Great band. Never managed to catch them back in the day, although saw Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson in 1975. Have seen Ian many times since and also two Mott the Hoople reunion tours, the last of which, just before lockdown, was sublime. Ian Hunter's a big Stones fan. Check out where the title Sticky Fingers originated...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021-08-10 11:21 by teleblaster.

I only saw them once at a little festival in Kent back in the mid-70s--I was there for the Faces, so they were a pleasant bonus! Also Wavy Gravy and the free food. We had to leave halfway through the last band and afterwards I couldn't remember who they were, till years later I saw an article which informed me it was Pink Floyd playing the whole of Atom Heart Mother! Mott were great, anyway. It was being filmed but I don't think it ever saw the light of day.

Edit: It was the early 70s, around 72.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-08-10 08:55 by Aquamarine.

My Mott story

[onlyrockandroll.london]

Quote
Aquamarine
I only saw them once at a little festival in Kent back in the mid-70s--I was there for the Faces, so they were a pleasant bonus! Also Wavy Gravy and the free food. We had to leave halfway through the last band and afterwards I couldn't remember who they were, till years later I saw an article which informed me it was Pink Floyd playing the whole of Atom Heart Mother! Mott were great, anyway. It was being filmed but I don't think it ever saw the light of day.

Edit: It was the early 70s, around 72.

Do you remember seeing the Grateful Dead also? Probably August 31, 1970 at Charlton Park in Canterbury? [www.concertarchives.org]

Loved the band but never saw them live.Some of my friends when to the 1974 concert in NYC at the Uris Theater on Broadway (Queen opened up for them). Became part of the 1974 "Live" album.

Had the albums All the Young Dudes (1972), Mott (1973 and The Hoople (1974). Great band....

The Mott The Hoople Live album was kneecapped when CBS cut it down a single disc album, instead of the two record set that the band originally wanted.

It has been reissued--twice--as a 2 CD set that has both the Broadway and Hammersmith shows.

One is called the "Expanded Deluxe Edition" and the other is the "30th Anniversary Edition."

Same tracks, but the 30th Anniversary one has a bigger booklet and nicer packaging. Hearing the entire concert, you really wish the original album had been two discs, because it could have been a huge hit. And if it had been, perhaps Ian Hunter wouldn't have left, and who knows what would have happened?


I've been focusing more on the four Island Records albums of late. There's a compilation on Rhino called Backsliding Fearlessly: The Early Years that contains killer should-have-been-huge tracks like "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" "Rocking With A Mountain" "Rock and Roll Queen" "Thunderbuck Ram" etc., etc. Those records are worth a listen, and also softer songs like "Angel of Eighth Avenue."

There was always a tough-and-tender push and pull with Mott. Hell, years later Hunter's song "Ships" was turned into a big hit by Barry Manilow...yikes. (But I bet he liked the paycheck!)


I've seen Ian Hunter live multiple times, and think he's one of the few that has maintained the quality of his work in recent years. He was still in great shape as he approached 80--looking like a man 25 years younger. Had tickets to see Mott The Hoople '74 show in L.A. with Ariel Bender. It was really going to be an event: an old buddy I've known since '74 was flying down from Portland to see it with me.

But then it was cancelled due to Ian's hearing issues. Damn. It just goes to show how fragile they and we all are. Like Charlie's cancellation, all we can do is roll with it.


Last time I saw Ian Hunter perform, I got a chuckle while looking at a room full of (mostly) men who were greying or balding (like me) singing along to the chorus of "All The Young Dudes."

Clearly, we weren't. But that's OK.

[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-08-10 18:44 by loog droog.

Great album. Every song is fantastic. All The Way From Memphis is a classic for the ages, Whizz Kid and Hanloochie Boogie are fun little tunes. Violence is great, particularly live, as is Drivin Sister. Hymn For The Dudes and Ballad of Mott The Hoople, are great detours with the latter being a fun walk through their history. I'm A Cadillac is a nice Mick Ralphs rocker and I Wish I Was Your Mother wraps it all up nicely. An album I play frequently.

I prefer All The Young Dudes to Mott. Most of the material on All The Young Dudes was written earlier while they were still at Island.

Pre-glitter, pre-Bowie. Pretty great Dylanish take on the Doug Sahm classic- amazing how they transformed in a couple short years.

[www.youtube.com]

I love this band and the album! I was really lucky and was able to see the original line up (twice) at there 40th anniversary gigs and again once more without Buffin. I literally learned how to play rock piano by ripping off Verden Allen (i know he isn't on this album!).

Nice tip of the hat to the Stones with the Jumping Jack Flash shout out in Walkin' With A Mountain....

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2000 LYFH

Quote
Aquamarine
I only saw them once at a little festival in Kent back in the mid-70s--I was there for the Faces, so they were a pleasant bonus! Also Wavy Gravy and the free food. We had to leave halfway through the last band and afterwards I couldn't remember who they were, till years later I saw an article which informed me it was Pink Floyd playing the whole of Atom Heart Mother! Mott were great, anyway. It was being filmed but I don't think it ever saw the light of day.

