Motorhead 'Born To Lose - Live To Win' - (the 1980 A5 Babylon book): There is a story behind this book, which is worth sharing.
A chap named John Muir owned Babylon Books, in Manchester. The era of the fanzine, John bought any he came across, and if they were good, he asked the creator if they would like to write a history of their subject? He bought the first few Motorhead fanzines, and then, by chance, bumped into a bloke who had taken some photos of Lemmy and Philthy, rehearsing. Thus, the idea of a Motorhead book birthed, and he asked me to write the words.
Backstage at the July 1980 Bingley gig, I saw someone, drunk, asleep, and with a pile of books on his lap; titled as above. When I enquired, a roadie said he'd published the book on the band. So, when he woke up / came too, I introduced myself. He gave me a copy of the book, and told the tale of how, as Fast Eddie Clarke hadn't been there on the day the photos were taken, he had commented about the error.
So, to appease the situation, then manager, Douglas Smith, gave Muir some Fast Eddie photos and asked him to reprint the book. The original book has a band photo on the front cover, whilst the reprint, which also has more pages, has the same picture over the back and front covers.
Where my copies went, I don't know?
I bid for one on EBay, but this morning, some bounder topped my price and I lost it!
Hey-Ho.
But those two early 'pilot-books' were what would later become the 'Motorhead' Babylon Book, with the blue cover. I notice there's a copy on Amazon for £150-00.
Crazy!
But it's around 30 years old now, so maybe not?
A chap named John Muir owned Babylon Books, in Manchester. The era of the fanzine, John bought any he came across, and if they were good, he asked the creator if they would like to write a history of their subject? He bought the first few Motorhead fanzines, and then, by chance, bumped into a bloke who had taken some photos of Lemmy and Philthy, rehearsing. Thus, the idea of a Motorhead book birthed, and he asked me to write the words.
Backstage at the July 1980 Bingley gig, I saw someone, drunk, asleep, and with a pile of books on his lap; titled as above. When I enquired, a roadie said he'd published the book on the band. So, when he woke up / came too, I introduced myself. He gave me a copy of the book, and told the tale of how, as Fast Eddie Clarke hadn't been there on the day the photos were taken, he had commented about the error.
So, to appease the situation, then manager, Douglas Smith, gave Muir some Fast Eddie photos and asked him to reprint the book. The original book has a band photo on the front cover, whilst the reprint, which also has more pages, has the same picture over the back and front covers.
Where my copies went, I don't know?
I bid for one on EBay, but this morning, some bounder topped my price and I lost it!
Hey-Ho.
But those two early 'pilot-books' were what would later become the 'Motorhead' Babylon Book, with the blue cover. I notice there's a copy on Amazon for £150-00.
Crazy!
But it's around 30 years old now, so maybe not?
posted by Alan Burridge at 11:20 PM
