Mott the Hoople
Encyclopedia
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B
roots, popular in the glam rock
era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes
", written for them by David Bowie
and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name
.
in the early 1960s. The Soulents were from Ross-On-Wye
, and boasted Pete Overend Watts
on guitar, and Dale "Buffin" Griffin
on drums. The Buddies were from Hereford
, and featured Mick Ralphs
on guitar and Stan Tippins on vocals
. By 1966, Ralphs, Tippins, and Watts (the latter now on bass) had come together in a band called The Doc Thomas Group, and soon secured a residency at a club
in a resort town in Italy. The group were offered a recording contract
with the Italian label
Dischi Interrecord, and released an eponymous album in January 1967. By 1968, drummer Dale Griffin and organist
Verden Allen
had joined the band.
Although the group toured and recorded
in Italy as The Doc Thomas Group, their gigs
in the UK were played under the names of The Shakedown Sound, and later as Silence. Silence recorded demos
at Rockfield Studios
in Monmouth
, Wales, which were shopped to EMI
, Polydor
, Immediate
and Apple
with no success. The group came to the attention of Guy Stevens
at Island
, who liked the group but not with Tippins as lead singer. Advertisements were placed ("Singer wanted, must be image-minded and hungry"), and Ian Hunter
was eventually selected as lead singer and piano player. Tippins assumed the role of road manager
.
While in prison in 1968, Stevens discovered the Willard Manus
novel, Mott the Hoople, (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1966) and vowed to find a band to match the moniker. When Silence auditioned for Stevens in early 1969, they reluctantly agreed to change their name. The book is about an eccentric
who works in a circus
freak show
.
Their debut album, Mott the Hoople (1969), which was recorded
in a week, was a cult
success, and their repertoire included cover version
s of "Laugh at Me" (Sonny Bono
) and "At the Crossroads" (Doug Sahm
's Sir Douglas Quintet
), and an instrumental
cover of "You Really Got Me
" (The Kinks
).
The second album, Mad Shadows (1970) sold poorly and received generally negative reviews. Wildlife (1971) fared even worse, and flirted with an overtly country-hippie stance and accordingly (usually) acoustic instrumentation. On 10 October 1970, Mott the Hoople and Bridget St John
were showcased on BBC Two
's, Disco 2. Even though the group was building a decent following, Brain Capers (1971) failed to sell well. A nadir came in early 1972 when, booked into fourth-rate European venues, they decided to split after a particularly dismal gig in a disused gas holder in Switzerland. When combined with an aborted UK tour with The Lothringers, the band was close to breaking up.
had long been a fan of the band, and heard 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. Released as a single in July 1972, it was a success in the UK, with the band using Tippins - who by this time was their tour manager - to sing backing vocals
during concert. Bowie produced
an album, also called All the Young Dudes
, which included a Mick Ronson
strings and brass arrangement for "Sea Diver", sold well but stalled at #21 in the UK Albums Chart
. Late in 1972 they were going to record another Bowie song, "Drive-In Saturday
", but their intended arrangement
did not satisfy him and their professional relationship effectively ended. Another casualty in the wake of All the Young Dudes was Verden Allen, who departed before the release of their next album, Mott
.
Mott climbed into the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart
, and became the band's best seller to date in the US. Using the glam rock
craze as their launch pad, the band straddled the widening gap between the teen-pop market and the college circuit. It yielded two UK hits, "Honaloochie Boogie
" and "All the Way from Memphis
", both featuring Andy Mackay
of Roxy Music
on saxophone
. "All the Way From Memphis" is also featured in the movie, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
.
Mott the Hoople's new found popularity ultimately helped lead to the band's break-up, perhaps helped along by an exposé in New Musical Express of Tippins' role in singing the chorus of "All the Young Dudes", from a hidden microphone backstage.
In May 1973 following Verden Allen's departure the band was augmented by two keyboard players. Former Love Affair
and Morgan
member Morgan Fisher
joined as keyboardist and Mick Bolton joined on Hammond Organ
. Bolton left at the end of 1973 and was replaced on tour by Blue Weaver
, while Fisher stayed on to become their permanent piano player. Ralphs left in August 1973 to form Bad Company
and was replaced by former Spooky Tooth
guitarist Luther Grosvenor
. For contractual reasons, he changed his name to Ariel Bender at the suggestion of singer-songwriter Lynsey De Paul
for his stint with the band.
