The Horse’s Mouth
March 31, 2023
And so to the March 2023 Horse’s Mouth
David: I love the new tune “Bed Of Roses” and I especially love the slide guitar intro…sounds like you got George Harrison to lay that down for you from the great beyond! I have all of your studio albums, solo and with MTH, and am looking forward to adding the new one to my collection. Thanks for keeping on keeping on Ian.
IH: David is likening the great parts Mike Campbell plays on ‘Bed of Roses’ to George Harrison. I’m sure that Mike wouldn’t mind the comparison. Mike makes everything he plays on – better.
Dru: Picked up a copy of Man Overboard recently. He doesn’t get a lot of mention as one of the great guitarists you’ve played with but I really like Jack the Mechanic’s playing. Especially his slide on Babylon Blues. Great track.
IH: Jack Petruzelli is a great player. He was in the Rant Band for a while – class act. – now with the Fab Faux. I know he also does a lot with Joan Osbourne – playing and producing. Google Jack!
Bill Cannon: Ian-wanted to say thank you for all the great music over the years-in my case since the mid 70’s when I was playing MTH and no one knew who it was at college. Looking forward to Defaince 1(and 2) new songs are excellent. Not sure if you are planning to tour based on your hearing issues but if so looking forward to hopefully seeing you in Chicago. I wanted to share a post on Facebook from Bill Lloyd’s profile where your new song was mentioned very positively by Bill and the people on his Facebook page. Not sure if you know who he is but I am a big fan of his music and guitar playing. His album Set to Pop from the early 90’s is a classic and his music output is always excellent. Here is what I posted about your new song (Bed of Roses at the time):
“Ian Hunter has been making consistently great music, better in my opinion than any of his peers ie McCartney, Davies, Townshend (last who album is also great), the Stones, etc. He still rocks and throughout his 70’s and now 80’s has made great albums. Does not get the recognition he deserves IMHO. Looking forward to the new album-part 1 and 2! Thanks for posting…”
Again, thanks for all the great music, new album is ordered-CD will get the vinyl too. I have the Stranded In Reality box set which again just top-notch music, packaging etc. Best of luck with the new album. Regards Bill Cannon
IH: Well – blush!!!
Erik Huth: Can’t wait to hear the new CD. Glad to see Waddy playing on it as I loved his work with Warren Zevon. Was there any consideration to collaborate with Joe Walsh? I would love to hear it!!! I recall you gave him a jacket in ‘72 (based on your book) – so he owes you.
IH: I don’t know where Joe is. Lovely man – great player. I think we have enough already – but he’s welcome!!!
Frenchie: Is it safe to say that your touring days are behind you and that Mott 74 won’t be hitting the road again? I developed Tinnitus 3 years ago and sympathize with you and follow what you’ve said about it. I’ve found it behaves as it wants and there’s not much you can do about it other than grin and bare it! Good Luck and love the new songs! Keep writing those great rock & roll songs.
IH: You’ve got that right! We’re still looking at ways round it.
Rick Goward: Looking forward to the new music and hopefully seeing you live to support it (fingers crossed. Pun intended). My question is as a young musician could you ever even have dreamed of being on Sun Records? I mean the artists that have recorded there. To me it’s simply mind-boggling.
IH: To me, it all started with Sun Records – Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’”. I recently met Jimmy Van Eaton – who was the drummer on that session (and many others). I felt 15 again! Also met Sam Phillips junior – that room’s haunted!! Yes – from this Shropshire lad – all the way TO Memphis!! It’s a privilege.
Joe S.: Hey Ian I can’t wait for your new album. do you have a favorite song from the new album Just curious.
IH: I don’t pick favouriters. For me this is a complete album – and that doesn’t happen that often. Especially when you’re dealing with such a diverse group of musicians.
Jon White: Ian, I really enjoyed listening to you on the Rockonteurs podcast; you’ve always been a natural raconteur. Have you ever considered doing something like that Springsteen show on Broadway? It would be you talking about your career, telling a few anecdotes, doing a few songs on acoustic guitar or piano, and maybe doing a Q&A session at the end. Not an Ian Hunter concert, but ‘An Evening With Ian Hunter’. It would be a real treat, not just for your own fans, but music fans in general.
IH: It’s funny you should say that……..
Ken: Yo Ian, dunno if you’ve seen this yet, but you might enjoy it. Rick Beats breaking down All the Young Dudes. https://www.youtube.com/live/dE_9kpduYOI?feature=share
IH: Good song.
Dave Gaviota: What do you think of Ricks comments?
IH: As above!
Wade: I just heard your interview with Billy Sloan on the Beeb Scotland. Absolutely loved how you said you had been a “member” of the Rant Band for 20 years. Classic! But now that they’ve replaced you with Alejandro Escovedo do you think you would ever work with them again? And if Alejandro doesn’t work out do you think they would take you back? Seriously though, It’s great to hear you doing interviews again, and I’m really looking forward to the new tunes. No words to describe what a great part of my life you’ve been since I discovered your music back in 1980. All the best to you and the family, musical and actual.
IH: Cheer, mate. All is well with the Ranters and me. Tinnitus just gets in the way of things. They’re in the UK as I write and Dennis, Paul and James rang from the airport. Good luck chaps and Alejandro!!
