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Wikipedia

Ian Hunter (singer)

Ian Hunter Patterson (born 3 June 1939)[1][2][3][nb 1] is an English singer-songwriter and musician who is best known as the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople, from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and at the time of its 2009, 2013, and 2019 reunions. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before joining Mott the Hoople, and continued in this vein after he left the band. He embarked on a solo career despite ill health and disillusionment with commercial success, and often worked in collaboration with Mick Ronson, David Bowie's sideman and arranger from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars period.

Ian Hunter
Hunter in 1973
Background information
Birth nameIan Hunter Patterson
Born (1939-06-03) 3 June 1939 (age 83)
Oswestry, Shropshire, England
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar, bass guitar, harmonica
Years active1958–present
LabelsYep Roc
Proper Records
Jerkin' Crocus
Chrysalis
Island
CBS
Columbia
Websitehttp://www.ianhunter.com/

Mott the Hoople achieved some commercial success, and attracted a small but devoted fan base. As a solo artist, Hunter charted with lesser-known but more wide-ranging works outside the rock mainstream. His best-known solo songs are "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", later covered by Great White, and "England Rocks", which was modified to "Cleveland Rocks" and then covered by The Presidents of the United States of America, and became one of the theme songs used for the American TV series The Drew Carey Show.

Early years

Hunter was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, England.[3] Due to the onset of war, the family moved to Hamilton, South Lanarkshire to live with the family of his Scottish father. Hunter was brought up there until the age of six and has stated that he considers himself a Scot,[4] but also identifies as English and British.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

Hunter's entry into the music business came after a chance encounter with Colin York and Colin Broom at a Butlin's holiday camp, where the trio won a talent competition performing "Blue Moon" on acoustic guitars.[11] York and Broom were members of a Northampton-based band called The Apex Group, fronted by bass player and band leader Frank Short. Hunter soon left his home in Shrewsbury, transferred his apprenticeship from Sentinel/Rolls-Royce to British Timken in Northampton, and joined The Apex Group on rhythm guitar. Hunter recalls jumping around like a lunatic on stage: "Music affected me so much. The rest of them just stood there. It was funny, I had kids who came just to watch me do this, and I can't imagine what it looked like."[11]

Hunter left The Apex Group in 1958, just before they recorded their first single "Yorkshire Relish" / "Caravan" for John Lever Records.[12] Hunter played in a few local groups, but eventually his financial situation forced a change. "I wasn't making my hire-purchase payments, and 'little jobs' were getting done and people were getting smacked. I was never in the middle of it, but I was always somewhere in the area."[11] He returned to Shrewsbury, ostensibly to become more responsible in his personal life, and settled down enough to have a steady girlfriend in Diane Coles. Outside of his day job, he and Tony Wardle formed a harmonica duo inspired by Morton Fraser's Harmonica Gang, a local variety act.

It was during this period – late 1963 or early 1964 – that The Apex recorded a second disc for John Lever records, released as The Apex Rhythm & Blues All Stars. The four-song EP included their own "Tall Girl", and covers of Chuck Berry's "Reeling and A'Rocking" and "Down the Road A'piece", and Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs' "Sugar Shack". Hunter probably does not appear on this record; the EP was recorded around the time Hunter left the group for the second time.[12]

At Freddie Lee's suggestion, The Shriekers began taking jobs in the same German clubs where the Beatles had cut their teeth a few years earlier. In an interview taped in 2004, Hunter volunteers that Lee and their gigs in Hamburg were a major turning point, at which he first began to "think maybe I could do this instead of working in factories."[13]

In 1966, Hunter moved to London, where he joined The Scenery with guitarist Miller Anderson, drummer Dave Dufort and keyboard player Dante Smith. There Hunter met Mick Ronson, then guitarist of bands the Voice and The Rats, at the Flamingo Club in London. According to Anderson, "Mick was coming down the stairs ... and we were going up and I said, `Mick, this is my friend, Ian [Hunter] Patterson.'"[11]: 41  The Scenery, now with John Vernon Smith on drums, recorded tracks with Bill Farley at Regent Sound that were licensed for international release without their knowledge. Hunter and Anderson recall writing and recording "To Make a Man Cry," but not the B-side, "Thread of Time." John Vernon Smith appears on the picture sleeve, but Johnny Banks, of The Merseybeats, played on the record. Johnny Gustafson was also included in the session work. The songs were released on the Impact label, and it is unclear whether they originated from France or Belgium.[12]

Hunter remained in the band after Anderson's early 1968 departure. Anderson and J.V. Smith were replaced by guitarist Chris Mayfield and drummer Pete Phillipps, and the group backed up Freddie Lee in 'At Last The 1958 Rock and Roll Show'. They got a regular booking at The Angel in Edmonton, and drew interest from both Chrysalis Records and NEMS but were signed by neither. With Miller Anderson back in place of Mayfield, the group released a single on CBS called "I Can't Drive". As the short-lived rock and roll revival waned, 'At Last the 1958 Rock and Roll Show' changed its name to 'Charlie Woolfe' and released a final single, "Dance, Dance, Dance". During Hunter's obscure early years, Hereford's Shakedown Sound, with future Mott members in their ranks, gigged in roughly the same circles but without any record company interest.[14]

Hunter played with various other artists throughout the 1960s, including The Young Idea, Billy Fury and David McWilliams. In late 1968 Mickie Most hired Hunter and Dufort to play in a band that was to be called 'The New Yardbirds', a name that Jimmy Page had been using for his post-Yardbirds group before discarding it in favour of 'Led Zeppelin'. This led confused fans to think that Hunter had been a member of Led Zeppelin. Explained Hunter: "See: this is rubbish, but people read it and believe it."[15] Hunter also worked as a journalist and staff songwriter for Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd., did road-digging for a local council, and reported for a local newspaper.

