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{{Short description|Song by Hawkwind}}
{{About|the song|other uses|Motorhead (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox
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| cover = Hawkwind_-_Kings_of_Speed_Single_(1975).jpg |
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| recorded = January 1975
| Writer = [[Ian Fraser Kilmister|Ian Kilmister]]▼
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|[[Hard rock]]|[[space rock]]}}
| length = 3:02
| label =
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = Alternative cover
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The song was written in the [[Andaz West Hollywood|Hyatt Hotel]] (a.k.a. 'Riot House') in [[West Hollywood, California]]. Lemmy explains how it was created:
<blockquote>I was on tour with Hawkwind in 1974, we were staying at the Riot House and [[Roy Wood]] and [[Wizzard]] were also in town. I got this urge to write a song in the middle of the night. I ran downstairs to the Wizzard room, got Roy's Ovation acoustic guitar, then hurried back to mine. I went on to the balcony and howled away for four hours. Cars were stopping and the drivers were listening then driving off, and there I was yelling away at the top of my voice." - Lemmy.<ref name="SFN">{{cite web |url=http://www.starfarer.net/clippings15.html |title=Riffs that Changed the World |
The title of the song is
<blockquote>The six thousand miles was a reference to Los Angeles, and the rest is self-explanatory. And yes, I am the only person to fit the word '[[parallelogram]]' into a rock'n'roll number! I'm very proud of that.<ref name="SFN"/></blockquote>
The guitars and bass are tuned down a
There is a jazz-inspired violin solo break by keyboard player [[Simon House]] which, based on the verse/pre-chorus/chorus pattern, occurs after the second chorus.<ref name="Loudersound">{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-motorhead-by-motorhead |title=The Story Behind The Song: Motorhead by Motörhead |author= Paul Elliott |date=17 September 2016 |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001123219/https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-motorhead-by-motorhead |archive-date=2018-10-01}}</ref>
The original backing tracks for "
"Motorhead"<!--another recording or the same one?--> was also used by Hawkwind on their 1986 single "Motorhead"/"Hurry on Sundown", released on Flicknife Records.<ref name="UKO"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://home.clara.net/adawson/singles/motorhe1.html |title=Motorhead/Hurry on Sundown |access-date=2007-05-14 |work=Index for Hawkwind 7", 12" & CD singles and EP's}}</ref>
From 1992 the song has been added to CD re-issues of Hawkwind's ''[[Warrior on the Edge of Time]]'' album. The song<!--which recording--> has also appeared on various compilation albums, such as ''British Tribal Music'', ''The Hawkwind Collection'' and ''The Hawkwind Anthology Vol. II''.<ref name="UKO"/>
==Motörhead versions==
{{Infobox song
The song was re-recorded by Lemmy's subsequent band [[Motörhead]] and released on their 1977 debut album, ''[[Motörhead (album)|Motörhead]]''. It was also chosen for release as a 7" vinyl single in June 1977, although it failed to chart. Recorded at Escape Studios, Kent, it was initially issued with the 'Map of Chiswick' label, later it was switched to the 'Big Beat' label and pressed in other formats.<ref name="ICGM">[[Alan Burridge (writer)|Burridge, Alan]]. ''Illustrated Collector's Guide to Motorhead''. Published: 1995. Collector's Guide Publishing. {{ISBN|0-9695736-2-6}}.</ref> Chiswick also released a special 12" vinyl edition which was limited to 12,500 copies.<ref name="RC1">{{cite journal |last=Burridge |first=Alan |authorlink=Alan Burridge (writer) |date=April 1991 |title=Motorhead |journal=[[Record Collector]] |issue=140 |pages=17–18 and 21}}</ref> In September 1979 Chiswick released a 7" vinyl picture disc in two pressings, black & white, and blue & white as well as single colour pressings in black, blue, pink, orange and white vinyl.<ref name="RC1"/>▼
| name = Motörhead
| cover = Motorhead (song).jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [[Motörhead]]
| album = [[Motörhead (album)|Motörhead]]
| B-side = City Kids
| released = 17 June 1977<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1977/Music-Week-1977-06-18.pdf|title=Music Week|page=37}}</ref>
| recorded = 27–29 April 1977
| studio = [[Escape Studios]] (Kent, England)
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:13
| label = [[Chiswick Records|Chiswick]]
| writer = [[Lemmy|Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister]]
| producer = [[Speedy Keen]]
| prev_title = [[Leaving Here#Motörhead version|Leaving Here]]
| prev_year = 1977
| next_title = [[Louie Louie#Motörhead (1978)|Louie Louie]]
| next_year = 1978
| misc = {{Audio sample
| type = single
| file = Motörhead.ogg
}}
{{Extra album cover
| header = Alternative cover
| type = Single
| cover = Motorhead (song) A.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = 1979 Chiswick picture disc (B-side)
}}
}}
