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Diary of a Rock
n Roll Star Others...
Most books have only mentioned Mott as a statistic (guiness Book of British Hit Singles, etc.) or as part of a larger picture, as follows:
The David Bowie Story Truly awful book, very typical of the time, and aimed at star-struck fans who wouldn't normally be found reading Sounds or NME, at the time. The Mott the Hoople section reveals the band to be appreciative of Bowie. The interviews were either all conducted during the period in which the band were still basking in the glory of the "All the young Dudes" album, or have been modified by Tremlett, who I have a feeling was a Daily Mail,or Express, journo at the time. There are quotes from Mick Ralphs about how Bowie taught Mott a lot in the studio, including the famous 'hand-clap-in-the-toilet' routine that says more for Hunters vision than Bowies abilities. This quote was takne wholesale and used by Philip Cato in 'All the way to Memphis'.
Guinness Rockopedia The Ultimate A-Z
of Rock and Pop This seems to be a compilation of all those Guinness Guides (70s Rock, New Wave, Heavy Metal) that came out a few years ago. Its bold claim to be the Ultimate A-Z falls a bit flat as soon as we flick to the Mott the Hoople entry, however... They tell us that Morgan Fisher replaced Verden Allen in 1972 and that the Bender line-up is"...celebrated by the compilation Walkin' with a Mountain"! Hmmm. It makes you wonder if all the other few hundred entries for acts that range from Abba and Cliff Richard to the Prodigy and Marilyn Manson are as accurate. There are also some glaring ommisions and a letter is on its way to the publishers, as I feel that £20-ish is too much for such oversights. To cap it all, the book lists other books to read, fan clubs and web-sites. Naturally, they haven't bothered to search the web for any Mott sites. We know better... The Complete Rock Family Trees A marvelous and essential read for anyone that likes to eat rock n roll facts for breakfast, dinner and tea. Back in the seventies, these distinctive hand-drawn family trees started to appear with Sounds and Zig Zag. Pete Frame has sanitised and streamlined a lot of the originals but in doing so, has provided very comprehensive documents. For example, our heroes Mott the Hoople are part of the Free, Spooky Tooth, Foreigner, Back Street Crawlers tree under the title Good and Bad Company. The reason these things work is because Frame is such a fan himself and his enthusiasm and his lack of cynicism makes everything so entertaining and absorbing. Other trees for, amongst others, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Genesis, King Crimson, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Liverpool scene in 1980, The Police and so it goes on. Essential. Also, catch the BBCtv produced telly versions, which are as good as the original.
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| Last update 14th September 2008 ©2008 Half Moon Bay
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