Career

Mott the Hoople

By 1969, Hunter had two children, but was still hoping for a return to making music full-time. Meanwhile, guitarist Mick Ralphs joined organist Verden Allen in Jimmy Cliff's backing band, The Shakedown Sound. Eventually Ralphs, Allen, vocalist Stan Tippins, bassist Overend Watts, and drummer Dale Griffin united to become Silence, who auditioned for British impresario Guy Stevens. Silence renamed themselves after Willard Manus' 1966 novel, Mott the Hoople.[16] The band lacked a credible singer with stage presence, and the seasoned Hunter, who had by this time taken to wearing his trademark sunglasses, auditioned on a lark and was given the position. They were a critical success in the UK, where some of their most dedicated early fans included future members of the Clash.[17] However, they could not sustain their commercial appeal, and their American tours were slow in building a following. Mott released several LPs and attracted enthusiastic live audiences, but experienced dismal sales despite the svengali-like leadership and promotion of Stevens.[18] After a 1972 concert in a "gas cylinder" in Switzerland, the band announced their end.

 
Hunter fronting Mott the Hoople at a reunion gig, Hammersmith Apollo, October 2009

David Bowie, a fan of the band, then offered them a song he had just written. As Hunter recalled in a 2004 DVD interview, "He offered us "Suffragette City", which I didn't think was good enough. And then he sat down on the floor, Regent Street it was, in a publisher's office, and plays "All The Young Dudes" on an acoustic guitar."[13] It reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart, and revived the band, who were appreciative of Bowie's rescue. Guitarist Ralphs relates that Bowie taught Mott studio tricks, but one of the best-known sounds during the period was a 'hand-clap-in-the-toilet' routine that relied more on Hunter's vision than it did on Bowie's clearly more experienced studio abilities.[19] Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson also significantly contributed to Mott's sound, a fact noticed by Hunter, who would later collaborate with Ronson a great deal.[11]

The post-Bowie Mott the Hoople had notable commercial success with the albums All the Young Dudes (1972, produced by Bowie); Mott (1973) and The Hoople (1974). The band experienced financial success with songs such as "Roll Away The Stone", "Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll", "Honaloochie Boogie", "All The Way From Memphis", "Saturday Gigs", and especially "All The Young Dudes". Hunter chronicled the highs and lows of touring in Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star, his journal of a chaotic five-week American tour in November and December 1972.[20] Ralphs left in 1973 to form Bad Company, and Hunter began to play guitar until Luther Grosvenor took over. Hunter at the same time was increasingly pressured to write hits for the band.

Grosvenor, aka Ariel Bender, was briefly replaced by Ronson, formerly the leading member of Bowie's backing band The Spiders from Mars, after the release of a live album following The Hoople. Hunter left the band in December 1974. The remaining members carried on under the names Mott and British Lions.

On 16 January 2009, several sources, including Hunter's own website, announced that Mott the Hoople would reunite for two concerts at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, on 2 and 3 October 2009. These two dates sold out, and three additional dates were added. In the end, Mott the Hoople played two warm up gigs in Monmouth, five nights at the Hammersmith Apollo, and made a final appearance at the Tartan Clefs Charity night at the Kelvin Hall that November. A further British tour in 2013, taking in Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester (which was released on CD and DVD), culminated in a last night at The O2 arena on 18 November 2013.

1970s

In March 1975, Hunter joined forces with Mick Ronson, his most frequent collaborator until Ronson's death in 1993. Hunter's first single from his eponymous solo album was the UK Top 40 hit "Once Bitten Twice Shy". Hunter and Ronson then parted professionally, reportedly due to Hunter's refusal to deal with Ronson's manager, Tony DeFries.

Hunter's second solo album, All American Alien Boy (1976), was a more soul-infused work which featured saxophonist David Sanborn and bassist Jaco Pastorius. Queen, once an opening act for Mott the Hoople, provided backing vocals on one track.

Hunter's next album, Overnight Angels (1977), was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and featured a heavier guitar sound courtesy of former Bowie sideman Earl Slick. Hunter's record label in America, Columbia Records, refused to release the album in the US due to issues concerning Hunter's management: "Overnight Angels was not released in the US because I fired my manager, Fred Heller, during the English promotional tour – just before it was to be released in America. Columbia said they didn't want to release it until I had new management and that dragged on until it became too late."[21]

In late 1978, Hunter produced Generation X's second LP Valley of the Dolls (1979).[22]

Ronson returned as producer and guitarist on Hunter's 1979 album, You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, which also featured John Cale and several members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Two songs from ...Schizophrenic became successes for other artists: Barry Manilow's version of "Ships" became a top ten US hit in late 1979, and the Presidents of the United States of America's 1997 cover of "Cleveland Rocks" was used as one of the theme songs for The Drew Carey Show.[23] "Cleveland Rocks" is arguably Hunter's most enduring solo song;[24] a de facto anthem in Cleveland, Ohio, where it is sometimes used as a victory song for the city's sports teams. Hunter was given the key to the city by Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich on 19 June 1979.[25] The same year, Hunter co-produced with Ronson, Ellen Foley's Night Out album, where he also contributed keyboards, guitar, and percussion.[26]

1980s

The best-selling status of ...Schizophrenic led Hunter's record label, Chrysalis Records, to commission the release of the double album Welcome to the Club (1980). Primarily a live album, it also featured some original studio material. Todd Rundgren played lead guitar on Hunter's eleven-show 1980 US tour but does not appear on the live album.