In the afterglow of The Hoople (1974), a live album Live was quickly released, after which Mick Ronson
replaced Bender. The end was nigh when both Ronson and Hunter left the group to form a duo
. Ray Major and Nigel Benjamin were added to continue the group, which abbreviated its name to 'Mott'.
In 1974, for their tour of America, Mott the Hoople were supported by the band Queen
. This tour later provided the inspiration for Queen's 1975 single "Now I'm Here
", which contains the lyrics
"Down in the city, just Hoople and me." The song became a live favourite of Queen fans and reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart
. The tour resulted in a lifelong friendship between the two bands, with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson and David Bowie performing "All the Young Dudes" at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992. Morgan Fisher went on to play piano on Queen's 'Hot Space' tour in 1982, and Brian May
, Freddie Mercury
and Roger Taylor
performed backing vocals on the Ian Hunter solo song, "You Nearly Did Me In". May would later cover Mott's "All the Way from Memphis" on his solo album, Another World
, with Hunter making a guest appearance.
Mott the Hoople are name-checked on two other hit singles. Reunion's 1974 single, "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)
" begins with the lyrics
, 'B Bumble and the Stingers, Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers...'. Whereas, R.E.M.
's, "Man on the Moon
" begins with 'Mott the Hoople and the Game of Life, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...'
Hunter wrote the book Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star
about the day-to-day life on the band's 1972 winter tour of the US, covering the ups and downs of life on the road. It was published 18 months later in June 1974 was out-of-print for many years but is currently available.
) and became British Lions, recording two albums, British Lions
(1978) and Trouble With Women (posthumously released on Cherry Red Records 1980) before finally splitting up without any chart
success. Hunter and Ronson worked and toured together sporadically until Ronson's death in 1993. Hunter has continued his solo career.
Ray Major now records and tours with his wife, avant- garde singer-songwriter Sandy Dillon, who also had worked with Mick Ronson in 1984 and 1985 in both New York and London when she was managed by Tony DeFries Mainman company.
In 1990, after a brief reunion in 1989, the former members of The Silence reunited in the studio to record a mix of new songs and staples from their days performing together. The resultant album, Shotgun Eyes, was released in 1998 as 'The Italian Job' combined with the re-release of the Doc Thomas Group's self-titled album.
In 1996 K-tel
released a CD called The Best of Mott the Hoople purporting to be re-recordings of the band's hits
and new songs by Hunter and Ronson. In actuality, the recording was by a Danny McCulloch and Gerry Chapman (usually going under the band name of The Trybe), consisted of heavy rock
versions of Mott's hits and original songs, and had nothing at all to do with the original Mott the Hoople. K-tel were subsequently fined for supplying goods with a false description, but the tracks and album continued to circulate under the name Mott the Hoople, often appearing on compilation album
s. In 2002, the tracks were released again as I Can't Believe It's Not Mott the Hoople!, though this time it was credited to The Trybe.
On 16 and 17 April 1999, the first and only 'Mott The Hoople Convention' was held at the Robin Hood Pub in Bilston
, Wolverhampton
, England. Hunter and his band performed both evenings of the convention. During the encore of the Ian Hunter Band's 17 April performance, Hunter was joined onstage by Bender and Allen for a version of "Walkin' With A Mountain"; Allen performed on the original studio version of the song, whilst Bender performed an extended solo during performances of the song on Mott The Hoople's 1973-74 tours.
In 2002 and 2004, Ralphs toured with Hunter, as part of the latter's backing band.
No Mott the Hoople reunion occurred prior to 2009, although negotiations for one were attempted in 1985; all parties have shown some interest at various times in the idea over the last 30 years. In 2005 it was reported in the publication Classic Rock, that Hunter had received the offer of a seven-figure number to re-form the band. In October 2007 at Hunter's concert at the Shepherds Bush Empire
, he was joined by Ralphs and Allen for the encore.
in London, in October 2009. According to Hunter's web site, all five of the original members would participate in the reunion. Hunter wrote, "Why are we doing it? I can't speak for the others, but I'm doing it just to see what it's like. Short of war, death, famine etc. ...it's ON." Tickets for the two original dates sold out, and a third date at the same venue was added for 3 October 2009. After that one sold out as well another two dates were added on 5 and 6 October. The special limited 3 CD-set recorded during the first show at Hammersmith Apollo was sold directly after that concerts.
Mott The Hoople also held a warmup gig prior to their five-night stand at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in October. The show was held at the Blake Theatre in Monmouth
, Wales on 26 September 2009. Prior to this it was announced that because of the poor health of Buffin
, his place for the concerts would be taken by Martin Chambers
, drummer of The Pretenders
.
