Motörhead announce 'lost' album The Manticore Tapes

Nearly five decades since Motörhead’s legendary “Three Amigos” lineup was born, fans are being treated to a long-buried treasure: The Manticore Tapes — a newly restored recording from the band’s earliest sessions, now set for release as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations.

In August 1976, the newly solidified lineup of Lemmy Kilmister (bass/vocals), “Fast” Eddie Clarke (guitar), and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor (drums) — the trio that would define Motörhead’s primal sound — set up shop at Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Manticore Studio in Fulham. The band had just formed their seminal incarnation and were on the cusp of making history. What they didn’t know at the time was that these very first recordings, captured by Ronnie Lane’s mobile studio and engineered by Ron Faucus, would one day become the stuff of hard rock legend.

Now, 49 years later, those raw and unfiltered tapes have been meticulously restored by long-time Motörhead producer Cameron Webb and mastered by Andrew Alekel in Los Angeles, delivering a time capsule of unrelenting power that captures Motörhead in their earliest, most ferocious form.

The Manticore Tapes not only documents the band's first-ever studio outing, but it also offers a glimpse into a crucial turning point — when their future was anything but certain. With early versions of staples like “Motörhead,” “Iron Horse / Born to Lose,” and “Leavin’ Here,” the release sheds light on a pivotal era before the band’s rise to rock royalty.

This archival release will be available in several formats, including a Deluxe Expanded Bookpack (double LP, 7" single, CD, and digital), featuring unreleased live recordings from Birmingham’s Barbarella's and Blitzkrieg shows in 1977.

Motörhead’s journey from struggling upstarts to rock ‘n’ roll immortals has long been celebrated. Now, The Manticore Tapes brings fans back to where it all began — a blistering reminder of the band’s raw brilliance and enduring legacy.

For full track listings and pre-order information, visit www.iMotorhead.com.

Deluxe Expanded Bookpack:

LP1
1 Intro (Instrumental)
2 Leavin' Here
3 Vibrator
4 Help Keep Us on the Road
5 The Watcher
6 Motörhead
7 Witch Doctor (Instrumental)
8 Iron Horse / Born to Lose (Instrumental)
9 Leavin' Here (Alternate Take)
10 Vibrator (Alternate Take)
11 The Watcher (Alternate Take)


LP2 Live: Blitzkrieg on Birmingham '77
1 Motörhead
2 Vibrator
3 Keep Us On The Road
4 The Watcher
5 Iron Horse
6 Leavin' Here
7 On Parole
8 I'm Your Witch Doctor
9 Train Kept a-Rollin'
10 City Kids
11 White Line Fever

7" Live at Barbarella's Birmingham '77 (previously unreleased)
1 Motörhead
2 Keep Us On The Road

LP & CD :
1 Intro (Instrumental)
2 Leavin' Here
3 Vibrator
4 Help Keep Us on the Road
5 The Watcher
6 Motörhead
7 Witch Doctor (Instrumental)
8 Iron Horse / Born to Lose (Instrumental)
9 Leavin' Here (Alternate Take)
10 Vibrator (Alternate Take)
11 The Watcher (Alternate Take)