Sam: Will the album you made with John Cale and Mick Ronson ever be released?
IH: Dunno, probably up to John. It was basically jamming. A couple of good things materialized; it was all spur of the moment.
Chris Bayley: Did you consider releasing ‘Defiance’ as a Double album at all, rather than two single releases? Not sure you’ve ever released a double album?
IH: It was discussed, and we finally decided this was the best way to do it. Part II is till not finished as Andy’s on the road with John Mellencamp.
Bill C: Did you really write a song about a drug-sniffing dog at an airport? Is that what that is? That is too organic an idea not to have a story behind it. Just another night, Dog edition. ( i hate airports, love dogs, always want to pet them to relax/amuse myself) You are a moral booster-good stuff.
IH: Well, Trudi mentioned the title in some other context and I converted it.
Donald Mease: Would you consider taking on Michael Schenker on guitar and Bodo Schoff on drums if you tour?
IH: Not at this stage in the game, although I love Michael’s playing. We talked about it once way back when.
Matt Nojonen: Dear Mr. Hunter, I like the new webpage. What prompted the change?
IH: My manager, Mike, said my site was ‘archaic’, so he and Megan found some people who changed it – so I’m hip again now!
Robert Lazenby: Hello Ian, a few years back The Readers Digest uk magazine did an article on you and your early life living in Hamilton Scotland with your gran looking after you, a bit of a character by all accounts, the opening article photo was of an elderly lady pushing a youngster in a buggy pram or whatever and terrace houses n background, I was wondering if that was your gran and yourself, I must find the magazine sometime, thanks.
IH: I didn’t know about this. Yes, there is a picture of me and my Grandma Peggy. She was quite a character. My first living memory is of me and Peggy – I was in that pram – probably around a year to 18 months old and she reached up and caught a bird in full flight. Photo taken in Hamilton, circa 1940.
George Martin: Have you ever met any of the members of Deep Purple and what think of them as a band?
IH: Roger, the bass player for Deep Purple and I worked for Francis Day & Hunter (no relation) as songwriters for a while before either of our bands were formed. John Lord an absolute gentleman. Ian Gillan and I share a story.
Dave Hines: Ian, I have had tinnitus for years and have had no luck with the audiologists I have seen. Could you please tell me who helped you? I’m a big fan, have seen you at Infinity Hall in Norfolk and Hartford. Love all your music. The 3 new tracks on your new album are great. You are amazing!
IH: Basically, you need hearing aids tuned to the frequency of your tinnitus which cancels out the sound to a certain extent. None of them cancel it completely, but they diminish it – by half in my experience. Millions have it – no real cure as of yet. It’s not really ears – it’s nerves in the brain that have burnt out. Fun, fun, fun. I use Oticon.
Dave Kovac: Hi Ian, I’ve been a fan of yours since the late 70s and when you played Michigan State Auditorium in 1982, I was a senior in high school I was lucky enough to third-row seats to see the show I made a sign and I gave it to you while you were on stage and you took it from me I’m glad to see that you’re still making great music today you deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame I would love to see you in concert one more time I wish you all the best in 2023 I wish I had my tour shirt but I probably wouldn’t fit anymore. I’m sure I won’t hear back from you but I just wanted to know that your music still lives on in my life and always will.
IH: Cheers, Dave
Geoff Davey: Hi Ian, I love the three tracks of defiance that you’ve released so far. What do you think of Mutt the Hoople as an alternative name for Pavlov’s Dog? And creating a Guinness Book of Rockers, in large measure devoted to your defiant self?
IH: “Guinness Book of Rockers”. I like that!
Craig Nevitt: Residing in the USA Ian, one huge difference between there and Blighty is gun laws as you well know. How do you feel these days about gun laws and do you feel the need to have a gun whilst moving around the USA ?
IH: I personally think guns are made to kill things. They were deemed ‘necessary’ at one point in history and people still like killing things. There’s all kinds of excuses made by all kinds of politicians – so they still can keep killing things. Logic doesn’t apply – it’s about the money. Other than that – it’s a great country with mostly great people.
Stephen Mitchel: Girl From The Office could only have been written by someone who had worked in a UK factory and experienced the banter as I know you did, is it fictional or was there a Girl From The Office?
IH: There was indeed a ‘Girl at the Office’.
Twmas: Just got back from Butlins 70’s weekend. Rubettes murdered Dudes’ Can you take out an injunction to stop them from doing it please?
IH: I’ve got no answer to this one!
Darren Newsome: Hi Ian I am getting married next year and we don’t want to use the traditional vows, can you think of any of your lyrics that could be suitable? PS Fingers crossed for UK tour dates.
IH: Nothing comes to mind. All the best to you both.
Ed: Hi Ian, was your song Man O War about Gene Simmons?
IH: Nope.
Malcolm Lay: How likely a UK tour this year??
IH: Still working on stuff.
Bill Milks: Just had my first listen of Pavlov’s Dog. Wow! As a musician who prides himself on his mediocre slide playing, how and who (lead guitarist) decides on when to insert some slide?
IH: Brilliant, ain’t it. He arranged it perfectly; again – working for the song.
Anyway, this is the NEW Horse’s Mouth (which is kinda like the old Horse’s Mouth, really).
That’s all for now.
IH
The Horse’s Mouth xxx