The most well-known of all Mott The Hoople songs All The Young Dudes and closely associated with Ian is this song. Originally released as a Mott song it has continued to be a staple of Hunter's live shows from 1979-2010. The widely circulated story is that Mott broke up and Pete "Overend" Watts rang him up to see if David Bowie needed a bass player. Instead, David said he was a fan and had material for Mott thus first Overend and then the whole band went to his flat to hear songs. The band needed a killer song to break into the charts and Ian said he knew it was hit the first time he heard it; this effort was their last grasp at commercial success and it did break them into the charts. The ending rap was uncredited to Ian from a stage prank that he pulled on stage wherein he would invite someone from the audience to come forward or pour beer over them. Nonetheless, he did not get songwriting credit as it was originally Bowie's song. Hunter's pop instincts were keen though and he turned down David's first offering of Suffragette City and the band readily embraced All The Young Dudes as a result.
Ian consistently plays the song live and often it is the final song of the night to close the shows. Otherwise, there are numerous live versions of the song. Starting with his collaboration with Mick Ronson. Ian played the song, with Rick Derringer in 1981, the Freddy Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, the Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in 1994, Def Leppard in 1996, Ringo Starr in 2001, the orchestral version in 2002, and finally with the Rant Band in 2010. At the latter version Hunter ends by saying `I suppose I've done just about as much as a man can do' which came from a story honoring Jerry Lee "The Killer" Lewis as he said the same thing one time Ian heard him live at a gig.
Also recorded at the Park West, Chicago IL 22nd June 1979 on Collateral Damage.
There is also a version from Rick Derringer & Friends.
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43:25
At 43:25 the song starts on the Derringer version:
https://youtu.be/NvQ79Bx26rs
All The Young Dudes
(David Bowie)
Well Billy rapped all night about his suicide
How he kick it in the head when he was twenty-five
Speed jive don't want to stay alive
When you're twenty-five
And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks and Sparks
And Freedy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face
Funky little boat race
Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile deliquent wrecks
Oh man I need TV when I got T Rex
Oh brother you guessed
I'm a dude dad
All the young dudes (Hey dudes)
Carry the news (Where are ya)
Boogaloo dudes (Stand up Come on)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear you)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (And I want to talk to you all of you)
Carry the news
Now Lucy looks sweet cause he dresses like a queen
But he can kick like a mule it's a real mean team
But we can love oh yes we can love
And my brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones
We never got it off on that revolution stuff
What a drag too many snags
Now I've drunk a lot of wine and I'm feeling fine
Got to race some cat to bed
Oh is there concrete all around
Or is it in my head
Yeah
I'm a dude dad
All the young dudes (Hey dudes)
Carry the news (Where are ya)
Boogaloo dudes (Stand up)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear ya)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (And I want to relate to you)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (What dudes)
Carry the news (Let's hear the news come on)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to kick you)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (Hey you there with the glasses)
Carry the news (I want you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want you at the front)
Carry the news (Now you all his friends)
All the young dudes (Now you bring him down cause I want him)
Carry the news Boogaloo dudes (I want him right here bring him come on)
Carry the news (Bring him here you go)
All the young dudes (I've wanted to do this for years)
Carry the news (There you go)
Boogaloo dudes (How do you feel)
Carry the news
All The Young Dudes (live 22nd June 1979) | 3:40 | Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded at Park West, Chicago IL) was issued on Collateral Damage. Not on the box set. |
All The Young Dudes (live 5-11th November 1979) | 3:29 | This live version (recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles CA) was originally issued on Welcome to the Club, and is also on the compilations The Best of Ian Hunter, The Collection, From The Knees Of My Heart and Shades of Ian Hunter. |
All The Young Dudes (live 22nd November 1979) | 4:25 | This live version (recorded Hammermith Odeon, London England) is on the 30th Anniversary issue of You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic, and on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only). |
All The Young Dudes (live 19th April 1980) | 3:50 | This live version (recorded Rockpalast TV Show, Grugahalle, Essen Germany) was originally issued on Live At Rockpalast (not on the box set) |
All The Young Dudes (live 11th September 1981) | (9:20) | This live version (recorded Dr. Pepper Music Festival, Pier 84, New York NY) was originally issued on the Ian Hunter Rocks video (VHS/Laserdisc only). The video (DVD) can also be found on It Never Happened (box set only); the audio can be found on From The Knees Of My Heart (not on the box set). |
All The Young Dudes (13th September 1981) | 8:01 | This live version (with Rick Derringer, recorded at The Palladium, New York NY) is on Rick Derringer And Friends. |
All The Young Dudes (live 20th April 1992) | 3:48 | This live version (recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Wembley Stadium, London England) is on Mick Ronson's Heaven And Hull. |
All The Young Dudes (live 29th April 1994) | 5:04 | This live version (recorded Hammersmith Apollo, London England) is on the Mick Ronson Memorial Concert. |
All The Young Dudes (live 19th July 1996) | 4:00 | This live version (featuring Def Leppard) was issued on the compilation Once Bitten Twice Shy. |
All The Young Dudes (live 22nd August 2001) | 5:35 | This live version (recorded at the Rosemont Theater, Chicago IL) is on Ringo And His New All-Starr Band (and the accompanying DVD). |
All The Young Dudes (live 29/30th January 2002) | 5:42 | This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached. |
All The Young Dudes (live 28th May 2004) | 5:35 | This live version (recorded The Astoria, London England) was released on The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth and on Behind The Shades and Greatest Hits Live In London. Not on the box set. |
All The Young Dudes (live October 2010) | 7:10 | This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) was released on Live In The UK 2010. |