Mott the Hoople

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Mott the Hoople

Mott the Hoople were a 1970s English

England

Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
band

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music. In each musical style different norms have developed for the sizes and composition of different ensembles, and for the repertoire of songs or musical works that these ensembles perform....
with strong R&B

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music first created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s....
roots and dominant in the glam rock

Glam rock

Glam rock , is a sub-genre of rock music that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s which was "performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots." The flamboyant lyrics, costumes, and visual styles of glam performers were a camp , theatrical blend of nostalgia references t...
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 distress or sentimentality"....
", written for them by their fan

Fan (person)

A fan, aficionado, or supporter is someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking and enthusiasm for a sporting club, person , group of persons, company, product, work of art, idea, or fashion....
, David Bowie

David Bowie

David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and Arrangement. Active in five decades of rock music and frequently reinventing his music and image, 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 Columbia Records label, it was a turning point for the then-struggling British band....
.

roots of Mott The Hoople can be traced back to two beat bands from Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a Historic counties of England and Ceremonial counties of England Counties of England in the West Midlands Regions of England of England....
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, Wales, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean....
, 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.He continued with Dale "Buffin" Griffin and Morgan Fisher in the Mott successor British Lions, until their demise around 1979....
on guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
, and Dale "Buffin" Griffin

Dale Griffin

Dale "Buffin" Griffin is an England drummer and founding member of 1970s rock music band , Mott the Hoople.He continued with Peter Watts and Morgan Fisher in the Mott successor British Lions until their demise around 1978....
on drum

Drum

The drum is a member of the percussion instrument group, technically classified as a membranophone.. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with parts of a player's body, or with some sort of implement such as a drumstick, to produce sound....
s.

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Encyclopedia

Mott the Hoople were a 1970s English

England

Rock music

Musical ensemble

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music first created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s....
roots and dominant in the glam rock

Glam rock

All the Young Dudes (song)

Fan (person)

David Bowie

All the Young Dudes

All the Young Dudes is an album by Mott the Hoople, released in 1972. Their initial album for the Columbia Records label, it was a turning point for the then-struggling British band....
.

History

The early years

The roots of Mott The Hoople can be traced back to two beat bands from Herefordshire

Herefordshire

Ross-on-Wye

Peter Watts (musician)

Guitar

Dale Griffin

Drum

Hereford

Hereford is a cathedral city City status in the United Kingdom, 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

Mick Ralphs is an English people guitarist and songwriter, who was a founding member of 1970s rock music musical ensembles, Mott the Hoople and Bad Company....
on guitar and Stan Tippins on vocals

Human voice

The human voice consists of sound Voice production by a human being using the vocal folds for Speech communication, singing, Laughter, crying, screaming, etc....
. By 1966, the trio of Ralphs, Tippins, and Watts (the latter now on bass

Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
) had come together in a band called The Doc Thomas Group, and soon secured a residency at a club

Nightclub

A nightclub is a Alcoholic beverage, Dance and entertainment Music venue which does its primary business after dark. People who frequent nightclubs are known as clubbers....
in a resort town in Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
. The group were soon 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 can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of recorded sound and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the Record producer, manufacturing, distribution , marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protec...
Dishi Interrrecord, and released an eponymous album

Album

An album or record album is a collection of related Sound recording and reproduction or music tracks distributed to the public. The most common way is through commercial distribution, although smaller artists will often distribute directly to the public by selling their albums at live concerts or on their websites....
in January 1967. By 1968, drummer

Drummer

A drummer is a musician who plays a drum or drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays Classical music or Latin percussion....
Dale Griffin and organist

Electric organ

The electric organ is a muscle organ common to all electric fish used for the purposes of creating an electric field; a behavior used for navigation, communication or even incapacitation of prey....
Verden Allen

Verden Allen

Verden Allen is an organ player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople. Before that band formed, he had in the middle 1960s been in a rhythm and blues cover version band called The Inmates and recorded with Jimmy Cliff....
had joined the band.

