This cropped up today. Mott The Hoople were my first live gig, November 1971, the week that the Brain Capers album was released. I was 6 weeks past my 15th birthday. I know some people think their version of this Jesse Colin Young song is sacrilege, but, to me, it’s the only version that matters.
If all you know of Mott is All The Young Dudes, All The Way From Memphis and Roll Away The Stone, then 1971 Mott would have been quite a shock. They were punk, 5 years before punk. They were chaotic, anarchic, unbelievably loud, dressed to impress and the biggest live draw on the college circuit for a couple of years. At the gig, my senses were battered, bludgeoned and beaten to a pulp as song after rocking, raucous song blasted the old hall. I was hooked, and live music has been my oxygen ever since.
I have posted this particular YouTube video because it has some great old photos, not all of them from the early days but, for those that are – they looked exactly like that.
In the comments is a video from a TV appearance in Paris, just 2 weeks before my gig. Although the sound isn’t the best (hey, it might be perfect, and that’s exactly what they sounded like) it does give you a taste of this juggernaut, this runaway train that always felt like, at any moment, it might career off the tracks into oblivion.
As ver kids say, O, M and, in fact, G.
Anyone think the guitars sound very early Fairport, and, if you imagine a very refreshed Ian Matthews, he might sound like Hunter…….
Nice to see Jesse Colin get a mench. His Light Shine LP remains a favourite 15 minutes. (Side 2 is not so good.)