Biography
England's Fastway ranks among the '80s supergroups that promised far more than they ultimately delivered. The band never settled on a consistent sonic direction, and what began with considerable momentum ended in near-total collapse. After parting ways with Motörhead under acrimonious circumstances, guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke quickly teamed with bassist Pete Way, who had recently left UFO. They completed the lineup with ex-Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley and Irish newcomer Dave King on vocals. The group earned immediate supergroup recognition, yet mercurial Pete Way exited before the 1983 self-titled debut appeared, later forming Waysted. Clarke, perhaps recognizing he could not replicate Motörhead's intensity and distortion, steered the new outfit toward a more mainstream hard-rock sound. The album fared well in the U.S., reaching the Top 40. Buoyed by that reception, Fastway recorded All Fired Up in 1984 with replacement bassist Charlie McKracken. Despite fading support from CBS and continued disinterest in the U.K. and Europe, the record still cracked the American Top 60. After losing their rhythm section, the band recruited bassist Paul Reid and drummer Alan Connor. Seeking to ride the pop-metal wave, they issued the overly slick Waiting for the Roar in 1986. The synth-heavy effort, which came across as second-rate Quiet Riot and introduced keyboardist and occasional second guitarist Shane Carroll, found few listeners. An opportunity to score the heavy-metal horror film Trick or Treat appeared to offer redemption. Although the soundtrack returned the group to a harder-edged style, the movie flopped, the album followed suit, and Fastway disbanded in disappointment. Clarke attempted one last effort, signing with independent GWR Records—the same label then home to Motörhead—and assembling a fresh lineup of vocalist Lea Hart, bassist Paul Gray, and drummer Steve Clarke. The resulting 1988 album, On Target, proved anything but accurate. Additional personnel shifts led to 1990's Bad Bad Girls, on which Clarke and Hart were reportedly supported by members of Girlschool performing under pseudonyms for contractual reasons. Another commercial failure, the record finally persuaded Clarke to retire his guitar.
Albums