Although the group toured and recorded

Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical or mechanics inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects....
in Italy as The Doc Thomas Group, their gigs

Concert

A concert is a live performance, usually of music, before an audience. The music may be performed 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

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
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 musicians to approximate their ideas on Magnetic tape or compact disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, Record 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....
in Monmouth

Monmouth

Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire . It is situated where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both ....
, Wales

Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
, which were shopped to EMI

EMI Records

EMI Records is a record label, founded by EMI in 1972 in music as the successor label to the Columbia Graphophone Company label. The global success that EMI enjoyed with pop music in the 1960s also exposed trade mark issues as EMI only had the rights to some of its trade marks, most notably His Master's Voice and Columbia, in parts of the wo...
, Polydor

Polydor Records

Polydor Records is a record label currently headquartered in the United Kingdom, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group....
, Immediate

Immediate Records

Immediate Records was a United Kingdom record label, started in 1965 by The Rolling Stones management, Andrew Loog Oldham and Tony Calder concentrating on the London-based blues and Rhythm and blues scene....
and Apple

Apple Records

Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps. 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 United Kingdom music industry including Record producer and music management. He gave the rock bands Procol Harum and Mott the Hoople their distinctive names....
at Island

Island Records

Island Records was a record label that was founded by British record producers in Jamaica. It was based in England for many years, but is now owned by Universal Music Group and is operated in the United States through The Island Def Jam Music Group and in the UK through Island Records Group ....
, who liked the group but not with Tippins as lead singer

Singing

Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice, which is often contrasted with regular speech. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist....
. Advertisements were placed ("Singer wanted, must be image-minded and hungry"), and Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter is the name of:* Ian Hunter , English singer-songwriter, formerly frontman of Mott the Hoople* Ian Hunter , South African/British actor...
was eventually selected as lead singer and piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
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 . His/her responsibilities include : advancing show dates, making travel & hotel arrangements , hiring backline techs ,wor recommending techs to be hired , coordinating artist media obligations , ensuring artist rider requirements are met, collecting payment...
.

Whilst in prison

Prison

A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or internment and usually deprived of a range of personal Freedom ....
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 Mott the Hoople took their name....
novel

Novel

File:2009 stapelweise Neuerscheinungen im Buchladen.JPGA novel is today a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern Romance and in the tradition of the novella....
, Mott the Hoople, (McGraw-Hill, New York

New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
, 1966) and vowed to find a band to match the moniker. So 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

File:Faroe stamp 416 circus.jpgA circus is commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobatics, clowns, trained animals, trapeze acts, hoopers, tightrope walkers, juggling, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists....
freak show

Freak show

A freak show is an exhibition of rarities, "freaks of nature" ? such as unusually tall or short humans, and people with intersexuality ? and performances that are expected to be shocking to the viewers....
.

Their debut album, Mott the Hoople (1969), which was recorded

Sound recording and reproduction

Cult

This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice"; for that usage see Cult . See Cult for more meanings of the term "cult"....
success, and their repertoire included cover version

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song.In its current use, it can sometimes have a pejorative meaning — implying that the original recording should be regarded as the definitive version, usually in the sense of an "authentic" rendition, and all...
s of "Laugh at Me" (Sonny Bono

Sonny Bono

Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an United States record producer, singer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades....
), and an instrumental

Instrumental

An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music; all of the music is 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 as the group's third single , in August 1964, and reached Number 1 on the UK singles chart the following month, staying there for two weeks....
" (The Kinks

The Kinks

The Kinks are an England rock music group formed in 1963, and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band. The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time....
).

The second album, Mad Shadows (1970), sold poorly and received generally negative reviews; as did Wildlife (1971). On 10 October 1970, Mott the Hoople and Bridget St John

Bridget St John

Bridget St John is a singer and songwriter best known for the three albums she recorded between 1969 and 1972 for John Peel's Dandelion Records record label....
were showcased on BBC Two

BBC Two

BBC Two is the second major terrestrial television channel of the BBC, aimed at a wide range of subject matter and interests, and specialising in intelligent yet popular programme genres....
'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 Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
an venues, they decided to split after a particularly dismal gig in a disused gas holder in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
. When combined with an aborted UK tour with The Lothringers, the band was close to breaking up.

