Mott the Hoople | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 1969 | |||
Recorded | May–July 1969 | |||
Studio | Morgan (London) | |||
Genre | Hard rock | |||
Length | 38:26 | |||
Label | Island (UK), Atlantic (US) | |||
Producer | Guy Stevens | |||
Mott the Hoople chronology | ||||
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Singles from Mott the Hoople | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | A [3] |
Mott the Hoople is the debut studio album by the band of the same name. It was produced by Guy Stevens and released in 1969 by Island Records in the UK (ILPS 9108), and in 1970 by Atlantic Records in the US (SD 8258). It was re-issued by Angel Air in 2003 (SJPCD157).
Stevens, the group's initial mentor and guide, wanted to create an album that would suggest Bob Dylan singing with the Rolling Stones. This was partially achieved, with the album including several Dylanesque cover versions along with aggressive rock originals. Years later, vocalist Ian Hunter - who had only just joined the band prior to Mott the Hoople's recording and had yet to play live with them - would insinuate, in an August 1980 Trouser Press magazine interview, that the Stones' 1971 track "Bitch" bore more than a passing resemblance to this album's "Rock and Roll Queen." [4] (Both songs are in the key of A, and use the pentatonic scale.)
An instrumental version of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" introduces the album, though a vocal version was recorded and is available on Mott's compilation release Two Miles From Heaven . Doug Sahm's "At the Crossroads" (originally recorded by Sahm's Sir Douglas Quintet in 1968) and Sonny Bono's "Laugh at Me" (originally issued by Sonny & Cher on their second full-length album in 1966, but without vocals from Cher) are suitably reminiscent of Bob Dylan, as is Hunter's "Backsliding Fearlessly."
Initial copies of the UK album were wrongly pressed with the song "The Road to Birmingham," (the B-side of their debut single in the UK) at the end of side one, with "Backsliding Fearlessly" replacing "Rock and Roll Queen" at the start of side two.
The album's cover is a colorized reproduction of M. C. Escher's lithograph "Reptiles." In an interesting coincidence considering Guy Stevens' desire for Mott to sound like the Rolling Stones, in early 1969 Mick Jagger had approached Escher wanting to commission a painting for the cover of the Stones' upcoming album Let It Bleed ; Escher declined the request. [5]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, gives the album four stars out of five and states:
Up to this point, Mott the Hoople is wildly imaginative and invigorating, and that's enough to make this a fine debut, even if it falls off the tracks during the second side. The first side and those two originals reveal a band whose rowdy power is matched by sly humor, clever twists, and fierce intelligence -- all qualities they built a career on, and this blueprint still stands the test of time. [1]
Robert Christgau however rates the album "C+" and states:
Despite the hype, these guys strike me as an ordinary hard rock combo. [6]
Record World called the single "Rock and Roll Queen" a "heavyweight rocker with nifty lyric." [7]
Year | Chart | Position | Weeks on chart |
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1970 | Billboard 200 | 185 [8] | 2 |
1970 | Official Charts (UK) | 66 [9] | 1 |
Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally known as the Doc Thomas Group, the group changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums at the beginning of the 1970s but failed to find commercial success. On the verge of breaking up, the band were encouraged by David Bowie to stay together. Bowie wrote the glam rock song "All the Young Dudes" for them, which became a huge commercial success in 1972. Bowie subsequently produced an album of the same name for them, which continued their success.
Michael Geoffrey Ralphs is an English musician, vocalist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.
All the Young Dudes is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Mott the Hoople, released in 1972. It was their initial album for the CBS Records label, after three years with Island Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in the United States and Canada.
Mott is the sixth studio album by British rock band Mott the Hoople. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart. It is the last album to Feature guitarist Mick Ralphs and first without organist Verden Allen, due to Allen's departure most organ and other keyboard parts are played by Ralphs.
Guy Stevens was a British music industry figure whose roles included DJ, record producer and band manager. He was influential in promoting R&B music in Britain in the 1960s, gave the rock bands Procol Harum and Mott the Hoople their distinctive names and co-produced The Clash's album London Calling.
"All the Young Dudes" is a song written by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally recorded and released as a single by the English rock band Mott the Hoople in 1972 by Columbia Records. Bowie produced the song, which he had given to the band after they rejected his "Suffragette City". Bowie would subsequently record the song himself. Regarded as an anthem of glam rock, the song has received acclaim and was a commercial success. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "All the Young Dudes" number 166 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It is also one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Peter Overend Watts was an English bass guitar player and founding member of the 1970s rock band Mott the Hoople.
The Hoople is the seventh studio album by British rock band Mott the Hoople. The album peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 11, whilst its highest chart rating in the US was No. 28. A remastered and expanded version was released by Sony BMG on the Columbia Legacy label in Europe in 2006. It was the only album to feature guitarist Ariel Bender, and the last album to feature vocalist Ian Hunter before his departure for a solo career.
"Roll Away the Stone" is a song written by Ian Hunter, recorded by English rock band Mott the Hoople, and released as a single on the CBS label. On the first version, recorded before Mick Ralphs left the band, Ralphs plays lead guitar and one of the Thunderthighs handles the bridge voice. It was re-recorded by the band for their 1974 album The Hoople, with Ariel Bender on lead guitar and English vocalist Lynsey de Paul singing the vocal bridge.
Shades of Ian Hunter: The Ballad of Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople is a compilation album by Ian Hunter, consisting of tracks by Hunter's previous band Mott the Hoople, and solo Hunter tracks as well. It was released in 1979 as a double-LP.
Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist 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.
Wildlife is the third album by the British band Mott the Hoople.
Mad Shadows was the second album by Mott the Hoople. It was recorded in 1970 and released in the UK on Island Records in September 1970 and in the US by Atlantic Records. It was subsequently re-released by Angel Air in 2003 (SJPCD158). As with their debut album, it was produced by Guy Stevens.
Brain Capers is the fourth album by the band Mott the Hoople.
Live is a 1974 album by British band Mott the Hoople recorded during their debut US performance at the Uris Theater (Gershwin) on Broadway in Manhattan, New York City, United States, with Queen as the opening act. A remastered and expanded 30th Anniversary Edition was released by Sony BMG on the Columbia label (516051). The release of the album in its original form in 1974 coincided with the announcement of the band's demise and it was, therefore, their final release. It was a single disc album in its original format but the addition of thirteen extra tracks has seen it expand to a double CD package.
Two Miles From Heaven is a compilation album of tracks recorded by British rock band Mott the Hoople during their period with Island Records from 1969 to 1972. It features the original band line-up of Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs, Peter Watts, Dale Griffin (drums) and Verden Allen (organ). Incomplete tracks from original sessions were supplemented by overdubs of vocals, keyboards and guitar.
Welcome to the Club is the first live album by Ian Hunter. After the unexpected success of You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, Chrysalis Records wanted to keep the momentum by releasing another album. Because Hunter never wrote when he was on the road, it became a live album which was recorded at the Roxy Theatre over seven nights in November 1979 during his U.S tour. However, there were four new tracks three of which were recorded live in studio.
In Performance 1970–1974 is a four CD box-set of live Mott the Hoople concerts between 1970 and 1974. Playing were the original members of the band and also, the new members incorporated in 1973 after Verden Allen's May departure, and Mick Ralph's August departure.
Rock and Roll Queen is a compilation album by the British rock band Mott the Hoople. The album predominantly features selections from the four albums Mott recorded for Island Records in the UK, which were subsequently issued in the US by Atlantic Records. In Canada, the first three were released by Polydor, while Brain Capers was released in Canada by Island.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by English rock band Mott the Hoople. It was released on 1 March 1976 through Columbia Records.