Mott The Hoople

One of our very first articles here concerned Mott The Hoople. At the time my policy was to strictly adhere to gay content or subtext as far as straight artists were concerned. So, I only presented All The Young Dudes, the song that Bowie offered to Mott, which was their first hit, peaking at #3 in the UK. While examining the Velvet Underground, we mentioned that Mott did an excellent cover of Sweet Jane. Both songs were accompanied by YouTube videos. If you want to listen to them, visit the articles mentioned above. Today we'll be hearing the rest.

I've been wanting to revisit Mott The Hoople for a number of reasons: a. I love their music b. The blog's good friends AFHI & Record Man once mentioned their love for All The Way To Memphis in the comments. c. They were a vital part of the Glam Rock movement, but they also had a very interesting career before that. And: d. Jan 2016 - Jan 2017 has been a very bad year for Mott: First, there was the death of the band's drummer, Dale Griffin, otherwise known as "Buffin", on January 2016. He was 58, and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Then in November, the band's original guitarist, Mick Ralphs, suffered a (thankfully not fatal) stroke. On January this year, about a couple of weeks ago, Overend Watts, the band's bass player, died after a long illness - he wasn't yet 60.

Born in Yardley, Birmingham, Watts attended Ross Grammar School in 1963 and met his lifelong friend Dale Griffin aka Buffin and they played in local bands together such as The Anchors, Wild Dogs, Hellhounds and The Silence when they met a rival band The Buddies who had Mick Ralphs and Stan Tippins as members and they collectively formed The Doc Thomas Group. Changes to that line-up occurred in 1968 and keyboard player Verden Allen joined and they changed their name to The Shakedown Sound. In 1969 they all moved to London and came to the attention of record producer Guy Stevens who auditioned Ian Hunter and appointed him as their lead singer instead of Tippins and Mott The Hoople was formed.

Their first album, simply titled Mott The Hoople, was released in November 1969. It wasn't a hit. It contained a number of covers and a few original compositions. The best song on the album was a Ralphs composition called Rock and Roll Queen:

Another interesting song was the Ian Hunter composition called Backsliding Fearlessly:

Ralphs song was clearly influenced by the Rolling Stones, while Hunter's song copied Dylan's style to a T. They were yet to find their voice.

Their second album, Mad Shadows, released in September 1970, started off with another good Ralphs composition called Thunderbuck Ram. Great guitar work in it.

The other three songs we'll be featuring from Mad Shadows are all Hunter compositions: First comes the beautiful No Wheels to Ride:

Here's the harder rocking Walkin' with a Mountain:

... And here's the album's closing track, When My Mind's Gone, a confessional ballad:

Their next album, Wildlife, was released in March 1971. The opening track was, once again, a Ralphs composition:

The album's best track was Hunter's ballad Waterlow:

Their next album, Brain Capers, was released in November 1971. The opening track was a Hunter-Allen composition called Death May Be Your Santa Claus:

The album's best track was another Hunter composition called Sweet Angeline:

Even though the group was building a decent following, Brain Capers (1971) failed to sell well, following the fate of the previous albums. The group decided to split following a depressing concert in a disused gas holder in Switzerland. When combined with an aborted UK tour with The Lothringers, the band was close to breaking up.

David Bowie had long been a fan of the band. After learning from Watts that they were about to split, he persuaded them to stay together and offered them Suffragette City from his then yet-to-be-released Ziggy Stardust album. They turned it down. Bowie also penned All the Young Dudes for them and it became their biggest hit. Bowie produced an album, also called All the Young Dudes, which included a Mick Ronson strings and brass arrangement, and this album was their first masterpiece. We've already heard All the Young Dudes and Sweet Jane, as I've mentioned in the prologue, so that will give us the chance to listen to the other great songs in the album.

Sucker, a collective effort by Hunter, Ralphs, and Watts was Mott at their braggadocious best:

Once Bowie began steering the band in a more glam direction, Ian Hunter quickly stepped up with his own songs, twisting the Blues-Rock crunch of his previous work into showier and more stinging tunes. Jerkin’ Crocus is one of his earliest stabs at writing in the new style and a highlight of the All the Young Dudes album.

One of the Boys was written by Hunter and Watts. It is one of the album’s longest songs and the tightest link to their bluesy past.

Allen wasn't happy with the band. In fact, he left right after the recording of the album finished (before its release). He was replaced by Morgan Fisher. He did however contribute a composition of his own, his only lead vocal with Mott if I recall correctly:

An album later Ralphs would also leave, to be replaced by Ariel Bender. He would go on to be a founding member of Bad Company, in whose debut album he remade his own composition Ready for Love. This, however, is the original version:

All the Young Dudes' closing number is a ballad by Hunter, called Sea Diver:

All the Young Dudes actually brought Mott the Hoople success, but you wouldn't know that from its sequel, Mott. Ian Hunter's songs are a set of road tales fraught with exhaustion, disillusionment, and dashed dreams, all told with a wry sense of humor so evident on Mott's earlier work. This is no ordinary road album where a band whines about the perils of traveling - it's more of a wry commentary on Rock & Roll itself, which, as Hunter notes, is a "loser's game." Mott doesn't sound that way, though - it's as winning and infectious as Rock & Roll gets. Even with the undercurrents of ironic despair and restrained hostility, this is a fun record (partially because of that despair and hostility, of course).