Hunter's first studio album of the 1980s was Short Back 'n' Sides (1981), produced in collaboration with Ronson and Clash guitarist Mick Jones. Ronson's input on Hunter's next album, All of the Good Ones Are Taken (1983), was restricted to playing guitar on a single track. The title track became a minor hit in the US, after MTV put the song's video into heavy rotation. In the same year, Ronson travelled to Canada to produce the Payolas' album Hammer on a Drum, to which Hunter contributed backing vocals.[27]

1990s

YUI Orta was released as a joint album by Hunter and Ronson in 1990, and the pair performed alongside David Bowie and Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992. Ronson died of liver cancer a year later, and Hunter gave his memorial speech.[28] Hunter wrote and recorded "Michael Picasso", a tribute to Ronson that was included on Hunter's 1996 album The Artful Dodger, the follow-up to Dirty Laundry (1995). Hunter appeared on Ronson's posthumously-released solo album, Heaven and Hull (1994), and performed at the first Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in April 1994.

2000s

In 2000, Hunter played a handful of live dates in the UK and the US to promote the release of Sony's 2-CD anthology, Once Bitten Twice Shy. For the UK dates, he used the same band as in 1999: Darrell Bath (guitar), Paul Cuddeford (guitar), Paul 'Trevor' Francis (bass), Ian Gibbons (keyboards), and Steve Holley (drums). For the lone US date, his band included Andy York (guitar), John Conte (bass), Tom Mandel (keyboards), and Steve Holley (drums).

In 2001, Hunter toured North America with Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band as part of a line-up which included Ringo Starr, Sheila E., Greg Lake, Howard Jones, Roger Hodgson, and Mark Rivera. Hunter's studio album Rant, released the same year and was followed by two live albums: 2004's Strings Attached with a 20-piece orchestra, and 2005's The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth with Mick Ralphs (and Brian May of Queen and Joe Elliott of Def Leppard on one song). Hunter won Classic Rock Magazine's Songwriter Award in October 2005. His studio album, Shrunken Heads, was accompanied by a three-song bonus CD, and was released in May 2007 by Jerkin' Crocus in Europe and Yep Roc Records in the US. Man Overboard, was released on 21 July 2009, by New West Records.[29]

2010s

Hunter's 20th solo studio album When I'm President was released on 3 September 2012, in the UK on Proper Records,[30] and on the following day in the US on Slimstyle Records.[31]

Hunter and his Rant band performed on 3 June 2015, at the City Winery in New York. A new live album, Ian Hunter & The Rant Band – Live in the UK 2010, was released on 20 October 2014, on Hunter's own label Rant Records. Hunter continues to tour across the UK, Europe and North America. In January 2015, he played three nights in Tokyo. Hunter's observations on his Tokyo trip were documented in an article titled 'Diary of a Rock 'N' Roll Star – Part 2' that appeared in the June 2015 issue of Mojo.

A new studio album, Fingers Crossed, was released worldwide on 16 September 2016, on Proper Records. The album featured the song "Dandy", which Hunter wrote about and dedicated to the late David Bowie.

On 29 March 2019, Hunter joined Def Leppard and other artists on stage during the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance. The group played "All The Young Dudes" to close the night.

Hunter & the Rant Band's four-night Gala 80th Birthday Celebration was held at the City Winery in New York City from 31 May to 3 June 2019.[32] On 30 September 2019, Hunter's 2019 US tour was cancelled because he developed a severe case of tinnitus and his doctors advised him to stop performing until it subsided.[33]

Discography

Solo albums

Year Title Peak chart positions
UK[34] AU[35] US[citation needed]
1975 Ian Hunter 21 36 50
1976 All American Alien Boy 29 63 177
1977 Overnight Angels - 38 -
1979 You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic 49 68 35
1980 Welcome to the Club (live) 61 - 69
1981 Short Back 'n' Sides 79 - 62
1983 All of the Good Ones Are Taken - - 125
1989 YUI Orta (with Mick Ronson) 72 - 157
1995 BBC Live in Concert - - -
1995 Dirty Laundry - - -
1996 The Artful Dodger - - -
2000 Once Bitten Twice Shy - - -
Missing in Action (live compilation) - - -
2001 Rant - - -
2004 Strings Attached (DVD and CD) - - -
Just Another Night (DVD, 2004, US release, 2005)) - - -
2005 The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nuthin' But The Truth (DVD and CD) - - -
2007 Shrunken Heads - - -
2009 Man Overboard - - -
2012 When I'm President (with The Rant Band) 97 - 151
2014 Live in the UK 2010 (with The Rant Band) - - -
2016 Fingers Crossed (with The Rant Band) 36 - -

Solo singles

Year Single Chart Positions
UK[34] US[citation needed] US
Main
[citation needed]
AU[35]
1975 "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" 14 - - 29
1976 "Who Do You Love" - - - 83
1976 "All American Alien Boy" - - - -
1976 "You Nearly Did Me In" - - - -
1977 "England Rocks" - - - -
1979 "Just Another Night" - 68 - -
1979 "When the Daylight Comes" - 108 - -
1979 "Ships" - - - -
1980 "We Gotta Get Out of Here" - 108 - -
1981 "Central Park 'n' West" - - - -
1981 "I Need Your Love" - - 47 -
1983 "All of The Good Ones are Taken" - - 25 -
1983 "That Girl Is Rock 'n' Roll" - - - -
1983 "Somethin's Goin' On" - - - -
1989 "American Music" - - 24 -
1989 "Women's Intuition" - - - -
2001 "Still Love Rock 'n' Roll" - - - -
2007 "When the World Was Round" 91 - - -
2012 "When I'm President" - - - -
2016 "Dandy" - - - -

Mott the Hoople albums

  • Mott the Hoople (1969) – UK No. 66 / US No. 185
  • Mad Shadows (1970) – UK No. 48
  • Wildlife (1971) – UK No. 44
  • Brain Capers (1971) – did not chart
  • All The Young Dudes (1972) – UK No. 21 / US No. 89
  • Mott (1973) – UK No. 7 / US No. 35
  • The Hoople (1974) – UK No. 11 / US No. 28
  • Rock And Roll Queen (1974) – US No. 112
  • Live (1974) – UK No. 32 / US No. 23
  • Old Records Never Die: The Mott the Hoople/Ian Hunter Anthology (August 2008) 2-CD set – Mott on one disk, Hunter solo on the other

Mott the Hoople Billboard singles

Notes

  1. ^ Although official and other reliable sources give a birth year of 1939, as Hunter himself stated in an interview (given here as a reference), some sources give the year erroneously as 1946.

