In 1978 Corky Laing (of Mountain), acting on a suggestion from his record company, put a "supergroup" together featuring himself (drums/vocals), Ian Hunter (ex Mott The Hoople) on keyboards/vocals, Mick Ronson on guitar and Felix Peppalardi (Mountain) on bass. They started recording, but shortly after the record company lost interest and funding stopped. The sessions were completed at a different studio, but remained in the can until released as The Secret Sessions. `Easy Money' as co-written with Corky Laing is arguably the best on the record as the remainder tend to be closer to sounding like demos.
Lyrically, it is something like Alice and the woman portrayed is either a lady of the evening or simply down on her luck and looking for easy money while she is out on the run.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
Easy Money
(Corky Laing/Ian Hunter)
Once upon a time She was the virgin of a million lonely minds
And now it's such a crying shame She does not even know her name
No-one ever knew All the heavy changes she's been going through
All the sons and lovers on her mind
Cos easy money's hard to find
I've been searching
All night long
You know, she's been searching all night long
Easy money
She gets down on her knees
She's begging you please
Cos she needs
Easy money
She's out on a run
She needs someone can she please
Nightmare rides
A shadow limps across the great sunrise
And steals the hope that lies behind her eyes
In a sense it's hard to find
I've been searching
All Night long
You know, she's been searching all night long
Easy money
She gets down on her knees
She's begging you please
Cos she needs
Easy money
She's out on a run
She's looking for someone to plead
Easy money
Easy money
She ain't no fool
She's breaking her rule
And she knows
Easy money
She's out on a run
She's looking for someone who shows
Easy money
She's out on her own
She's looking for someone to plead
Easy money
The CD opens strongly enough, with the superb Easy Money, but soon descends into ordinaryness. Although all the tracks are complete versions, they sound rushed or demo-like, with little standing out, apart from a brilliant, lengthy version of The Outsider, which of course Ian recorded for his Schizophrenic album.
The CD is filled out with two tracks from Corky's 1978 solo album, perhaps because originally once funding had stopped there wasn't the time or money to record a full album's worth of material.
In summary, a CD mainly of historical interest only. Ian Hunter completists will want it, ditto Corky Laing/Mountain fans, but I doubt if the casual fan would be persuaded to part with his cash.
Easy Money | 2:50 | This collaboration (Laing/Hunter/Ronson/Pappalardi) can be found on The Secret Sessions (not on the box set). |