The reunion was favourably reviewed by major British broadsheet newspapers, with The Guardian
, The Times
and The Independent
awarding 4/5 stars and The Daily Telegraph
awarding 5/5.
On 27 November 2009 Mott the Hoople played The Tartan Clefs charity night in Glasgow
.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
roots, popular in the glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes
All the Young Dudes (song)
"All the Young Dudes" is a song written by David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by Mott the Hoople in 1972. NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray have described the track as "one of that rare breed: rock songs which hymn the solidarity of the disaffected without...
", written for them by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name
All the Young Dudes
All the Young Dudes is an album by Mott the Hoople, released in 1972. Their initial album for the CBS Records label , it was a turning point for the then-struggling British band. They were about to break up when David Bowie stepped in and gave them the song "All the Young Dudes"...
.
The early years
Mott The Hoople can be traced to two beat bands from HerefordshireHerefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
in the early 1960s. The Soulents were from Ross-On-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
, and boasted Pete Overend Watts
Peter Watts (musician)
Peter Overend Watts is a bass guitar player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
on guitar, and Dale "Buffin" Griffin
Dale Griffin
Dale "Buffin" Griffin is an English drummer and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
on drums. The Buddies were from Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, and featured Mick Ralphs
Mick Ralphs
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Ralphs is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.-Career:...
on guitar and Stan Tippins on vocals
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
. By 1966, Ralphs, Tippins, and Watts (the latter now on bass) had come together in a band called The Doc Thomas Group, and soon secured a residency at a club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in a resort town in Italy. The group were offered a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with the Italian label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Dischi Interrecord, and released an eponymous album in January 1967. By 1968, drummer Dale Griffin and organist
Electric organ
In biology, the electric organ is an organ common to all electric fish used for the purposes of creating an electric field. The electric organ is derived from modified nerve or muscle tissue...
Verden Allen
Verden Allen
Verden Allen is an organ player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople...
had joined the band.
Although the group toured and recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in Italy as The Doc Thomas Group, their gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
in the UK were played under the names of The Shakedown Sound, and later as Silence. Silence recorded demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
at Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
, Wales, which were shopped to EMI
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
, Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
, Immediate
Immediate Records
Immediate Records was a British record label, started in 1965 by The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham and Tony Calder and concentrating on the London-based blues and R&B scene.-History:...
and Apple
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
with no success. The group came to the attention of Guy Stevens
Guy Stevens
Guy Stevens worked in a number of different roles in the British music industry including producer and manager. He gave the rock bands Procol Harum and Mott the Hoople their distinctive names....
at Island
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, who liked the group but not with Tippins as lead singer. Advertisements were placed ("Singer wanted, must be image-minded and hungry"), and Ian Hunter
Ian Hunter (singer)
Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
was eventually selected as lead singer and piano player. Tippins assumed the role of road manager
Road manager
In music industry, a Road Manager is a person who works with small to mid-sized tours...
.
While in prison in 1968, Stevens discovered the Willard Manus
Willard Manus
Willard Manus is a Los Angeles-based novelist, playwright, and journalist. His best known book is Mott the Hoople, the novel from which the British 70s rock band took their name. He is also the author of This Way to Paradise: Dancing on the Tables, a memoir of life in Lindos, Rhodes, Greece from...
novel, Mott the Hoople, (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1966) and vowed to find a band to match the moniker. When Silence auditioned for Stevens in early 1969, they reluctantly agreed to change their name. The book is about an eccentric
Eccentricity (behavior)
In popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive...
who works in a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
freak show
Freak show
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with both male and female secondary sexual characteristics, people with other extraordinary diseases and...
.
Their debut album, Mott the Hoople (1969), which was recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in a week, was a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
success, and their repertoire included cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of "Laugh at Me" (Sonny Bono
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
) and "At the Crossroads" (Doug Sahm
Doug Sahm
Douglas Wayne Sahm , was an American musician from Texas. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he was a child prodigy in country music, but became a significant figure in blues rock and other genres. Today Sahm is considered one of the most important figures in what is identified as Tejano music...
's Sir Douglas Quintet
Sir Douglas Quintet
Sir Douglas Quintet was a rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Despite their British sounding name, they came out of San Antonio, Texas. Their career was established when they began working with Texas record-producer Huey P. Meaux, after which the band relocated to the West Coast...
