Mott (album) explained

Mott
Type:	Studio album
Artist:	Mott the Hoople
Cover:	MottTheHoople_UK.jpg
Recorded:	February–April 1973 (except track 1, 22 December 1972)
Genre:	Glam rock
Length:	43:00
Label:	CBS (UK), Columbia (US)
Producer:	Mott the Hoople
Prev Title:	Rock and Roll Queen
Prev Year:	1972
Next Title:	The Hoople
Next Year:	1974

Mott is the sixth studio album by British rock band Mott the Hoople. It peaked at No. 7 in the UK Albums Chart.^[1] It is the last album to feature guitarist Mick Ralphs, and the first without organist Verden Allen; because of Allen's departure, most organ and other keyboard parts are played by Ralphs.

"All the Way from Memphis", an edited version of which was released as a single, received considerable airplay on U.S. radio and captured the band overseas fans, as well as reaching the UK Singles Chart.

Packaging

The album featured different album covers in the U.K. and U.S., as well as remastered tracks on some editions. The U.S. cover featured a photo of the four band members with the word "MOTT" on it, with "Mott The Hoople" written in the O. The U.K. front cover featured an illustration based on a bust of Roman emperor Augustus, the band's name written in a typeface simultaneously evocative of a 1920s Art Deco font and the "Future Shock" font inspired by computer-readable punch cards. Initial copies had a gatefold sleeve with the Augustus image printed on a transparent plastic sheet. The emperor would appear again on the inner sleeve of The Hoople, the band's next and final album in both the United States and the United Kingdom. A remastered and expanded version was released by Sony's Columbia/Legacy imprint in the United States in 2006.

Reception

In 2003, the album was ranked number 366 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,^[2] and 370 in a 2012 revised list.^[3]

Track listing

All songs written by Ian Hunter, except where indicated

Side one

1. "All the Way from Memphis" – 4:55
2. "Whizz Kid" – 3:05
3. "Hymn for the Dudes" (Verden Allen, Hunter) – 5:15
4. "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:35
5. "Violence" (Hunter, Mick Ralphs) – 4:37

Side two

1. "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:42
2. "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Dale "Buffin" Griffin, Peter Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:40
3. "I’m a Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 7:40
4. "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:41

LP track times from 1973 UK release (CBS 69038). Published track times for the US release (Columbia 32425) differ slightly.^[4]

2006 CD release

1. "All the Way from Memphis" – 5:02
2. "Whizz Kid" – 3:25
3. "Hymn for the Dudes" (Allen, Hunter) – 5:24
4. "Honaloochie Boogie" – 2:43
5. "Violence" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:48
6. "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 3:53
7. "Ballad of Mott the Hoople (26th March 1972, Zürich)" (Hunter, Griffin, Watts, Ralphs, Allen) – 5:24
8. "I’m a Cadillac / El Camino Dolo Roso" (Ralphs) – 7:50
9. "I Wish I Was Your Mother" – 4:52

Bonus tracks (2006 reissue)

10. "Rose" (Hunter, Ralphs, Watts, Griffin) – 3:56 B-side of "Honaloochie Boogie"; produced by Mott The Hoople
11. "Honaloochie Boogie" (Demo version) – 3:07
12. "Nightmare" (Demo) (Allen) – 3:36
13. "Drivin' Sister" (Hunter, Ralphs) – 4:30 Live 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon; produced by Dale "Buffin" Griffin

Personnel

Mott the Hoople

• Ian Hunter – lead vocals (All tracks except 8); piano (All tracks except 5); acoustic guitar (Tracks 3, 7, 9); rhythm guitar (Track 6); echo vamper (Tracks 7, 9); arrangements
• Mick Ralphs – lead guitar (All tracks except 9); backing vocals (Tracks 1, 2, 4); organ (Tracks 3, 5, 7, 8); Moogotron (Track 2); mandolins (Track 9); tambourine (track 1); acoustic guitar (Track 8); lead vocals (Track 8)
• Pete "Overend" Watts – bass guitar (All tracks); backing vocals (Track 4); fuzz bass (Track 8)
• Dale "Buffin" Griffin – drums (All tracks); backing vocals (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6)

Additional personnel

• Paul Buckmaster – electric cello on "Honaloochie Boogie"
• Morgan Fisher – piano, synthesizer, backing vocals on "Drivin' Sister" (live)
• Mick Hince – bells on "I Wish I Was Your Mother"
• Andy Mackay – tenor saxophone on "All The Way from Memphis" and "Honaloochie Boogie"
• Graham Preskett – "insane" violin on "Violence"
• Thunderthighs (Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, Casey Synge) – backing vocals on "Hymn for the Dudes"

Technical

• Dan Loggins – production supervisor
• Alan Harris, Bill Price, John Leckie – engineer
• Roslav Szaybo – art direction, design

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1973	UK Albums Chart^[5]	7
1973	AUS Kent Music Report^[6]	57
1973	Billboard 200^[7]	35

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1973	"Honaloochie Boogie"	UK Official Charts	12
1973	"All the Way from Memphis"	UK Official Charts	10

Notes and References

1. Book: Roberts , David . 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited . London. 1-904994-10-5. 381.
2. 500 Greatest Albums of all Time . https://archive.today/20120914114031/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/mott-mott-the-hoople-19691231 . dead . 14 September 2012 . Rolling Stone. 18 March 2012.
3. 500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. 2012. Rolling Stone. 9 September 2019.
4. "All the Way from Memphis" 4:58, "Whizz Kid" 3:25, "Hymn for the Dudes" 5:20, "Honaloochie Boogie" 2:42, "Violence" 4:49, "Drivin' Sister" 3:51, "Ballad of Mott..." 5:22, "I'm a Cadillac..." 7:47, "I Wish I Was Your Mother" 4:52
5. Web site: Official Charts - Mott the Hoople. . 13 January 2018.
6. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 210.
7. Billboard 200 - Mott the Hoople. . 13 January 2018.