So, with one thing or another – I’ve been busy. Heavy snow today; now is as good a time as any!
Kilby Black: ‘Looking forward to San Francisco.’
Larry Woodside: Great show at the Roxy – enjoyed every second. Couldn’t get backstage, would have liked to have met Tracie. Who’s doing your cd promo? I’m consulting 7 stations and would like service if possible. I’ll leave this one for Trudi.
Danny G: Wishing us the best for Japan.
Bill Milks: ‘Where does Cub Koda stand on your list of memorable R + R characters? Smokin in the Boys Room – Brownsville Station? Bit of a lad, I’ve heard! With us no more.
Max: ‘How long since you played New Orleans?’ Too long; great town. We’re getting there.
Jeffrey on about Japanese jet lag. I just gave up and let it happen. Actually it wasn’t all that bad -it’s so long, you just resign yourself.
Mark F: ‘Did you buy anything at Mike and Frank’s in Nashville – were the guys there?’ I didn’t buy anything, but I saw a lot of the stuff from the program. There was a girl in there I’ve not seen before and a guy was playing in the corner. They say it’s jammed in the summer. It’s smaller than it looks.
Robert Shinn: ‘Big fan since the 70’s. Just received your reunion concert with the DVD and two CDs. Sad that some kind of booklet did not come with the set.’ Dunno about that.
JZ shakeytown: ‘Roxy show – what a blast!! ‘Sweet Jane’ at the Coach House was Rock ‘n’ Roll pandemonium – fantastic – thanks!!’ As it should be.
Cat Lincoln: ‘Was at the Coach House in SJC last night! What a powerhouse. Thank you for the delightful surprise of ‘Good Night Irene’. Hope I wasn’t singing too loud. Bought Coach House tickets on impulse – been so long since I’ve seen a show. Makes me think I should get out more. You’ve set the bar awfully high! Steve Wynn and Robert Lloyd were wonderful. Inspired opening. Fan from way back. All smiles! Xxo.’ Nice one.
‘You were unbelievable at the Roxy last night. (Blush) My first IH show; I guess that 73 is the new 30 (75 actually). Voice as good as ever – even more energy than most 30 year olds. Seriously, don’t know how you do it for one night – let alone a tour. Respect.’ Thanks – the band helps!!
Ian Mack: ‘Do you think today’s music industry will ever produce an artist or group with the quality of a Beatles or an Elvis?’ Too corporate. ‘Do you feel you succeeded despite or because of the music business of the day?’ Despite. I mean, Guy Stevens was a major help to us, but you could hardly call Guy ‘Industry’. Industries are usually obvious. They go with trends until they wear them out. They’re not too keen on ‘oddities’. John Hammond would be an exception to that rule, but John was then and this is now.
Perry: ‘Great show a the Fillmore. ‘Boy’ a knockout. You give us reason to believe.’ It can be fun – can’t it. (If it’s real.)
Mark Rettick: ‘Fillmore excellent. I was amazed and surprised by the set list you chose. You’re an amazing musician.’ (Choke!) I get by.
Vic Pyle: ‘OK I understand you don’t want to come to Canada in the winter – but how about the summer?’ We’ll see.
John Frawley: ‘Who’s idea was it for ‘Short Back ‘n’ Sides’ to be so eclectic? Bit of everything. I loved it.’ ‘I Need Your Love’ was a great pop song and could have been a hit.’ Ronno and I were at loose ends, but a new album had to be done. We were short on material and energy so Mick Jones (Clash) came in and sort of took over. It was an enjoyable experience and different (my manager HATED it). I thought ‘I Need Your Love’ was lame. Who knows.
Martin Milas brought his son and son-in-law to the Coach House. ‘Nice to share my favorite artist with the next generation- really enjoyed ‘Boy’.’
John Dalton: ‘What do you think of the recent folk Rock revival in England – bands such as Mumford and Sons? Everything old is new again?’ I did a TV show with the Mumfords when they first hit. A lot of people were slagging them off, but I knew they had ‘it’ and I told them they had ‘it’. Mice chaps. Country will always be around if it’s done well and differently.
Malcolm Lay: ‘How about Mott UK this year?? Play smaller venues – 1500 seaters – and how about recreating the fantastic atmosphere at Hammy Odean (2nd show) December 14, 1973 – Rock Gig of the Century.’ Mott’s out of the picture at the moment. Sorry.
Bart: ‘How tall are you? (5’11’) What is your drink preference?’ Lansons – why?
Otto Greenleaf: ‘Ready Markey Ramone’s biography and he mentions a place in Cleveland called Swingos. He quotes you saying, ‘I only remember checking in and checking out.’ Has the fog lifted?’ Swingos was downstairs in a hotel the bands used to stay at in Cleveland. That’s about it.
Mayumi Ishijima: ‘Thank you very much for coming to Japan. We had really good shows. How was your stay in Japan?’ Most enjoyable – Thanks for having us.
