These DVD video presentations collect some of the various appearances and shows by Hunter including: CBS promo videos, studio film, Top Pop TV from Holland, Chrysalis promo film, Rockpalast appearance, Toronto concert, The Dominion concert, PolyGram promo video, Scandinavian NRK TV session, VH1 `Take It to the Bridge' session, Jerkin' Crocus promo film, Jools Holland BBC TVs session, and a Proper promo video.
Once Bitten Twice Shy provided a driving rock introduction to Ian's solo career and the song got him off to a strong start. It entered the British singles chart in 1975. This song was similar to All The Young Dudes in the sense that a buzz was created by both songs. A TV appearance was critical to pushing the hit higher on the charts and this song was similar to All The Young Dudes in the sense that a buzz was created by both songs. Hunter and Mick Ronson got off at Heathrow Airport and Mick asked if Ian was in the Musician's Union. Of course he was or you are not allowed to appear on TV otherwise. Despite the first class air flight because Ronson was not in the Union they were cancelled. The CBS promotional film was shot instead after the scheduled Top of the Pops TV appearance in the UK was aborted.
All of The Good Ones Are Taken is the 1983 CBS single that was promoted, unfortunately not that often in Hunter's career, with a fabulous Columbia video that spoofed the 1981 Dudley Moore comedy Arthur. Hunter plays the wealthy guy chasing a girl paralleling the log line of the film: glittering mansion, roller skates, white linen suit, butler, limousine, champagne, and glamorous girls, filmed in New York City and Central Park. Directed by Martin Kahan, who also shot videos for Kiss and Bon Jovi, the clip was nominated at the first ever MTV Awards, and turned out to be an appealing marketing ploy.
The clip featured the oversized late character actor Captain Haggerty of the School for Dogs in Manhattan and Mr. Clean TV commercial fame. At 385 pounds during the Central Park boat scene the boat started to sink, their feet covered in water, and water logging the cassette player. Almost drowning, soaked to the skin during the rain scene, and filming at 4 am so the diner could open at its regular time, was less than ideal shooting but the video is well done and Hunter thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
The New Music is the Ian Hunter Band featuring Mick Ronson filmed by CHUM TV at the Ryerson College Theatre in Toronto on 19 September 1979. The material includes the Welcome to the Club double live album and Hammersmith Odeon set, issued for the first time in the box set and is the best example of Ronson and Hunter together.
Ronson has the best summary of this period. They were interviewed at a radio station in Canada and the DJ asked them how the pair worked together. Mick said: "Well, I play a bit of guitar . . . and he comes in singing . . . and when he stops singing I play a solo . . . then I stop when he starts singing again . . . and when he finishes singing . . . we stop again." Classic Ronno!
Ian Hunter Rocks is a television appearance recorded on 11 September 1981 at the Dr. Pepper Festival at Pier 84 in New York City and was originally released on VHS by Chrysalis. I saw it live when it was broadcast on TV. Hunter's material came from the then-current Short Back n' Sides album, some Mott The Hoople and solo material including the 14 minute medley of Irene Wilde, All The Young Dudes, Honaloochie Boogie, Roll Away The Stone, and Ships.
Hunter enjoyed the performance but his recollection of it was the excessive heat. With little air he could hardly breathe and his knees nearly gave way. At one point he walked off stage near the end to get air, difficult to pull off when the whole concert is being televised live.
Strings Attached: A Very Special Night with Ian Hunter was filmed and recorded at the Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway on 29-30 January 2002 featuring guitarists, Andy York and Torstein Flake, Kjetil Bjerkestrand on keyboards, bassist Sven Lindvall, Per Lindvall one drums and The Trondheimsolistene Strings. The Strings were coined by Hunter as Sigmund and the little Freuds during the performance.
The arrangements provide a fresh hearing and are a thing of beauty with the unusual, for a rocker, presentation. Similar to how Ian enjoys working there were few practices before hand which makes for a livelier performance if done well. They pull it off. All the musicians were first-rate.
Hunter was the only performer who did not read music so he communicated to York what he wanted and left it up to Andy to musically elicit the performance from them. Bjerkestrand arranged the entire concerts and the procedure was to rehearse on one day, then rehearse the orchestra in Trondheim with the changing arrangements the next day. Ian had not met the orchestra until the night before the actual shows but the musicians were so good the performances came off flawlessly. Its a beautiful statement and interpretation of Hunter's songwriting.
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