The glam years

David Bowie

David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and Arrangement. Active in five decades of rock music and frequently reinventing his music and image, 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 single by David Bowie.Recorded towards the end of the The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars sessions, ?Suffragette City? is a trademark piece of early 1970s Bowie glam, with a piano riff heavily influenced by Little Richard, a lyrical reference to the film A Clockwork Orange and the...
" 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 England rock musician David Bowie. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 75 in the United States on the Billboard Music Charts....
album. They turned it down so Bowie wrote "All the Young Dudes

All the Young Dudes (song)

Single (music)

In the record industry, a single is a song usually used from a current or upcoming album to promote the album. Singles are distributed through a number of ways; originally, they were packaged as "single" records with one or two other songs and sold before the release of the album....
in July 1972, it was a success in the UK, with the band using Tippens - 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. In some cases, a backing singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry....
during concert. A Bowie produced

Record producer

In the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, Audio mixing and audio mastering processes....
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 Columbia Records label, it was a turning point for the then-struggling British band....
, 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 by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus....
. 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 5 UK hit....
", but their intended arrangement

Arrangement

In music, an arrangement is either a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet....
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 Great Britain band Mott the Hoople. "All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on United States 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 by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus....
, and became the band's best seller to date in the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
Using the glam rock

Glam rock

Glam rock , is a sub-genre of rock music that developed in the UK in the post-hippie early 1970s which was "performed by singers and musicians wearing outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots." The flamboyant lyrics, costumes, and visual styles of glam performers were a camp , theatrical blend of nostalgia references t...
craze as their launch pad, the band straddled the widening gap between the teen

Adolescence

Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental Human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological , social, and psychological changes, though the biological or physiological ones are the easiest to measure objectively....
-pop

Pop music

Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hook , a mainstream style and a conventional structure.The term "pop music" was first used in 1926 in the sense of "having popular appeal" , but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternat...
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 Oreole, Kentucky instead of Memphis....
", both featuring Andy Mackay

Andy Mackay

Andrew "Andy" Mackay is an England musician, best known as the saxophonist for the art rock group Roxy Music....
of Roxy Music

Roxy Music

Roxy Music are an English art rock group founded in the early 1970s by art school graduate Bryan Ferry . The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson ....
on saxophone

Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
. "All the Way From Memphis" is also featured in the movie

Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore

.Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore is a 1974 in film which tells the story of a widow who moves with her young son to Tucson, Arizona to start her life over again, and finds a job working at a diner....
.

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 Tippens' 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 music, soul music, Rhythm and blues group formed in 1966. They had several UK Singles Chart Top 40 hit record, including the chart-topper success "Everlasting Love"....
and Morgan

Morgan (band)

Morgan was an English people progressive rock musical ensemble, formed and disbanded in the early 1970s....
member Morgan Fisher

Morgan Fisher

Morgan Fisher is an England keyboard instrument 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

Keyboardist

A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either piano or organ ....
and Mick Bolton joined on Hammond Organ

Hammond organ

The Hammond organ is an electronic organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to Church as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard keyboard instrument for jazz, blues, Rock and r...
. Bolton left at the end of 1973 and was replaced on tour by Blue Weaver

Blue Weaver

Blue Weaver is a United Kingdom keyboardist, session musician, songwriter and record producer. A founder member of Amen Corner and its successor Fair Weather, he replaced Rick Wakeman in Strawbs when Wakeman left to join Yes ....
, while Fisher stayed on to become their permanent piano player. Ralphs left in August 1973 to form Bad Company

Bad Company

Bad Company are an England hard rock Supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of band members from Free , Mott the Hoople , and King Crimson . Bad Company was managed by Peter Grant , who had also guided Led Zeppelin to massive success....
and was replaced by former Spooky Tooth

Spooky Tooth

Spooky Tooth were an England progressive rock band from the late 1960s. They faded into obscurity afterwards....
guitarist Luther Grosvenor

Luther Grosvenor

Luther James Grosvenor is an England rock musician, who played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and, under the pseudonym "Ariel Bender", in Mott the Hoople....
. For contractual reasons, he changed his name to Ariel Bender at the suggestion of singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

File:Joan Baez Bob Dylan crop.jpgSinger-songwriter is a term that refers to performers who Lyricist, composer and singing their own Musical piece including lyrics and melody....
Lynsey De Paul

Lynsey De Paul

Lynsey de Paul is an England singer-songwriter....
for his stint with the band.

