1975: After being fired from Hawkwind, Lemmy Kilmister decided to form a band called Bastard. When his manager informs him that a band by that name will never get a slot on "Top of the Pops", he changes it to Motörhead. The lineup consists of Lemmy on bass and vocals, Larry Wallis on guitar and Lucas Fox on drums. The band hits the studio by the end of the year, and during the recording sessions, Lucas is replaced by Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.

1976: Motörhead's then-label doesn't like the recordings (the company releases them, however, as On Parole three years later when the group starts achieving success). The guys decide a second guitar player is in order, so they ask "Fast" Eddie Clarke to try out. For reasons still unknown, Larry Wallis quits during the audition. Fast Eddie stays, however, thus completing the trio that sees Motörhead through the ground-breaking early years. The band gigs, records, and finds a new manager (or two).

1977: Motorhead (Chiswick) is the band's first album to see the light of day. The guy's fan base builds and they start earning a reputation for being very loud, raw, dirty and all those things heavy rock'n'roll should be.

1978: Motorhead's manager pulls them out of the Chiswick deal. Yet another manager gets them a contract with Bronze Records. Before making their own album, they record a few tracks with The Damned, including a cover of the Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz." At the end of the year, Motorhead enters the studio with producer Jimmy Miller (of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street and Goat's Head Soup fame). Life is looking much better.

1979: The resulting album, Overkill, is an immediate classic and hits the charts very strongly. The band tours all over England and lands in jail after some playful destruction at a Finnish festival. Without taking a breather, Motorhead goes back into the studio with Miller, this time producing Bomber, which charts even higher than Overkill. More touring and insanity ensues.

1980: After touring Europe and appearing on "Top of the Pops" for the umpteenth time (maybe that manager did have a point), the band teams up with Vic Maile for perhaps their best known studio album, Ace of Spades. The Record peaks at number 4 on the charts. The accident-prone Philthy ends the year by breaking his neck while engaging in a bit of horseplay with a large Irish fan.

1981: While waiting for Philthy to heal, Lemmy and Eddie team up with the members of Girlschool and producer Maile. The result is The St. Valentines Day Massacre EP, which includes the hit single, "Please Don't Touch." After the two groups perform on "Top of the Pops" as Headgirl, Motorhead hits the road and makes their first trek to the States as special guest on Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard of Oz tour. While in the U.S., No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith — perhaps one of the greatest live albums ever — is released. It instantly charts in at Number One. Motorhead are now bonafide rock stars.

1982: The guys begin the year by recording Iron Fist, which they produce themselves. The record sells well and they return to their natural habitat — the road. There is trouble in paradise, however, and Fast Eddie leaves the band during their second U.S. tour, not long after Lemmy records the Tammy Wynette song, "Stand By Your Man" with Wendy O. Williams. To replace him, Motorhead enlists Brian "Robbo" Robertson from Thin Lizzy. They conquer Japan and re-conquer Europe.

1983: The band recorded Another Perfect Day, their first — and only — album with Robbo. The guitarist's strange penchant for shorts and ballet shoes, and his refusal to play Motorhead's most popular songs, does not sit well with the fans. He leaves the band near the end of the year.

1984: Motorhead finds not one, but two guitarists — Phil Campbell and Wurzel. Unfortunately, they lose Philthy. He's replaced by Saxon's Pete Gill. They break new ground in Australia and New Zealand, but they also part ways with their record label, Bronze. No Remorse — a "greatest hits" package with four new tracks — is their last album for the company.

1985: Because of legal hassles with Bronze, Motorhead is not able to make a new album, so the band spends its tenth year of existence touring and appearing on various radio and TV shows in England, Scandinavia, and America.

1986: The legal trouble with Bronze not resolved, the guys hit the studio with Bill Laswell for the GWR label and record the mighty Orgasmatron. Motorhead is back in action and massive touring ensues, including a powerful show at the Monsters of Rock in Castle Donnington.

1987: Motorhead performs in Eat the Rich, the black comedy by the makers of the English TV show The Young Ones (a show the band appears in frequently). Lemmy has a featured role in the movie, and Motorhead also records the soundtrack album. Just before the filming starts, Pete Gill leaves the band and Philthy returns. They record an album with a title that says it all: Rock'N'Roll.