Jeffrey: Sod the polar vortex. When are the weather guys over here going to stop droning on and on about ‘what might happen. Drives me nuts. Sensationalizing weather is really the lowest. The weather gets more and more like the Daily Mail. Half of it’s about what’s already happened! I don’t need to know yesterday’s weather. Net Flix here I come.
Geoff Bryant: ‘No clips on U-Tube of Japan. How did it go?’ It went great; we all had a great time. I’ve written a piece for Mojo with Ross Halfin doing the photos. It’ll probably come out with the Proper Box set.
Mark F: ‘How were the crowds at the Japan gigs?’ Fabulous. I was told they’d be extremely quiet during the songs – then they would clap and stop. Nothing was further from the truth. It could have been the Roxy; they were just the same as anywhere else.
Pat – paying Japan was fun.
N. Tomita: ‘I had a really good night on 18th January 2015 when you had a gig at Garden Shimokitazawa. It has taken 40 years to see you. I am 56. It as natural Morgan Fisher would join in for some tunes as he lives in Japan. For us ordinary Japanese Mott the Hoople fans, the period when the band gave us the impression of success, glamour and famousness is the line up including Ariel Bender and Morgan Fisher. Several reunion gigs excluded the two. Why? (Because the reunions were for the ORIGINAL band.) I heard once your saying a concert in Japan would not be worthwhile. I disagree. MTH can jam pack the Tokyo International Forum for three days. Regards.’ Let me know the promoter’s name!!
Constance Van Beek: ‘Great to see you Rant and Rock on the CA leg. Kudos on the Tokyo residency. I know you made some long time fans in the Far East happy. So cool Morgan joined you for the encores.’ Yup.
Matt Nojonen: ‘Hope the plane ride was tolerable. (ANA – pretty good). Did you get a chance to sample the local culture?’ Yes and no – Tokoyo’s much like most huge cities. We went with Ross Halfin and his assistant Kaz to Fjui – Ross was taking pictures (google his site). The promoter wanted it for years, so we finally came to an agreement – and we went.
Chris: ‘Looking to buy some of the old CD’s from your official site. None are listed. Where do I go to purchase them? Which CDs specifically? Try Amazon.
K from Japan: ‘Amazing three days in Japan. Hope you enjoyed it as much as the crowd did. It was great to hear, not just the goldies, but also the more current music (President, Crazy Horse, Just the Way, etc). First day 3 songs in 1 (a forty something guy) ended up in tears at the thought of my idol (blush) since aged 14 being 3 meters away from me. Got more emotional during ‘Standing In My Light’. Didn’t recover till mid set. Saw how happy you seemed to have Morgan on stage. Second day, Irene Wilde, Wash Us Away, Picasso, Saturday Gigs – great crowd. Mark Bosch amazing, too. Third/last day I was more relaxed and I saw the show from the back for once. ‘Original Mixed Up Kid’ and ‘Golden Age’ were gems. A lot more I want to say but….anyway, thank you for coming to Japan (and thanks for signing my copy of ‘Diary’ via Ross – it’s going to be framed and become a family treasure!’ Thank you for having us!
Clair: ‘What was ‘Standing in My Light’ really about?’ A manager who I fired for screwing me.
Doug (St. Louis): The St. Louis show was incredible. I had to buy a ticket and fly to the Roxy in LA. How is it that you do not age and you have so much energy? Thanks for enriching my life. Did you have something in mind when you wrote, ‘You Nearly Did Me In’? Probably, but it’s long forgotten.
Rik Rolski – Best thing would be to get hold of my agent, Frank Riley over at High Road Touring.
Callmeafan: ‘First of all, thank you for the wonderful West Coast dates. I was front and center at the Coach House and caught my first guitar pick that you flicked to me (I don’t do that as a rule.) Hope you give James a lot of credit for all he does (We do.). My question is, do MC and JM get tired of being compared to Mick?’ Nah. You get that in every band – this guy is not as good as that guy etc. I only play with great people.
Glenn Courant: Stick it out. It happened to me and, believe me, it all gets sorted out in the end. It will take a while, but you have to hang in there. Nobody’s perfect.
Shinobu: ‘Dear Ian, Thank you for wonderful shows in Japan.
Kokubun: ‘Thank you for ‘Irene Wilde’ – I was so happy. My dream came true. I hope 2016 will include Japan.’ You never know.
William Wallace: ‘As a young teenager in Belfast in the 70’s my best friend got me into MTH and thus your music. I recently tried to track him down for the Lincoln gig and found out he passed. Please give a mention on the Horse’s Mouth to Arty Taylor – a real dude.’ Arty Taylor R.I.P.
Michael Baseman: Thanks me for the Horse’s Mouth. Actually, Michael, sometimes it’s a two way street. One can get stuck – especially when writing and the H/M has more than once got me out of a hole. (Oh shit – people like me – I’d better write a new one!)
