Just Want It Real, Ian Hunter, Rant, Stranded In Reality, Experiments

Ian doesn't remember anything about Just Want It Real but he liked the groove and thought it "Cute!" It was a Rant unused track.

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

Ian Hunter Box Set: "Stranded In Reality"

Sleeve and track listing

Proper SHADES1

• Ian Hunter
• All American Alien Boy
• Overnight Angels
• You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic
• Welcome To The Club
• Short Back and Sides
• All Of The Good Ones Are Taken
• YUI Orta
• Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry
• BBC Live In Concert
• The Artful Dodger
• Rant
• Strings Attached
• Shrunken Heads
• Man Overboard
• When I'm President
• Live in the UK 2010
• Tilting The Mirror - Rarities
• If You Wait Long Enought For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale - Live 1979-81
• Bag Of Tricks - Live Rarities
• Acoustic Shadows - Live
• Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings
• It Never Happened - DVD
• (Go to the review)

Ian Hunter

1. Once Bitten Twice Shy
2. Who Do You Love
3. Lounge Lizard
4. Boy
5. 3,000 Miles From Here
6. The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nuthin' But The Truth
7. It Ain't Easy When You Fall/Shades Off
8. I Get So Excited
9. Colwater High
10. One Fine Day
11. Once Bitten Twice Shy (single edit)
12. Who Do You Love (single edit)
13. Shades Off (poem)
14. Boy (edit)

All American Alien Boy

1. Letter To Britannia From The Union Jack
2. All American Alien Boy
3. Irene Wilde
4. Restless Youth
5. Rape
6. You Nearly Did Me In
7. Apathy 83
8. God (Take 1)
9. To Rule Britannia From Union Jack (session outtake)
10. All American Alien Boy (early single version)
11. Irene Wilde (Number One) (session outtake)
12. Weary Anger (session outtake)
13. Apathy (session outtake)
14. (God) Advice To A Friend (session outtake)

Overnight Angels

1. Golden Opportunity (4:31)
2. Shallow Crystals (3:58)
3. Overnight Angels (5:12)
4. Broadway (3:46)
5. Justice of the Peace (3:01)
6. (Miss) Silver Dime (4:34)
7. Wild n' Free (3:08)
8. The Ballad of Little Star (2:32)
9. To Love a Woman (3:54)
10. England Rocks(2:53)

You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic

1. Just Another Night
2. Wild East
3. Cleveland Rocks
4. Ships
5. When the Daylight Comes
6. Life After Death
7. Standin' In My Light
8. Bastard
9. The Outsider
10. Don't Let Go (demo)
11. Ships (take 1)
12. When The Daylight Comes (early version)
13. The Other Side of Life (Just Another Night early version)
14. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On

Welcome To The Club

Disc 1

1. FBI
2. Once Bitten Twice Shy
3. Angeline
4. Laugh at Me
5. All the Way From Memphis
6. I Wish I Was Your Mother
7. Irene Wilde
8. Just Another Night
9. Cleveland Rocks
10. Standin' In My Light
11. Bastard

Disc 2

1. Walkin' With a Mountain/Rock 'n' Roll Queen
2. All the Young Dudes
3. Slaughter On Tenth Avenue
4. One of the Boys
5. The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll
6. When the Daylight Comes
7. Once Bitten Twice Shy/Bastard/Cleveland Rocks (medley)
8. We Gotta Get Out of Here
9. Silver Needles
10. Man O' War
11. Sons and Daughters

Short Back And Sides

1. Central Park n' West 
2. Lisa Likes Rock n' Roll
3. I Need Your Love
4. Old Records Never Die
5. Noises
6. Rain
7. Gun Control
8. Theatre of the Absurd
9. Leave Me Alone
10. Keep on Burning
11. I Need Your Love (rough mix)
12. Old Records Never Die (version 1)
13. Rain (alternate mix)
14. Theatre of the Absurd (alternate version)

All Of The Good Ones Are Taken

1. All of the Good Ones Are Taken
2. Every Step of the Way
3. Fun
4. Speechless
5. Death 'n' Glory Boys 
6. That Girl Is Rock 'n' Roll
7. Somethin's Goin' On
8. Captain Void 'n' the Video Jets
9. Seeing Double
10. All of the Good Ones Are Taken
11. Traitor (12" single b-side)
12. Somethin's Goin' On (single radio edit)

YUI Orta

1. American Music
2. The Loner
3. Women's Intuition
4. Tell It Like It Is
5. Livin' In a Heart
6. Big Time
7. Cool
8. Beg a Little Love
9. Following In Your Footsteps
10. Sons 'n' Lovers
11. Pain
12. How Much More Can I Take
13. Sweet Dreamer

Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry

1. Dancing on the Moon
2. Another Fine Mess
3. Scars
4. Never Trust a Blonde
5. Psycho Girl
6. My Revolution
7. Good Girls
8. Red Letter Day
9. Invisible Strings
10. Everyone's a Fool
11. Junkee Love
12. The Other Man

BBC Live In Concert

1. Once Bitten Twice Shy
2. How Much More Can I Take
3. Beg a Little Love
4. Following In Your Footsteps
5. Just Another Night
6. Sweet Dreamer
7. (Give Me Back My) Wings
8. Standin' In My Light
9. Bastard
10. The Loner
11. You're Never Too Old To Hit The Big Time
12. All The Way From Memphis
13. Irene Wilde