References

  1. ^ Roberts, David (1998). "Mott the Hoople". Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 282. ISBN 0-85112-072-5 – via archive.org.
  2. ^ "Ian Hunter - Biography, Albums, Streaming Links - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  3. ^ a b Hunter, Ian (23 August 2012). "Ian Hunter (ex – Mott The Hoople) Interview". Louderthanwar.com. Interviewed by Lucy Thompson. I was born in 1939, which is 10 years after Wyatt Earp died...
  4. ^ Dingwall, John (28 November 2009). "Exclusive: Mott the Hoople legend recalls his roots in wartime Scotland". Daily Record. Scotland. I am a Scot because my father was Scottish. My dad was born and brought up in Hamilton. As far as I am concerned I have always been Scottish. My mother was 19 and had never been out of England in her life. All she knew was that she wanted to get me out of harm's way so she brought me up to Scotland to be with my dad's family.
  5. ^ Simpson, Dave (12 June 2001). "All the old dudes". The Guardian.
  6. ^ "The Horse's Mouth Issue #33". Ianhunter.com. Ian Hunter.
  7. ^ Catlin, Roger (2 August 2001). "Ian Hunter tries his hand at other people's stuff". chicagotribune.com. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Ian Hunter is still ranting". The Star-Ledger. 25 January 2013.
  9. ^ "The Horse's Mouth Issue #19". Ianhunter.com. Ian Hunter.
  10. ^ "The Horse's Mouth Issue #20". Ianhunter.com. Ian Hunter.
  11. ^ a b c d e Devine, Campbell (1998). Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter: All The Young Dudes – The Biography. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 978-1-901447-05-7.
  12. ^ a b c Purington, Justin. "Ian Hunter – Singles". Justabuzz.com. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  13. ^ a b Hunter, 2005
  14. ^ Clayson, Alan (1996). Beat Merchants: The Origins, History, Impact and Rock Legacy of the 1960s British Pop Groups. London: Blandford. ISBN 0-7137-2462-5.
  15. ^ Hunter, 2003
  16. ^ Manus, Willard (1966). Mott the Hoople. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
  17. ^ Gray, Marcus (1995). Last Gang in Town: The Story and Myth of the Clash. New York: Henry Holt and Company.
  18. ^ Stevens, Guy (1971). "Biography of Mott the Hoople" (Press release). Island Records.
  19. ^ Tremlett, George (1974). The David Bowie Story. Futura Publications. ISBN 0-86007-051-4.
  20. ^ Hunter, 1974
  21. ^ "The Horse's Mouth Issue #6". Ianhunter.com. Ian Hunter. 7 August 2000. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  22. ^ Billy Idol (2014). Dancing with Myself. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0857205605.
  23. ^ "Q: As a fan of reruns of 'The Drew Carey Show,' I'm curious: How many different openings did they do?". TV Tabloid. Retrieved 3 August 2019 – via Decoy.tvpassport.com.
  24. ^ "Drew Carey Show: 'Cleveland Rocks'". Bestclassicbands.com. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  25. ^ Scott, Jane (22 June 1979). "The Happening". The Plain Dealer. p. 33.
  26. ^ "Night Out - Ellen Foley | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  27. ^ . MickRonson.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  28. ^ "Ian Hunter: The truth about Mott the Hoople, the drugs and the manager". The Independent. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  29. ^ . Newwestrecords.com. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 4 June 2009.
  30. ^ . Properganda Online. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2014 – via blog.propermusic.com.
  31. ^ "Ian Hunter Unveils 'When I'm President'". Ianhunter.com. Ian Hunter. 1 July 2012. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  32. ^ . Ianhunter.com. Ian Hunter. 12 April 2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  33. ^ Hunter, Ian. "Mott The Hoople '74". ianhunter.com. Ian Hunter. from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2020. I got hit heavily by tinnitus. It's unrelenting and on doctor's orders, I've had to cancel everything for the time being. I've had it on and off for years, but it's always slid away. This time it's stayed....
  34. ^ a b "IAN HUNTER | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  35. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 144. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

Additional bibliography

  • Cato, Philip. All The Way to Memphis, The Story of Mott the Hoople, S.T. Publishing, Lockerbie, Scotland: 1997.
  • Frame, Pete. The Complete Rock Family Trees, Omnibus Press ISBN 0-7119-0465-0
  • Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, 16th ed. ISBN 0-85112-190-X
  • Guinness Book of British Hit Albums, 7th ed. ISBN 0-85112-619-7
  • Hunter, Ian. Diary of a Rock 'n' Roll Star, Panther, 1974, ISBN 0-586-04041-2
  • Hunter, Ian. Horse's Mouth, Issue No. 33, 18 July 2003.
  • Hunter, Ian. Horse's Mouth, Issue No. 70, Part 1, 19 December 2006.
  • Ian Hunter and the Rant Band, Just Another Night, Live at the Astoria, London, colour, DVD-Video, NTSC, Region 1 (US and Canada only), 4 October 2005, 180 minutes, Bonus Material, Exclusive interview, Band Sound check, Animated Biography, Special Live Guest Appearances.
  • Short, Martin C. (2001). The Great Rock Discography 5th ed. ISBN 1-84195-017-3
  • Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony. Complete Guide to the British Charts.