Edit: It was the early 70s, around 72.

Do you remember seeing the Grateful Dead also? Probably August 31, 1970 at Charlton Park in Canterbury? [www.concertarchives.org]

That was it! I misremembered the date. The Dead didn't play though. (According to that review, it seems they pulled out.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-08-11 08:55 by Aquamarine.

Been a fan of Mott and Ian Hunter for getting on for 50 years now - I think Brain Capers and Mott their best albums, and Ian's last few albums have been wonderful.

In his latest Horse's Mouth column on his website (www.ianhunter.com), Ian remembers attending a Stones rehearsal in Woodstock along with Mick Ronson. Apparently Stu stood up from the piano asking Ian to join in, but he "chickened out". Mick had no such qualms and joined in on the piano on a "slow groove thing".

Up there with Sticky Fingers as my favourite album just as Mott and the Stones are my favourite bands

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hopkins
I adore Mott The Hoople and Mott.
Hunter's solo work too.
I'm a stone gone fan, very much influenced and inspired by them on a lot of levels.
I'm just Stone gone crazy in love with this band since a teenager.

His most recent albums have been excellent and his live shows too.

Bic lighter at the ready..Manchester 2013...

[www.youtube.com]

Quote
roryfaninva
Bic lighter at the ready..Manchester 2013...

[www.youtube.com]

I was there. The Apollo, November 17, to be exact. A captivating show and a big pleasure for me as they never toured Japan and I didn’t catch the 2009 reunion at the Hammersmith Apollo. I have the setlist of the day — a gentleman from Newcastle who was a keen follower of the Mott kindly handed it over to me, saying, “I’ve already got one from another show, the same setlist every night.”
To my unexpected delight, the show was chosen for the official combined CD/DVD release, blandly titled Live 2013. That Geordie guy is captured near the end of the DVD.
My only gripe is the non-participation of Dale Griffin, who sadly left us in 2016, following Bowie just a week after. R.I.P. “Buffin”.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2021-08-12 13:41 by RisingStone.

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Pietro
Mick Jones of the Clash was a big Mott fan. He was part of a group of fans called "Mott's Lot" that used to follow the band around England. If you listen closely to the vocal harmonies in Clash songs you can hear strains of Mott. Jones (along with Mick Ronson) produced Ian Hunter's 1981 album "Short Back 'n'Sides."

"Crash Street Kids" was a song that predicted the punk generation to come.

When Ian Hunter played "Roll Away The Stone" in a small club in Tokyo, Morgan Fisher took Lynsey de Paul's part on the chorus.
We were almost rolling on the floor with tears in our eyes.

[www.youtube.com]

Mick Ralph's "I'm A Cadillac/El Camino Dolo Roso" is one of the overlooked gems on this album (The original U.S. pressing messed up and only printed partial lyrics inside the gatefold sleeve). I love the way the backing vocals sound when they sing "Love is Straaaange!" at about 50 seconds in.

Another highlight for me is Ian's phrasing and the mandolins on "I Wish I Was Your Mother." What a great finale.


Does anyone else here remember how Martin Scorsese used "All The Way From Memphis" at the beginning of his film, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore? He even worked in a name-check of the band, as Ellen Burstyn complains about her son's choice of music.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-08-14 05:31 by loog droog.

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loog droog
Does anyone else here remember how Martin Scorsese used "All The Way From Memphis" at the beginning of his film, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore? He even worked in a name-check of the band, as Ellen Burstyn complains about her son's choice of music.

Tucson Arizona! Great movie.
I also remember T.Rex on the soundtrack.

Ian’s book is a treat ...”looks like David’s not been eating again” lol
Loved Mott saw them in the 70’s which I’m grateful for and again many many years later in London (I think the Astoria?) as well as Ian Hunters Rant Band same night as Grenfell Tower tragedy

Loved them during their short reign on the album rock stations

Apparently old age is not a problem for Ian Hunter and almost everybody wants to play with him.


[blabbermouth.net]

Great new single

Thanks for posting Roryfan.......A great new single indeed !!!

Eggcellent! ... damn record store day bonus tracks - I'll have to make an attempt to get it, I was thinking of going anyway for the Stones Racket show on vinyl.

New release also features Jeff Beck, Billy Gibbons, Slash, and a host of other luminaries. Still pretty spry for 83!

video: [youtu.be]

Excellent stuff!

Many thanks for sharing--Went to his official site and this looks like a winner--the people he's collaborated with for this are a who's who and he captured Jeff Beck and Taylor Hawkins as well.

Hope he goes out for some live shows.

FYI the Roy Young reference in the lyrics- (saw Ian with Roy Young in the 80's at the Bayou in DC..he rocked ) Per Wikipedia-

In 1961, he began working at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, where he played with Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers, who briefly included Ringo Starr, and recorded with Sheridan.[5] He then won a contract to play at the rival Star-Club, where he met the Beatles, and began performing with them in spring 1962. According to Young, Brian Epstein offered him a place in the group once they had returned to England and signed a record contract, but Young turned down the offer because he had a contract with the Star-Club.