The Artful Dodger

1. Too Much
2. Now Is The Time
3. Something To Believe In
4. Resurrection Mary
5. Walk On Water
6. 23A, Swan Hill
7. Michael Picasso
8. Open My Eyes
9. The Artful Dodger
10. Skeletons (In Your Closet)
11. Still The Same
12. Fuck It Up (1996 single track)

Rant

1. Ripoff
2. Good Samaritan
3. Death of a Nation
4. Purgatory
5. American Spy
6. Dead Man Walkin' (Eastenders)
7. Wash Us Away
8. Morons
9. Soap And Water
10. Knees Of My Heart 
11. No One
12. Still Love Rock 'n' Roll

Strings Attached

Disc 1

1. Rest In Peace
2. All Of The Good Ones Are Taken
3. I Wish I Was Your Mother
4. Twisted Steel
5. Boy
6. 23A Swan Hill
7. Waterlow
8. All The Young Dudes
9. Irene Wilde
10. Once Bitten Twice Shy

Disc 2

1. Rollerball
2. Ships
3. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
4. Michael Picasso
5. Wash Us Away
6. Don't Let Go
7. All The Way From Memphis
8. Roll Away The Stone
9. Saturday Gigs
10. Dead Man Walkin' (Eastenders) (bonus track)
11. Your Way (bonus track)

Shrunken Heads

1. Words (Big Mouth)
2. Fuss About Nothin'
3. When The World Was Round
4. Brainwashed
5. Shrunken Heads
6. Soul Of America
7. How's Your House
8. Guiding Light
9. Stretch
10. I Am What I Hated When I Was Young
11. Read 'em 'n' Weep
12. Your Eyes (bonus EP track)
13. Wasted (bonus EP track)
14. Real Or Imaginary (bonus EP track)
15. When The World Was Round (single radio edit)

Man Overboard

1. The Great Escape
2. Arms And Legs
3. Up And Running
4. Man Overboard
5. Babylon Blues
6. Girl From The Office
7. Flowers
8. These Feelings
9. Win It All
10. Way With Words
11. River Of Tears

When I'm President

1. Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman)
2. Fatally Flawed
3. When I'm President
4. What For
5. Black Tears
6. Saint
7. Just The Way You Look Tonight
8. Wild Bunch
9. Ta Shunka Witco (Crazy Horse)
10. I Don't Know What You Want
11. Life
12. When I'm President (radio edit single)

Live In The UK 2010

1. Sea Diver
2. Arms And Legs
3. Words (Big Mouth)
4. The Great Escape
5. Ships
6. Irene Wilde
7. Flowers
8. Soul Of America
9. Man Overboard
10. Waterlow
11. Michael Picasso
12. Wash Us Away
13. 23A Swan Hill
14. Sweet Jane
15. All The Young Dudes

Tilting The Mirror - Rarities

Disc 1

1. All-American Alien Boy (Single A-side)
2. You Nearly Did Me In (Single A-side)
3. Common Disease (Alien Boy Outtake)
4. If the Slipper Don't Fit (Alien Boy Outtake)
5. The Outsider (Early Version)
6. Alibi (Schizophrenic Jam)
7. When the Daylight Comes (Single A-side)
8. Just Another Night (Electric version #3)
9. Detroit (Rough Mix Instrumental)
10. Na Na Na
11. I Believe in You
12. Listen to the Eight Track
13. You Stepped Into My Dreams
14. Venus in the Bathtub
15. China (Ronson Vocal)
16. Detroit (Outtake 5 - Vocal)
17. Na Na Na (Extended Mix)

Disc 2

1. Bluebirds (Demo)
2. All is Forgiven (Demo)
3. Sunshine Eyes (Demo)
4. (I'm the) Teacher
5. Great Expectations (You Never Know What To Expect)
6. Good Man in a Bad Time
7. Wake Up Call
8. Ill Wind (Demo)
9. Women's Intuition (Single Edit)
10. Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady (Artful Dodger Outtake)
11. Resurrection Mary (Trio Version)
12. Something To Believe In (Trio Version)
13. Waterlow (Trio Version)
14. I'm In Awe (Rant Outtake)
15. Avalanche (Rant Outtake)
16. Morons (Early Version)
17. One More Time

If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale

Disc 1

1. FBI¹
2. Once Bitten Twice Shy¹
3. One Of The Boys¹
4. Laugh At Me¹
5. I Wish I Was Your Mother¹
6. Sons and Daughters¹
7. Irene Wilde¹
8. Just Another Night¹
9. Life After Death¹
10. Sweet Angeline¹
11. Standin' in My Light¹
12. Bastard¹
13. The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll¹
14. All The Way From Memphis¹

Disc 2

1. All The Young Dudes¹
2. Walkin' With A Mountain/Rock 'n' Roll Queen¹
3. Cleveland Rocks¹
4. When The Daylight Comes¹
5. Letter to Britannia From The Union Jack²
6. Ships³
7. Gun Control⁴
8. Violence⁴
9. Is Your Love In Vain⁴
10. Lisa Likes Rock n' Roll⁴
11. Theatre Of The Absurd⁴
12. Walkin' With A Mountain⁴

¹Recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, London 22nd November 1979

²Recorded at Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley CA 7th July 1979

³Recorded at My Fathers Place, Long Island NY 12/13th June 1979

⁴Recorded at The Old Waldorf, San Francisco CA 26-28th October 1981

Bag Of Tricks - Live Rarities Vol 1

1. A Sane Revolution
2. Wild East¹
3. (I'm The) Teacher¹
4. While You Were Looking at Me¹
5. Day Tripper²
6. Pain³
7. Resurrection Mary⁴
8. Michael Picasso⁴
9. Shades Off/Boy⁵
10. Ill Wind⁵
11. Good Samaritan⁶
12. Purgatory⁶
13. American Spy⁶
14. Death of a Nation⁶