), and an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
cover of "You Really Got Me
You Really Got Me
"You Really Got Me" is a rock song written by Ray Davies and performed by his band, The Kinks. It was released on 4th August 1964 as the group's third single, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the next month, remaining for two weeks...
" (The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
).
The second album, Mad Shadows (1970) sold poorly and received generally negative reviews. Wildlife (1971) fared even worse, and flirted with an overtly country-hippie stance and accordingly (usually) acoustic instrumentation. On 10 October 1970, Mott the Hoople and Bridget St John
Bridget St John
Bridget St John is a British singer and songwriter, best known for the three albums she recorded between 1969 and 1972 for John Peel's Dandelion label. Peel produced her debut album Ask Me No Questions. She also recorded a large number of BBC Radio and Peel sessions and toured regularly on the UK...
were showcased on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's, Disco 2. Even though the group was building a decent following, Brain Capers (1971) failed to sell well. A nadir came in early 1972 when, booked into fourth-rate European venues, they decided to split after a particularly dismal gig in a disused gas holder in Switzerland. When combined with an aborted UK tour with The Lothringers, the band was close to breaking up.
The glam years
David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
had long been a fan of the band, and heard from Watts that they were about to split. He persuaded them to stay together and offered them "Suffragette City
Suffragette City
“Suffragette City” is a song by David Bowie. Originally from the 1972 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars album, it was later issued as a single in 1976 to promote the Changesonebowie compilation in the UK, with the US single edit of “Stay” on the B-side...
" from his then yet-to-be-released Ziggy Stardust
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1972 concept album by English musician David Bowie, which is loosely based on a story of a rock star named Ziggy Stardust. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music...
album. They turned it down. Bowie also penned "All the Young Dudes
All the Young Dudes (song)
"All the Young Dudes" is a song written by David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by Mott the Hoople in 1972. NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray have described the track as "one of that rare breed: rock songs which hymn the solidarity of the disaffected without...
" for them, and it became their biggest hit. Released as a single in July 1972, it was a success in the UK, with the band using Tippins - who by this time was their tour manager - to sing backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
during concert. Bowie produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
an album, also called All the Young Dudes
All the Young Dudes
All the Young Dudes is an album by Mott the Hoople, released in 1972. Their initial album for the CBS Records label , it was a turning point for the then-struggling British band. They were about to break up when David Bowie stepped in and gave them the song "All the Young Dudes"...
, which included a Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
strings and brass arrangement for "Sea Diver", sold well but stalled at #21 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. Late in 1972 they were going to record another Bowie song, "Drive-In Saturday
Drive-In Saturday
"Drive-In Saturday" is a song by David Bowie from his 1973 album Aladdin Sane. It was released as a single a week before the album and, like its predecessor "The Jean Genie", became a Top 3 UK hit.-Music and lyrics:...
", but their intended arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
did not satisfy him and their professional relationship effectively ended. Another casualty in the wake of All the Young Dudes was Verden Allen, who departed before the release of their next album, Mott
Mott (album)
Mott is a 1973 album by British band Mott the Hoople. "All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on U.S. radio and captured the band many overseas fans, as well as reaching the UK Top 10....
.
Mott climbed into the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and became the band's best seller to date in the US. Using the glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
craze as their launch pad, the band straddled the widening gap between the teen-pop market and the college circuit. It yielded two UK hits, "Honaloochie Boogie
Honaloochie Boogie
"Honaloochie Boogie" is a single released by Mott the Hoople. It was the follow-up to their breakthrough single "All The Young Dudes". It reached a peak position in the UK charts of number 12 in July 1973....
" and "All the Way from Memphis
All the Way from Memphis
"All the Way from Memphis" is a single released by Mott the Hoople. The song tells a story about a rock n' roller whose guitar is shipped to Oriole, Kentucky instead of Memphis. The musician gets half-way there before he realizes his instrument is missing and takes a month to track it down. When he...
", both featuring Andy Mackay
Andy Mackay
Andrew "Andy" Mackay is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known as a founder member of the art-rock group Roxy Music....
of Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
on saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. "All the Way From Memphis" is also featured in the movie, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a 1974 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Robert Getchell. It stars Ellen Burstyn as a widow who travels with her preteen son across the American Southwest in search of a better life, along with Alfred Lutter as her son and Kris...
.
Mott the Hoople's new found popularity ultimately helped lead to the band's break-up, perhaps helped along by an exposé in New Musical Express of Tippins' role in singing the chorus of "All the Young Dudes", from a hidden microphone backstage.