Parish: ‘ ‘Live in the UK 2010’ CD arrived – oh lawdy – what an astonishing performance of an extraordinary collection of songs….the ‘heal me’ part in ‘Michael Picasso’ was as visceral as anything I’ve ever heard recorded….just remarkable. I’d say more, but I’ve used up my adjective quote for the day. Thank you, Ian – you’ve done it once again.’ Actually, I had no idea we were being recorded. You have Trudi to thank for this one.
Ray Nolting: Watched Don Krishner when I was 10 or 11 and was blown away by the ‘H’ guitar. Did you really have one or was I hallucinating?’ There’s been a few odd ones over the years; actually, there were two H’s. One was home made (which I smashed) and Tokai made me one – which I’ve loaned to the Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Dean Simpson: ‘Huge fan, Mott and solo stuff – Ronson’s guitar work – timeless and stunning. How did drum machines take over from talent?’ There’s no accounting for taste.
Richie Cornacchi: Added a verse to ‘Saturday Gigs’.
Erica Thomas: ‘Where does Ian Hunter live today?’ In CT, US
‘Will there be concerts in Europe?’ We play Scandinavia now and again and the UK. ‘My husband and I are both IH fans.’ Glad of that – there aren’t many in Germany.
Lionel Avery: ‘Loved Mount Tabor gig – a long way from the Pied Bull, Islington.’ He used to sell us day old cheese rolls for 3 pence.
Keith McDonald: ‘What happened, ‘When you went to Croyden’? We used to play this pub opposite the Fairfield Hall in Croyden. We played there two or three times and it got so mobbed we went over the road and sold out the Fairfield Hall itself. When we arrived on stage the roar went on for ten minutes. The longest ovation I ever heard. So now you know.
S. Bove: J.B.R. Rest in Peace. Sorry for your loss.
Oor Wullie: ‘New Year’s Resolution: I need to stop posting questions on the Horse’s Mouth after returning from the pub. I appreciated the last answer, but couldn’t remember the question! Either that, or I’ll drink less – no – I’ll go with the former.’ How lovely – here’s me laboring away over here – get back on yet bucket.
Annette Maddison: ‘What happened to Frank Short (Apex)?’ Frank passed away a few years back. Good man.
Ron Paulin: ‘Rant sounded great in Durham, NC. Impressed with the voice after all these years and shows. How was Japan?’ Amazing.
Wade Harten: ‘Flew down from Vancouver for the Roxy show. You and the band were awesome. My sister and her boyfriend were giving me a hard time for dragging them along to see this ‘old man’. For the whole show my sister’s boyfriend kept leaning over and saying ‘this guy is 75? No way! Thanks for showing the kids how it’s done. I’ll go anywhere in the world to see you and Alejandro together!
Colin Powell: ‘Japan brilliant, but I missed the third show due to the plane heading back to Malaysia at the same time! Do you think the promoter will get it released on CD/DVD as I did notice recording equipment at the sound desk. Myself and Tom were interviewed by a Japanese rock magazine (sluts!) on why we follow IH + MTH around the world. Hope to get an English copy soon.’ You never know
Grayce: Has there ever been a song that barely survived the final lineup on an album, but later turned out to be one of your favorites? ‘Now Is The Time.’
Alan in Portland on mikes: I’m using something called a PMG at the moment, which Pete Moshe (our engineer) got for me.
Pasquale and Marisa from Italy: ‘Short tour somewhere this year?’ Probably not – I have to write. Might do a couple in the New York area, but not much else.
Barrie Ball: ‘2016 tour – yes or no?’ I would think so, but you never know.
Lou Bainga: ‘Thanks so much for St. Louis – bang up show – and bang us out another 6 day album!’ I’m endeavoring.
Ian Mack: ‘Do you ever modify lyrics?’ It can happen – I may substitute a line if it feels easier coming off the tongue. ‘Now is the Time’ is moving around a bit.
Matt Parish: I did do ‘Whizz Kid’.
Andrew Gardner: ‘What do you think of the new Bob Dylan album ‘Shadows In The Night’? (Haven’t heard it as of yet, but I’m reading the reviews!) How about Bob’s speech!! Wish he’d do it more. Priceless.
Wayne: ‘At the Hall of Fame I spotted the piano you used to write on. To me, it was one of the highlights. How did it come to be there?’ I wrote ‘Cleveland Rocks’ (among others) on that piano. It was cluttering up the house we were in at the time, so I offered it to them. Because of the ‘Cleveland Rocks’ connection they took it and put it on display.
So – we did 40 gigs. I remember looking at them on the site before we started and thinking I’d never get through it. Not only did we get through it, we really did some damage. All I can say is, it was easy for me – and it was easy because of the band. Thanks to all involved and all you chaps out there who fork out hard earned cash. It’s all a bit against the grain isn’t it – motivation! – that’s why I like it!!
IH
The Horse’s Mouth
February 2015
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