Honaloochie Boogie was the first taste of Mott, and it’s one of the group’s best, a mid-tempo Pop song with a Glam-Rock topping.

The next single is probably my favorite MtH song. All the Way From Memphis chronicles an incident in which Mick Ralphs’ guitar was shipped to a different state than the one in which the band was playing. It’s also a slam on Rock-Star excess, something the somewhat struggling Mott the Hoople still knew little about. In Honaloochie Boogie as well as in All the Way From Memphis Roxy Music's Andy MacKay is on saxophone.

A sequel of sorts to All the Young Dudes, Hymn for the Dudes is the centerpiece of the album. As its title lets on, Hymn for the Dudes takes on some spiritual tones, with Hunter checking in with one of his all-time greatest performances.

Violence is raw, raucous, and great fun (love the violin):

The composition of the Ballad of Mott the Hoople was credited to the whole band, even Allen, who had already left. It was the story so far, but it was also a sort of goodbye...

I Wish I Was Your Mother is a touching song, with a very appropriate, albeit unusual, mandolin solo:

With Ralphs gone, The Hoople (1974) was Hunter's baby; he was the sole writer of all but one of the albums' songs. The album's lead single, Roll Away the Stone, was actually the group's second most successful single, peaking at #8 in the UK.

Follow-up single The Golden Age of Rock & Roll is a pleasant spin on Bowie-esque nostalgia (think Drive-In Saturday). The song features a searing guitar solo by new member Ariel Bender and one of Hunter’s most passionate vocals.

Marionette is one of the highlights of the album, tough and desperate in equal measure:

Crash Street Kidds rocks viciously:

Finally, there's the introspective Through the Looking Glass:

In the afterglow of The Hoople, a live album Live was quickly released, after which Mick Ronson replaced Bender. The end was near when both Hunter and Ronson left the group to form a duo, following which the band abbreviated its name to 'Mott'.

The only original members left were the drummer and the bass player. Still, let's listen to the two singles from their album Drive On (1975). Here's By Tonight:

Here's Monte Carlo:

They were not bad, but they weren't Mott the Hoople. The public wasn't very impressed either. The first album was a small hit, while the next didn't chart at all. They changed their name to British Lion after that.

Meanwhile, Mick Ralphs, along with Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke formerly of Free, and Boz Burrell formerly of King Crimson, formed Bad Company, whose great success, especially in the US, opened the gate of chart success for acts such as Foreigner, Journey, Styx, etc. Here's their US #1 Cant Get Enough:

... And here's their own version of Ready for Love. Which one do you prefer?

The two above songs were Ralphs' compositions. Feel Like Makin' Love was co-written by Ralphs and Rodgers:

Meanwhile, Ian Hunter worked with Mick Ronson (Bowie's guitarist and right-hand man till 1974) on his eponymous solo album, which came out in 1975. Ian Hunter pulls off this grandiose sound without the overtly ornate production that defined the final Mott the Hoople albums because Mick Ronson's cleverly crafted arrangements manage to create a big wall of sound without utilizing a huge amount of instruments or overdubs. As a result, Ian Hunter's lyrics shine through in each song and show off his totally personalized mixture of attitude and intelligence.

The single Once Bitten, Twice Shy, his first and last top-20 single in the UK, is a cheeky, clever exploration of Rock & Roll's ability to corrupt the innocent.

Boy is a critique of a rocker who has allowed his pretensions to overpower his heart (many say this tune was aimed at fellow star and onetime Mott the Hoople producer David Bowie).

Another highlight is It Ain't Easy When You Fall, a moving tribute to a fallen friend that gracefully builds from delicate verses into a soaring chorus.

Hunter's follow-up album was All American Alien Boy (1976). The title track is a funky, sax-flavored exploration of Hunter's adjustment to life in America that works nicely:

Irene Wilde is a delicately crafted autobiographical ballad about the rejection that made Hunter decide to "be somebody, someday":

God - Take 1 is a stirring, Dylan-styled rocker featuring witty lyrics that illustrate a conversation with a weary and down-to-earth version of God.

However, the true gem of the album is You Nearly Did Me In, an elegant and emotional ballad about the emptiness that follows a romantic breakup. It also notable for the stirring backing vocals from guest stars Queen on its chorus.

You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, the classic album from 1979 is considered by many to be the high point of Ian Hunter's solo career. Although its sales never matched up to the enthusiastic critical reaction it received, this polished Hard Rock gem has held up nicely through the years and is definitely deserving of its strong cult reputation. The two best tracks of the album are:

Cleveland Rocks, an affectionate, Mott the Hoople-styled tribute to an unsung Rock & Roll city that later became a de facto anthem in Cleveland, Ohio.

 The second song is Ships, a heartrending ballad built on a spooky and ethereal keyboard-driven melody that was later covered with great success by Barry Manilow.

With this beautiful song, it's time to say goodbye, my friends. Till the next one!