing vocals - Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor: drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Produced by Vic Maile
- Front sleeve photographs by Ian Kalinouski
- Back sleeve photographs by Graham Mitchell and Simon Porter
Release history
| Date | Region | Label | Catalogue | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 1981 | UK | Bronze Bronze Records Bronze Records is an independent English record label set up in 1971 by record producer Gerry Bron, and based in Chalk Farm, London.Bron had been producing Uriah Heep for Vertigo Records, and he set up this new label for future Uriah Heep releases, along with Juicy Lucy, Richard Barnes and Colosseum... |
BRON 535 | vinyl | Peaked at #1 in the album chart. Has a photo-montage inner-sleeve |
| 27 June 1981 | UK | Bronze | BRONG 535 | gold vinyl | |
| 1990 | UK | Castle | CLACD 179 | CD | |
| 1996 | UK | Essential | ESMCD313 | CD | 3 bonus tracks, gold picture disc |
| 1996 | North America | Dojo | DOJO 3035-2 | CD | 3 bonus tracks |
| 2001 | UK | Sanctuary | SMEDD 043 | 2CD | "Complete Edition": bonus unreleased tracks (disk 1) and alternate takes (disk 2) |