In May 1973 following Verden Allen's departure the band was augmented by two keyboard players. Former Love Affair
Love Affair (band)
Love Affair were a London based pop, soul, R&B group formed in 1966. They had several UK Singles Chart Top 10 hits, including the number one success "Everlasting Love".-Personnel:The band primarily featured the following —...
and Morgan
Morgan (band)
Morgan was an English progressive rock band, formed and disbanded in the early 1970s.-History:Featuring former Smile member Tim Staffell on vocals and guitar, Bob Sapsed of Springfield Park on bass, Maurice Bacon on drums and Morgan Fisher on keyboards, Morgan formed in 1971...
member Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher is an English keyboard player / composer, and is most known for being a member of Mott the Hoople in the early 1970s. However, his career has covered a wide range of musical activities, and he is still highly active in the music industry...
joined as keyboardist and Mick Bolton joined on Hammond Organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
. Bolton left at the end of 1973 and was replaced on tour by Blue Weaver
Blue Weaver
Blue Weaver is a British keyboard player, session musician, songwriter and record producer.-Biography:...
, while Fisher stayed on to become their permanent piano player. Ralphs left in August 1973 to form Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
and was replaced by former Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth
Spooky Tooth are an English rock band principally active, with intermittent breakups, between 1967 to 1974. In recent years, the band has been reconstituted at various points, and continues to perform occasionally.-Career:...
guitarist Luther Grosvenor
Luther Grosvenor
Luther James Grosvenor is an English rock musician, who played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and, under the pseudonym "Ariel Bender", in Mott the Hoople and Widowmaker....
. For contractual reasons, he changed his name to Ariel Bender at the suggestion of singer-songwriter Lynsey De Paul
Lynsey De Paul
Lynsey de Paul is an English singer-songwriter. Allmusic journalist, Craig Harris stated, "one of the first successful female singer-songwriters in England, de Paul has had an illustrious career".-Early life:De Paul was born to Meta and Herbert Rubin, a property developer...
for his stint with the band.
In the afterglow of The Hoople (1974), a live album Live was quickly released, after which Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson
Michael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
replaced Bender. The end was nigh when both Ronson and Hunter left the group to form a duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
. Ray Major and Nigel Benjamin were added to continue the group, which abbreviated its name to 'Mott'.
In 1974, for their tour of America, Mott the Hoople were supported by the band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. This tour later provided the inspiration for Queen's 1975 single "Now I'm Here
Now I'm Here
"Now I'm Here" is a song by the English rock band Queen. The sixth song on their third album, Sheer Heart Attack, it was written by lead guitarist Brian May while he was in hospital with hepatitis. The song is noted for its hard riff and vocal harmonies. In the UK, the song hit #11 on the charts...
", which contains the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
"Down in the city, just Hoople and me." The song became a live favourite of Queen fans and reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The tour resulted in a lifelong friendship between the two bands, with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson and David Bowie performing "All the Young Dudes" at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992. Morgan Fisher went on to play piano on Queen's 'Hot Space' tour in 1982, and Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
, Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
and Roger Taylor
Roger Meddows-Taylor
Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...
performed backing vocals on the Ian Hunter solo song, "You Nearly Did Me In". May would later cover Mott's "All the Way from Memphis" on his solo album, Another World
Another World (Brian May album)
Another World is the second full studio album delivered by Queen guitarist, Brian May. Recorded at his home studio after the completion of the last Queen album, Made in Heaven, the album was released in the UK on 1 June 1998 and on 15 September of that year in the US. The album itself started life...
, with Hunter making a guest appearance.
Mott the Hoople are name-checked on two other hit singles. Reunion's 1974 single, "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)
Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)
"Life Is a Rock " is a 1974 song by an ad hoc group of studio musicians called Reunion, with Joey Levine as the lead singer. The song was written by Paul DiFranco and Norman Dolph...
" begins with the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, 'B Bumble and the Stingers, Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers...'. Whereas, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
's, "Man on the Moon
Man on the Moon (song)
"Man on the Moon" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released as the second single from its 1992 album Automatic for the People. The song makes numerous references to the performer Andy Kaufman, including his Elvis impersonation and work with wrestlers Fred Blassie and Jerry...
" begins with 'Mott the Hoople and the Game of Life, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...'
Hunter wrote the book Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star
Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star
Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star isIan Hunter's famous written-as-it-happened account of Mott the Hoople's 5 week November-December 1972 U.S. tour. The book was published 18 months later in June 1974, just as Hunter was leaving the band to embark on a solo career...
about the day-to-day life on the band's 1972 winter tour of the US, covering the ups and downs of life on the road. It was published 18 months later in June 1974 was out-of-print for many years but is currently available.
