Stiff Records Week – Motörhead – White Line Fever

I had no clue Motörhead was on Stiff Records but here they are! They did not mess around about turning it up either. It’s everything you would think Motörhead would be…bombastic and in your face. We are going to extend the Stiff Records Week to one more post after this coming in the next hour. 

In 1976, Motörhead was struggling to gain traction in the music business. Their manager, Douglas Smith, helped secure a one-off deal with Stiff Records because they featured unconventional artists. The deal with Stiff Records aimed to produce a single, and the band recorded three tracks: White Line Fever, Leaving Here, and Instro.

The label didn’t release this single right away…they thought the band was too loud and abrasive. They didn’t release it until the end of 1977 on the album A Bunch of Stiff Records. Which was basically a compilation album with the label’s early signings. There was just a promo single of the song. Another label released it in 1993.

I’ve really started to appreciate Motörhead more and more…Lemmy was awesome. He is one of the best interviews you will see. He was who he was and he wasn’t changing for anyone. He reminds me a little of Keith Richards…but a rougher version.

He was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, played with Hawkwind, and later formed his band…Motörhead. They took punk and heavy metal and cross-pollinated the two forms in some ways.

I recommend you see a documentary on Lemmy. Even if you are not a fan, you will like it. 

White Line Fever

We can move around nowYou know it’s so goodBut I know you wouldn’t come clean now, babyEven if you couldwhite line fever

White line fever made me a believer nowWhite line fever, yeahTake me away from youJust come to me babeWe can stay right hereBut you don’t remember me, honey, ’cause of all you’ve done this yearWhite line fever

We’re gonna make you a dreamerWhite line fever, yeahIt’s a slow deathHey

Bye, bye, bye baby‘Cause there I comeWon’t go to sleep tonightBecause the white line turns me on

White line feverMade me a believerWhite line fever, yeahIt hasn’t killed me yetOh

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

38 thoughts on “Stiff Records Week – Motörhead – White Line Fever”

  1. Motörhead went through a ton of labels. Never knew they were on Stiff records Max. Some history there for sure. If anyone ever needs a kick in the pants to get some motivation check out “No Sleep Til Hammersmith” by these guys…
    It’ll knock your block off haha

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    1. My favorite interview is when he talks about the Beatles and Stones…its funny. I’ve grown to apprecicate them much more but it starts with Lemmy.

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  8. I think I do vaguely remember seeing Motorhead listed as a Stiff recording artist (they might like that description!) but I wouldn’t have known any details. Like you suggest though, what a willingness to listen to a wide range of artists they had.

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    1. They were odd to throw in that mix but it worked…it was only briefly but I bet the label was happy they signed them later…as Motorhead got popular

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  9. oh yes, Motorhead..the new wave of heavy metal in the late 70s was my life (there actually was a fanzine out of LA called that) and Motorhead was the right time, right place, no sleep ’til hammersmith..and yes the Stiff thing I always thought was odd, but they were on that edge of punk/heavy metal as were a lot of the british bands back then…Lemmy’s life in Sunset Strip at the end was kind of a sad end to that story. I’ve always wondered whatever happened to Fast Eddie, I know he had a band called Fastway for a while. One of the best singles ever was Motorhead/Girlschool Please Don’t Touch

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    1. I started to get into them when I started to blog…and I sought out any interview with Lemmy and then I started to listen…it started with the Ace of Spades and went from there.
      Oh I remember Fastway in the 1980s…. I’ll check that single out.

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  10. one fave memory is seeing them in Calgary on a Friday night open for Ozzy Osbourne (with Randy Rhodes) both Fast Eddie and Philthy were still in the band……the next night, caught Pat Benatar and Billy Squier….how’s that for a blast from the past?

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    1. Wow….that really is. My second concert ever was Squier….I thought he would have lasted longer…he was on a roll for a while.

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      4. I’m excited about this…now thinking about it…this is what he loved…that is why he liked the Beatles and would go see them in the Cavern because they would play essentially loud rockabilly with a lot of the songs they did at the time. It makes sense now.

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  14. Everybody loves Lemmy (the cut off jean short shorts!) He’s a character. I like his persona better than his music. But I like Ace of Spades and the tidbit that he tried to teach Sid Vicious how to play bass, but gave up. Said it was hopeless. Lol! He, like just about every other musician in the British punk scene, loved Sid though.

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    1. That documentary made me more a fan of them after I watched it. Love his attitude…I am who I am and you will either walk away or talk to me…he didn’t care. I love his stories on the Beatles and Stones.

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    2. CB just mentioned Pam that he was in a Rockabilly band that of course now I’m going to post…they were called The Head Cat…with the Stray Cats drummer….they are worth checking out.

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