External links

  • BBC Review of Ian Hunter at The Stables, Wavendon 2008
  • Ian Hunter in Concert, National Public Radio (US), 22 June 2007
  • Harris, John. Mott the Hoople: The dudes abide, The Guardian, 3 September 2009.

hunter, singer, hunter, patterson, born, june, 1939, english, singer, songwriter, musician, best, known, lead, singer, english, rock, band, mott, hoople, from, inception, 1969, dissolution, 1974, time, 2009, 2013, 2019, reunions, hunter, musician, songwriter, . Ian Hunter Patterson born 3 June 1939 1 2 3 nb 1 is an English singer songwriter and musician who is best known as the lead singer of the English rock band Mott the Hoople from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974 and at the time of its 2009 2013 and 2019 reunions Hunter was a musician and songwriter before joining Mott the Hoople and continued in this vein after he left the band He embarked on a solo career despite ill health and disillusionment with commercial success and often worked in collaboration with Mick Ronson David Bowie s sideman and arranger from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars period Ian HunterHunter in 1973Background informationBirth nameIan Hunter PattersonBorn 1939 06 03 3 June 1939 age 83 Oswestry Shropshire EnglandGenresRockhard rockglam rockOccupation s Singer songwriterInstrument s Vocals piano guitar bass guitar harmonicaYears active1958 presentLabelsYep RocProper RecordsJerkin CrocusChrysalisIslandCBSColumbiaWebsitehttp www ianhunter com Mott the Hoople achieved some commercial success and attracted a small but devoted fan base As a solo artist Hunter charted with lesser known but more wide ranging works outside the rock mainstream His best known solo songs are Once Bitten Twice Shy later covered by Great White and England Rocks which was modified to Cleveland Rocks and then covered by The Presidents of the United States of America and became one of the theme songs used for the American TV series The Drew Carey Show Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 2 1 Mott the Hoople 2 2 1970s 2 3 1980s 2 4 1990s 2 5 2000s 2 6 2010s 3 Discography 3 1 Solo albums 3 2 Solo singles 3 3 Mott the Hoople albums 3 4 Mott the Hoople Billboard singles 4 Notes 5 References 6 Additional bibliography 7 External linksEarly years EditHunter was born in Oswestry Shropshire England 3 Due to the onset of war the family moved to Hamilton South Lanarkshire to live with the family of his Scottish father Hunter was brought up there until the age of six and has stated that he considers himself a Scot 4 but also identifies as English and British 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hunter s entry into the music business came after a chance encounter with Colin York and Colin Broom at a Butlin s holiday camp where the trio won a talent competition performing Blue Moon on acoustic guitars 11 York and Broom were members of a Northampton based band called The Apex Group fronted by bass player and band leader Frank Short Hunter soon left his home in Shrewsbury transferred his apprenticeship from Sentinel Rolls Royce to British Timken in Northampton and joined The Apex Group on rhythm guitar Hunter recalls jumping around like a lunatic on stage Music affected me so much The rest of them just stood there It was funny I had kids who came just to watch me do this and I can t imagine what it looked like 11 Hunter left The Apex Group in 1958 just before they recorded their first single Yorkshire Relish Caravan for John Lever Records 12 Hunter played in a few local groups but eventually his financial situation forced a change I wasn t making my hire purchase payments and little jobs were getting done and people were getting smacked I was never in the middle of it but I was always somewhere in the area 11 He returned to Shrewsbury ostensibly to become more responsible in his personal life and settled down enough to have a steady girlfriend in Diane Coles Outside of his day job he and Tony Wardle formed a harmonica duo inspired by Morton Fraser s Harmonica Gang a local variety act It was during this period late 1963 or early 1964 that The Apex recorded a second disc for John Lever records released as The Apex Rhythm amp Blues All Stars The four song EP included their own Tall Girl and covers of Chuck Berry s Reeling and A Rocking and Down the Road A piece and Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs Sugar Shack Hunter probably does not appear on this record the EP was recorded around the time Hunter left the group for the second time 12 At Freddie Lee s suggestion The Shriekers began taking jobs in the same German clubs where the Beatles had cut their teeth a few years earlier In an interview taped in 2004 Hunter volunteers that Lee and their gigs in Hamburg were a major turning point at which he first began to think maybe I could do this instead of working in factories 13 In 1966 Hunter moved to London where he joined The Scenery with guitarist Miller Anderson drummer Dave Dufort and keyboard player Dante Smith There Hunter met Mick Ronson then guitarist of bands the Voice and The Rats at the Flamingo Club in London According to Anderson Mick was coming down the stairs and we were going up and I said Mick this is my friend Ian Hunter Patterson 11 41 The Scenery now with John Vernon Smith on drums recorded tracks with Bill Farley at Regent Sound that were licensed for international release without their knowledge Hunter and Anderson recall writing and recording To Make a Man Cry but not the B side Thread of Time John Vernon Smith appears on the picture sleeve but Johnny Banks of The Merseybeats played on the record Johnny Gustafson was also included in the session work The songs were released on the Impact label and it is unclear whether they originated from France or Belgium 12 Hunter remained in the band after Anderson s early 1968 departure Anderson and J V Smith were replaced by guitarist Chris Mayfield and drummer Pete Phillipps and the group backed up Freddie Lee in At Last The 1958 Rock and Roll Show They got a regular booking at The Angel in Edmonton and drew interest from both Chrysalis Records and NEMS but were signed by neither With Miller Anderson back in place of Mayfield