¹Recorded at Rock and Roll Heaven, Toronto ON 11th November 1987

²Recorded at Rock and Roll Heaven, Toronto ON 11th June 1988

³Recorded at The Caberet, San Jose CA 16th December 1989

⁴Recorded at Hammersmith Apollo, London 29th April 1994

⁵Recorded at The Robin 2, Bilston UK 19th May 2000

⁶Recorded at The Life Cafe, Manchester UK 19th May 2002

Bag Of Tricks - Live Rarities Vol 2

1. Rock And Roll Queen/Death May Be Your Santa Claus¹
2. One Of The Boys¹
3. The Original Mixed-Up Kid¹
4. Knockin' On Heaven's Door¹
5. Twisted Steel¹
6. 23a Swan Hill¹
7. Dead Man Walkin' (EastEnders)¹
8. Knees of My Heart²
9. The Truth, The Whole Truth And Nothing But the Truth²
10. Rollerball²
11. Irene Wilde²
12. Roll Away The Stone²
13. Lounge Lizard³
14. The Outsider⁴

¹Recorded at The Life Cafe, Manchester UK 19th May 2002

²Recorded at The Bikini, Barcerlona Spain 12th June 2004

³Recorded at SxSW, Town Lake Stage, Austin TX 18th March 2005

⁴Recorded at Nidaros Blues Festival, Kongressal, Trondheim Norway 29th April 2005

Bag Of Tricks - Live Rarities Vol 3

1. Hymn For The Dudes¹
2. All-American Alien Boy¹
3. Morons/Marionette/Broadway¹
4. Following In Your Footsteps²
5. Dancing On the Moon³
6. Shallow Crystals³
7. The Ballad of Little Star³
8. Just The Way You Look Tonight⁴
9. Black Tears⁴
10. Isolation⁴
11. Alice⁴
12. The Moon Upstairs⁴
13. (Ta Shunka Witco) Crazy Horse⁴
14. When I'm President⁵
15. Now Is The Time⁶
16. Shades Off

¹Recorded at Nidaros Blues Festival, Kongressal, Trondheim Norway 29th April 2005

²Recorded at the Lowry Theatre, Manchester England 23rd February 2008

³Recorded at The Journal Tyne Theatre, Newcastle England 11th October 2010

⁴Recorded at John Dee, Oslo Norway 8th October 2012

⁵Recorded at Memorial Hall, Sheffield England 20th March 2013

⁶Recorded at Garden Shimokitazawa, Tokyo Japan 16/17/18th January 2015

Acoustic Shadows - Live

1. Where Do You All Come From
2. Wash Us Away
3. The Other Man
4. Scars
5. Soul of America/I Wish I Was Your Mother
6. Shrunken Heads
7. Rain
8. Sons 'n' Lovers
9. Sweet Jane
10. Irene Wilde/Ships/Letter to Britannia from the Union Jack
11. Honaloochie Boogie/How's Your House
12. Twisted Steel
13. When the World Was Round
14. Once Bitten Twice Shy

Recorded at The Mick Jagger Theatre, Dartford, Kent 2nd March 2008

Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings

1. You're Messin' With The King Of Rock 'n' Roll
2. Money Can't Buy Love
3. More To Love
4. Look Before You Leap
5. My Love (The Jar)
6. Demolition Derby
7. Just Want It Real
8. Coincidence
9. Big Black Cadillac
10. San Diego Freeway
11. Nobody's Perfect
12. Too Much (All I Ever Wanted) (early version)
13. Artful Dodger (early version)
14. Michael Picasso (early version)
15. A Little Rock 'n' Roll (Artful Dodger outtake)
16. Testosterone (Artful Dodger outtake)
17. The Man In Me (Ian Hunter and Tribes)
18. Salvation

It Never Happened - DVD

DVD 1

1. Once Bitten Twice Shy (CBS promo video 1975)
2. All-American Alien Boy (Studio film 1975)
3. Standin' in My Light (Fragment) (Top Pop TV - Holland 1979
4. Irene Wilde (Chrysalis promo film 1980)
5. Once Bitten Twice Shy (Chrysalis promo film 1980)
6. We Gotta Get Out Of Here (Chrysalis promo film 1980)
7. Laugh at Me (Rockpalast 1980)
8. Irene Wilde (Rockpalast 1980)
9. I Wish I Was Your Mother (Rockpalast 1980)
10. All of The Good Ones Are Taken (CBS promo video 1983)
11. While You Were Looking At Me (Toronto 1988)
12. Day Tripper (Toronto 1988)
13. Beg a Little Love (The Dominion, London 1989)
14. Following in Your Footsteps (The Dominion, London 1989)
15. (Give Me Back My) Wings (The Dominion, London 1989)
16. The Loner (The Dominion, London 1989)
17. American Music (PolyGram promo video 1990)
18. My Revolution (Scandinavian NRK TV Session 1995)
19. Michael Picasso (MTV Take It To The Bridge Session 1997)
20. Irene Wilde (MTV Take It To The Bridge Session 1997)
21. When the World Was Round (Jerkin' Crocus Promo Video 2007)
22. Flowers (BBC Jools Holland Show 2009)
23. Once Bitten Twice Shy (BBC Jools Holland Show 2009)
24. When I'm President (Proper Promo Film 2012)

