Fast Eddie: I never walked out on Motorhead

Former Motorhead guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke says he's never got over being sacked by the band.

He insists stories that he left of his own accord are untrue – and that he was ousted in 1982 at the hand of then-drummer Phil ‘Philthy Animal’ Taylor, despite previous differences between him and Lemmy having been resolved.

Clarke tells Classic Rock Revisited: “Phil was a different story. He was the main instigator in my being excluded from the band. Notice I do not call it ‘leaving’ – it wasn’t my choice. Everyone else says I left; not me.

“I’m still a little raw about not being in Motorhead any more. Some things you just don’t get over. I had imagined dying onstage with Motorhead, so it was a blow when they didn’t want me any longer.”

Clarke last month launched a blues album called Make My Day – Back To Blues, which he says takes him back to his musical roots. And he reveals the reason he recorded vocal tracks was that he couldn’t face dealing with a singer following his experiences with Toby Jepson on 2011 Fastway release Dog Eat Dog.

Clarke says: “I had a real bad experience with the vocalist bailing out before we could do any shows. I decided I could take no more – so I would do it myself. I wasn’t really nervous; I learned from my first solo album that if you commit to the task there’s no room for nerves.”

He regrets: “I don’t think I get along with vocalists, judging by my history. I really love the Fastway stuff; but as I said, a good vocalist is hard to find, and Fastway needs a good vocalist. But I am always ready to do more if the right situation arises. Fastway has some great songs and has always cooked as a live outfit.”

See the video for Fast Eddie Clarke’s new song Make My Day below

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.