In the afterglow of The Hoople (1974), a live album

Live album

A live album – commonly contrasted with a studio album – is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances. Live albums may be recorded at a single concert, or combine recordings made at multiple concerts....
Live was quickly released, after which Mick Ronson

Mick Ronson

Mick Ronson was an England guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and record producer. He is most well known for his work with David Bowie from 1970 to 1973, Bowie's glam rock period, including being part of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars band....
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 or musical piece 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 Wiktionary:duo is also often used....
. Ray Major and Nigel Benjamin were added to continue the group, which abbreviated its name to 'Mott'.

In 1974, for their tour of America

United States

Queen (band)

Queen were an England rock music band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Meddows-Taylor, with bassist John Deacon completing the lineup the following year....
. 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 England 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....
," which contains the lyrics

Lyrics

Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song, either by speaking or singing. The word 'lyric' comes from the Greek word ,lyricos, meaning "singing to the lyre"....
"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 UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
. 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

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury , was a United Kingdom singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist and co-founder of the Rock music Musical ensemble Queen . As a performer, he was known for his vocal prowess and flamboyant performances....
and Roger Taylor

Roger Meddows-Taylor

Roger Taylor is an English musician best known as the percussionist and backing, sometimes lead Singing of the rock band Queen . As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of the most influential rock music drummers of the 1970s and 1980s....
performed backing vocals on the Ian Hunter solo

Solo (music)

Song

A song is a musical musical composition which contains vocal parts that are performed, 'sung,' and feature words , commonly accompanied by musical instruments ....
, "You Nearly Did Me In". May would later cover Mott's "All the Way from Memphis" on his solo

Solo (music)

In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer. In practice this means a number of different things, depending on the type of music and the context....
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)

Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)

"Life Is a Rock " is a 1974 song by a group of studio session musician in a band for this purpose called Reunion , with Joey Levine , as the lead singer....
" begins with the lyrics

Lyrics

Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song, either by speaking or singing. The word 'lyric' comes from the Greek word ,lyricos, meaning "singing to the lyre"....
, 'BB Bumble and the Stingers, Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers...'. Whereas, R.E.M.

R.E.M.

R.E.M. is an American Rock music band formed in Athens, Georgia, Georgia , in 1980 by Michael Stipe , Peter Buck , Mike Mills , and Bill Berry ....
'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....
" 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....
about the day-to-day life on the band's 1972 winter tour of the U.S., 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

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 and became British Lions

British Lions

Two rugby football teams may be known as the British Lions, though it is not the current correct title for either:* The British and Irish Lions are a touring side playing rugby union....
in 1978, but they soon split as well, similarly without any chart

Record chart

Record chart are a method of ranking 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.

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 England's West Midlands county region]]). It is situated in the south-eastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three Ward of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which are almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and Ettingshall which comprise a part of...
, Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough of the West Midlands , England. In 2004, the local government district had an estimated population of 239,100; the wider Urban Area had a population of List of English cities by population, which makes it the 13th most populous city in England....
, England

England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. 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 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 , Nightclub, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings....
and new song

Song

A song is a musical musical composition which contains vocal parts that are performed, 'sung,' and feature words , commonly accompanied by musical instruments ....
s 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

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, 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.

In 2002 and 2004, Ralphs toured with Hunter, as part of the latter's backing band.

No Mott the Hoople reunion has occurred to date, 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 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, run by the Academy Music Group....
, 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 Apollo

Hammersmith Apollo

The 'HMV Apollo' is a major entertainments and concert venue located in Hammersmith, London, England. Designed by Robert Cromie in Art Deco style, it opened in 1932 as the 'Gaumont Palace' cinema....
in London

London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, in October 2009. According to Hunter's website, all five of the original members will 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 on 1 October 2009. After that one sold out as well another two dates were added.

Personnel

From

Ian Hunter
Ian Hunter (singer)

Ian Hunter 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....
– born Ian Hunter Patterson, 3 June 1939, Oswestry
Oswestry

Oswestry is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England, very close to the Wales border. It is at the junction of the A5 road , A483 road, and A495 road roads....
, Shropshire
Shropshire

Shropshire , alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated, in print only, Shrops, is a Counties of England in the West Midlands of England....
, England – vocals, guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
, piano
Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
(1969–1974)
Mick Ralphs
Mick Ralphs

Mick Ralphs is an English people guitarist and songwriter, who was a founding member of 1970s rock music musical ensembles, Mott the Hoople and Bad Company....
– born Michael Geoffrey Ralphs, 31 March 1944, Hereford
Hereford