1988: The guys barrel on as road dogs, beginning with America as special guests for Alice Cooper. Another live album, No Sleep At All, is released. Lemmy somehow finds time to co-write a song, "Can't Catch Me" with Lita Ford for her album, Lita. He also writes lyrics for "Head Over Heels", a song by his old friends, Girlschool. He also appears in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. The band finishes up the year with another American tour — Slayer opens.

1989: The boys break new ground, playing in Brazil and Yugoslavia, along with many old, familiar countries. Lemmy sings and plays bass with Nina Hagen on her self-titled LP. There is no new Motorhead studio album this year because of litigation with GWR.

1990: The legal trouble with GWR is finally resolved, and Motorhead signs its first full-on major label record deal with WTG/Sony. Lemmy relocates to West Hollywood, just a couple blocks from the Rainbow. The band obtains new management, and enters the studio for another crushing LP.

1991: 1916 is released and it's Motorhead's best album in years. The band goes through a couple more managers and plays the "Operation Rock'N'Roll" tour with Judas Priest and Alice Cooper — a review calls our boys "the tangy mustard in an otherwise bland noise sandwich." An appearance on The Tonight Show — the first time a heavy band is featured — adds to their already rock-solid credibility. Lemmy writes lyrics for four songs on Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears album.

1992: 1916 is nominated for a Grammy (but loses to Metallica) and Lemmy attends the festivities. When the band goes into the studio to record March or Die, they change drummers — Philthy is out and Mikkey Dee comes in. The guys play some dates with a couple of bands they influenced — Metallica and Guns N' Roses, on their stadium tour.

1993: Inexplicably, Motorhead is dropped by WTG, which goes belly up not long after. Amidst much anger and frustration, the band records Bastards on their own. They work out a deal with ZYX for distribution, but this great album does not hit the stores like it should. Nevertheless, it gets more radio play than either 1916 or March of Die.

1994: Tours for the year include a trek with Black Sabbath and a concert in Argentina, where Motorhead co-headlines with the Ramones for 45,000 fans. They record a version of "Born to Raise Hell" (originally on Bastards) with Ice-T and Ugly Kid Joe's Whitfield Crane for the movie Airheads. Although the band is temporarily without an American deal, they hit the studio once again, and the result is the fearsome Sacrifice.

1995: This banner year — Motorhead's 20th anniversary — sees change and celebrations. Wurzel leaves the band at the end of making Sacrifice. Motorhead is a three-piece once again and their shows are stronger than ever. CMC signs the guys and releases Sacrifice in America. There is an historic party at year's end, marking two decades of Motor-mania and Lemmy's 50th birthday. Metallica flies down especially for the tribute at the Whisky A-Go-Go. The Bay-Area behemoths call themselves "The Lemmys" (and dress the part!) and rip through a set of Motorhead's greatest songs.

1996: After the usual worldwide trek, the group settles back into the studio once again to create yet another slab of sheer volume and power for CMC. Overnight Sensation is released on October 15th. The past 21 years have contained glorious highs and dastardly lows, but absolutely nothing can stop Motorhead.

Sit Down And Drink With Lemmy

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ON THE INTERNET?

Lemmy: It will either be the greatest thing that ever happened to us or the death of humanity. I am not sure which.

SO, WHAT OR WHO GOT YOU STARTED IN ROCK AND ROLL?

Lemmy: It's Little Richard's fault, all of it. Little Richard is directly responsible for Motorhead. I heard "Good Golly, Mrs. Molly" and that was the end of it.

YOU STARTED OUT AS A GUITARIST. WHAT MADE YOU SWITCH TO THE BASS?

Lemmy: I was a really bad guitarist. I used to fool people by moving my fingers around really fast.

WHO WERE YOUR INFLUENCES AS A BASS PLAYER?

Lemmy: Paul McCartney & John Enthwisal (The Who) are my two favorites. Between them you can get anything you want.

MOTORHEAD HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING THE LOUDEST BAND IN THE WORLD.

Lemmy: Well we were; we're not now.

WHO SURPASSED YOU?