the group released a single on CBS called I Can t Drive As the short lived rock and roll revival waned At Last the 1958 Rock and Roll Show changed its name to Charlie Woolfe and released a final single Dance Dance Dance During Hunter s obscure early years Hereford s Shakedown Sound with future Mott members in their ranks gigged in roughly the same circles but without any record company interest 14 Hunter played with various other artists throughout the 1960s including The Young Idea Billy Fury and David McWilliams In late 1968 Mickie Most hired Hunter and Dufort to play in a band that was to be called The New Yardbirds a name that Jimmy Page had been using for his post Yardbirds group before discarding it in favour of Led Zeppelin This led confused fans to think that Hunter had been a member of Led Zeppelin Explained Hunter See this is rubbish but people read it and believe it 15 Hunter also worked as a journalist and staff songwriter for Francis Day amp Hunter Ltd did road digging for a local council and reported for a local newspaper Career EditMott the Hoople Edit By 1969 Hunter had two children but was still hoping for a return to making music full time Meanwhile guitarist Mick Ralphs joined organist Verden Allen in Jimmy Cliff s backing band The Shakedown Sound Eventually Ralphs Allen vocalist Stan Tippins bassist Overend Watts and drummer Dale Griffin united to become Silence who auditioned for British impresario Guy Stevens Silence renamed themselves after Willard Manus 1966 novel Mott the Hoople 16 The band lacked a credible singer with stage presence and the seasoned Hunter who had by this time taken to wearing his trademark sunglasses auditioned on a lark and was given the position They were a critical success in the UK where some of their most dedicated early fans included future members of the Clash 17 However they could not sustain their commercial appeal and their American tours were slow in building a following Mott released several LPs and attracted enthusiastic live audiences but experienced dismal sales despite the svengali like leadership and promotion of Stevens 18 After a 1972 concert in a gas cylinder in Switzerland the band announced their end Hunter fronting Mott the Hoople at a reunion gig Hammersmith Apollo October 2009 David Bowie a fan of the band then offered them a song he had just written As Hunter recalled in a 2004 DVD interview He offered us Suffragette City which I didn t think was good enough And then he sat down on the floor Regent Street it was in a publisher s office and plays All The Young Dudes on an acoustic guitar 13 It reached No 3 in the UK Singles Chart and revived the band who were appreciative of Bowie s rescue Guitarist Ralphs relates that Bowie taught Mott studio tricks but one of the best known sounds during the period was a hand clap in the toilet routine that relied more on Hunter s vision than it did on Bowie s clearly more experienced studio abilities 19 Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson also significantly contributed to Mott s sound a fact noticed by Hunter who would later collaborate with Ronson a great deal 11 The post Bowie Mott the Hoople had notable commercial success with the albums All the Young Dudes 1972 produced by Bowie Mott 1973 and The Hoople 1974 The band experienced financial success with songs such as Roll Away The Stone Golden Age of Rock n Roll Honaloochie Boogie All The Way From Memphis Saturday Gigs and especially All The Young Dudes Hunter chronicled the highs and lows of touring in Diary of a Rock n Roll Star his journal of a chaotic five week American tour in November and December 1972 20 Ralphs left in 1973 to form Bad Company and Hunter began to play guitar until Luther Grosvenor took over Hunter at the same time was increasingly pressured to write hits for the band Grosvenor aka Ariel Bender was briefly replaced by Ronson formerly the leading member of Bowie s backing band The Spiders from Mars after the release of a live album following The Hoople Hunter left the band in December 1974 The remaining members carried on under the names Mott and British Lions On 16 January 2009 several sources including Hunter s own website announced that Mott the Hoople would reunite for two concerts at the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 2 and 3 October 2009 These two dates sold out and three additional dates were added In the end Mott the Hoople played two warm up gigs in Monmouth five nights at the Hammersmith Apollo and made a final appearance at the Tartan Clefs Charity night at the Kelvin Hall that November A further British tour in 2013 taking in Birmingham Newcastle Glasgow and Manchester which was released on CD and DVD culminated in a last night at The O2 arena on 18 November 2013 1970s Edit In March 1975 Hunter joined forces with Mick Ronson his most frequent collaborator until Ronson s death in 1993 Hunter s first single from his eponymous solo album was the UK Top 40 hit Once Bitten Twice Shy Hunter and Ronson then parted professionally reportedly due to Hunter s refusal to deal with Ronson s manager Tony DeFries Hunter s second solo album All American Alien Boy 1976 was a more soul infused work which featured saxophonist David Sanborn and bassist Jaco Pastorius Queen once an opening act for Mott the Hoople provided backing vocals on one track Hunter s next album Overnight Angels 1977 was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and featured a heavier guitar sound courtesy of former Bowie sideman Earl Slick Hunter s record label in America Columbia Records refused to release the album in the US due to issues concerning Hunter s management Overnight Angels was not released in the US because I fired my manager Fred Heller during the English promotional tour just before it was to be released in America Columbia said they didn t want to release it until I had new management and that dragged on until it became too late 21 In late 1978 Hunter produced Generation X s second LP Valley of the Dolls 1979 22 Ronson returned as producer and guitarist on Hunter s 1979 album You re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic which also featured John Cale and several members of Bruce Springsteen s E