Mott The Hoople - Live (1974)

(U.K 1969 - 1980)
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Mott The Hoople were always a crash-hot live band, and it took a while for technology to finally catch up and capture their live show. These performances go some way to redressing the balance, but are let down by other considerations.

CBS refused to release a double album, or even consider a "bonus" mini-LP (10-inch), so these magnificent performances were edited down to fit on a single LP. They also refused to allow any Hoople tracks to be included, which certainly affected the track selection of the Uris side, which were also presented out of real-time sequence for programming considerations. At over 50 minutes, it was still quite a long LP for 1974.

Although there are fans who do not like guitarist Ariel Bender's Ted Nugent-style noise making, this reviewer regards this as one of the best live albums ever made. While the Hammersmith performance included here captures that intangible "expect the unexpected" essence of the true live gig, there was always the feeling that the Broadway (Uris) side had something missing - tracks that have since surfaced suggest that the best tracks were left in the can.

The Uris show was recorded by the syndicated radio show King Biscuit Flower Hour who recorded the second night (8th May 1974) of a week-long run, and about half an hour was originally broadcast back in 1974. This show was re-broadcast in 1988, and a few transcription CDs found their way into the collector's market. The following tracks were broadcast: American Pie/Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll, Sucker, Born Late '58, One of the Boys, Marionette and All the Way From Memphis. The original master-tape was mixed in quadrophonic, and this (1988) broadcast sounds like one track front and one track rear from a quad master - there is an odd delay between the stereo channels.

There was another (20 minute) broadcast in 1989, and this found its way onto the Long Red unofficial release. The tracks broadcast this time were American Pie/Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll, One of the Boys, Marionette and All the Way From Memphis. This time, it seems, they took the correct tracks off the master.

A couple of rarities from these shows have surfaced over the years. The 1980 compilation Shades of Ian Hunter included a live performance of Marionette from Uris. Sadly, it seems to have been mixed by someone less than familiar with Mott's work - all the power and majesty of the live performance has been lost. This reviewer much prefers the mix available on the aforementioned Long Red disc.

Another rarity from these performances surfaced in 1987. Castle's The Collection featured the full ten-minute version of Walkin' With a Mountain, complete with all the solos which were edited out of the official live album. It's not on the CD version - this was on the 2-LP version only. Who says vinyl is dead?!

In 1998, of course, we had the excellent 3-CD Anthology, which included American Pie/Golden Age of Rock n Roll and Roll Away The Stone/Sweet Jane, together with the Blowin' In The Wind coda to Hymn For The Dudes.

The CD packaging is OK (same as the LP), except that the date of the Uris performance is given erroneously as 1975. In addition, the date given on the original vinyl (7th May 1974) was that of the show reviewed in Creem, not the recording date. Sound quality of the CD is average.

It is a shame that CBS have yet to take advantage of the CD format and re-issue CD with additional material. The rarities I've mentioned above prove the material is there (and strong) for an extended CD of the Uris show, and I'm sure the same must be true of the Hammersmith show. [extract from hunter-mott.com]

Broadway Show (Side A)
May 7, 1974. All the way from nowhere to the Uris Theatre in New York, where the ghost of Broadway tradition exchanged its top hat & tails for a pair of shades and a week long electric seizure. To my thinking, there could've been no better rock & roll band to open up Broadway's belly than Mott The Hoople. They earned the right to that much frosting on the cake with five years of diligently rendered services. And they further earned it by virtue and the fact that they could look all the pomp and circumstance full in the face and still giggle about it over in the corner: "Is That Really us?"
In retrospect, however, the Broadway aspect opf the situation comes up an also-ran; just another entry for Mr Guiness to note and file away. The deck was stacked with pop aristocracy on opening night, but the event was the string of performances that most of the gentry didn't bother to stick around for Nights when the people who'd been along for most of all of the ride could get down to the real celebration.

What was to celebrate? Five full years of ups, downs and somewhere-in-betweens that might be the story of any rock & roll band. But Mott the Hoople has not been just any rock & roll band. They may well be the consummate illustration of the old 'Do it yourself" principal of rock & roll: blue collar sensibilities and a mouth that actually works. Which meant that from the beginning Mott was always somehow nor special than any of the one-night superstars who measured their successes in the number of miles they could put between themselves and their audience.