DVD 2

Ryerson Theatre Toronto, Canada 1979

1. Trailer and Interview
2. Life After Death
3. Just Another Night
4. The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll
5. Standin' in My Light
6. Bastard
7. Cleveland Rocks
8. All The Young Dudes
9. When The Daylight Comes
10. Slaughter On 10th Avenue

Ian Hunter Rocks (Dr. Pepper Festival, New York 1981)

11. Once Bitten Twice Shy
12. Gun Control
13. Central Park n' West
14. All The Way From Memphis
15. I Need Your Love
16. Noises
17. Just Another Night
18. Cleveland Rocks
19. Irene Wilde
20. All the Young Dudes

Strings Attached (The Sentrum, Oslo, Norway 2002)

21. Rest in Peace
22. All of The Good Ones Are Taken
23. I Wish I Was Your Mother
24. Twisted Steel
25. Don't Let Go
26. Boy
27. Wash Us Away
28. 23a Swan Hill
29. Waterlow
30. All the Young Dudes
31. Irene Wilde
32. Once Bitten Twice Shy
33. Rollerball
34. Ships
35. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
36. All the Way from Memphis
37. Saturday Gigs
38. Michael Picasso
39. Roll Away the Stone

Review

It was 2013 when fans were first teased with "coming soon... the ultimate Ian Hunter box set". Well, over three years in the making and what was originally going to be a 24-disc set is now a 30-disc whopper. And yes, it has been worth the wait.

OK, so what's in the box? Well there's every (regular) album that Ian has ever released, with the exception of 2016's Fingers Crossed and 2004's live double The Truth...Every album has been remastered, in some cases with bonus tracks (eg single edits) that haven't appeared on previous issues. Each is presented in a mini-LP replica sleeve, complete with an inner sleeve (for the CD itself) and a booklet. Sound quality is excellent throughout.

In addition, there are a further nine discs of rare and previously-unreleased material. There is an acoustic gig (Acoustic Shadows) from 2008, which is an interesting contrast to the (also acoustic) Live In The UK 2010 disc (also included here). Two discs of rarities (Tilting The Mirror) gather together bonus tracks that have appeared on "bonus CDs" on previous releases. Bag Of Tricks gather together various live tracks recorded over the years, including the 2002 Manchester gig that was previously thought to be "lost". It neatly showcases the last 30 years of live shows, from Toronto in 1987 through to Sheffield in 2013 and Tokyo in 2015. Fascinating.

Then there's If You Wait Long Enough... which included for the first time the 1979 Hammersmith Odeon gig. OK, an hour of this show was broadcast on BBC Radio One but this is the full show (nearly two hours!) and an improvement on the original BBC mix. We also get a 1981 show recorded in San Fransisco. This is interesting because it features Robbie Alter on guitar and Mick Ronson - on keyboards!

Experiments is fascinating. These are demos and (complete) unreleased tracks from the past thirty or so years. Look Before You Leap is a great power ballad (is that Ronno on guitar?), while Salvation (written in 1997 but not recorded until 2008) is a great way to close the collection. Ian has said it would be on his last record, and Proper's track listing has Experiments as the last disc... if this is really the last one (and Ian says it's not) then there's no finer way to finish.

Then there's two DVDs. The first is a motley collection of promo films, TV appearances and concert clips from the past 40 years. Disc 2 includes the 1979 Rhyerson Theatre show from Toronto which was broadcast on TV and has circulated amonst fans for years. There's also the Ian Hunter Rocks show from 1981, previously only issued on VHS (and Laserdisc). Then there's the Strings Attached show from Oslo in 2002. This has two tracks not included on the original DVD and a great way to round off a fascination collection. The 'Strings Attached' show is also in real-time sequence (unlike the original).

There is also a lavish hard-cover book which presents a biography of Ian's career so far, together with a track-by-track run-down of all the material in this collection, with Ian's (at times) brutally honest opinion. The book ends with tributes from a whole host of fellow musicians, all of whom are unstinting in their praise. Whorrabloke!

There is also a replica music paper, which contains reproductions of album and gig reviews from the past forty years. Finally, there is an Alien Boy-era lithograph (why don't they call it a photo?), signed by Ian.

The whole is presented in a large presentation case, complete with Escher-inspired artwork.

The whole collection is limited to just 2500 copies and Proper have stated that none of the (extra) discs will be available separately. So if you want any of these extras, you need to buy this box!

The cost is a whopping £250. This collection, therefore, is not aimed at the casual fan but the dedicated Ian Hunter fan (albeit one with very deep pockets). Given that such a fan will already own most if not all of the regular discs, this works out at £250 for the just nine "new" CDs and two DVDs. Whether this is worth the cost is a question for the individual fan to answer.

Ian has said his career isn't yet finished (he turned 77 in 2016!), but if it were to end now this set is an excellent way to bring the curtain down on the career of one of Britain's finest-ever rock stars.

Unsurpassable.

Just Want It Real

3:27

Originally released on Experiments - Previously Unreleased Recordings (box set only).

Just The Way You Look Tonight, Ian Hunter, When I'm President.

If you are a songwriter you have to write one for the wife now and again and Ian outdid himself with the Just The Way You Look Tonight love song to Trudi. This song is so down to earth but lovely and it is a tribute to long-lasting domestic harmony about a working girl. The song references films with West Side Story, people from differing backgrounds as appropriate for Ian and Trudi, and the Swinging Sixties icon and actress Julie Christie (Hunter likes her classic jaw line). It seems to arise from an impressionable moment about a particular night. 

The original is on When I'm President with a live version from 2012 released on Bag of Tricks Vol. 3 (box set only). 

