Happy Friday to everyone. This ends my unofficial week of UK bands that didn’t break big in the US. All of them should have but for different reasons didn’t quite make it. Whenever Ian Hunter sings I listen. Not only was he great in Mott The Hoople but I like his solo music as well. The first time I noticed him was with All The Young Dudes and then a single release in the 80s called All The Good Ones Are Taken. It was wonderful in the middle of the 80s hearing that power pop single on the radio.
Mott The Hoople had one huge hit in America. It was the David Bowie penned song All The Young Dudes. Bowie was a fan of the band and sent them Suffragette City but they didn’t think it fit their style and politely turned it down. Mott The Hoople were about to break up so Bowie showed this to the band on acoustic guitar and they loved it right away.
The Golden Age Of Rock and Roll was written by Ian Hunter. It was released in 1974 on the album The Hoople. This would be the last album with Ian Hunter as lead singer. It was also the first and only one with guitarist Luther James Grosvenor, who went by Ariel Bender for contractual reasons. He replaced Mick Ralphs who left the year before and co-founded Bad Company.
Mott The Hoople influenced bands such as Oasis, Queen, Def Leppard, Queen, The Clash, KISS, Cheap Trick, and many more.
Hunter started a solo career with the eponymous 1975 album that included his song, Once Bitten Twice Shy, and has remained prolific. That song was later covered by Great White in 1989.
Ian Hunter had journalistic training. “When I left school I became a cub reporter for the Wellington Journal in Shropshire, that job lasted about three months because although I could do the typing. I couldn’t do the shorthand. Then I went to Butlins [holiday camp] with my girlfriend and met two kids in a group who asked me to enter a talent competition with them.
“We’d only known each other for three days and there were about 165 acts altogether – but we won it, then a couple of weeks later I had a letter from them in Northampton asking me to join them in a group. That group was called Apex and that was in fact how it all started.”
Some fun trivia…Kari-Ann Mollera was the model on the The Hoople album and Roxy Music’s 1972 debut album.
The Golden Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll
Everybody hazy shell-shocked and crazyScreaming for the face at the windowJeans for the genies dresses for the dreamiesFighting for a place in the front row
Oh oh oh good for your body it’s good for your soulOh oh let’s go it’s the golden age of rock and roll
Well you get a little buzz send for the fuzzGuitars gettin’ higher and higherThe dude in the paint thinks he’s gonna faintStoke more coke on the fire
Oh oh oh gotta stay young you can never grow oldOh oh the golden age of rock and roll
The golden age of rock and roll will never dieAs long as the children feel the need to laugh and cryDon’t wanna wreck, just recreationDon’t wanna fight but if you turn us downWe’re gonna turn you ’roundDon’t mess with the soundThe show’s gotta move everybody grooveThere ain’t no trouble on the streets nowSo if the going gets rough don’t you blame us
Oh oh oh gotta stay young you can never grow oldOh oh the golden age of rock and roll
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