Eddie Clarke

Edward Allan Clarke (5 October 1950 – 10 January 2018), better known as "Fast" Eddie Clarke or simply "Fast" Eddie, was a British guitarist who was a member of heavy metal bands Fastway and Motörhead.

Of Motörhead's classic lineup, which consisted of Lemmy and Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, he was the last surviving member at the time of his death.

Clarke began playing guitar and, by the time he was fifteen years old, had been through many local bands, one of which was called The Bitter End.

Of his "Fast" moniker, Clarke has said "I didn't get the name Fast Eddie because of any sex thing, and it wasn't even because I could play fast. It was just that I could play one note in a solo really fast," referring to his skillful tremolo picking.

He continued playing local gigs until 1973, when he turned professional by joining Curtis Knight's blues prog rock band, Zeus, as lead guitarist.

In 1974, the band recorded an album called The Second Coming at Olympic Studios.

Clarke wrote the music to Knight's lyrics on a track entitled "The Confession".

Clarke recorded the album Sea of Time with Zeus.

Later, with guitarist friend Allan Callan, keyboard player Nicky Hogarth, and drummer Chris Perry, Clarke attended a recorded jam session at Command Studios in Piccadilly.

As a result of the tracks from this session, the quartet secured a deal with Anchor Records, and called the band Blue Goose.

With a recording contract secured, Clarke, Hogarth and Perry left Zeus to focus on their own project with Callan.

Clarke soon formed another band with Be-Bop Deluxe bassist Charlie Tumahai, vocalist Ann McCluskie and drummer Jim Thompson.

Called Continuous Performance, this line up lasted until early 1975, when their demo tracks failed to secure them a record deal and the band split up.

Still out to secure a record deal, Clarke then formed a group with Nicky Hogarth from Blue Goose, bass player Tony Cussons and drummer Terry Slater.

Their efforts to get a deal were also unsuccessful, and Clarke temporarily gave up the music industry.

Clarke was working on re-fitting a houseboat, when he met drummer Phil Taylor, who had recently joined Motörhead.

However, according to Kilmister's authorized biography, it appears that Clarke was introduced to Lemmy by a receptionist at the rehearsal studio, Gertie, who was romantically involved with Clarke at the time.

Not long after, he was playing with them.

In the early days Eddie rehearsed with Motörhead, before going on the road, at Snobs Rehearsal Studios, part of a converted brewery on the corner of Kings Road and Lots Road, Chelsea, known as the "Furniture Cave".

Motörhead's popularity increased along with their UK chart successes.

The threesome (Lemmy, Clarke, Taylor) are considered the classic Motörhead line-up and have the Motörhead, Overkill, Ace of Spades, Bomber, No Sleep 'til Hammersmith and Iron Fist albums plus a string of hit singles to their credit.

As well as playing guitar and singing backing vocals, he performed lead vocal on a small number of Motörhead songs: Examples are "Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers" (on which he traded vocals with Lemmy), "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (on which he duets vocals with Lemmy), "Step Down", and "Emergency", one of the B-side tracks on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre EP, upon which they performed "Please Don't Touch", with Girlschool, under the combined band names of Headgirl.

He claimed to hate singing lead - see the video for Step Down.

Clarke left Motörhead in 1982, whilst on tour of the United States.

Becoming unhappy at the results of the Iron Fist album, the recording sessions with the Plasmatics were the final straw.

For the B-side of the Stand By Your Man EP the bands took turns in covering each other's songs, Clarke allegedly felt that this compromised the band's principles and resigned.

According to Joel McIver, Clarke himself later denied this version of events and had said: "[Philthy] was the main instigator in my being excluded from the band. Notice I do not call it leaving, as it was not my choice. I had imagined dying onstage with Motörhead, so it was a blow when they didn't want me in the band any longer."

Clarke was replaced by former Thin Lizzy and Wild Horses lead guitarist Brian Robertson after Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow turned down the offer to play with Motörhead.

Clarke's last gig with Motörhead took place at the New York Palladium on 14 May 1982.

Another cameo from Clarke on a later Motörhead album was on 2000's Live at Brixton Academy, released in 2003, on which the band featured many guest appearances from other guitarists, of which he was one, playing on the songs "No Class", "The Chase Is Better Than the Catch" and "Overkill".

Hearing that UFO bassist Pete Way was keen to leave that band, the two met and decided their new band's name would be an amalgamation of their own two names, resulting in Fastway.

They advertised in the music press for a drummer and a vocalist.

Meanwhile, a rehearsal was organised, for which Clash drummer Topper Headon filled in on drums.

The ads began showing positive results, cassettes from potential band members arrived; one of these was from a young singer named Dave King.

Clarke was impressed with his voice and financed a trip to London for King; after an audition together, King became the Fastway vocalist.

Ex-Humble Pie member Jerry Shirley became the drummer.

The band sent out demo tapes and were approached by CBS Records for a recording deal.

Way announced his departure just as they were about to sign the deal, but CBS had faith in Fastway and decided to sign them despite this setback.

Touring had been strenuous for the band and, upon returning to Britain, they decided to split.

Clarke stayed in London, and soon received a call from King about giving Fastway another go.