Personnel
Ian Hunter - lead and harmony vocals, rhythm guitar, pianoEarl Slick - lead, rhythm and slide guitars
Peter Oxendale - keyboards
Rob Rawlinson - bass, harmony vocals
Dennis Elliott - drums
Miller Anderson - harmony vocals (4)
Lem Lubin - harmony vocals (4)
Roy Thomas Baker - percussion
Release date: May 1977
Running time: 37:33
Current edition: Columbia
Step into the captivating world of Ian Hunter as he finds himself at a crossroads, torn between the delicate allure of his jazz-rock sensibilities and the rebellious fire that courses through his rocker's veins. The fickle hand of fate presented Hunter with a tantalizing conundrum, as he found himself offered enticing opportunities with none other than Uriah Heap and The Doors. For Uriah Heep, Hunter was tempted to do their 10-week American tour for $5,000 a week in 1976 dollars. Imagine the allure of easy street, paved with riches and fame, just a signature away. But our intrepid troubadour, fueled by an unwavering artistic spirit, swiftly dismissed these tempting offers, for they held no sway over his creative soul. And what of the whispers of a revitalized Mott The Hoople? Ah, but Hunter quashed those rumors with a resolute shake of his head, having spent six years with them carving out his own unique vision and with no desire to revisit the shadows of Midas' touch. Despite the lavish promises and mountains of cash that beckoned, Hunter stood firm, his artistic compass pointing him away from Uriah Heap's embrace and highlighting the incongruity of joining The Doors' iconic ranks. So join us on this enthralling journey, where the choices of one man will shape the course of his musical destiny, defying the allure of fortune for the pursuit of true artistic expression. Brace yourself for a tale of audacity, integrity, and the unwavering pursuit of authenticity as Ian Hunter fearlessly forges his own path.
What Hunter envisioned was an energetic rock band format as he got acquainted with the New York new wave punk rock scene. As a first foray for bandmates Ronson had introduced Ian to Billy Cross who was putting the Topaz group together and they collaborated on writing Crazy Glue one day at Hunter's house. The song has never been released. At the same time Mick Jones was forming Foreigner and Ian realized that British musicians needed work so it occurred to him that the UK was a great recruiting field.
The new band started off strong. Hunter snagged Peter Oxendale for keyboards and as musical arranger, drummer Mac Poole, and bassist Rob Rawlinson. Once back in New York he also recruited Earl Slick on guitar with Golden Opportunity and I Think You Made a Mess of His Life (later Shallow Crystals) and on this basis the next effort already had a name: Overnight Angels. Roy Thomas Baker had clout at CBS and appeared to be the ideal producer for the band. Recording in January and February 1977 at Le Studio in Quebec the band had state-of-the-art equipment in a glorious setting.
Yet, issues quickly arose. Mac Poole was not working out so he was left go with a generous financial send-off; Dennis Elliott took a break from Foreigner but he was known to be reliable from the Ian Hunter LP and he was called in for support. Perhaps the venture should have had a hint of doom since luggage had been lost at the airport, there were several car crashes, Elliott's drums came unhinged on the way to the studio, and then tragically the entire project came to an abrupt halt on the night of 3 February when the studio housing caught fire.
The album was released in America and in Great Britain in May 1977 with singles to promote and an eight date UK tour for June. Hunter was back to perform for British audiences for the first time in two years.
Posts
