The Detroit out take can actually be found in three versions: a rough mix and instrumental, take 1, and a vocal out take 5. The track is from the Schizophrenic sessions. It is catchy with a good beat but unfinished and missing complete lyrics to fill the track out so only outtake 5 has lyrics. It sounds like a work in progress but the idea for the song is that it is an ode to the American car industry as it was losing its dominance against Japanese competition.
Bassist Mark Clarke drove one of the big American cars Ian had when he loaned it to him for a couple days. It is depicted in Creem Stars Cars.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
Detroit (Out-take 5 - vocal)
(Ian Hunter)
He used to ride through the streets, crying through the alleyway
Freezing cold in the early morning light
Out to get a salary
Detroit, Detroit
TV image ain't gonna pay the bills
Big big cars
Detroit, Detroit
The fan
Detroit, Detroit
Big big shots
Got their heads in the sand
The usual
(buzzing cars noises from Ian)
You're late
Detroit, Detroit
He's a working man
Ghost town
Ghost town
(indistinguishable sounds, laughs)
The loneliest man in the world
At the end of 1980 Ian returned to the studio to record the follow-up to Schizophrenic and Welcome To The Club. Mick had effectively stopped playing live earlier in the year, and Ian himself was unsure which (musical) direction to take. He got Mick Jones as producer, and on paper the fusion of Mott The Hoople with The Clash should have produced a phenomenal album.
I'll make no bones about it - I hate this album. The material is mixed, and the production (and all the sound effects Mick Jones added) IMO ruined the good songs on it. At the time Ian liked the album, with Mick using different production techniques in the studio. But today he hardly ever plays material from it, a sure sign that it ain't up there with the best.
The 2-CD set offers excellent packaging and excellent sound quality. The original album is on one CD, and a second CD ("Long Odds and Out-takes") containing alternate mixes and unreleased material from the Chrysalis era.
| Detroit (rough mix - instrumental) | 3:42 | An outtake from the Schizophrenic sessions, this version can be found on the outtakes CD Long Odds and Outtakes, and on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only). |
| Detroit (take 1) | 4:01 | An outtake from the Schizophrenic sessions, a different version (and 20s longer) can be found on the compilation From The Knees Of My Heart. Not on the box set. |
| Detroit (outtake 5 - vocal) | 4:00 | An outtake from the Schizophrenic sessions, this version can be found on the outtakes CD Long Odds and Outtakes, and on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only). |
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