Sometimes, first albums by a musician or a band are underwhelming but labels have enough faith in their signings that they send such a record to languish on a shelf – for some time, at least. That’s exactly what happened with MOTÖRHEAD‘s “On Parole” back in 1976, when the ensemble’s original line-up delivered a very unusual record, on which Lemmy penned or co-penned less than a half of its nine pieces, and the PINK FAIRIES element proved to be more prominent than the heavy HAWKWIND vibe United Artists counted on. Fast-forward three years, to 1979 when the collective amassed quite a huge following, and the company decided to cash in on what they had been so dismissive of – and what was partially cut afresh for “Motörhead” in 1977 – and issued the archival tapes. The players weren’t happy, yet now, five decades down the line, this classic sees in expanded release.
Picking up where "The Manticore Tapes" left off in 2025, “On Parole Sessions” is a three-CD and Blu-ray box set that will be out on April 17th and include not only most of the work-in-progress takes alongside master takes, all recently mixed by Richard Digby Smith but also new mixes by – who else? – Steven Wilson. What seems to be missing from this exhaustive item are four demos the group cut with Dave Edmunds, the sessions’ producer, which were attached to the albums 1997 reissue. Other than that, a gloriously raw thing.
On Parole Sessions
CD 1 – 50th Anniversary Remix:
1. Motorhead
2. On Parole
3. Vibrator
4. Iron Horse / Born To Lose
5. City Kids
6. Fools
7. The Watcher
8. Leaving Here
9. Lost Johnny
CD 2 – On Parole Sessions – Part 1:
1. Motorhead (instrumental take 1)
2. Studio Dialogue 1
3. City Kids (take 1)
4. City Kids (instrumental outtake 1)
5. City Kids (instrumental outtake 2)
6. Studio Dialogue 2
7. City Kids (instrumental outtake 3)
8. Motorhead (album take – without bike Intro)
9. Motorhead (album take – backing track)
10. Motorhead (album take)
11. Motorhead (instrumental take 2)
12. Drum Solo
13. Studio Dialogue 3
14. Fools (take 1 – demo version)
15. City Kids (album take)
16. City Kids (album take – with piano)
17. Studio Dialogue 4
18. Motorhead (take 5 – backing track)
19. Motorhead (take 5 – without vocal overdubs)
20. Motorhead (take 5)
21. Lost Johnny (album take)
22. Leaving Here (instrumental take 1)
23. Leaving Here (album take)
24. Studio Dialogue 5
25. On Parole (instrumental take 1)
26. On Parole (instrumental take 2 with false-start)
27. Iron Horse – Born To Lose (album take)
On Parole Sessions
CD 3 – On Parole Sessions – Part 2:
1. Jam / On Parole (instrumental jam)
2. Iron Horse – Born To Lose (take 4 – vocal 2)
3. On Parole (album take – extended version)
4. Studio Dialogue 6
5. The Watcher (album take)
6. Vibrator (album take – without vibrator)
7. Vibrator (album take – with vibrator)
8. Iron Horse / Born To Lose (instrumental jam)
9. Studio Dialogue 7
10. Iron Horse / Born To Lose (instrumental)
11. Studio Dialogue 8
12. Fools (instrumental jam)
13. Fools (album take – extended version)
14. Studio Dialogue 9
15. Motorhead (instrumental guitar riff)
Blu-ray – Atmos Mix, 5.1 Mix, Stereo Mix & Flat Transfer of Original LP:
1-9 – as on CD 1