The post Hunter years
The new line-up consisted of guitarist Ray Major (formerly of Opal Butterfly, Hackensack, and a brief stint with Andy Fraser and Frankie Miller). This line-up released two more albums, Drive On (1975) and Shouting and Pointing (1976), both of which sold poorly. After Nigel Benjamin quit in 1976, Mott added John Fiddler (formerly of Medicine HeadMedicine Head
Medicine Head were a British blues rock band, active in the 1970s. Their biggest single success was in 1973, with "One and One is One", a Number 3 hit in the UK Singles Chart.-Main personnel:The group worked as a duo for most of its career, consisting of...
) and became British Lions, recording two albums, British Lions
British Lions (album)
British Lions is a 1977 album released on the Vertigo label in the UK and the RSO label in the US. The band was made up of former members of Mott the Hoople and Medicine Head.-Track listing:All tracks composed by John Fiddler; except where indicated...
(1978) and Trouble With Women (posthumously released on Cherry Red Records 1980) before finally splitting up without any chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success. Hunter and Ronson worked and toured together sporadically until Ronson's death in 1993. Hunter has continued his solo career.
Ray Major now records and tours with his wife, avant- garde singer-songwriter Sandy Dillon, who also had worked with Mick Ronson in 1984 and 1985 in both New York and London when she was managed by Tony DeFries Mainman company.
In 1990, after a brief reunion in 1989, the former members of The Silence reunited in the studio to record a mix of new songs and staples from their days performing together. The resultant album, Shotgun Eyes, was released in 1998 as 'The Italian Job' combined with the re-release of the Doc Thomas Group's self-titled album.
In 1996 K-tel
K-tel
K-tel International is an "As-Seen-On-TV" company, which is most noted for its compilation music albums, such as "The Super Hits" series, "The Dynamic Hits" series and "The Number One Hits" series...
released a CD called The Best of Mott the Hoople purporting to be re-recordings of the band's hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
and new songs by Hunter and Ronson. In actuality, the recording was by a Danny McCulloch and Gerry Chapman (usually going under the band name of The Trybe), consisted of heavy rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
versions of Mott's hits and original songs, and had nothing at all to do with the original Mott the Hoople. K-tel were subsequently fined for supplying goods with a false description, but the tracks and album continued to circulate under the name Mott the Hoople, often appearing on compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s. In 2002, the tracks were released again as I Can't Believe It's Not Mott the Hoople!, though this time it was credited to The Trybe.
On 16 and 17 April 1999, the first and only 'Mott The Hoople Convention' was held at the Robin Hood Pub in Bilston
Bilston
Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and...
, Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, England. Hunter and his band performed both evenings of the convention. During the encore of the Ian Hunter Band's 17 April performance, Hunter was joined onstage by Bender and Allen for a version of "Walkin' With A Mountain"; Allen performed on the original studio version of the song, whilst Bender performed an extended solo during performances of the song on Mott The Hoople's 1973-74 tours.
In 2002 and 2004, Ralphs toured with Hunter, as part of the latter's backing band.
No Mott the Hoople reunion occurred prior to 2009, although negotiations for one were attempted in 1985; all parties have shown some interest at various times in the idea over the last 30 years. In 2005 it was reported in the publication Classic Rock, that Hunter had received the offer of a seven-figure number to re-form the band. In October 2007 at Hunter's concert at the Shepherds Bush Empire
Shepherds Bush Empire
The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre...
, he was joined by Ralphs and Allen for the encore.
2009 reunion
On 16 January 2009, it was announced that the band would be re-uniting for two concerts at the Hammersmith ApolloHammersmith Apollo
Hammersmith Apollo is a major entertainment venue located in Hammersmith, London. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, being re-named the Hammersmith Odeon in 1962...
in London, in October 2009. According to Hunter's web site, all five of the original members would participate in the reunion. Hunter wrote, "Why are we doing it? I can't speak for the others, but I'm doing it just to see what it's like. Short of war, death, famine etc. ...it's ON." Tickets for the two original dates sold out, and a third date at the same venue was added for 3 October 2009. After that one sold out as well another two dates were added on 5 and 6 October. The special limited 3 CD-set recorded during the first show at Hammersmith Apollo was sold directly after that concerts.