Without any commensurate energy feedback from their audience, Mott's story would probably have lasted five minutes rather than five years. As you'll hear on these tales of two cities, the circuits were overloaded from both ends of the line, and this kind of artist-audience crossfire is about the closest you can come to a blueprint for rock & roll magic. It burns as brightly on "All The Way From Memphis" as it does on "Rock & Roll Queen" which says to me that this celebration is not of the past but the future.

Nothing stops here, least of all the changes, but one thing is certain the best is still ahead of us.
Now that's something worth celebrating! [Ben Edmonds - CREEM Magazine, October 1974]

Hammersmith Show (Side B)
Mott The Hoople returned to London with a sensational show that puts them right back amongst the swashbuckling few who close their shows with pandemonium, fighting on stage and all the makings of a genuine riot, though in keeping with the Christmas generosity everything seemed to be smoothed out quickly afterwards and the group and the stewards and the hall manager, who had seemed on the brink of fisticuffs with each other at the end of the show, were later drinking amicably together.
The aggro started during the encore. Mott were just battering their way through a brutal, aggressive version of "Walking with a Mountain" with the regular crowd milling away upfront, when the Safety Curtain started to drop and a grey-suited gentleman who looked like the hall manager started purposely towards centre-stage, where Ian Hunter abd Ariel Bender were letting it all hang out for the benefit of the audience.

Stan Tippins, the group's road manager, remonstrated with him and was eventually compelled to propel him out of view, but in the meantime the curtain had sunk to shoulder height, and Stan, giving up his wild gestures at the band to pack the show in and call it a day. This mind you was the second house, thrust a burly shoulder under the curtain.
Roadies pored on stage to aid him, Hunter and Bender sounding as if they would play for ever were wailing and roaring away and ducked under and advanced up a cat-walk bridging the orchestra pit. The lieutenants took this as the signal to advance, and with the energies of the stewards divided, swarmed over the cat-walk, the pit, mingling with photographers, one actually breaking through to embrace Ian Hunter.

The situation got increasingly heated with punches being flung, fans hurled off the stage, and threats and imprecations hurled between Hunter, the stage crew and the theatre manager.
Apart from one girl whose leg was broken trying to climb a drainpipe into the dressing room, everything turned out OK and the post gig party went ahead as planned, with various celebrities standing around and congratulating the band, and for once Mott The Hoople were admitted to the party, which was all to the good as it was Buffin's wedding reception too.
He, his bride Paula and Stan Tippins were lurching around arm in arm and looking pleased with themselves, though their wedding cake, by some oversight, had not been supplied with a knife, with the result that most of it was used in bits as missiles, and eventually a well known photographer deposited it unceremoniously on the floor and jumped on it, to the applause and encouragement of several equally cynical and irresponsible parties.

Celebrities included Mick Ralphs and Paul Rodgers (of Bad Company), Andy Mackay and Eddie Jobson of Roxy Music, Guy Stevens (Mott's first Manager), Andy Williams, and so I'm told Mick Jagger and David Bowie.

Mott delivered a set brightened by the genuine rush of adrenalin inspired by a real near riot. Not all their gigs are musically superb, but this was a real touch of the old Mott, the shambolic rebble-rousers. It's good that they're not falling into a cosy middle-age of success. It keeps you on the edge of your seat when you know such things can still blow up at a moment's notice. [Martin Hayman, Sounds Magazine Dec 1973]
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This post consists of FLACs ripped from my treasured vinyl. Purchased in the mid 70's this album was my first introduction to Mott The Hoople and was played many a time at parties and in my many Uni abodes. Full album artwork and label scans are included.  It was interesting to note while researching for this post, that Queen were Mott's support act at the time.  If only those Mott fans new how lucky they were to be watching such an epic double live act, at that time.  Hind sight is a wonderful thing, hey !
So glam up ya stereo and turn the dial all the way to 10 - 'cause Mott The Hoople are back.
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Tracklist
A1 All The Way From Memphis 4:55
A2 Sucker 5:45
A3 Rest In Peace 5:48
A4 All The Young Dudes 3:45
A5 Walking With A Mountain 4:50
B1 Sweet Angeline 6:13
B2 Rose 4:05
B3 Medley: 15:13
B3.1 a) Jerkin' Crocus
B3.2 b) One Of The Boys
B3.3 c) Rock 'n' Roll Queen
B3.4 d) Get Back
B3.5 e) Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
B3.6 f) Violence

