Kiste Mott The Hoople & Ian Hunter

In the 1970s
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-78952-623-3
Verlag: Sonicbond Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 128 Seiten

Reihe: Decades

When Hereford group Silence teamed up with songwriter Ian Hunter in 1969 to form a group that aimed to be a cross between Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and Procol Harum, Mott The Hoople rapidly became one of Britain's most popular live acts, even as a major hit single and album initially proved elusive.
In 1972, disillusioned and exhausted, they split before being encouraged to reform by David Bowie and finding immediate chart success with a song he gave them, 'All the Young Dudes'. After two years of hits and internal conflicts, Hunter left and enjoyed a chequered solo career that has lasted to this day, initially in partnership with guitarist Mick Ronson until his death in 1993. The rest of the group subsequently shortened their name to Mott and then British Lions, the latter a collaboration with former Medicine Head front man John Fiddler, although they failed to re-establish themselves despite several solid months of touring on both sides of the Atlantic.
As Ian wrote, 'Rock'n'roll's a loser's game'. They won, they lost, but during the 1970s released some inspired, highly individual music, that went on to inspire and be championed by many other acts, most notably Queen, The Clash and Def Leppard.

John Van der Kiste has published over seventy books, mostly on historical biography and music, including titles about The Beatles, Jeff Lynne/ELO, Led Zeppelin, Lindisfarne and Steve Winwood. He has also reviewed books and records for the local and national press and fanzines and co-founded and edited the 70s fanzine Keep on Rockin'. He has performed with groups, run mobile discos, and written booklet notes for CD reissues from EMI and other labels. An occasional musician and songwriter, he also co-wrote one track on Riff Regan's Milestones (2015) and played harmonica on London's The Hell for Leather Mob (2020). He lives in Devon, UK.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kiste, John Van Der

Leseproben

Introduction

In the early-1960s, a generation of British youngsters – mostly in their mid-teens and generally still at school – were forming their own skiffle or beat groups. While the Hereford area could never claim to have placed itself as firmly on the map as Liverpool, London, Manchester or Birmingham, it still boasted a few combos (with ever-changing personnel) in the decade’s first years. Lead guitarist Pete Watts fronted The Sandstorms, who later became The Anchors, by which time they’d acquired drummer Terry (Terence Dale) Griffin: sometimes known as ‘The little snigger buffin’, or ‘Buffin’ for short. Further name and personnel changes saw The Anchors become Wild Dog’s Hell Hounds in 1963, The Soulents in early-1964 and The Silence in 1965. Les Norman led another local group – The Buddies – on vocals and rhythm guitar, with Mick Ralphs on lead guitar and vocals, though when asked whether he played rhythm or lead, he would modestly insist that he didn’t know: ‘I just play guitar’. Vocalist Stan Tippins replaced Les, and their bassist Des Grubb moved on, with Cyril Townsend and then Pete Watts taking up the vacancy. The Buddies then became The Problem, with the usual ever-shifting lineup. The Problem was just one of several names they would resort to when travelling to and from Germany and Italy, as they sometimes had to leave under difficult circumstances that meant returning under a different name would be advisable. In 1966 they became The Doc Thomas Group with Stan, Mick and Pete – the latter now playing bass – joined by Dave Tedstone on guitar, and Bob Hall on drums.

Like many other British groups working the pub and club circuit, their repertoire was built largely on pop versions of soul hits such as ‘I Got You’, ‘She Was Really Saying Something’, ‘Rescue Me’, ‘I’ll Be Doggone’ and ‘Barefootin’’. Gigs in mainland Europe – mainly in Hamburg and Italy – led to a couple of residencies and, more importantly, a record contract with the Italian Interrecord label. In October 1966, they entered a studio in Milan and taped several cover songs taken from their setlist. Two of the numbers – ‘Just Can’t Go To Sleep’ (a Ray Davies song from the first Kinks album) and ‘Harlem Shuffle’ – appeared on a single and, a year or two later, an album including ten other tracks from the same session. For a while, some of the group were also part of The Shakedown Sound, backing Jimmy Cliff – a Jamaican singer brought over to England by Chris Blackwell, who, as the head of Island Records, would shortly play an important part in their career. Organist Terry Allen was part of this group, and in 1968, The Shakedown Sound – now comprising Stan, Mick, Pete, Dale and Terry – became Silence.

They were now writing and playing more original material, influenced largely by progressive rock and West-Coast-influenced psychedelia. An agency based in Swansea had booked the group plenty of gigs in South Wales, and they were building up a good following. But the agency withdrew its support when the group said they no longer wanted to play only cover versions, so they moved to London to further their ambitions. Hungry for success, they recorded some demos and pitched them to EMI, Polydor and Immediate, but without any luck. Calling themselves The Archers, they next tried Apple Records, but like before, got no further.