Sign up now for the pre-release of Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing at TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me!

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

2012)

3:54

This live version (recorded at the John Dee, Oslo Norway) was released on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 3) (box set only).

Just The Way You Look Tonight

(Ian Hunter)

I fell in love with a working girl
We both grew up in a working world
Julie Christie's jaw full of them pearly whites
Just the way you look tonight

She never bought herself the finest clothes
She couldn't care less about buttons and the bows
She says what counts is what's inside
It's just the way you look tonight

Well it's just the way you look tonight
You got the face of an angel
I can feel your halo burnin' bright
Just the way you look tonight

There ain't no make up, not a trace
She can cut you off and put you in your place
Her bark has gotta be worse than her bite
Just the way you look tonight

It's just the way you look tonight
You got the face of an angel
I can feel your halo burnin' bright
It's just the way you look tonight

It's West Side Story, only two lovers could tell
When you walked in the room everything stopped
It's inevitable, inevitable

I fell in love with a working girl
It works for me 'n' it works for her
When we get it on lightning strikes
It's just the way you look tonight

It's just the way you look tonight
You got the face of an angel
I can see your halo shining bright
Just the way you look tonight

 

Ian Hunter and The Rant Band CD: "When I'm President"

Sleeve and track listing

Proper Records PRPCD104

1. Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman)
2. Fatally Flawed
3. When I'm President
4. What For
5. Black Tears
6. Saint
7. Just The Way You Look Tonight
8. Wild Bunch
9. Ta Shunka Witco (Crazy Horse)
10. I Don't Know What You Want
11. Life

Review

Now this is more like it. Ian's new album is a welcome return to form. The good news is this album is chock full of rockers. The bad news is... well, there isn't any. In the fullness of time this album could well turn out to be his best in many years.

The run of good albums that started with Rant and continued with Shrunken Heads continues here. Guitars are to the full, with strong solos from both James Mastro and Mark Bosch. Ian's singing is strong without ever sounding strained and the rhythm section is as tight as a duck's whatsit.

What helps of course is that the songs are top-notch. Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman) sets the tone, being a powerful full-paced rocker with guitars and subtle use of saxes. The title track is also strong, a mid-paced rocker with a repeated keyboard refrain reminiscent of The Who's Won't Get Fooled Again.

What For is another rocker with strong guitars and piano reminiscent of early Mott The Hoople. Ian hasn't rocked like this for years, and it sounds like he's having fun. Black Tears is slower but powerful and moody with a guitar solo that reminds me of the much-missed Mick Ronson. Saint is another up-tempo rocker, this time it reminds me at times of Twisted Steel. Wild Bunch meanwhile is a rocker that reminds me of The Faces.

There are so many good songs on this album it is hard to pick out highlights. What's interesting is that this album is credited to Ian Hunter And The Rant Band. This is much more of a band album than most of Ian's recent albums, and it is much the better for it.

What more can I say? It's brilliant... 'nuff said,

Terms and conditions.

Just The Way You Look Tonight	3:34	Originally issued on When I'm President.
Just The Way You Look Tonight (live 8th October 2012)	3:54	This live version (recorded at the John Dee, Oslo Norway) was released on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 3) (box set only).

Just Another Night (Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson), Ian Hunter, You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic,

Just Another Night starts with a punchy drum intro by Weinberg, Ian's spoken count, and the signature piano flare up as the song chronicles one of the best-known stories about Ian's storied career. The song is about the 1973 night with Mott The Hoople when he spent a night in the Indianapolis jail after mouthing off to an off duty sergeant, an Indiana State Trooper at a Holiday Inn hotel. Ian resided with a Black Panther staring at him all night while this was their only off the road time and Ariel Bender got to imbibe refreshments and a cozy hotel bed while Ian was preoccupied. Upon release, early the next morning, no one recognized the shadeless Hunter although court people were talking about their gig.  

Ian notes that the song may have been a hit since Roy Bittan, the keyboardist, heard it as a commercial release but Hunter and Ronson talked him out of it. As an early alternative, a Springsteen-like slow version entitled, "The Other Side of Life," could have been a popular hit but as revved up by Hunter-Ronson it was less commercial. 

The Hunter and Ronson revved up version provided for a co-writing trade since Ian wanted the scrawled phrase "You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic" found on a bog wall at Wessex Sound Studios, the same place Ian produced Billy Idol's Generation X; Mick gave up the phrase for the LP title and earned co-writing credit. 

The versions of the song also have one of the most disparate releases in Hunter's catalog. Originally on You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic, when re-released there was bonus material with an interesting early take which features radically different lyrics, showing how such a standard song can develop from the initial germ of an idea to the finished product. Moreover, there was an electric version as an early download-only on the 30th Anniversary mp3 issue not found on the CD, a separate electric version was on two later compilations (Tilting the Mirror), two different versions of varying lengths from 1979, the Rockpalast version, Dr. Pepper version, the smoking release from Rick Derringer and Friends, a 1989 release, and finally one from 2004. 

Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

At 36:50 the song starts on the Derringer version:

https://youtu.be/NvQ79Bx26rs

Just Another Night

(Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson)

Oh no, the fuzz, all in a line
My oh my, I think I'm gonna die
And it's just another night
It's just another night

Got a long black face; Who goes there?
All the reefer madness put a poor kid in jail
And it's just another night
Yeah, it's just another night

Oh take it easy boy or it's DOA
Chrome on my body and a lot of folks say
That it's just another night
Hey, it's just another night
Oh, it's just another night on the other side of life

Head one's a saw-bones and he wrecked my chair
Said "How'd you like to do it in a room downstairs"
And it's just another night
Oh, just another night

Hey now, Papa Joe, Don't you pull my hair
All this intrigue, it gets me out of my league
And it's just another night
It's just another night

His old man spent a fortune just to get him in
But baby boy growed up just as stupid as him
And it's just another night
It's just another night
It's just another night on the other side of life

Just another night, hung down slow
I don't like the hotel let me go
Hells bells! Give me a chance!
This rock 'n' roller don't wanna dance
Just another night
Just another night
Well, it's just another night on the other side of life

I never felt so bad; Where's my shades?
It's gonna be a long one getting crazed
A head spoutin' noodles said, "What do you plead?"
I said "You ain't got to touch a man to make a man bleed"

'N' it's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night (on the other side)
It's just another night!

Just Another Night (electric)

5:14

An early download-only version of Just Another Night is on the 30th Anniversary mp3 issue of You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic (download only - not on CD). This is (as of June 2019) unavailable elsewhere.

The Other Side of Life

4:42

This early version of Just Another Night was originally released on the 2009 (30th anniversary) and 2016 (box set) issues of You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic. It can also be found on From the Knees of My Heart.

Ian Hunter LP/CD: "You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic"

Sleeve and track listing

CHRX 1214 / 50999 698134 2 9. 

Disc 1

1. Just Another Night
2. Wild East
3. Cleveland Rocks
4. Ships
5. When the Daylight Comes
6. Life After Death
7. Standin' In My Light
8. Bastard
9. The Outsider
10. Don't Let Go (demo)¹
11. Ships (take 1)¹
12. When The Daylight Comes (early version)¹
13. Just Another Night (early version)¹
14. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On¹
15. Ships (early version)²
16. Just Another Night (electric)²

Disc 2

1. FBI³
2. Once Bitten Twice Shy³
3. Life After Death³
4. Sons And Daughters⁴
5. Laugh At Me⁴
6. Just Another Night⁴
7. One Of The Boys⁴
8. Letter To Brittania From The Union Jack⁵
9. Bastard⁵
10. All The Way From Memphis³
11. Cleveland Rocks³
12. All The Young Dudes⁴
13. When The Daylight Comes³
14. Sweet Angeline³

¹Bonus track on 30th Anniversary 2-CD issue

²Download only (eg from Amazon) - not on the physical CD!

³Live, Agora Ballroom, Cleveland OH 18th June 1979

⁴Live, Hammersmith Odeon, London 22nd November 1979

⁵Live, Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley CA 7th July 1979

Sleeve variations

The US CD sleeve

The original UK sleeve

Review

Ian came back after a two-year absence in 1979 with this album. Mick Ronson was back on guitar, and Bruce Springsteen's E-Street Band were the backing musicians (they had just worked on Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album).

This is a brilliant album, and the yardstick by which all his other work is judged. From the opening beat of Just Another Night to the closing strains of The Outsider there isn't a bad track on here. Mixing full-tilt rockers (Cleveland Rocks, Life After Death) with sensitive ballads (Ships) the album is well-paced and leaves the listener wanting more.

This was issued on CD on Chrysalis in the UK in 1994, and on Razor & Tie in the USA in 1995. The UK release was a limited-edition "25th Anniversary" edition, in a long (blue) box, with a blue jewel-case and booklet (which was about Chrysalis generally, not Ian). Sound quality is very good. No bonus tracks.

1999 saw this CD reissued in the UK, this time on the EMI label as part of their "Classic Rock" series. It boasted new sleeve notes, and improved (remastered) sound quality.

2009 saw a 2-CD issue with a wealth of bonus tracks and a second disc of previously-unreleased live material. As a live document the second disc works very well, despite being recorded at a variety of venues.

Of the bonus material on the first disc perhaps the most interesting is the early version of Just Another Night which features radically different lyrics, showing how such a classic song can develop from the initial germ of an idea to the finished product.

Just Another Night	4:36	Originally released on You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic, also on the compilations The Best of Ian Hunter, The Collection, From The Knees Of My Heart, The Golden Age 1969-1997, Old Records Never Die and Shades of Ian Hunter. See also The Other Side of Life.
Just Another Night (electric)	5:14	An early download-only version of Just Another Night is on the 30th Anniversary mp3 issue of You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic (download only - not on CD). This is (as of June 2019) unavailable elsewhere.
Just Another Night (electric)	4:29	Another 'electric' version of Just Another Night can be found on From The Knees Of My Heart and Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only). This is significantly different from the download-only version.
Just Another Night (live 5-11th November 1979)	5:39	This live version (recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles CA) was released on Welcome to the Club, and on the compilation From The Knees Of My Heart. The original LP and 1994 CD are longer (at 6:03) due to extended crowd noise between Just Another Night and Cleveland Rocks.
Just Another Night (live 22nd November 1979)	7:51	This live version (recorded Hammermith Odeon, London England) is on the 30th Anniversary issue of You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic, and on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only). The version on If You Wait Long Enough... is longer (at 7:51) than the version on Schizophrenic... (at 5:30) due to the entire middle section (where the audience, lead by Ian, sings "just another night... on the other side...") being omitted from the latter.
Just Another Night (live 19th April 1980)	7:24	This live version (recorded Rockpalast TV Show, Grugahalle, Essen Germany) was originally issued on Live At Rockpalast (not on the box set)
Just Another Night (live 11th September 1981)	7:04	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).
Just Another Night (live 13th September 1981)	6:33	This live version (with Rick Derringer, recorded at The Palladium, New York NY) is on Rick Derringer And Friends.
Just Another Night (live 15th February 1989)	5:41	This live version (recorded The Dominion, London England) was released on BBC Live in Concert.
Just Another Night (live 28th May 2004)	5:36	This live version (recorded The Astoria, London England) was released on The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth and on Behind The Shades and Greatest Hits Live In London. Not on the box set.