Mott The Hoople were:
Ian Hunter - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Overend Watts - Bass, Vocals
Ariel Bender - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Dale Griffin - Drums, Vocals
Morgan Fisher - Piano, Vocals
Blue Weaver & Mick Bolton - Organ 
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Mott The Hoople Live Link (313Mb)
New Link 01/05/2020
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Mott The Hoople - Greatest Hits (1976) + Bonus Tracks

(U.K 1969 - 1980)
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One of the major injustices in the past ten years of rock history is that Mott the Hoople never attained stardom. God knows they deserved it, and they certainly tried hard for it. Formed in the mid-sixties by Alien and Ralphs, the original Hoople crew consisted of Alien, Ralphs, Griffen, Watts, and vocalist Stan Tip-pens, who would shortly become their road manager before progressing to manager. Stan's on-again off-again vocal condition led the Hoople to audition new lead singers. At this point, long-time folkie lan Hunter showed up, a Dylanesque composer-guitarist who could honestly be described as a "croaker" as opposed to a singer. Hunter's raspy ramblings, however, struck a responsive chord within the group. He joined in '69, signalling the beginning of one of the most turbulent band careers in rock.

Producer Guy Stevens ushered the band into the studio and cut a series of quickly recorded, though classic, albums. MOTT THE HOOPLE, MAD SHADOWS, WILDLIFE, and BRAIN CAPERS quickly established the band as a schizoid, critically acclaimed troupe. However, on the sales level, Mott was the pits. This lack of sales, plus the constant vying between styles (Hunter's writing was a good 180 degrees away from Ralph's style) within the band, led to problems. In 1972, the group fragmented, but was brought back together by David Bowie, who produced the classic ALL THE YOUNG DUDES LP. The boys now had a new producer and a new label (Columbia replacing Atlantic).

A new Mott was sculpted from the glitter and glam prevailing in the early seventies. Hunter became the leader. Verden Alien left shortly thereafter. Bowie departed as a producer and Ralphs left the fold to form Bad Company in the middle of recording MOTT. Although Mott was certainly proving more successful on Columbia than they were in the old days, they were anything but superstars. Single after single stiffed in the States and Mott was growing frustrated.

Ian Hunter Centre

Despite their rather tentative position in the rock pop polls, the band planned a coast-to-coast blowout of a tour for '73. Enlisting the aid of former Spooky Tooth guitarist Luthor Grosvenor (who, dressed in his Dale Arden stage costumes, called himself Ariel Bender), Mott the Hoople (regular blokes who liked a good drink every now and then) donned their best glitter costumes and, armed with oversized puppets, robots, flash powder, and dancing dolls, embarked on a killer tour. Although augmented by the excellent keyboard work of Morgan Fisher, the Mott the Hoople killer tour found Mott portraying the killee.

The outrageous stage antics detracted from the musical clout somewhat and negated any possible monetary profit. Several of the band members were clearly uncomfortable in their platform heels and Ariel Bender just didn't fit in on guitar. Soon Ariel was in the void and Mick Ronson was indoctrinated into the Mott realm of lunacy. The arrival of another dominant personality was too much for the group to bear. Although the band consistently performed exceedingly well on record during this somewhat erratic period, their personal lives were in turmoil.