In May 1969, Free, who had just released their first album, were thought to be on the point of splitting in two, with vocalist Paul Rodgers and bassist Andy Fraser planning to leave and form their own band, while guitarist Paul Kossoff and drummer Simon Kirke planned to replace them with new members. Guy Stevens – head of A & R at Island Records – placed an ad in Melody Maker asking for a bass player, and Pete went along, taking Mick with him for moral support. Pete ended up jamming with Kossoff and Kirke, and Guy was very impressed, although whether it was his bass skills or his long hair, knee boots and buckskin jacket that made the most impact, was open to debate. When Pete mentioned that his group Silence was looking for a contract, Guy also seemed interested in that. As subsequent events would soon show, the split in Free was either a swiftly-resolved difference of opinion or a matter of Guy finding two of the members too headstrong for his liking, and deciding it might be better to fire and replace them before they knew what was happening.

Whatever the truth of it, Pete was not required as Free’s new bassist, but the contact he’d made with the maverick Mr. Stevens was shortly to prove fruitful. As a result, Mick contacted Guy, who felt that any band with somebody like Pete in their lineup must have potential, and arranged an audition. He took a Silence demo tape to Island Records, and sat in the offices for about three hours, becoming increasingly annoyed by the attitude of the condescending receptionists. Later, he walked into Guy’s office and vented his wrath at being messed around. It struck the right note with Guy, whose response was ‘Come in, I like your attitude.’ Without bothering to hear the demos, he booked an audition for Silence in a third-floor office at Spot Studio in South Molton Street. When the audition time came, Guy was staggered to see them dragging a huge Hammond organ up the narrow stairs. If they were determined to go to such lengths to prove their worth, he said he did not care what they sounded like – he was going to sign them.

Though after that, the audition was a mere formality, the group played a few originals written separately by Mick and Pete, along with their versions of psychedelic numbers from the likes of Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Electric Flag. Guy thought they were great musicians but felt that Stan – as a non-instrument-playing singer – didn’t seem too comfortable with the material. He’d been known in Italy as ‘The Sinatra of beat’, and his voice was more suited to mainstream pop in the mould of an English Tom Jones, rather than the more contemporary, progressive style the others were aiming for. When told that he was not an ideal fit, Stan took it in good part, magnanimously telling the rest of the group that he’d never stand in the way of them getting a deal.

Guy had this vision of a new group with the lyrical strengths of Bob Dylan, the rhythm section and general swagger of The Rolling Stones, and the keyboard stylings of Procol Harum. He had already played a considerable role in the success story of the latter, having introduced lyricist Keith Reid to keyboard player Gary Brooker, supplied them with their band name (that of a friend’s pedigree cat) and inspired them to write their first major song after hearing a friend at a party say, ‘You’ve just turned a whiter shade of pale’. When he tried to sign Procol Harum to Island, Chris Blackwell turned them down, so they went elsewhere with a classic debut single that went on to top the British charts for six weeks.

Fast-forward to summer 1969 when Guy placed an advertisement in Melody Maker – on behalf of Island Records who needed a pianist/singer ‘to join exciting hard rock band playing Bob-Dylan-influenced country rock music’ – and promising immediate album-recording work. One person who enquired about the position of vocalist was former Screaming Lord Sutch keyboard player Freddie ‘Fingers’ Lee, who turned it down, deciding the paltry wages being offered were an insult to his talents. He said he was earning more in Germany nightly than Island would pay him in a week.

A few hopefuls were auditioned at Regent Sound Studio but were found wanting for one reason or another. Despondently, the group took a break and went out to a local café. On returning, studio manager Bill Farley said he knew someone who might be interested.

When he made the call, on the other end of the phone was Ian Hunter Patterson. Born in Shrewsbury in 1939, he was several years older than the Silence members, although, in the best music business tradition, he became one of several who subtracted about five years from their age when music journalists asked what it was.

In his formative years, his horizons changed from the inevitability of a life of manual or factory labour, when he heard records by Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard – that was all the inspiration he needed to think again. His first steps towards a music career came while staying at a Butlin’s holiday camp one summer when he befriended Colin York and Colin Broom: two fellow visitors of a similar age to him. Just for fun, they entered a talent competition, performing ‘Blue Moon’ accompanying themselves on acoustic guitars. Both Colins were members of The Apex: an amateur outfit based in Northampton. Sometimes known as The Group, they made a single in 1961 and an EP on the John Lever label three years later – John Lever being the drummer and owner of a local record shop. Ian joined The Apex from time to time on rhythm guitar, though he was not a member when the two records were made. Further stints followed, with Hurricane Henry and The Shriekers – another local band, fronted by Freddie Lee – and with The Savages, on guitar, and later, piano.

By this time, Ian was married with two children, taking a succession of jobs in order to make ends meet and provide for his family. These included employment in factories, digging roads, and as a journalist with a local newspaper. The new band played a few gigs in Hamburg clubs, similar to those in which The Beatles had served their apprenticeship at the...