Excerpt:
Musically upbeat the satirical Gun Control had clear targets. Hunter has consistently expressed reservations about guns and the NRA and this is his strongest statement to that effect and is more directly political than most of his songs. He expressed the same anger against stupidity from his first solo album about his first reaction to America and here picks up the theme. The context is really the United States since he refers to the president, not long after the attempt on Ronald Reagan's life, Washington, and the Constitution. Hunter includes the sarcastic "viva macho" associating guns with machismo and the song was a part of his standard live set in 1981.
In addition to the original version there are also two live releases.
On Track Ian Hunter is shipping soon. Want to promote Ian? The publisher is marketing the book but asked for help from us fans in the Hunter orbit. If you have contacts with podcasts, magazines, or other music outlets let me know so we can promote Ian's music. I'm open for interviews to talk about Hunter's catalog. Thanks!
Great news! Advance copies of On Track Ian Hunter have reached the publisher and will be available soon! I even saw an advance copy on eBay.
On Track Ian Hunter https://www.amazon.com/dp/1789523044...
Upcoming Podcast Appearances! More details soon:
Frankly Francisco & Full of Words.
Better To ...? Podcast, recorded a terrific conversation, due for release 2 August 2024.
In the meantime, listen to previous appearances!
Yeah Uh-Huh by Lisa and Phil https://youtu.be/r46AbOSo-MM?si=uuWy3T8rQjhnGkwS
Tell Me About Your Book, The Phenomenal Musician John Christian
https://www.facebook.com/.../pfbid09pnutefvQEpSF8uz8jMTip...
Set Lusting Bruce with Jesse Jackson https://podcasts.apple.com/.../set.../id1038228650...
HODGEPOD with Rob Fredette https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bgfx7-14962b2
Toby Gribben Show, awesome show, and live 8 February 2024!
Sign up now for behind the scenes information about On Track
Ian Hunter at TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me!
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Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
Gun Control
(Ian Hunter)
All right
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control.
Stick to your guns, boys, stick to your guns.
We'll make a lot of money if we stick to the guns.
The president's with us boys, so join in the fun.
We can make a lot of money if we stick to our guns.
Yeah
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control, we don't want no
Gun Control.
Let the bullets go!
Step up the lobby, boys, down in Washington.
We can make a lot of money if you stick to your guns.
Tradition is with us boys, it's the constitution,
so stick to your guns, boys, the final solution.
Hey
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control.
Hey, and ain't it a shame we ain't got a war,
we'll just have to practice on the sick and the poor.
Assassinate presidents, and they ain't the only ones,
we can get them all, young and old, if we stick to our guns.
So stick to your guns, boys, fight for your life.
We'll all feel special on a Saturday night.
Yeah!
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control, we don't want no
Gun control.
Let the bullets go.
Viva macho
Viva macho
Viva macho
Viva macho
Gun control, no, we don't want no
Gun control, no, we don't want no
Gun control, hey, I don't want no
Gun control, (I'm much too busy making...)
Gun control,
Gun control, (...Saturday Night Specials)
Gun control,
Ian Hunter LP/CD: "Short Back 'n' Sides"
Sleeve and track listing
Chrysalis CDCHR 6074.
Review
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.
| Gun Control | 3:12 | Originally issued on Short Back and Sides, also on the compilations The Collection, From The Knees Of My Heart, The Journey, Once Bitten Twice Shy and Shades of Ian Hunter. |
| Gun Control (live 11th September 1981) | 3:47 | 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). |
| Gun Control (live 26-28th October 1981) | 3:36 | This live version (recorded at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco CA) was originally issued on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only). |
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