#370 - Mott the Hoople - Mott (1973)
MUSIC HISTORY WRITTEN BY HEAD WRITER DJ MORTY COYLE:
Released on the 20th of July in 1973 on CBS Records in the U.K. and Columbia Records in the U.S. this is the self-produced sixth studio album by the British Glam and Hard Rock band.
In the mid-‘60s in Herefordshire, England guitarist Mick Ralphs and vocalist Stan Tippins were in a local band called The Buddies while bassist Pete “Overend” Watts and drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin were in nearby band The Soulents.
By 1966 Ralphs, Tippins, and Watts were in The Doc Thomas Group and soon were playing an Italian residency and put out a record on an Italian label. A year later they were joined by Griffin and an organist named Verden Allen.
After several names they settled on Silence however opportunities dried up so “Overend” Watts auditioned to be the bass player of an up-and-coming band called Free on Island Records.
He didn’t get it but he thought their manager and Island A&R man, Guy Stevens might appreciate Silence.
After auditioning, Stevens (who years later notably produced London Calling for The Clash) agreed to sign them with certain stipulations: they had to change their name to the title of a 1966 Willard Manus novel and Stan Tippins had to be replaced.
They reluctantly agreed and Steven’s became their manager while Tippins was moved to road manager.
Their ad in the trades that read, "Singer wanted, must be image-minded and hungry" was responded to by a Bob Dylan-obsessed, bass and piano playing, vocalist with big, curly, blonde hair, perpetually in dark sunglasses named Ian Hunter.
This fulfilled Stevens’ concept of Bob Dylan fronting the Rolling Stones and he produced their debut.
Not much happened with it and despite trying some other styles neither did the next few.
While their recorded output didn’t connect with the public they became known as an incredible and popular live band.
However after a disastrous gig in Zurich, Switzerland and faced with very little success, a bleak financial future, and the likely loss of their record deal the band broke up.
“Overend” Watts again started looking for another bass gig and called David Bowie, a rising star and Mott the Hoople fan who had recently sent them one of his unrecorded songs, “Suffragette City”, that they turned down.
Bowie actually convinced them to keep the band together, got them signed with his management, and offered to write and produce another song for them.
1972’s “All the Young Dudes” was a hit and immediately elevated the band out of cult-obscurity, and got them a new record deal. Bowie produced the same-titled album (and you can listen to that episode with Matt Pinfield) and it revitalized their career by transforming them from a Boogie-Rock band into another leader of the wildly popular new Glam Rock scene.
And although some of the guys enjoyed dressing the part and bringing a new theatricality to their live shows not all of them felt like they were being true to themselves.
But you can’t argue with success so they intended to rush back into the studio while they were hot.
However things were disintegrating.
While touring they were ignored and then dropped by Bowie’s management and organist Verden Allen quit because Ian and the band were reluctant to record his songs.
And while making the album guitarist and co-vocalist Mick Ralphs also started feeling marginalized and was writing new songs that neither he nor Ian could sing.
The album’s introspection and retrospection displayed much of that dark weariness with Rock and Roll.
Despite all that it was their only album to crack the U.K. Top 10 going to #7. It also went to #35 the Billboard 200 in the States, got a mostly positive reception, and got them even bigger audiences.
However Mick Ralphs soon left to form Bad Company with former Free vocalist Paul Rodgers and Ian Hunter would make one more album with the band, 1974’s completist-titled “The Hoople” before leaving for a solo career.
The rest of the band with some new members carried on for two more albums as Mott and then with even fewer original members as British Lions with waning success.
They’ve since had reunions in 2009 and 2013 but sadly drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin died a week after David Bowie in 2016 followed about a year later by bassist Pete “Overend” Watts.
Mick Ralphs had a stroke which effectively ended his career and Ian Hunter has had terrible tinnitus but vows to keep going.