Please Dont Touch Motorhead: Inside the Headgirl Hit
Please Dont Touch Motorhead is the 1981 single that paired the band with fellow rockers Girlschool under the name Headgirl.
It became the biggest chart hit either band ever had on their own.
The song started life decades earlier as a rockabilly single, then turned into one of the most unlikely crossovers in classic rock history.
Here is the true story behind Please Dont Touch Motorhead, from its 1959 origins to its chart topping cover.
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📋 Table of Contents [+]
⚡ Key Takeaways
- Please Dont Touch Motorhead is a 1981 cover recorded with Girlschool under the joint name Headgirl.
- The original version came from Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, released in the UK on 8 May 1959.
- The Headgirl single peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart on 14 February 1981.
- Girlschool drummer Denise Dufort played on both sides of the single after Phil Taylor broke his neck.
- The song became the biggest chart hit either Motorhead or Girlschool ever achieved on the UK Singles Chart.
What Is Please Dont Touch Motorhead About?
The song is a fast rockabilly flavored come on, warning a would be partner off in classic 1950s style.
Motorhead and Girlschool kept the original melody largely intact while adding heavier guitars and a rawer vocal delivery.
Lemmy Kilmister chose the song specifically because Johnny Kidd and the Pirates was one of his favorite groups growing up.
The result turned a three minute rockabilly number into one of the most unusual pairings in early 1980s British rock.
Who Originally Wrote Please Don’t Touch?
Johnny Kidd and Guy Robinson wrote the song, and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates released it in the UK on 8 May 1959.
The original recording peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart and was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on 18 April 1959.
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates were one of the first British rock and roll acts to write and perform their own material.
Lemmy grew up listening to the band, which shaped his taste for stripped down, aggressive rock and roll songwriting.
How Did Motorhead and Girlschool Record It Together?
Motorhead and Girlschool first crossed paths on tour together in March 1979.
Lemmy was impressed by Girlschool’s own material and by guitarist Kelly Johnson’s playing in particular.
The two bands formally teamed up in late 1980 under the joint name Headgirl to record the single together.
Bronze Records released the finished track on 14 February 1981 as the lead side of the St Valentine’s Day Massacre EP.
That same classic lineup had just finished touring behind Jailbait and the rest of the Ace of Spades album.
How High Did Please Dont Touch Motorhead Chart?
The Headgirl single peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1981.
It became the biggest hit either Motorhead or Girlschool ever had on their own on that chart.
The bands performed the song live on BBC’s Top of the Pops on 19 February 1981.
No other Motorhead single before or since has matched that chart peak on its own merits.
Why Was Phil Taylor Not Playing Drums?
Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor had broken his neck shortly before the sessions and could not play drums on the record.
Girlschool drummer Denise Dufort stepped in and played drums on both sides of the single instead.
Dufort’s playing gave the recording a tighter, more unified feel between the two bands’ contributions.
Taylor returned to the drum stool for Motorhead’s next studio album once he had recovered.
What Was on the St Valentine’s Day Massacre EP?
The EP paired the Please Don’t Touch cover with two more swapped songs between the bands.
Girlschool covered Bomber, while Motorhead covered Girlschool’s own song Emergency.
The credited artist name Headgirl combined both band names into a single joint identity for the release.
A Japanese 12 inch pressing later carried the alternate title Motorschool, collecting extra live tracks from the same period.
Why Do Fans Still Love Please Dont Touch Motorhead?
Fans still love the record because it captures two of the biggest names in early 1980s British rock trading verses on equal footing.
Lemmy Kilmister and Girlschool reunited to perform the song live again at Brixton Academy in November 2005, during Motorhead’s Inferno UK tour.
Hawkwind, the band Lemmy played bass for before Motorhead, gave him the same restless taste for unlikely collaborations that led to this record.
As of 2026, read the complete lineup history of the members of Motorhead across four decades of the band.
People Also Ask
Who sang Please Don’t Touch with Motorhead?
Girlschool recorded Please Don’t Touch with Motorhead in 1981 under the joint name Headgirl, with Lemmy Kilmister on lead vocals and Girlschool’s members on backing vocals and instruments.
Girlschool drummer Denise Dufort played drums on the track after Phil Taylor broke his neck before the sessions.
Who wrote Please Don’t Touch originally?
Johnny Kidd and Guy Robinson wrote Please Don’t Touch, and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates released the original version in the UK on 8 May 1959.
That original recording peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.
How high did Please Don’t Touch chart for Motorhead and Girlschool?
The Headgirl version of Please Don’t Touch peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1981, the biggest hit either band ever had alone.
It was released as the lead track on the St Valentine’s Day Massacre EP on 14 February 1981.
What does Headgirl mean?
Headgirl was the joint recording name Motorhead and Girlschool used for their 1981 collaboration, combining both band names into one identity.
The name applied only to this single project and was never used for any other release by either band.
Did Motorhead and Girlschool perform together again?
Yes, Lemmy Kilmister and Girlschool reunited to perform Please Don’t Touch live again at Brixton Academy in November 2005, during Motorhead’s Inferno UK tour.
It was the first time the two acts had performed the song together since their original 1981 chart run.
Watch the Top of the Pops Performance
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Ace of Spades
1980, 50th Anniversary 2 CD Edition
The album that made Motorhead a headline act just before Headgirl.
Expanded with bonus tracks and remastered sound.
No Sleep ’til Hammersmith
1981, 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
The live album released the same year as the Headgirl single.
Hit number 1 on the UK Albums Chart in 1981.
Iron Fist
1982, 40th Anniversary 2 CD Mediabook
The final album from the lineup that recorded the Headgirl single.
Marked the end of an era for Motorhead’s classic three piece.
Bomber
1979, 50th Anniversary Edition
The song Girlschool covered on the flip side of the Headgirl EP.
Faster, tighter, and a direct warm up for the classic era.
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Iron Fist Motorhead
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The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
Another blunt statement on desire from the same touring era as the Headgirl record.
Please Dont Touch Motorhead still stands as proof that two very different bands could find common ground in three minutes of rockabilly.
Forty-five years on, Please Dont Touch Motorhead remains the highest charting single either band ever released alone.
Last updated: July 14, 2026