Mott The Hoople also held a warmup gig prior to their five-night stand at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in October. The show was held at the Blake Theatre in Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
, Wales on 26 September 2009. Prior to this it was announced that because of the poor health of Buffin
Dale Griffin
Dale "Buffin" Griffin is an English drummer and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
, his place for the concerts would be taken by Martin Chambers
Martin Chambers
Martin Chambers is the drummer in the rock band, The Pretenders. In addition to playing the drums with the group Chambers sings backing vocals and plays percussion...
, drummer of The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
.
The reunion was favourably reviewed by major British broadsheet newspapers, with The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
awarding 4/5 stars and The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
awarding 5/5.
On 27 November 2009 Mott the Hoople played The Tartan Clefs charity night in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.
Personnel
From- Pete Overend WattsPeter Watts (musician)Peter Overend Watts is a bass guitar player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals, guitar (1969–1980 & live 2009) - Dale "Buffin" GriffinDale GriffinDale "Buffin" Griffin is an English drummer and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(1969–1980 & live 2009) - Ian HunterIan Hunter (singer)Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and he again fronted them at the time of their 2009 reunion. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before Mott The Hoople, and...
– vocals, guitar, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, bass guitar (1969–1974 & live 2009) - Mick RalphsMick RalphsMichael Geoffrey "Mick" Ralphs is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.-Career:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals, keyboards (1969–1973 & live 2009) - Verden AllenVerden AllenVerden Allen is an organ player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople...
– organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, backing vocals (1969–1972 & live 2009) - Morgan FisherMorgan FisherMorgan Fisher is an English keyboard player / composer, and is most known for being a member of Mott the Hoople in the early 1970s. However, his career has covered a wide range of musical activities, and he is still highly active in the music industry...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocals (1973–1980) - Mick Bolton - Hammond Organ, Yamaha keyboard, backing vocals (1973)
- Ariel Bender – guitar, backing vocals (1973–1974)
- Mick RonsonMick RonsonMichael "Mick" Ronson was an English guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. He is best known for his work with David Bowie, as one of The Spiders from Mars...
- guitar, backing vocals (1974) - Martin ChambersMartin ChambersMartin Chambers is the drummer in the rock band, The Pretenders. In addition to playing the drums with the group Chambers sings backing vocals and plays percussion...
- drums, backing vocals, percussion (live 2009)
Albums
- Mott the HoopleMott the Hoople (album)Mott the Hoople is the debut album by the band of the same name. It was produced by Guy Stevens and released in 1969 by Island Records in the UK, and in 1970 by Atlantic Records in the US....
(1969) – UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#66 / USBillboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
#185 - Mad ShadowsMad Shadows (album)Mad Shadows was the second album by Mott the Hoople. It was recorded in 1970 and released in the UK on Island Records in September 1970 and in the US by Atlantic Records . It was subsequently re-released by Angel Air in 2003 .As with their debut album it was produced by Guy Stevens...
(1970) – UK #48 - Wildlife (1971) – UK #44 / US #207 (bubbled under)
- Brain CapersBrain CapersBrain Capers is the fourth album by the band Mott the Hoople.It was originally released in November 1971 in the UK by Island Records and was reissued in 2003 by Angel Air . It was released in the US on Atlantic Records Brain Capers is the fourth album by the band Mott the Hoople.It was originally...
(1971) - US #208 (bubbled under) - All the Young DudesAll the Young DudesAll the Young Dudes is an album by Mott the Hoople, released in 1972. Their initial album for the CBS Records label , it was a turning point for the then-struggling British band. They were about to break up when David Bowie stepped in and gave them the song "All the Young Dudes"...
(1972) – UK #21 / US #89 - MottMott (album)Mott is a 1973 album by British band Mott the Hoople. "All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on U.S. radio and captured the band many overseas fans, as well as reaching the UK Top 10....
(1973) – UK #7 / US #35 - The HoopleThe HoopleThe Hoople is a 1974 album by British band Mott the Hoople. Its highest chart rating in the US was #28. A remastered and expanded version was released by Sony BMG on the Columbia Legacy label in Europe in 2006...
(1974) – UK #11 / US #28 - LiveLive (Mott the Hoople album)Mott The Hoople Live is a 1974 album by British band Mott the Hoople. A remastered and expanded 30th Anniversary Edition was released by Sony BMG on the Columbia label . The release of the album in its original form in 1974 coincided with the announcement of the band's demise and it was,...
