Cosmic Harmony
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Mott the Hoople's origins can be traced backed to the early 60's with the bands The Buddies and The Soulents. The two groups eventually combined into The Doc Thomas Group and released a self titled album with an Italian recording company.
The group caught the attention of Guy Stevens at Island Records who loved the band, but hated their current vocalist Stan Tippins. Stevens had read a book titled "Mott the Hoople" while in prison and had been looking for a band that could match the name. The book was about an eccentric who worked in a circus sideshow.
in 1969 ads were put out for Tippins' replacement that read "Singer wanted, must be image-minded and hungry". This brought in Ian Hunter who became the group's new singer, pianist, and occasional guitarist, and with Hunter's inclusion Stevens convinced the band, now known as Silence, to reluctantly change their name to "Mott The Hoople".
Their self titled debut was released the following week and became an underground success. It's followup "Mad Shadows" was very hastily put together for a garage rock like sound and has a now infamously squeaky kick drum that is impossible to ignore once one notices it's there. Their third album "Wildlife" continued Mott The Hoople's downhill fall with an over the top hippie sound that came a few years too late. Their forth album "Brain Capers" was an attempt to return to the hard rock sound of their first album, but it went largely unnoticed. Mott The Hoople was on the verge of breaking up from poor receptions from critics and the public.
David Bowie had been a fan of Mott The Hoople for years and after hearing that they were about to split. Bowie convinced the band to stay together and offered to write them a hit single. Originally Bowie planned to give them "Suffragette City" (what would later become one of his most famous songs and would be released a year later on "Ziggy Stardust"), but the band turned it down. Bowie also played "All The Young Dudes" for them and the band agreed to record it. With original singer Stan Tippins on backing vocals the song went on to become Mott The Hoople's biggest hit, the title track on their breakthrough album, and their signature song. Mere months after the release of the "All The Young Dudes" album Mott The Hoople was going to record another David Bowie written song "Drive-In Saturday" (which would later appear on Bowie's "Aladdin Sane"), but Bowie apparently was dissatisfied with their take on it and ended their relationship.
Their next album "Mott" used the glam rock craze as a springboard and would become their highest charting album that yielded two hit singles "Honaloochie Boogie" and "All the Way from Memphis".
"The Hoople" and "Live" continued their success but issues within the band resurfaced and there were many problems that were only getting worse with their success.
In 1974 Mott The Hoople toured the US for the last time with a then up-and-coming band known as Queen as their opening act. This started a longstanding friendship between the two bands and their members with some best examples being Mott The Hoople being referance in the popular Queen song "Now I'm Here", with the three vocalists of Queen singing backup vocals on "You Nearly Did Me In" of Ian Hunter's solo career, and with Ian Hunter being personally invited to play at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert years after he left the mainstream public's eye.
I late '74 Mott The Hoople released "(Do You Remember) The Saturday Gigs" as a single and the song would prove to be the last studio recording ever released by the band before Ian Hunter left.
Following Hunter's departure the band briefly soldiered on as simply "Mott", but without Hunter at the helm their popularity greatly waned and they disbanded in 1976.
Ian Hunter went on to have a long running solo career that has gathered a small, yet loyal fanbase. Many of his solo albums have garnered quite favorable critical responses, but much less commercial success. He has explored many different musical styles since leaving Mott The Hoople.
In January 2009 Mott The Hoople announced that they would be reuniting with all original members for two shows in London. The shows sold out almost instantly and several extra dates were added. The shows gained very favorable reviews and the enthusiasm with which concert goers bought tickets just goes to show that Mott The Hoople may often be forgotten but they are still loved.
Discography:
Mott the Hoople (1969)
Mad Shadows (1970)
Wildlife (1971)
Brain Capers (1971)
All the Young Dudes (1972)
Mott (1973)
The Hoople (1974)
Mott Albums:
Drive On (1975)
Shouting and Pointing (1976)
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I consider All The Young Dudes an essential classic rock album.