Lemmy: AC/DC. We were in the Guiness Book of World Records for about five years. We built a whole stage out of P.A.'s at this festival in London, 117,000 Watts. In fact, a guy called up from four miles away while we were soundchecking and said he couldn't hear his TV, four miles away. I ain't deaf. I've just always liked it loud, you know, the live sound. I think there is something wrong with you if you like quiet rock and roll.

MOTORHEAD WAS A THREE PIECE BAND, THEN FOUR AND NOW THREE AGAIN. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE?

Lemmy: They both have their advantages and disadvantages. With four people there are more people to blame. With three there is more money to go around.

MOTORHEAD'S STYLE INCLUDES MANY DIFFERENT INFLUENCES. CAN YOU PICK SOME OUT FOR US?

Lemmy: We're Blues based. Motorhead is actually a Blues Rock band, but very fast. We still got the bend in it. That's what the bands today miss, that bend, that slide. They don't understand it 'cause they never listened to the blues.

WHO DID YOU LISTEN TO WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?

Lemmy: A lot of Elvis, Carl Perkins, Little Richard, Fats Dominos, Buddy Holly. All theme guys and they were excellent. Ain't been nothing like it since.

WHO DO YOU LISTEN TO THESE DAYS?

Lemmy: No one really. I read and watch movies. I'm still listening to people like Dave Edmonds, which is still harking back to my youth, but everyone does. That's why we can't get rid of "Ace of Spades."

ARE YOU TIRED OF PLAYING "ACE OF SPADES"?

Lemmy: Wouldn't you be? 14 years. I sang "Eight of Spades" for five years and nobody noticed. That will show you how much attention people pay to the bloody vocals.

WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF MOTORHEAD OVER THE YEARS?

Lemmy: Not giving up; it's as simple as that.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO TRAVEL ON TOUR?

Lemmy: We travel on the bus, with the crew. Socks all over the bus, greasy jeans everywhere. It's frickin' awful.

DO YOU PREFER THE ROAD OR THE STUDIO?

Lemmy: I like the studio a lot more than I used to, because I know what's going on a lot more. I've learned what you can do. I don't know exactly how to turn the knobs. The studio sound of Motorhead has gotten a lot fiercer. People think that the old recordings were harder, but they're not. It's just that they were hard when you first heard them because what was around then.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE VENUE THAT YOU HAVE PLAYED OVER THE YEARS?

Lemmy: The latest two venues are, the House of Blues here (Los Angeles) and the House of Blues in New Orleans. They are really good rooms acoustically. And one of the worst is the Hollywood Paladium 'cause it's all wood. You would think that the Hollywood Palladium would be a great room, but on the stage you can't hear anything.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR CITY THAT YOU LIKE THE BEST?

Lemmy: No, wherever they say "Hurray", I like it the best. Wherever they say "Boo", I don't like.

DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR ALBUM THAT YOU THINK IS THE QUINTESSENTIAL MOTORHEAD ALBUM?

Lemmy: You always like the new one the best. Overnight Sensation has some songs like "Don't Believe A Word" that started out boring but it got really good. I like "Broken" a lot too.

OVERNIGHT SENSATION IS A GOOD BLEND OF HARD AND SOFT. IT'S NOT JUST POWER, POWER, POWER.

Lemmy: You know the bass is still under that acoustic guitar, you never lose it. It's just a change of mood.

YOU'RE KNOWN FOR YOUR COLLECTION OF NAZI MEMORABILIA. THERE CAN BE A STIGMA ATTACHED TO THAT SORT OF COLLECTION.

Lemmy: I do sometimes and it's ridiculous. I mean, if you like Civil War stuff, no one accuses you of being a racist. They don't mind flying the fucking confederate flag all over America, but they used to cut slaves' nuts off for running away. If you collect something, it doesn't mean you believe it. If you collect toy trains it doesn't mean you believe you're a toy engine driver. People now even more than before judge on appearances, and it's really sad that we haven't learned anything. God knows we should have learned that by now. All we've learned is how to kill more people from further away. It's the technology that has improved. Man's mind set hasn't improved one iota. They haven't read history so they don't understand. I collect Nazi memorabila because I like the workmanship.

