Dancing on the Moon has a strong live feel to it and it opens the record to a rocking start. The band didn't know what they were doing and the drums were all over the place since Ian kept changing the chords. It is totally spontaneous. Nonetheless, a great feature of the track is a strong chorus filled with some word play about being out and about. It feels like the musicians are just giving it all and having a great time letting it all hang out. It reminds me of the sort of creative chaos that Guy Stevens tried to inspire in the Brain Capers era Mott The Hoople. Chaotic but somehow less than polished rock efforts work.
A live version is available from 2010.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
Dancing On The Moon
(Ian Hunter/Darrell Bath/Honest John Plain)
Oh!!
Well I climbed through the fence, out with the (?), head for the river plate(?).
The river's not tame, heat in the city meant dogs can't smell the same.
Don't wait up, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now cos I'm
Dancing on the (dancing, dancing) moon, yeah.
(dancing, dancing....)
I crawl like a snake, seen a better daybreak, I sleep when I'm wide awake.
All my body's achin', I know they're tryin' to break me, but that's a chance I
gotta take.
Oh, don't wait up, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now cos I'm
Dancing, dancing, dancing (dancing on the moon) dancing, dancing, dancing on
the moon
All right.
I'm outside a Memphis, My motors little danger(?) she gives me
pharmaceuticals
Knowin' my friends, they help me beat the hangman, they know I'm innocent
Well that's all right, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now cos I'm
Dancing, dancing (dancing, dancing) on the moon
(dancing, dancing on the moon) .
I can see your house in between the trees
I can feel your body shakin' in between my knees.
You know it feels so low, I come so far
I always love to have some fire on me
You're looking so good
Well I got me a room, can't say where it is, you can guess the address
Well I need some money, need it in a special place, not try the weaknesses(?)
Wake up (?) , nursin' my wounds, I told you I was comin, I was comin' home soon. yeah.
(Want you, want you, want you, want you right away, )
((To fade))
Ian Hunter CD: "Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry"
Sleeve and track listing
Cherry Red CDM RED 321.
- Dancing on the Moon (5:24)
- Another Fine Mess (3:28)
- Scars (5:04)
- Never Trust a Blonde (5:19)
- Psycho Girl (2:48)
- My Revolution (4:08)
- Good Girls (4:01)
- Red Letter Day (5:11)
- Invisible Strings (3:53)
- Everyone's a Fool (2:41)
- Junkee Love (2:46)
- The Other Man (5:23)
Running time: 50m 12s
Review
This 1995 album is an oddity. Not quite a full solo album, but more than just a collaboration. It started life as a project by Norwegian keyboardist Casino Steel with Ian invited to sit in in the studio. It soon became much more than that, with Ian writing a number of songs (some of which were written in the studio) and contributing to a few others. More importantly, it marked the return of Ian to the recording studio following the death of his long-time friend Mick Ronson.
With vocal duties shared as well this has something of a "band" feel to it. Despite being recorded at a number of studios, it also has a good live feel to it, which is no bad thing. Dancing On The Moon opens things up nicely, while Another Fine Mess looks back to life on the road with Ronson. My Revolution is another standout track, this time looking back to Ian's Mott days - fans will appreciate the reference to "a revolution for fun", while Ian acknowledges the advancing years in the next line with "you'd better lock up yer mums!" Sheer brilliance.
Darrel Bath's Never Trust a Blonde is great fun, as is Honest John Plain's Psycho Girl and Good Girls. All have a good, earthy 1950's rock n roll feel to them. The album ends with a trademark Ian weepie, this time the great The Other Man in which he forgives his lady but not the guy who shagged her.
This album originally came out with little fanfare in 1995 on a small Norwegian label, with the US label Cleveland International also picking it up. In the days before Amazon, etc, it meant getting hold of copies in the UK was difficult (but not impossible). This release on Cherry Red, therefore, makes it the first time this album has been available in the UK. This time round you also get a good booklet, explaining the background to the recording of the album.
This is a fun album. Not Ian's best but by no means his worst and certainly worthy of consideration.
| Dancing On The Moon | 5:24 | Originally issued on Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry. |
| Dancing On The Moon (live 11th October 2010) | 5:40 | This live version (recorded at The Journal Tyne Centre, Newcastle England) was released on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 3)(box set only). |
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