Hereford is a cathedral city City status in the United Kingdom, 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....
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire

Herefordshire is a Historic counties of England and Ceremonial counties of England Counties of England in the West Midlands Regions of England of England....
, England – guitar, 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. In some cases, a backing singer may sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry....
, keyboards
Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
(1969–1973)
Verden Allen
Verden Allen

Verden Allen is an organ player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople. Before that band formed, he had in the middle 1960s been in a rhythm and blues cover version band called The Inmates and recorded with Jimmy Cliff....
– born Terrence Verden Allen, 26 May 1944, Woodland Road, Crynant
Crynant

Crynant is a village in the Dulais Valley, lying between Mynydd Marchywel to the west, Hirfynydd to the east and Mynydd y Drum to the north. It lies 7? miles from the town of Neath in Neath Port Talbot, Wales....
, Neath
Neath

Neath is a town and Community situated in the Principal areas of Wales of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001....
, Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
– organ
Hammond organ

The Hammond organ is an electronic organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to Church as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s, it became a standard keyboard instrument for jazz, blues, Rock and r...
, backing vocals (up to 1972)
Pete "Overend" Watts
Peter Watts (musician)

Peter "Overend" Watts is a bass guitar player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople.He continued with Dale "Buffin" Griffin and Morgan Fisher in the Mott successor British Lions, until their demise around 1979....
– born Peter Overend Watts, 13 May 1947, Yardley
Yardley, Birmingham

Yardley is an area in east Birmingham, England. It is also a Government of Birmingham, England#Districts, managed by its own district committee....
, Birmingham
Birmingham

Birmingham is a city status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham is the most populous of England's English Core Cities Group, and is the List of United Kingdom cities by population British city after London, with a population of 1,010,200 ....
, England – bass guitar
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
, backing vocals, guitar (1969–1976)
Dale "Buffin" Griffin
Dale Griffin

Dale "Buffin" Griffin is an England drummer and founding member of 1970s rock music band , Mott the Hoople.He continued with Peter Watts and Morgan Fisher in the Mott successor British Lions until their demise around 1978....
– born Terence Dale Griffin, 24 October 1948, 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, Wales, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean....
, Herefordshire, England – drums
Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
, backing vocals, percussion
Percussion instrument

A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound by being hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration....
(1969–1980)

Later members

Ariel Bender – born Luther James Grosvenor, 23 December 1946, Evesham, Worcestershire
Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a county located in the West Midlands of central England. From 1974 to 1998 it was administered as part of Hereford and Worcester....
, England – guitar, backing vocals (1973–1974)
Morgan Fisher
Morgan Fisher

Morgan Fisher is an England keyboard instrument 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....
– born Stephen Morgan Fisher, 1 January 1950, Middlesex Hospital
Middlesex Hospital

The Middlesex Hospital was a hospital in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. The first Middlesex Hospital opened in 1745 as the Middlesex Infirmary in Windmill Street, London W1, named after the county of Middlesex....
, Fitzrovia
Fitzrovia

Fitzrovia is an area of central London, near London's West End, London. It is a formally designated area lying partly in the London Borough of Camden and partly in the City of Westminster ....
, West London
West London

West London is the area of Greater London to the west of Central London. Although it is only ambiguously defined, it is one of the most economically active areas of London outside of the centre, containing significant amounts of office space along with London Heathrow Airport and many of its associated businesses....
, England – keyboards, backing vocals (1973–1980)
Mick Ronson
Mick Ronson

Mick Ronson was an England guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and record producer. He is most well known for his work with David Bowie from 1970 to 1973, Bowie's glam rock period, including being part of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars band....
- born Michael Ronson, 26 May 1946, Hull
Kingston upon Hull

Kingston upon Hull , almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a City status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England....
, East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire

The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan district with unitary authority status, and is a ceremonial counties of England of England....
, England – guitar, backing vocals (1974)
Mick Bolton - born Michael Bolton, 20 December 1948, Wigan
Wigan

Wigan is a large town in Greater Manchester in England. It stands on the River Douglas, south of Preston, west-northwest of Manchester, and east-northeast of Liverpool....
, Lancashire, England - Hammond Organ, Yamaha keyboard, backing vocals (1973)