HOW DOES RACISM IN AMERICA DIFFER FROM EUROPE?

Lemmy: Europeans are better at hiding it. In Europe it's more subtle. America has really got a problem with that shit and it has got to be worked out, and real quick 'cause we ain't got time for that shit anymore. We ain't got time for the White nation anymore, 'cause everybody is mixed up already. It's mixed up Jewish anyway. Three quarters of America has some Jew in it, and about half of America has some red Indian in it. In the SS you had to trace your ancestry back to 1720. You can't do that now in America. That's how it should be. We should all mix up. We have to; that's the only way we are going to be global. Racism is the most evil thing in the world. It fucks people up. I won't be a part of it. If you would have looked at the Civil War in this country, racism would have been over then. They had Blacks-only benches in Alabama up until '69, when they put men on the moon. What are we going to export to the stars... hatred, racism and fucking theft and business planning. If I was out there as they no doubt are, I wouldn't let us out there, would you? I've seen a UFO. I know they are out there.

DO YOU READ A LOT OF HISTORY BOOKS?

Lemmy: That's all I read. I read the occasional fairy tale. Yeh, I read documentary stuff mostly.

THERE ARE A LOT OF MOTORHEAD SONGS DEALING WITH WAR.

Lemmy: Well it's the most popular past time known to man, isn't it? We keep doing it. Apparently it doesn't go out of style.

DO YOU CONSIDER MOTORHEAD TO BE A POLITICAL BAND?

Lemmy: We are apolitical. We hate all politicians. They are all lying, thieving twats, everyone of them. I've never seen any one of them keep his word yet.

OVER THE YEARS THE PRESS, ESPECIALLY THE BRITISH PRESS LIKES TO WRITE ABOUT DRUNKEN EXPLOITS OF MOTORHEAD. DO YOU THINK THAT IT IS ALL HYPE?

Lemmy: No, it's not hype. Phil and Mikkey are the most entertaining drunks 'cause I don't get drunk anymore. Never did.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK?

Lemmy: I drink bourbon and Coke. Any kind, as long as it says Bourbon on it. I can't stand Scotch. I don't like them Canadian blend whiskeys either. I'd rather have Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, Maker's Mark... Maker's Mark is very good.

IS THERE A FAVORITE ILLICIT SUBSTANCE OF MOTORHEAD OVER THE YEARS?

Lemmy: Yes, but I'm not going to tell you what it is.

WHY DID YOU SHAVE THE LEMMY SIGNATURE MOUSTACHE?

Lemmy: 26 years is long enough for any moustache. Time for a retirement for awhile. I might put it back. I don't know. It looks alright though. All the girls say they like it better, so I might keep it for a while. 'Cause that's the reason we are all here... to get famous and to pull women. You can forget all that music stuff. I didn't do that until 2 years later. If you can get fucked, you are doing something right.

YOU LIVE IN LOS ANGELES NOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

Lemmy: I must like it. I've been here 6 years. Yeh, I like it. It's as good as any place else. It makes it very handy for the music business, very handy for publicity. It's either here or New York. You can't live any other place in the states. I'd like to live in Chicago. New Mexico is nice. New Orleans is great.

MOTORHEAD HAS BEEN RAGING FOR OVER 25 YEARS. IS THERE ANY END IN SIGHT?

Lemmy: We stopped this year. We took three weeks off. Why should we take it easy? I'm not old. I happen to be 50, but I don't know that. I don't understand 50. I feel like I'm 22 still. I'm not going anywhere.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT DOING SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?

Lemmy: Yes, there are lots of things I'd like to do. I like archaeology. I'd be a good one too. I could work in a museum of armor. I know a lot about that through collecting. I could be a historian, a writer of history.

WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE NAME MOTORHEAD?

Lemmy: It's American slang for speed freak.

I HEARD METALLICA PERFORMED A LEMMY TRIBUTE AT YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT?

Lemmy: They're a good band. I saw them at Lollapalooza. Those guys are unstoppable. They are excellent. They're Metallica, baby and they're fuckin' great.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUNG BANDS?

Lemmy: Don't give up.

LEMMY, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME. IT WAS REAL COOL HANGING OUT WITH YOU.