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Mott the Hoople people
I can still remember, very clearly, being at a Boys' Brigade camp (I kid you not) on the Isle of Wight during summer 1973 and seeing the front cover of Record Mirror. It featured a fine colour picture of Mott the Hoople and the headlines Ralphs Quits. The horror. He was my hero. The tone of the editorial suggested that he was a bit foolish to quit the band now that they had made it on their own with a great lp ('Mott' - contained one Ralphs-only composition; 'I'm a Cadillac/El Comino Dolo Rosso') that had charted. They had produced it themselves and they had had a couple of hit singles as well. But, even as we were reading the story, Bad Company were holding their first rehersals in Guildford. A year later and they were one of the biggest bands around. Superstars from the off, and Ralphs wasn't a minor add-on to the Paul Rodgers/Simon Kirke Free resurection shuffle. Bad Company's debut single — which went top 20 in the UK, top 5 in the US — 'Can't Get Enough' was a Mick Ralphs composition written in 1972, however, Mott didn't do it as there wasn't anybody in the band that could sing it well enough, apparently. When the Bad Company album appeared, it even contained a re-working of 'Ready for Love' which Mott had performed on the Bowie produced 'All The Young Dudes' LP, obviously, this time Ralphs wanted us to hear the song the way it was meant to be played. For me, Mott were never the same without his mellower melodies and country tinges here and there and those songs that wound up and up toward mighty crescendos. Some of their finer moments came touched by the hand of Ralphs; 'Rock 'n' Roll Queen', 'Thunderbuck Ram', 'Half Moon Bay', 'Violence', 'Ready For Love', etc. From the summer of 73, Mott The Hoople were on borrowed time, for they lost an arm and a leg when Ralphs went. Visit the Mick Ralphs Official web site »
The Buddies Singles I ain't got you/It's goodbye The Doc Thomas Group Singles Just can't go to sleep/Harlem Shuffle Albums The Doc Thomas Group re-released as part of Angel Air Records 2 on 1 CD as 'The Italian Job' coupled with 'Shotgun Eyes' by The Silence. CD SJPCD020. 1998 Mott the Hoople Singles All singles recorded by Mott the Hoople Line-up 01 and Line-up 02, between 1969 and 1973 Albums All albums recorded by Mott the Hoople Line-up 01 and Line-up 02, between 1969 and 1973, and many of the subsequent compilations put out over the years by both Island and CBS. Bad Company Originally formed in 1974, Bad Company have split and re-formed under several guises. The current incarnation doesn't feature Mick Ralphs, whereas a previous line-up did. Mick doesn't, therefore, appear on every single Bad Company release but on most. Visit the Official Bad Company web site or the Elektra Records Bad Company page for more details. Mick Ralphs Albums Take This It's All Good That's Life Guest Appearances/Collaborations Bronco Luther Grosvenor Gary Lockran Amazing Blondel Ian Thomas The Who Lonnie Donegan Midnight Flyer Rough Trade/Midnight Love Jon Lord Bach on to This/Going Home Wildlife Jim Capaldi George Harrison Sat singing/Lay his head/For you blue/Flying hour Ken Hemsley
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Last update 26th July 2008 ©2008 Half Moon Bay
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