(1974) – UK #32 / US #23
Mott albums
- Drive On (September 1975) - UK #45 / US #160
- Shouting and Pointing (June 1976)
British Lions albums
- British LionsBritish Lions (album)British Lions is a 1977 album released on the Vertigo label in the UK and the RSO label in the US. The band was made up of former members of Mott the Hoople and Medicine Head.-Track listing:All tracks composed by John Fiddler; except where indicated...
(February 1978) – US #83 - Trouble with Women (recorded 1978, released May 1980)
Posthumous compilations and live albums
- Two Miles from HeavenTwo Miles from HeavenTwo Miles From Heaven is a compilation album of tracks recorded by British underground rock band Mott the Hoople during their period with Island Records from 1969 to 1972. It features the original band line-up of Ian Hunter , Mick Ralphs , Peter Watts , Dale Griffin and Verden Allen...
(1980) - Original Mixed Up Kids - The BBC Recordings (1996)
- All the Young Dudes: The Anthology (1998 triple CD box set)
- Rock 'n' Roll Circus Live 1972 (2000)
- A Tale of Two Cities (2000)
- Two Miles From Live Heaven (2001)
- Mott the Hoople Live - 30th Anniversary Edition (2004)
- Family Anthology (2005)
- Live Fillmore West (2006)
- Fairfield Halls, Live 1970 (2007)
- In Performance 1970-1974 (2008) (4CD box set of Live concerts, published by Angel Air Records)
- Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology (2008)
- Hammersmith Apollo - 1 October 2009 (January 2010) (triple CD box set; Indie Europe/Zoom)
- Live At Hammersmith Apollo 2009 (May 2010) (doubleDouble albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
CD box set; Concert Live)
Singles
- "Rock and Roll Queen" / "Road to Birmingham" (October 1969)
- "Rock and Roll Queen" / "Backsliding Fearlessly" (January 1970)
- "Midnight Lady" / "It Must Be Love" (October 1971)
- "Downtown" / "Home Is Where I Want to Be" (December 1971)
- "All the Young DudesAll the Young Dudes (song)"All the Young Dudes" is a song written by David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by Mott the Hoople in 1972. NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray have described the track as "one of that rare breed: rock songs which hymn the solidarity of the disaffected without...
" / "One of the Boys" (July 1972) – UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#3 / US #37 - "One of the Boys" / "Sucker" (January 1973) US #96
- "Sweet Jane" / "Jerkin' Crocus" (March 1973) – (not released in the UK)
- "Honaloochie BoogieHonaloochie Boogie"Honaloochie Boogie" is a single released by Mott the Hoople. It was the follow-up to their breakthrough single "All The Young Dudes". It reached a peak position in the UK charts of number 12 in July 1973....
" / "Rose" (May 1973) – UK #12 - "All the Way from MemphisAll the Way from Memphis"All the Way from Memphis" is a single released by Mott the Hoople. The song tells a story about a rock n' roller whose guitar is shipped to Oriole, Kentucky instead of Memphis. The musician gets half-way there before he realizes his instrument is missing and takes a month to track it down. When he...
" / "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26 March 1972 - Zürich)" (August 1973) – UK #10 - "Roll Away the StoneRoll Away the Stone"Roll Away the Stone" is a single released by Mott the Hoople. The song was recorded before Mick Ralphs left the band. In this version, Ralphs plays lead guitar and one of the Thunderthighs handles the bridge voice...
" / "Where Do You All Come From" (November 1973) – UK #8 - "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' RollThe Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll"The Golden Age Of Rock 'n' Roll" is a single released by Mott the Hoople, from their 1974 album The Hoople. It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart...
" / "Rest in Peace" (March 1974) – UK #16 / US #96 - "Foxy, FoxyFoxy, Foxy"Foxy, Foxy" is a non-LP single released by Mott the Hoople in 1974. It reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart....
" / "Trudi's Song" (June 1974) – UK #33 - "Saturday GigsSaturday Gigs"Saturday Gigs" is a 7" single released by Mott the Hoople. It was the last studio recording made by the group before Ian Hunter left and the group reformed as simply "Mott." Guitarist Ariel Bender was replaced by Mick Ronson during the production of the single, marking Ronson's only official...
" / Medley; "Jerkin' Crocus" - "Sucker" (live) (October 1974) – UK #41 - "All the Young Dudes" (live) / "Rose" (December 1974)
See also
- List of glam rock artists
- List of former Island Records artists
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
External links
- Information on the fake Mott the Hoople recordings
- Harris, John. Mott the Hoople: The dudes abide, The Guardian, 3 September 2009.
- Review of Mott The Hoople at Hammersmith, October 2009, Classic Rock Revisited