Hunter left the band, entering a hospital after a stateside bout with total exhaustion. Ronson departed for an ill-fated solo career, and the remaining members of the band regrouped with newcomers Majors and Benjamin as simply Mott. The group got off to a shaky start but quickly picked up steam with albums SHOUTING AND POINTING and DRIVE ON. Hunter embarked on a critically acclaimed but commercially disastrous solo career. He was dropped by his label in 1977, as was Mott, who also severed ties with lead singer Benjamin. [extract from Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia, Angus and Robertson, 1978. p359-360]
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Reviews
Mott the Hoople/Greatest Hits suffers a bit because this band, whose "Tales of the Near Great" stories made them sentimental favorites, produced only two albums of real worth after they moved from Atlantic to Columbia. One sees the breakdown of the group following the departure of guitarist Mick Ralphs in the terribly ill-fitting and annoying lead guitar work of Ariel Bender. Still, such gems as "All the Way from Memphis," along with a different take of "Roll Away the Stone" and two previously unheard cuts, "Foxy Foxy" and "Saturday Gigs," give this absorbing group a belated last testament.
- Billy Altman, Rolling Stone, 1-13-77.

Now reorganized with new key personnel, Mott recalls its most successful period with writer/singer Ian Hunter on this collection. With David Bowie's song and production on "All The Young Dudes," the group came to stand for glitter rock. But its sound only took on glitter after mastering the elements of basic rock excitement. Best cuts: "All The Young Dudes," "All The Way From Memphis," "Roll Away The Stone."  - Billboard, 1976.

Hits my ass. Never heard "Foxy Foxy" on the radio, and never want to. But the other new one, "Saturday Gigs," recapitulates quite movingly a banal theme this collection fleshes out with real wallop: a band and its fans. Four songs is too much overlap with 1973's Mott, but this is the essence of Mott the Hoople as a group, which always needed Ian Hunter and always did more than back him up.   - Robert Christgau, Christgau's Record Guide, 1981.

Mott is a bit of an anomaly. They began their existence as a hard rock band, but with the addition of Ian Hunter as lead singer and principal writer, they took on a Dylanesque coloration. However, it was their affiliation with David Bowie during his early-Seventies glitter period that provided them with "All the Young Dudes," a song that catapulted them to brief fame. Consummate borrowers from their better- and lesser-known rock brethren, Mott melded disparate elements into a dynamic, often humorous, sound that combined the bombast of early heavy metal with Seventies glitter, and just about everything else you or they could think of. In retrospect, Mott was a more potent band than originally perceived. Greatest Hits is a reasonable sampler, but is inferior to both All the Young Dudes and Mott. As an overview, thirty-eight minutes isn't long enough; too much quality material is omitted, such as "Ready For Love," "Sea Diver," and "Sweet Jane."  - Bill Shapiro, Rock & Roll Review: A Guide to Good Rock, 1991.
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 This post consists of FLACs ripped from my English vinyl pressing, and also comes with full album artwork and label scans.  Although the collection covers 6 years of the Hoople's recording career, there are a few essential tracks missing, namely "Sweet Jane", "One Of The Boys" and "Sucker", and so I have included these tracks as Bonus Tracks.
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Track Listing

01 - All The Way From Memphis 3:24
02 - Honaloochie Boogie 2:42
03 - Hymn For The Dudes 5:20
04 - Born Late '58 3:58
05 - All The Young Dudes 3:32
06 - Roll Away The Stone 3:11
07 - Ballad Of Mott (March 26, 1972, Zurich) 5:22
08 - The Golden Age Of Rock 'N' Roll 3:25
09 - Foxy Foxy 3:30
10 - Saturday Gigs 4:17
11 - Sucker (Bonus Track)
12 - One Of The Boys (Bonus Track)
13 - Sweet Jane (Bonus Track)

MOTT THE HOOPLE WERE:
lan Hunter (guitar, vocals), 
Pete Watts (bass), 
Dale "Buffin" Griffen (drums, vocals), 
Morgan Fisher (keyboards), 
Nigel Benjamin (vocals), 
Ray Major (guitar), 
Verden Alien (keyboards), 
Mick Ralphs (guitar); 
Ariel Bender (guitar)
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Mott The Hoople FLAC link (362Mb)
.New Link 26/012/2023
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Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes (1972)

(U.K 1969 - 1980)
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Formed in 1969 and named after a character from a Willard Manus novel, Mott the Hoople were heavily influenced by both Bob Dylan and traditional rock'n'roll. They achieved only modest sales with their first four albums, but David Bowie's association with the band revived their fortunes in 1972, just as they were about to quit. 'All The Young Dudes', written and produced by Bowie, resulted in a US Top 40 and UK Top 5 hit.