Junkman (Joe Droukas) Ian Hunter with Genya Ravan, from the Once Bitten Twice Shy CD

This song was recorded with Genya Ravan when Ian sat in as the last minute replacement for Van Morrison who couldn't make the session while touring. Ravan’s manager reached out to Bruce Springsteen cause he may have been tough enough and had the swagger to match Ravan’s fierceness. While Springsteen dawdled, Mick Ronson wandered into the studio suggesting Hunter. 

First, we hear the acoustic strums of Ronson’s guitar lulling us into a quiet moment, drawing us closer, then comes the plaintive, sexy voice of Ravan. She sings the first chorus as if a gentle rebuke, “should’ve listened to the junkman…it’s a sin that takes a love and loses.”

Hunter’s voice responds with the perfect combination of British cockiness and world-weariness, telling her, “You’ve been confusing lust with love/I think I’m gonna let you go.”

The song rises on Ronson’s guitar and swirling keyboards and those voices, growing more powerful as the truth of their longing overwhelms their coolness. Next thing you know, Ravan’s singing, “I sweep away that shattered heart that one time got away.”

The song builds to a crescendo of Ronson’s guitar licks and the full-lunged wailing of Ravan and Hunter venting their irresistible longing and regret, their voices transcending the lyrics to full-throated cries of love.

This explosion of desire generates real passion that comes to life in the perfect pairing of Ravan and Hunter’s voices. He swings low, damning himself while she whirls and flies above, each burned and giving voice to the anguish of their desire.

Van Morrison was supposed to provide the male voice, but a tour kept him from the recording session. Ravan’s manager reached out to Bruce Springsteen cause he may have been tough enough and had the swagger to match Ravan’s fierceness. While Springsteen dawdled, Mick Ronson, lead guitarist for Mott the Hoople wandered into the studio. He had a natural suggestion: Mott’s front man, Ian Hunter. Is there anyone who does the combination of jaded and vulnerable better than Ian Hunter? He’s the ultimate cad who turns out to have a heart. One listen and you know that Hunter and Ravan made the perfect pairing for this song.

Play “Junkman” now and you’ll wonder how this didn’t become a monster hit; why isn’t it a hit now? After a few listens, you’ll have the song floating round your cranium and you’ll be repeating, “Should’ve listened to the junkman.” Forget those lists of run-of-the-mill power ballads (“November Rain” indeed), cause this here’s the real thing: a song that starts small and intimate and grows to a raging wall of sound and emotion, singers who make us believe and performances the that tear the paint off the walls.

First, we hear the acoustic strums of Ronson’s guitar lulling us into a quiet moment, drawing us closer, then comes the plaintive, incredibly sexy voice of Ravan. “The Southside girls they told me/That you were hot as fire.” Her voice is constrained, but you know it won’t be for long, you can feel the pent-up longing and lust. “And I remember every word you said/When you told me I’d get burned/I said don’t worry baby/I’ll just live and learn.” And she meant it, you know she did, even if remorse already drenches the line.

She sings the first chorus as if a gentle rebuke, “should’ve listened to the junkman…it’s a sin that takes a love and loses.”

Ian Hunter’s voice responds with the perfect combination of British cockiness and world-weariness, telling her, “You’ve been confusing lust with love/I think I’m gonna let you go.”

There they are: the girl who won’t get burned and the been-around-the-block guy who never falls in love. You know where this is headed. “Oh, baby we play these games/I’d never thought we’d do it/But we done it just the same.”

The song rises on Ronson’s guitar and swirling keyboards and those voices, growing more powerful as the truth of their longing overwhelms their coolness. Next thing you know, Ravan’s singing, “I sweep away that shattered heart that one time got away.”

The song soars with combination of desire and loss and the revelation that these hidebound creatures couldn’t help themselves. Call it love, call it lust, all the reasons in the world couldn’t keep them apart. The chorus repeats, “You should’ve listened to your junkman,” but the voices make clear the disbelief as to how far each went. “I don’t want to beg,” they sing over and over, begging for one more time. The song builds to a crescendo of Ronson’s guitar licks and the full-lunged wailing of Ravan and Hunter venting their irresistible longing and regret, their voices transcending the lyrics to full-throated cries of love.

Melodrama comes when a song reaches for emotions it doesn’t deserve, but this near six-minute explosion of desire generates real passion that comes to life in the perfect pairing of Ravan and Hunter’s voices. He swings low, damning himself while she keens, whirls and flies above, each burned and giving voice to the anguish of their desire.

We often connect people with songs, especially people who introduce us to new music. When this album came out in 1979, I hosted a college radio show and a friend turned me on to Genya Ravan and “Junkman.” I was immediately smitten with the song – as this small appreciation clearly indicates – and played it as often as I did Neil Young’s “Thrasher,” Graham Parker and the Clash. Genya Ravan wasn’t a household name – no one else at our less than edgy station had heard of her – so it took some explorations and special knowledge to find her music and a particular person to become a fan. Which brings me to Carol, the woman who did the exploring and the experimenting and had the combination of toughness to like Ravan enough to own two of her albums. It turns out that Carol knew a lot more music than just Genya Ravan, in fact, she knew a lot more about a lot of things, and that combination of riskiness, daring and high standards added to her charms. I was a fool back then, still am, but I knew enough to follow that friend and still do, since Carol became my bride. You might have seen her recently shaking her hips to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings cause she still has a thing for tough women and a weak spot for fools like me.

