Würzel
Encyclopedia
Michael Burston commonly known by the stage name
Würzel, was an English
musician
and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal
band, Motörhead.
Before joining Motörhead in 1984, Burston had been a corporal
in the Army
, serving in Germany and Northern Ireland with the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, and had played in the bands Bastard and Warfare. Joining another relatively unknown guitarist, Phil Campbell
, they played together at a Motörhead audition, and both were taken on. The new four-piece line-up made its debut recording a backing track for The Young Ones
on 14 February 1984. Burston acquired the nickname Wurzel whilst in the Army, being compared to the character Worzel Gummidge
due to his scarecrow
-style hair and bumpkin-like manner. Motörhead singer Lemmy encouraged Würzel to add an umlaut to the 'U' in his name, for heavy metal
effect.
Würzel saw a number of changes to the line-up in the band, each involving the drummer, until he left in 1995. Although he played on Sacrifice
, he left the band before the tour. He was not replaced and Motörhead remains a three-piece. He had made a few guest appearances with the band: at the 2008 Download Festival
and at the 2009 Guilfest
, as well as a few other appearances on the band's 2008 UK tour.
In 1987 Würzel recorded his first solo E.P., "Bess", that was not so far removed from the Motörhead sound, but also allowed for slightly different ideas. The E.P. included the instrumental title track, two Rock pieces, 'Midnight in London' and 'People Say I'm Crazy', and an instrumental Jazz Rock-orientated track, 'E.S.P.'.
In 1998, quasi-inspired by psychedelically-informed experiences in Ghent
, Belgium
, Würzel recorded and released an ambient, improvised avant-garde album entitled Chill Out Or Die.
On 9 July 2011, Tim Butcher — longtime bass technician of Motörhead leader Lemmy — reported that Würzel had died. The cause of death was ventricular fibrillation
triggered by cardiomyopathy
. Before he died, Würzel was working on new material with his new band, Leader of Down, who had previously announced the release of their debut single for early 2010. The following day, Lemmy dedicated Motörhead's performance at Sonisphere Festival
in Knebworth to his memory, as well as dedicating 'Going to Brazil' to him. Similarly Dave Grohl
of Foo Fighters
dedicated a song to Würzel on the 10th July at T in the Park
, Balado
.
Solo work
Other work and guest appearances
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Würzel, was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band, Motörhead.
Before joining Motörhead in 1984, Burston had been a corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
in the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, serving in Germany and Northern Ireland with the 1st Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment, and had played in the bands Bastard and Warfare. Joining another relatively unknown guitarist, Phil Campbell
Phil Campbell (musician)
Philip Anthony Campbell has been the lead guitarist of the British heavy metal band Motörhead since 1984. He is also the former guitarist of Persian Risk.-Early life and career:...
, they played together at a Motörhead audition, and both were taken on. The new four-piece line-up made its debut recording a backing track for The Young Ones
The Young Ones (TV series)
The Young Ones is a British sitcom, first broadcast in 1982, which ran for two series on BBC2. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers...
on 14 February 1984. Burston acquired the nickname Wurzel whilst in the Army, being compared to the character Worzel Gummidge
Worzel Gummidge
Worzel Gummidge is a British children's fictional character who originally appeared in a series of books by the novelist Barbara Euphan Todd. A walking, talking scarecrow, Gummidge has a set of interchangeable turnip, mangel worzel and swede heads, each of which suit a particular occasion or endow...
due to his scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
-style hair and bumpkin-like manner. Motörhead singer Lemmy encouraged Würzel to add an umlaut to the 'U' in his name, for heavy metal
Heavy metal umlaut
A metal umlaut is a diaeresis that is sometimes used gratuitously or decoratively over letters in the names of hard rock or heavy metal bands—for example those of Mötley Crüe and Motörhead...
effect.
Würzel saw a number of changes to the line-up in the band, each involving the drummer, until he left in 1995. Although he played on Sacrifice
Sacrifice (Motörhead album)
Sacrifice is the twelfth studio album by British band Motörhead. Released in 1995, it is the second, and last album, to feature the four man line up of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel, and Mikkey Dee, as Würzel left the band at the end of recording this album....
, he left the band before the tour. He was not replaced and Motörhead remains a three-piece. He had made a few guest appearances with the band: at the 2008 Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
and at the 2009 Guilfest
GuilFest
GuilFest, formerly the Guildford Festival of Folk and Blues is a music festival held in Stoke Park, Guildford, England each July. The festival, like the larger Glastonbury Festival, features a range of genres including rock, folk, blues, and in recent years pop...
, as well as a few other appearances on the band's 2008 UK tour.
In 1987 Würzel recorded his first solo E.P., "Bess", that was not so far removed from the Motörhead sound, but also allowed for slightly different ideas. The E.P. included the instrumental title track, two Rock pieces, 'Midnight in London' and 'People Say I'm Crazy', and an instrumental Jazz Rock-orientated track, 'E.S.P.'.
In 1998, quasi-inspired by psychedelically-informed experiences in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Würzel recorded and released an ambient, improvised avant-garde album entitled Chill Out Or Die.