Allen left following the 1972 US tour and was later replaced by ex-Love Affair keyboardist Morgan Fisher. 1973's 'Mott' went to Number 7 on the UK album chart and produced two Top 10 hits, 'Honaloochie Boogie' and 'Roll Away The Stone'.

Ralphs' decision to quit (he went on to form Bad Company), was precipitated by Hunter's rigid control over musical direction. Ariel Bender (Luther Grosvenor, ex-Spooky Tooth) was recruited to record 'The Hoople' (1974) which emulated its predecessor and provided two more hits - 'The Golden Age Of Rock'n'Roll' and 'Foxy Foxy'.

A live album followed, before internal disputes saw various line-up changes including the arrival of ex-Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson. The band split after recording the 1974 single 'Saturday Gigs'. Fisher, Watts and Griffin soldiered on with new recruits as Mott, recording two unsuccessful albums.
Hunter embarked on a solo career aided by Ronson (producing the classic "Once Bitten Twice Shy"), and was an on-off association that continued until Ronson's death in 1993. [ extract from The Encyclopedia Of Rock, by Michael Heatley, RD Press, 1996, p 80]
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Mott The Hoople's 'Ian Hunter'

Mott The Hoople Split Up
On March 26,1972, Ian Hunter, lead singer and rhythm guitarist with English rock band Mott The Hoople, sat down to write a lyric expressing his anguish at the fact that the Hoople had just decided to split up. Despite a fanatical live following and four well-regarded, if inconsistent, albums, a commercial breakthrough for the ensemble had never materialized. "Rock 'n' roll's a loser's game" ran the mordant refrain of the composition in question, "The Ballad Of Mott The Hoople."
Then a miracle occurred. A fan heard of the split and decided to try to help them. That fan happened to be David Bowie, just about to become one of the biggest stars in the world via his ... Ziggy Stardust... album.

He gave them a song to record - "All The Young Dudes" - that finally gained them a genuine hit and also seemed to focus their minds. Many of their own songs now followed the template of"... Dudes," mythologizing rock in the way that Bowie's song did - although not glamorizing it. Their classic 1973 album Mott was a set almost exclusively dedicated to the subject of the trials and tribulations of being in a struggling rock band. The centerpiece of it was that cry of despair "The Ballad Of Mott The Hoople."

Hunter had a knack for the valediction. The next time the Hoople split - for good this time in 1974 - he penned the moving farewell and thank-you to Hoople fans "Saturday Gigs." [by Sean Egan,Defining Moments in Music, Cassell Illustrated, 2007. p428]
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This post consists of  FLACs ripped from my trusty Ol' LP that has seen more parties and booze fests than I'd like to remember.  But be assured that it has survived better than I did and still plays really well (please read - it's still got character)
Full album artwork are included for LP and CD and I've taken the liberty of including their early cover version of the Kinks classic "You Really Got Me" from 1969.  Hope All You Young Dudes out there enjoy listening to this heavily influenced Bowie LP by some classic Glam Rockers
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Track Listing
01- Sweet Jane 4:20
02- Momma's Little Jewel 4:26
03- All The Young Dudes 3:31
04- Sucker 4:58
05- Jerkin' Crocus 4:00
06- One Of The Boys 6:46
07- Soft Ground 3:16
08- Ready For Love/After Lights 6:46
09- Sea Diver 2:54
10- You Really Got Me (Bonus Track) 2:52

Moot The Hoople are:
Ian Hunter - Vocals, Piano
Mick Ralphs - vocals, guitar
Pete 'Overend' watts - bass
Dale 'Buffin' Griffin - drums
Verden Allen - vocals, organ
Guest Artist
David Bowie - Sax


Mott The Hoople FLACs  (291Mb)
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