Ian Hunter CD: "Once Bitten Twice Shy"

Sleeve and track listing

Sony/Columbia 496284 2. 

Disc 1: Rockers

1. Once Bitten Twice Shy (single version) (3:53)
2. Who Do You Love (single version) (3:17)
3. Colwater High (3:12)
4. One Fine Day (2:19)
5. The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nuthin' But The Truth (5:58)
6. All American Alien Boy (single version) (3:52)
7. Common Disease (3:53)
8. Justice Of The Peace (single version) (3:00)
9. When The Daylight Comes (single version) (3:45)
10. Cleveland Rocks (3:48)
11. Bastard (6:34)
12. Gun Control (3:11)
13. Speechless (3:39)
14. Traitor (single b-side) (3:57)
15. (I'm The) Teacher (4:00)
16. Great Expectations (You Never Know What To Expect) (3:54)
17. Good Man In A Bad Time (3:41)
18. Women's Intuition (single version) (4:22)
19. Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady (4:32)
20. All The Young Dudes (live with Def Leppard) (4:00)

Running time: 78m 58s

Disc 2: Ballads

1. Shades Off (poem) (1:37)
2. Boy (6:25)
3. Letter To Britannia From The Union Jack (3:47)
4. You Nearly Did Me In (single version) (3:30)
5. (God) Advice To A Friend (5:28)
6. Shallow Crystals (3:57)
7. Ships (single version) (4:09)
8. Standing In My Light (4:34)
9. The Outsider (5:58)
10. Junkman (with Genya Ravan) (5:52)
11. Old Records Never Die (4:15)
12. All Of The Good Ones Are Taken (3:44)
13. Seeing Double (4:23)
14. Bluebirds (4:18)
15. Sunshine Eyes (4:21)
16. Ill Wind (3:22)
17. All Is Forgiven (3:14)
18. Michael Picasso (live) (6:52)

Running time: 79m 56s

Review

This 2-CD set has been a long time coming. Once Sony released a 3-CD Mott The Hoople Anthology, it was inevitable they would issue a similar "box set" covering Ian Hunter's solo career. Comparisons with that set are therefore inevitable, although somewhat unfair.

This set attempts to include all the rarities: single A-sides, B-sides, movie soundtracks, a few outttakes and demos as well as the great/classic album tracks. Lovingly put together by Campbell Devine, Ian's input was, I'm told, minimal: recording vocals on two or three otherwise unfinished tracks, a handful of demos, and a request the set be split into "Rockers" and "Ballads".

Colwater High is an early highlight on the Rockers disc. An outtake from Ian's first album, it is very keyboard-oriented since Mick Ronson never laid down a guitar part for it. As such, it would not be out of place on the Hoople album. Common Disease is an outttake from the Alien Boy sessions, and is more up-tempto than other tracks on the album. Otherwise, it is a worthy song and I'm surprised it has taken so long to see the light of day.

Traitor (b-side to the Good Ones single) has never worked for me. It starts strongly, with powerful keyboard playing from Tommy Mandel, then it suddenly changes tempo and just sort of plods along. Three of the four movie soundtracks Ian recorded in the 80's are here (Wake Up Call being the one missing), the highlight for me being Great Expectations which has a good riff and a great chorus. I'd love to see Ian do this live some time.

Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady is an outtake from the Artful Dodger sessions, and takes a couple of listens to appreciate. I'd have put it on the "Ballads" disc, but then what do I know? The "Rockers" disc finishes with a live version of ATYD by Def Leppard (with Ian as special guest, of course).

The "Ballads" disc continues in a similar vein, mixing rare singles with alternate versions and previously-unreleased material. Shades Off is a spoken version of the track on Ian's first album, while Advice To A Friend is an alternate take of God (Take One) from the Alien Boy sessions. Don't ask me to chose which one is the better version, as both work for me.

Bluebirds is the highlight of this disc - an outtake from the Good Ones sessions, it is a power ballad - starts quietly but keeps building. Stylewise it is close to something Meat Loaf would do (when Jim Steinman is producing).

Both Sunshine Eyes and All Is Forgiven are demos, recorded in Ian's home studio and as such are true solo recordings. They are certainly interesting, and demonstrate the breadth of styles Ian is capable of. But demo quality is all they are, and Ian didn't see fit to record them on any of his albums.

The set comes complete with 32-page booklet featuring a short biography, track-by-track notes from Ian, and many rare and previously-unpublished photos.

As a compilation of Ian Hunter solo material, this is certainly the best so far, covering as it does both CBS and Chrysalis material. However, my main complaint concerns the balance of material presented. We get no fewer than six tracks from Schizophrenic, but only one from YUI Orta (heck, there are two tracks from Overnight Angels, Ian's least favourite album), and nothing at all from Dirty Laundry or Artful Dodger.

Ian says (in the sleeve notes) that this compilation will go a long way to answering the question "what have you done since 1975?". This compilation answers the question concerning Ian's 1970's and 1980's work, but the question of Ian's output in the 1990's remains unanswered here.

Terms and conditions.

Junkman

5:22

A duet with Genya Ravan and originally released on Genya's album And I Mean It. Also available on the compilation Once Bitten Twice Shy. Not on the box set.