A sunny day at H.T. H.Q. and no humidity in the air - just the day for a jot.

Dan Hartman: Went to the Martin factory in Nazareth - 'great tour'. I was there with MTH all those years ago. Apparently, Martin was located in New York around the 1880's but his wife wanted to hang out with her own people - so they moved. New York Martin's are unnumbered - just says New York. Got one?

Shawn Jones: I can never go back, Shawn.

Jeffrey Stanke: Happy 17th, Jeffrey. Jeff can't believe folk compare 'Rant' with 'Shrunken Heads'. Neither can I.

James Boyd: 'Congrats on SH.'

Irina: I think it's true. 'One Fine Day' and another one later appeared on an IH compilation album. I don't remember 'Reinforcements'. Mick played bass on some IH tracks. I can't remember who played what now - it's been a while.

Graham Knowles: I'm concentrating on newer stuff at the moment, Graham.

Steve McGivern: Festivals in England? Just did our first one in a while last June. We are working on more.

Ron: If you see me I'll probably do it; depends on what it is.

James Frauel: 'Ian, you answered my email about SH explaining corporations are too big and they don't give a toss about me. You were never so right. After 25 years with my company I was let go with no valid reason.' One-way loyalty. I blame the monopolies commission. When the U.S. is run by so few mega conglomerates - competition is stifled and prices rigged. They do it in the UK as well.

Brent Coursey: I'm in England during that period. I love Ohio and everybody knows that!

Jeffrey's just seen Andy Doran's 'parabolic spheroid' of me. 'You've got to be kidding!' I love it.

Mick McKenzie: I hardly knew Marc, so I can't really voice an opinion.

Bucks Burnett: I'll pass this on to the wife.

Joey Porter: Belated congrats on SH.

Ken Thompson: 'Just want you to know every time I'm in Best Buy I move your CD to the front of the bin. Saw you in Annapolis loved the show and the song selection.' Good idea. Everybody bin move!

Pat: Fond of 'Nightingale' on 'Strings Attached'. My Mum use to listen to that when I was a nipper on the BBC Light Programme!

S.B. 'Why does your latest ad for 'World Was Round' look like a testicle with fuzz?' Well, I ain't as young as I used to be.

Donald Gerbing says he can't get tickets for Milwaukee. 'Never had a chance - they give the good ones to the gamblers.' I dunno. Somebody told me they rang them and they said they'd sold out - he rang again and got the tickets. I don't know what's going on with this gig.

Pat: Was Ahmet Ertegun a fan (P.B.S.)? Dunno. Wouldn't think so. 'How did you feel about being on Dylan's label later (Columbia). I didn't realy give it much thought. I sought out John Hammond Senior who was a lovely man, as was Goddard Lieberson. They don't make 'em like that any more.

Andy Tester: I think we've done a couple of compilations that have taken care of that (sorry England).

Kelly Wallace: I just pick 'em up and play.

Andre Pisani 0 Bergen, Norway loves SH. Thank you, Andre. We get to Norway now and again.

Lisa North: Thank you, Lisa. I know about dogs; we've had a few.

Sully: How nice? Don't know about 'Rose' though - I will do it at some juncture. Nearly did it a couple of times.

William Baxter (Ooooooer Wullie).: It's the second single (Back's cool). NWTR not on set list. I like the MTH Croyden CD. The first few tracks are the nearest I've heard to original MTH mayhem. Can't think why they told us they were unusable at the time. Good job done by Buff, Peter Purnell and all the Angel Air chaps involved in that one.

Kevin Shannon: Very happy with CD and gig in Detroit. Spreading the word.

Kerri Fraser: Yes, I sang back-up on 'Just Wanna Hold' I set up the song and engineered Mick when he did the vocal. Nice chap.

Billy Innes: Well, it is a jukebox and it doesn't make much sense to me. I wasn't in the greatest of moods and I was hurting. Sorry, about that.

Bucks Burnett has started his 'WAR ON CRAP'. All interested should go to the waroncrap.wordpres.com for more details. 'Hope you'll join us to fight entertainment injustice.' Right on.

Stephen Molnar: 'Buffalo, Hamilton, Toronto, Ontario - in the future?' Well, I've just changed agencies so I won't know till next year. It's all a question of money, really. So many outgoings nowadays. Thanks for the other thing.

Gaz Stober: I've never owned one, but I tried them out a few times. The pickup could be moved quite easily as well as the plexiglass body. Just never wound up actually playing one. Newcastle cometh!

Steve Hyams: I'll give this to Tru. How the devil are you? I know - it crept up further on me!

Amir Darzi: New York? I think a gig in Brooklyn just before Christmas is being talked about. Watch this space for details.

Valery Shampoo (what a lovely name): Argentina awaits!

John Pottage: 'Great news M.C. Bosch is in the band. Very impressed with him and James Mastro.' They'll both be there. 'Shrunken Heads' has grown on me. 'Mott the Hoople Under Review' DVD was interesting.' (I thought it was surprisingly good.)

Alan in Kent: Combo of 2 - 15': and ZZ - 10' (or) 8x10' - or 2x15'.

Doug Moss: We're all well past it so don't worry about her! 'SH best since Schizo.'

John Von Reine 'Did you ever feel Elton John's 'The Bitch is Back' was a rip off of 'Golden Age'?' No, I didn't really notice anything.

Stuart Groves: ''Irene Wilde' - classic track' 'Read 'em and Weep' part II or another chapter of your youth?' Another one, I'm afraid - wasn't too happening, was I?

Chris: 'Did you ever meet Lennon?' No, unfortunately.

Jim Van Tuyl: Sounds like you're having an interesting life. Nice one.

Paul Osborn: They're not monitors - they're ear plugs - I have to protect what's left! Do I like them? NO.

Keith Nickless: 'When I first got SH I was disappointed, but I traveled the U.S. and when I got back it made so much more sense. So well played, old chap - some songs take time to grow.' I think people get into albums so much sometimes that they don't want to accept the next one. Happens to everybody - including me.

Dave Rougvie: M.C. Bosch, Steve Holley, James Mastro, Paul Page and AB (Andy Burton).

Mike Costanzo: 'They've just released David Johansen's classic '79 CD 'In Style'. Great album - loaded with Ronno (who produced). Ronson was unique in the way he never hogged the limelight. He seemed happy to play even if it made others sound better (very true). His kind don't come around often.' Was 'Flamingo Road' on that one? I seemed to remember doing a bit of piano on it. I remember Mick doing it; it was Media on 57th Street in NY.

Hope Campbell: You pick good ones.

Dominic: 'When the World Was Round' is about the world being off balance. Too many with nothing - too few with too much. 'Shrunken Heads' - a section of the British people are much scruffier than they used to be. Drugs have taken a lot of dignity. '23A Swan Hill' was where we lived when I left home.

Stay tuned for Part 2 ...