Street Band Two songs from Schizophrenic became successes for other artists Barry Manilow s version of Ships became a top ten US hit in late 1979 and the Presidents of the United States of America s 1997 cover of Cleveland Rocks was used as one of the theme songs for The Drew Carey Show 23 Cleveland Rocks is arguably Hunter s most enduring solo song 24 a de facto anthem in Cleveland Ohio where it is sometimes used as a victory song for the city s sports teams Hunter was given the key to the city by Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich on 19 June 1979 25 The same year Hunter co produced with Ronson Ellen Foley s Night Out album where he also contributed keyboards guitar and percussion 26 1980s Edit The best selling status of Schizophrenic led Hunter s record label Chrysalis Records to commission the release of the double album Welcome to the Club 1980 Primarily a live album it also featured some original studio material Todd Rundgren played lead guitar on Hunter s eleven show 1980 US tour but does not appear on the live album Hunter s first studio album of the 1980s was Short Back n Sides 1981 produced in collaboration with Ronson and Clash guitarist Mick Jones Ronson s input on Hunter s next album All of the Good Ones Are Taken 1983 was restricted to playing guitar on a single track The title track became a minor hit in the US after MTV put the song s video into heavy rotation In the same year Ronson travelled to Canada to produce the Payolas album Hammer on a Drum to which Hunter contributed backing vocals 27 1990s Edit YUI Orta was released as a joint album by Hunter and Ronson in 1990 and the pair performed alongside David Bowie and Queen at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992 Ronson died of liver cancer a year later and Hunter gave his memorial speech 28 Hunter wrote and recorded Michael Picasso a tribute to Ronson that was included on Hunter s 1996 album The Artful Dodger the follow up to Dirty Laundry 1995 Hunter appeared on Ronson s posthumously released solo album Heaven and Hull 1994 and performed at the first Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in April 1994 2000s Edit In 2000 Hunter played a handful of live dates in the UK and the US to promote the release of Sony s 2 CD anthology Once Bitten Twice Shy For the UK dates he used the same band as in 1999 Darrell Bath guitar Paul Cuddeford guitar Paul Trevor Francis bass Ian Gibbons keyboards and Steve Holley drums For the lone US date his band included Andy York guitar John Conte bass Tom Mandel keyboards and Steve Holley drums In 2001 Hunter toured North America with Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band as part of a line up which included Ringo Starr Sheila E Greg Lake Howard Jones Roger Hodgson and Mark Rivera Hunter s studio album Rant released the same year and was followed by two live albums 2004 s Strings Attached with a 20 piece orchestra and 2005 s The Truth The Whole Truth and Nuthin But The Truth with Mick Ralphs and Brian May of Queen and Joe Elliott of Def Leppard on one song Hunter won Classic Rock Magazine s Songwriter Award in October 2005 His studio album Shrunken Heads was accompanied by a three song bonus CD and was released in May 2007 by Jerkin Crocus in Europe and Yep Roc Records in the US Man Overboard was released on 21 July 2009 by New West Records 29 2010s Edit Hunter s 20th solo studio album When I m President was released on 3 September 2012 in the UK on Proper Records 30 and on the following day in the US on Slimstyle Records 31 Hunter and his Rant band performed on 3 June 2015 at the City Winery in New York A new live album Ian Hunter amp The Rant Band Live in the UK 2010 was released on 20 October 2014 on Hunter s own label Rant Records Hunter continues to tour across the UK Europe and North America In January 2015 he played three nights in Tokyo Hunter s observations on his Tokyo trip were documented in an article titled Diary of a Rock N Roll Star Part 2 that appeared in the June 2015 issue of Mojo A new studio album Fingers Crossed was released worldwide on 16 September 2016 on Proper Records The album featured the song Dandy which Hunter wrote about and dedicated to the late David Bowie On 29 March 2019 Hunter joined Def Leppard and other artists on stage during the band s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance The group played All The Young Dudes to close the night Hunter amp the Rant Band s four night Gala 80th Birthday Celebration was held at the City Winery in New York City from 31 May to 3 June 2019 32 On 30 September 2019 Hunter s 2019 US tour was cancelled because he developed a severe case of tinnitus and his doctors advised him to stop performing until it subsided 33 Discography EditSolo albums Edit Year Title Peak chart positionsUK 34 AU 35 US citation needed 1975 Ian Hunter 21 36 501976 All American Alien Boy 29 63 1771977 Overnight Angels 38 1979 You re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic 49 68 351980 Welcome to the Club live 61 691981 Short Back n Sides 79 621983 All of the Good Ones Are Taken 1251989 YUI Orta with Mick Ronson 72 1571995 BBC Live in Concert 1995 Dirty Laundry 1996 The Artful Dodger 2000 Once Bitten Twice Shy Missing in Action live compilation 2001 Rant 2004 Strings Attached DVD and CD Just Another Night DVD 2004 US release 2005 2005 The Truth The Whole Truth Nuthin But The Truth DVD and CD 2007 Shrunken Heads 2009 Man Overboard 2012 When I m President with The Rant Band 97 1512014 Live in the UK 2010 with The Rant Band 2016 Fingers Crossed with The Rant Band 36 Solo singles Edit Year Single Chart PositionsUK 34 US citation needed USMain citation needed AU 35 1975 Once Bitten Twice Shy 14 291976 Who Do You Love 831976 All American Alien Boy 1976 You Nearly Did Me In 1977 England Rocks 1979 Just Another Night 68 1979 When the Daylight Comes 108 1979 Ships 1980 We Gotta Get Out of Here 108 1981 Central Park n West 1981 I Need Your Love 47 1983 All of The Good Ones are Taken 25 1983 That Girl Is Rock n Roll 1983 Somethin s Goin On 1989 American Music 24 1989 Women s Intuition 2001 Still Love Rock n Roll 2007 When the World Was Round 91 2012 When I m President 2016 Dandy Mott the Hoople albums Edit Main