▲The song was re-recorded by Lemmy's subsequent band [[Motörhead]] and released on their 1977 debut album, ''[[Motörhead (album)|Motörhead]]''. It was also chosen for release as a 7" vinyl single in June 1977, although it failed to chart. Recorded at Escape Studios, Kent, it was initially issued with the 'Map of Chiswick' label, later it was switched to the 'Big Beat' label and pressed in other formats.<ref name="ICGM">
The track "Motorhead" is credited to Lemmy, the B-side, "City Kids", to [[Duncan Sanderson]] and [[Larry Wallis]]. The band members in the recording were [[Eddie Clarke|"Fast" Eddie Clarke]] on guitars and vocals, [[Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor]] on drums, and Lemmy on bass and lead vocals. The single was produced by [[Speedy Keen]] and engineered by [[John Burns (audio engineer)|John Burns]]. The sleeve photographs are attributed to Motorcycle Irene.▼
▲The band members on the recording were [[Eddie Clarke (musician)|"Fast" Eddie Clarke]] on guitars and vocals, [[Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor]] on drums, and Lemmy on bass and lead vocals. The track "Motorhead" is credited to Lemmy, the B-side, "City Kids", to [[Duncan Sanderson]] and [[Larry Wallis]]
[[Motörhead]] recorded a live version, which was released as a 7" vinyl single on 11 July 1981. It fared much better than the original single and reached number six in the [[UK Singles Charts]]. Whereas the previous recording plays in [[E major]], this recording plays in E♭.<ref name="UGA"/> The single uses recordings made in March 1981 while the band were on their four-day "The Short, Sharp, Pain in the Neck Tour", as were the other tracks on the parent album, ''[[No Sleep 'til Hammersmith]]''.<ref name="ICGM"/> Bronze Records released a 7" picture disc, the A-side has the same picture as the cover and the B-side has a white [[Motörhead#Snaggletooth|Motörhead logo]] on black. A promotional 12" vinyl single was released in the [[United States|USA]], with the album's "No Class" track as its B-side. This track has also been featured on unofficial releases, such as the 1993 [[Castle Communications]] double album [[compilation album|compilation]], ''All the Aces'', and Deadline Music's 1999 ''Golden Years - The Alternate Versions'', which was released under licence from Receiver Records.▼
▲
The track "Motorhead" is credited to Lemmy, the track "Over the Top" to Lemmy, [[Eddie Clarke|"Fast" Eddie Clarke]], and [[Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor]]. The band members are the same as on the previous recording.▼
▲The track "Motorhead" is credited to Lemmy,
In 1988 Castle Communications released a 3" CD single of four Motörhead tracks, the inserts states track three is "Motorhead" but actually plays "Jailbait", the edition was limited to 5,000 copies.<ref name="ICGM"/>
In 2008, the song was re-recorded as downloadable content for the [[rhythm game]] ''[[Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock]]'', along with "Stay Clean" and "(We Are) The Road Crew". This re-recorded version appeared as a
In 2012, ''[[Loudwire]]'' ranked the song number ten on their list of the top 10 Motörhead songs,<ref>{{cite web|url=10 Best Motorhead Songs|first=Amy|last=Sciarretto|work=[[Loudwire]]|date=December 24, 2012|accessdate=April 6, 2022}}</ref> and in 2021, ''[[Metal Hammer|Louder Sound]]'' ranked the song number seven on their list of the top 50 Motörhead songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-best-motorhead-songs/5|title=The 50 best Motorhead songs|first=Rich|last=Hobson|work=[[Metal Hammer|Louder Sound]]|date=November 4, 2021|accessdate=April 6, 2022}}</ref>
==Other cover versions==
*1981 - [[Cockney Rejects]] on ''Greatest Hits Vol. 3 - Live & Loud''
*1990 - [[Lawnmower Deth]] on ''Ooh Crikey It's... Lawnmower Deth''
*1993 - [[Corduroy (band)|Corduroy]] as a single and on their ''[[Out
*1994 - [[The Nomads (Swedish band)|The Nomads]] on their'' Showdown 1981-1993'' album
*1995 - [[Poison Idea]] on "Pajama Party"
*1997 - [[Primal Scream]] on their ''[[Vanishing Point (Primal Scream album)|Vanishing Point]]'' album
*1999 - [[Acid King]] as bonus track on the re-release of their ''[[Busse Woods (album)|Busse Woods]]'' album
*2003 - [[Unkle]] sampled the bass intro from the Hawkwind version for their song Blackout, featured on [[Never, Never, Land]].
*2015 - Dutch band Death Alley released it as a 7" single which was sold during shows during 2015, but with the passing of Lemmy Kilmister they made it available online.
*2016 - [[The Go Getters]] on "Born to Raise Hell - A Rockabilly & Psychobilly Tribute to Motörhead in Memory of Lemmy Kilmister by various artists"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://secondhandsongs.com/release/316534 | title=Tracks on Born to Raise Hell - A Rockabilly & Psychobilly Tribute to Motörhead in Memory of Lemmy Kilmister - various artists (November 15, 2016) | SecondHandSongs | website=SecondHandSongs }}</ref>
==References==
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{{Motörhead}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Hawkwind songs]]
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