Motörhead’s seminal live album No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith is receiving a 40th anniversary expanded reissue due out June 25th. As a teaser, a video for a previously unreleased live version of “The Hammer” has been unveiled.
Released in 1981, No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith stands as the defining live document of Motörhead’s unrelenting brand of heavy music. Fresh off the release of Ace of Spades, the band is in full sonic flight — quite literally suspending a bomber over the stage. Song after song, Lemmy and company waylay the audience; it’s no surprise the LP often ranks high on all-time live album lists.
The expanded edition features remastered audio from the original analog tapes, bonus tracks, previously unheard soundcheck recordings, and a previously unreleased full concert recording from Newcastle City Hall on March 30th, 1981. For the 4-disc CD box set, the three full concerts from which the Hammersmith album was culled have been restored and released in their entirety for the first time.
The vinyl and CD box sets also include a book with previously unpublished and new interviews with Motörhead’s road crew along with rare photos and memorabilia. Among the other items in the CD set are a double-sided concert poster from 1981, reproduction USA 1981 tour pass, a Motörhead “England” plectrum, a 1981 European tour badge, reproduction Newcastle City Hall ticket, and a Port Vale gig flyer post card.
No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith went to No. 1 on the UK charts after its release on June 27th, 1981. It remains a milestone achievement in Motörhead’s career, but Lemmy wasn’t surprised.
“I knew it’d be the live one that went best,” he’s quoted as saying via the press release, “because we’re really a live band. You can’t listen to a record and find out what we’re about. You’ve got to see us.”
Check out the full tracklist for the CD box set and watch the video for “The Hammer” below. Pre-order the reissues are ongoing here.
No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith Box Set Artwork:
No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith CD Box Set Tracklist:
No Sleep ’Til Hammersmith:
01. Ace of Spades
02. Stay Clean
03. Metropolis
04. The Hammer
05. Iron Horse
06. No Class
07. Overkill
08. (We Are) The Roadcrew
09. Capricorn
10. Bomber
11. Motörhead
12. Over The Top
13. Train Kept A Rollin’
14. Stay Clean (soundcheck)
15. Limb From Limb (soundcheck)
16. Iron Horse (Soundcheck)
Live at Newcastle City Hall 03/30/1981:
01. Ace Of Spades
02. Stay Clean
03. Over The Top
04. Metropolis
05. Shoot You In The Back
06. The Hammer
07. Jailbait
08. Leaving Here
09. Iron Horse
10. Fire Fire
11. Capricorn
12. Too Late Too Late
13. No Class
14. (We Are) The Road Crew
15. Bite The Bullet
16. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
17. Overkill
18. Bomber
19. Motörhead
Live at Newcastle City Hall 03/29/1981:
01. Ace Of Spades
02. Stay Clean
03. Over The Top
04. Metropolis
05. Shoot You In The Back
06. The Hammer
07. Jailbait
08. Leaving Here
09. Fire Fire
10. Capricorn
11. Too Late Too Late
12. No Class
13. (We Are) The Road Crew
14. Bite The Bullet
15. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
16. Overkill
17. Bomber
18. Motörhead
Live at Leeds Queens Hall 03/28/1981:
01. Ace Of Spades
02. Stay Clean
03. Over The Top
04. Metropolis
05. Shoot You In The Back
06. The Hammer
07. Jailbait
08. Leaving Here
09. Fire Fire
10. Capricorn
11. Too Late Too Late
12. No Class
13. (We Are) The Road Crew
14. Bite The Bullet
15. The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
16. Overkill
17. Bomber
18. Motörhead