article Mott the Hoople discography Mott the Hoople 1969 UK No 66 US No 185 Mad Shadows 1970 UK No 48 Wildlife 1971 UK No 44 Brain Capers 1971 did not chart All The Young Dudes 1972 UK No 21 US No 89 Mott 1973 UK No 7 US No 35 The Hoople 1974 UK No 11 US No 28 Rock And Roll Queen 1974 US No 112 Live 1974 UK No 32 US No 23 Old Records Never Die The Mott the Hoople Ian Hunter Anthology August 2008 2 CD set Mott on one disk Hunter solo on the otherMott the Hoople Billboard singles Edit The Golden Age of Rock n Roll UK No 16 US No 96 One of the Boys US No 96 All The Young Dudes UK No 3 US No 37Notes Edit Although official and other reliable sources give a birth year of 1939 as Hunter himself stated in an interview given here as a reference some sources give the year erroneously as 1946 References Edit Roberts David 1998 Mott the Hoople Guinness Rockopedia 1st ed London Guinness Publishing Ltd p 282 ISBN 0 85112 072 5 via archive org Ian Hunter Biography Albums Streaming Links AllMusic AllMusic Retrieved 4 June 2018 a b Hunter Ian 23 August 2012 Ian Hunter ex Mott The Hoople Interview Louderthanwar com Interviewed by Lucy Thompson I was born in 1939 which is 10 years after Wyatt Earp died Dingwall John 28 November 2009 Exclusive Mott the Hoople legend recalls his roots in wartime Scotland Daily Record Scotland I am a Scot because my father was Scottish My dad was born and brought up in Hamilton As far as I am concerned I have always been Scottish My mother was 19 and had never been out of England in her life All she knew was that she wanted to get me out of harm s way so she brought me up to Scotland to be with my dad s family Simpson Dave 12 June 2001 All the old dudes The Guardian The Horse s Mouth Issue 33 Ianhunter com Ian Hunter Catlin Roger 2 August 2001 Ian Hunter tries his hand at other people s stuff chicagotribune com The Hartford Courant Retrieved 21 August 2020 Ian Hunter is still ranting The Star Ledger 25 January 2013 The Horse s Mouth Issue 19 Ianhunter com Ian Hunter The Horse s Mouth Issue 20 Ianhunter com Ian Hunter a b c d e Devine Campbell 1998 Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter All The Young Dudes The Biography Cherry Red Books ISBN 978 1 901447 05 7 a b c Purington Justin Ian Hunter Singles Justabuzz com Retrieved 10 October 2007 a b Hunter 2005 Clayson Alan 1996 Beat Merchants The Origins History Impact and Rock Legacy of the 1960s British Pop Groups London Blandford ISBN 0 7137 2462 5 Hunter 2003 Manus Willard 1966 Mott the Hoople New York McGraw Hill Book Company Gray Marcus 1995 Last Gang in Town The Story and Myth of the Clash New York Henry Holt and Company Stevens Guy 1971 Biography of Mott the Hoople Press release Island Records Tremlett George 1974 The David Bowie Story Futura Publications ISBN 0 86007 051 4 Hunter 1974 The Horse s Mouth Issue 6 Ianhunter com Ian Hunter 7 August 2000 Retrieved 21 August 2020 Billy Idol 2014 Dancing with Myself Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 0857205605 Q As a fan of reruns of The Drew Carey Show I m curious How many different openings did they do TV Tabloid Retrieved 3 August 2019 via Decoy tvpassport com Drew Carey Show Cleveland Rocks Bestclassicbands com 2 June 2015 Retrieved 3 August 2019 Scott Jane 22 June 1979 The Happening The Plain Dealer p 33 Night Out Ellen Foley Credits AllMusic Retrieved 22 January 2022 Mick s Work with Others MickRonson com Archived from the original on 31 December 2002 Retrieved 10 October 2007 Ian Hunter The truth about Mott the Hoople the drugs and the manager The Independent 23 October 2011 Retrieved 4 June 2018 New West Records artist page for Ian Hunter Newwestrecords com Archived from the original on 14 June 2009 Retrieved 4 June 2009 Propermusic com Podcast 46 Ian Hunter Properganda Online Archived from the original on 2 August 2012 Retrieved 18 April 2014 via blog propermusic com Ian Hunter Unveils When I m President Ianhunter com Ian Hunter 1 July 2012 Retrieved 18 April 2014 Ian Hunter s 80th Birthday Celebration Ianhunter com Ian Hunter 12 April 2019 Archived from the original on 31 October 2019 Retrieved 21 August 2020 Hunter Ian Mott The Hoople 74 ianhunter com Ian Hunter Archived from the original on 28 October 2019 Retrieved 21 August 2020 I got hit heavily by tinnitus It s unrelenting and on doctor s orders I ve had to cancel everything for the time being I ve had it on and off for years but it s always slid away This time it s stayed a b IAN HUNTER full Official Chart History Official Charts Company Officialcharts com Retrieved 17 July 2021 a b Kent David 1993 Australian Chart Book 1970 1992 illustrated ed St Ives N S W Australian Chart Book p 144 ISBN 0 646 11917 6 Additional bibliography EditThis article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations August 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Cato Philip All The Way to Memphis The Story of Mott the Hoople S T Publishing Lockerbie Scotland 1997 Frame Pete The Complete Rock Family Trees Omnibus Press ISBN 0 7119 0465 0 Guinness Book of British Hit Singles 16th ed ISBN 0 85112 190 X Guinness Book of British Hit Albums 7th ed ISBN 0 85112 619 7 Hunter Ian Diary of a Rock n Roll Star Panther 1974 ISBN 0 586 04041 2 Hunter Ian Horse s Mouth Issue No 33 18 July 2003 Hunter Ian Horse s Mouth Issue No 70 Part 1 19 December 2006 Ian Hunter and the Rant Band Just Another Night Live at the Astoria London colour DVD Video NTSC Region 1 US and Canada only 4 October 2005 180 minutes Bonus Material Exclusive interview Band Sound check Animated Biography Special Live Guest Appearances Short Martin C 2001 The Great Rock Discography 5th ed ISBN 1 84195 017 3 Warwick Neil Kutner Jon Brown Tony Complete Guide to the British Charts External links EditOn The Morton Fraser Harmonica Gang BBC Review of Ian Hunter at The Stables Wavendon 2008 Ian Hunter in Concert National Public Radio US 22 June 2007 The Secret Sessions Featuring Ian Hunter amp Mick Ronson Harris John Mott the Hoople The dudes abide The Guardian 3 September 2009 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ian Hunter singer amp oldid 1128863047, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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