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