Discography

Albums

Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople (album)

Mott the Hoople is the debut album by the Mott the Hoople. It was produced by Guy Stevens and released in 1969 by Island Records. Stevens, the group's mentor and guide, wanted to create an album that would suggest Bob Dylan singing with the Rolling Stones....
(1969) – UK
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 by The Official UK Charts Company and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website ; the full Top 200 is published exclusively in ChartsPlus....
#66 / U.S.
Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling Albums and extended play in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine....
#185
Mad Shadows
Mad Shadows (album)

Mad Shadows was the second album by Mott the Hoople. It was recorded in 1970 and released on Island Records in September 1970, catalogue number ILPS 9112....
(1970) – UK #48
Wildlife
Wildlife (album)

Wildlife is the third album by the band Mott the Hoople.It was originally released in 1971; in the UK by Island Records under catalogue number ILPS 9144 and in the US by Wounded Bird Records....
(1971) – UK #44 / U.S. #207 (bubbled under)
Brain Capers
Brain Capers

Brain Capers is the fourth album by the band Mott the Hoople.It was originally released in November 1971 in the UK by Island Records under catalogue number ILPS 9178 and was reissued in 2003 0n Angel Air SJPCD160....
(1971) - U.S. #208 (bubbled under)
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 Columbia Records label, it was a turning point for the then-struggling British band....
(1972) – UK #21 / U.S. #89
Mott
Mott (album)

Mott is a 1973 album by Great Britain band Mott the Hoople. "All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on United States radio and captured the band many overseas fans, as well as reaching the UK Top 10....
(1973) – UK #7 / U.S. #35
The Hoople
The Hoople

The Hoople is a 1974 album by Great Britain 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 / U.S. #28
Live
Live (Mott the Hoople album)

Mott The Hoople Live is a 1974 album by Great Britain band Mott the Hoople. A remastered and expanded 30th Anniversary Edition was released by Sony BMG on the Columbia label ....
(1974) – UK #32 / U.S. #23

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 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 distress or sentimentality"....
" / "One of the Boys" (July 1972) – UK
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
#3 / U.S. #37
"One of the Boys" / "Sucker" (January 1973) U.S. #96
"Sweet Jane" / "Jerkin' Crocus" (March 1973) – (not released in the UK)
"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...
" / "Rose" (May 1973) – UK #12
"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 Oreole, Kentucky instead of Memphis....
" / "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26 March 1972 - Zürich)" (August 1973) – UK #10
"Roll Away the Stone
Roll 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' Roll
The 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 makes reference to Mott as "96 decibel freaks," a reference to efforts by British politicians of the time to limit the volume of live musical performances to that level....
" / "Rest in Peace" (March 1974) – UK #16 / U.S. #96
"Foxy, Foxy
Foxy, Foxy

"Foxy, Foxy" is a non-LP single released by Mott the Hoople....
" / "Trudi's Song" (June 1974) – UK #33
"Saturday Gigs
Saturday Gigs

"Saturday Gigs" - more formally "" The 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"....
" / Medley; "Jerkin' Crocus" - "Sucker" (live) (October 1974) – UK #41
"All the Young Dudes" (live) / "Rose" (December 1974)

Mott albums

Drive On (September 1975) - UK #45 / U.S. #160
Shouting and Pointing (June 1976)

British Lions albums

British Lions
British Lions (album)

British Lions is a 1977 album released on the Vertigo Records label in the UK and the RSO Records label in the US....
(February 1978) – U.S. #83
Trouble with Women (recorded 1978, released May 1980)

Posthumous albums

Two Miles from Heaven
Two Miles from Heaven

Two Miles From Heaven is a compilation album of tracks recorded by British Underground music rock band Mott the Hoople during their period with Island Records from 1969 to 1972....
(1980)
Original Mixed Up Kids - The BBC Recordings (1996)
All the Young Dudes: The Anthology (1998 triple CD
Compact Disc

A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store Data , originally developed for storing digital audio. The CD, available on the market since October 1982, remains the standard physical medium for sale of commercial Sound recording and reproduction to the present day....
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)
Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology (2008)

Mott the Hoople

History

The early years

The glam years

The post Hunter years

2009 reunion

Personnel

Later members

Discography

Albums

Singles

Mott albums

British Lions albums

Posthumous albums

See also

External links