Some news in overnight that’s quite captured our imagination. Set for a September 1 release is a new album called Under Cöver, a collection of covers – some previously released, some not – by the mighty Motörhead. And we have a sneak peek for you: a monolithic cover of Bowie’s “Heroes”, one of the last things the band recorded in 2015. Lemmy passed away three days after Christmas in 2015, just 13 days before Bowie’s own untimely death.
Motörhead – Lemmy – liked nothing like a good cover. And that fact shows the secret to what made Motörhead such a great and enduring band; a band that straddled the borders of metal, punk and classic rock and that became an icon to so many. The secret is that Lemmy was a rock’n’roll fan first and foremost. He lived and breathed the stuff. Going back to the very first Motörhead album, which featured covers of the Yardbirds’ version of “Train Kept A Rollin”, John Mayall’s early “I’m Your Witchdoctor” and the Motown classic “Leaving Here” (popularised in mid-‘60s London by Ron Wood’s first band the Birds), the band always had deep rock’n’roll roots and Lemmy was loved paying tribute to the songs and bands he loved.
For further info on Under Cöver, here’s the official announcement, underneath a trailer that offers up a bit of their perfect “God Save The Queen”. We’ll follow up with more music in coming days.
ONE THING Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee liked to do over their years together in Motörhead, was grab a favourite song by another artist and give it a good old fashioned ‘Motörheading’. To run them through the Motörizer if you will. To rock them, roll them and even give them an extra twist and edge.
In celebration of some of those finest moments, the band will release Under Cöver, a collection of some of their best covers, and a collection which will include the previously unreleased version of David Bowie’s timeless classic “Heroes”. Recorded during the Bad Magic sessions in 2015 by Cameron Webb, and was one of the last songs the band recorded together.
“It’s such a great Bowie song, one of his best, and I could only see great things coming out of it from us, and so it proved to be,” says Phil Campbell, “and Lemmy ended up loving our version.”
“He was very, very proud of it,” says Mikkey Dee, “not only because it turned out so well but because it was fun! Which is what projects like this should be – fun!”
To that ethic, the rest of the album contains loud and proud, raucous and raging Rock ‘N’ Roll takes on the likes of “God Save The Queen” (Sex Pistols), “Cat Scratch Fever” (Ted Nugent), “Rockaway Beach,” (The Ramones), Breaking The Law” (Judas Priest) and “Whiplash” (Metallica) which earned the band a Grammy in 2005 for Best Metal Performance.
“We were happy with them at the time and we’re happy with them now!” affirms Campbell, whilst Dee says, “We should remember that it’s about having some fun with songs that we all loved.”
So there you are. If that doesn’t have you scrambling for your music delivery device, then check your pulse pronto. Or just start scrambling for a copy of Under Cöver immediately. You won’t be sorry.
TRACKLISTING
1. Breaking the Law (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2008
2. God Save the Queen (Produced by Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet) 2000
3. Heroes (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2015
4. Starstruck (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2014
5. Cat Scratch Fever (Produced by Peter Solley) 1992
6. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Produced by Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet) 2001
7. Sympathy for the Devil (Produced by Cameron Webb) 2015
8. Hellraiser (Produced by Billy Sherwood) 1992
9. Rockaway Beach (Mixed by Cameron Webb) 2002
10.Shoot 'Em Down (Produced by Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet) 2001
11. Whiplash (Produced by Bruce Bouillet and Bob Kulick) 2005
All songs performed by Motörhead
Lemmy Kilmister – Bass/Vocals
Phil Campbell – Guitar
Mikkey Dee – Drums
- DL