On 9 July 2011, Tim Butcher — longtime bass technician of Motörhead leader Lemmy — reported that Würzel had died. The cause of death was ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation is a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them quiver rather than contract properly. Ventricular fibrillation is a medical emergency and most commonly identified arrythmia in cardiac arrest...
triggered by cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy, which literally means "heart muscle disease," is the deterioration of the function of the myocardium for any reason. People with cardiomyopathy are often at risk of arrhythmia or sudden cardiac death or both. Cardiomyopathy can often go undetected, making it especially dangerous to...
. Before he died, Würzel was working on new material with his new band, Leader of Down, who had previously announced the release of their debut single for early 2010. The following day, Lemmy dedicated Motörhead's performance at Sonisphere Festival
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival is a touring music festival which takes place across Europe between June and August. The festival is owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It is jointly-promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live...
in Knebworth to his memory, as well as dedicating 'Going to Brazil' to him. Similarly Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
of Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
dedicated a song to Würzel on the 10th July at T in the Park
T in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
, Balado
Balado
Balado is a park and former airfield within the Perth and Kinross council area of Scotland. It is now the venue of the annual T in the Park music festival.Poultry sheds of Balado Poultry Farm now occupy the old concrete runways of the airfield...
.
Discography
With Motörhead- No Remorse (1984)
- OrgasmatronOrgasmatron (album)Orgasmatron is the seventh album by the British band Motörhead, released in 1986. It is the only full Motörhead album to feature Pete Gill on the drums, although he also played on the four new tracks recorded for the 1984 No Remorse compilation album....
(1986) - Rock 'n' RollRock 'n' Roll (Motörhead album)Rock 'N' Roll is the eighth album by the British band Motörhead and the first appearance of their four-piece line up of Lemmy, Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor, Würzel and Philip Campbell, which lasted from 1987 until 1992...
(1987) - Nö Sleep at AllNo Sleep at AllNö Sleep at All is the second official live album by the British band Motörhead, following 1981's No Sleep 'til Hammersmith. It was recorded on 2 July 1988 at a Giants of Rock Festival performance in Hämeenlinna, Finland.-History:...
(1988) - The Birthday PartyThe Birthday Party (video)The Birthday Party is a 1985 video by Motörhead. It features the band's 10th anniversary show at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. During the performance of "Motörhead" all of the past members and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott joined the band onstage...
(1990) - 19161916 (album)-Motörhead:* Lemmy – bass, vocals* Phil Campbell – guitar* Würzel – guitar* Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – drums, except "1916", which featured a drum machine.-Additional Credits:...
(1991) - March ör DieMarch ör DieMarch ör Die is the tenth album by the British band Motörhead. It was recorded and released in 1992.-History:Recorded at Music Grinder Studios, Los Angeles, three drummers participated in the making of this album: Phil Taylor, who was fired after "I Ain't No Nice Guy" was recorded , Tommy Aldridge...
(1992) - BastardsBastards (Motörhead album)Bastards is the eleventh album by the British band Motörhead, and the first studio album they recorded with the short-lived Lemmy, Campbell, Würzel and Mikkey Dee line-up...
(1993) - SacrificeSacrifice (Motörhead album)Sacrifice is the twelfth studio album by British band Motörhead. Released in 1995, it is the second, and last album, to feature the four man line up of Lemmy, Phil Campbell, Würzel, and Mikkey Dee, as Würzel left the band at the end of recording this album....
(1995) - BBC Live & In-SessionBBC Live & In-SessionBBC Live & In-Session is a compilation by the British band Motörhead which contains the band's appearances on BBC Radio 1 and a concert recording from Paris Theatre, London.-Track listing:...
(2005)
Solo work
- Bess (1987)
- Chill Out Or Die (The Ambient Album) (1998)
Other work and guest appearances
- Warfare – Metal Anarchy (1985)
- V.A. – "Where Would You Rather Be Tonight?" (1986) (All proceeds from this album went to Broadreach House, a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts and alcoholics)
- Atomgods – WOW! (1988)
- Warhead – Warhead (1995)
- Disgust – A World Of No Beauty (1996)
- WVKEAF – "Jump/Maximism" – (1997)
- SplodgenessaboundsSplodgenessaboundsSplodgenessabounds are an English punk rock band formed in Keston, Bromley, South London. The band is associated with the Oi! and Punk Pathetique genres. Their frontman is Max Splodge.-Career:...
– Artful Splodger (2001)
VHS & DVD appearances
- Motörhead – The Birthday PartyThe Birthday Party (video)The Birthday Party is a 1985 video by Motörhead. It features the band's 10th anniversary show at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. During the performance of "Motörhead" all of the past members and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott joined the band onstage...
(1986) - Motörhead – 1916 Live...Everything Louder than Everything Else1916 Live...Everything Louder than Everything Else-Credits:* Lemmy – bass guitar, vocals* Phil Campbell – guitar* Würzel – guitar* Philthy Animal Taylor – drums-References:...
VHS & DVD 1991. - Motörhead – Videobiography (2007) (Wurzel is featured on Disc 2 of Motörhead Videobiography, in a 50 minute interview, his first since leaving the band; filmed in early 2007)