Bed of Roses, Ian Hunter, Defiance Vol. 1

In Bed of Roses Hunter states “what went on behind the scenes was beyond your wildest dreams” while the band “played all night long.” “People rave about ‘54” a reference to the groundbreaking rock ’n’ roll created at Sun Studios in Memphis. Ian says: “I can still feel it like yesterday.” “The Silver Bugs (get it, The Beatles, who were called the Silver Beatles at one time) ’n Sheridan” (Tony Sheridan), were there while Roy stayed “forever young” (Roy Young) and in the video for the single the Beatles and the Star Club are featured. 

Ian experienced a similar apprenticeship to the Beatles in Germany. Comparable to the Beatles, Ian gigged in Germany to practice his craft, although not as successful as the Fab Four when they finally hit it big in England. Ian didn’t get a chance until 1969, close to when the Beatles were at their nadir, when Mott The Hoople released their first LP. 

Ian establishes his credentials as that one early rocker who has aged well with the ability to mix the everyday with literary references and Bed is no exception. He refers to what “we used to call it Camelot with all them ladies of Shalott the people like to Lancelot.” "The Lady of Shalott" is a lyrical ballad by the 19th-century English poet Alfred Tennyson and one of his best-known works. He references Lancelot as the couple notices each other. 

For the pop references The Silver Beetles were a short-lived cover band featuring 3 future members of The Beatles. John Lennon initially wanted to be called The Crickets, but Paul McCartney said, "I think that's already taken". It was Stuart Sutcliffe who suggested they call themselves The Beetles. The group often performed short 20 minute sets comprised entirely of top 40 hit covers. Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity, known professionally as Tony Sheridan, was an English rock and roll guitarist who spent much of his adult life in Germany. He was best known as an early collaborator of the Beatles (though the record was labelled as being with "The Beat Brothers"), one of two non-Beatles (the other being Billy Preston) to receive label performance credit on a record with the group, and the only non-Beatle to appear as lead singer on a Beatles recording which charted as a single. Roy Frederick Young was a British rock and roll singer, pianist and keyboard player. He first recorded in the late 1950s before performing in Hamburg with the Beatles. After a stint with Cliff Bennett and the Rabble Rousers, he released several albums with his own band as well as recording with Chuck Berry and David Bowie, among others. Most importantly, Young toured the US in the 1980s with Hunter Ronson.

Hunter has kept alive the ground breaking music associated with Sun Records as the longest contributor first to rock 'n' roll, then classic rock, as well as his more innovative recent works. 

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

It is fitting that “Bed of Roses” with so many early rock ‘n’ references is the first single from Ian’s “Defiance Part 1” available at the legendary Sun Records: 

In a short clip Ian verifies the apprenticeship he experienced in Germany.

https://youtube.com/shorts/kQUEORPq_go?feature=share

Ian in The Apex Skiffle Group on the far right. 

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Similar to the Beatles, Ian gigged in Germany to practice his craft, although not as successful as the Fab Four when they finally hit it big in England. Ian didn’t get a chance until 1969, close to when the Beatles were at their nadir, when Mott The Hoople released their first LP. 

Ian depicted on the far left. 

Ian establishes his credentials as that one early rocker who has aged well with the ability to mix the everyday with literary references and “Bed” is no exception. He refers to what “we used to call it Camelot with all them ladies of Shalott the people like to Lancelot.”

Details

The Lady of Shalott by John Atkinson Grimshaw (1875)

"The Lady of Shalott" is a lyrical ballad by the 19th-century English poet Alfred Tennyson and one of his best-known works. Inspired by the 13th-century Italian short prose text Donna di Scalotta, the poem tells the tragic story of Elaine of Astolat, a young noblewoman stranded in a tower up the river from Camelot. Tennyson wrote two versions of the poem, one published in 1833, of 20 stanzas, the other in 1842, of 19 stanzas, and returned to the story in "Lancelot and Elaine". The vivid medieval romanticism and enigmatic symbolism of "The Lady of Shalott" inspired many painters, especially the Pre-Raphaelites and their followers, as well as other authors and artists.

The first four stanzas of the 1842 second version of the poem describe a pastoral setting. The Lady of Shalott lives in an island castle in a river which flows to Camelot, but the local farmers know little about her.

And by the moon the reaper weary,
Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers, "'Tis the fairy
      Lady of Shalott."

Stanzas five to eight describe the lady's life. She suffers from a mysterious curse and must continually weave images on her loom without ever looking directly out at the world. Instead, she looks into a mirror, which reflects the busy road and the people of Camelot who pass by her island.

She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
      The Lady of Shalott.

The reflected images are described as "shadows of the world", a metaphor that makes it clear they are a poor substitute for seeing directly ("I am half-sick of shadows").

William Maw Egley, The Lady of Shalott, 1858

Stanzas nine to twelve describe "bold Sir Lancelot" as he rides by and is seen by the lady.

All in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burn'd like one burning flame together,
      As he rode down to Camelot.

The remaining seven stanzas describe the effect on the lady of seeing Lancelot; she stops weaving and looks out of her window toward Camelot, bringing about the curse.

Out flew the web and floated wide—
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried
      The Lady of Shalott.

She leaves her tower, finds a boat upon which she writes her name, and floats down the river to Camelot. She dies before arriving at the palace. Among the knights and ladies who see her is Lancelot, who thinks she is lovely.

"Who is this? And what is here?"
And in the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer;
And they crossed themselves for fear,
      All the Knights at Camelot;
But Lancelot mused a little space
He said, "She has a lovely face;
God in his mercy lend her grace,
      The Lady of Shalott."

For the pop references The Silver Beetles were a short-lived cover band featuring 3 future members of The Beatles. John Lennon initially wanted to be called The Crickets, but Paul McCartney said, "I think that's already taken". It was Stuart Sutcliffe who suggested they call themselves The Beetles. The group often performed short 20 minute sets comprised entirely of top 40 hit covers.

Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity (21 May 1940 – 16 February 2013), known professionally as Tony Sheridan, was an English rock and roll guitarist who spent much of his adult life in Germany. He was best known as an early collaborator of the Beatles (though the record was labelled as being with "The Beat Brothers"), one of two non-Beatles (the other being Billy Preston) to receive label performance credit on a record with the group, and the only non-Beatle to appear as lead singer on a Beatles recording which charted as a single.

Roy Frederick Young (20 October 1934 – 27 April 2018) was a British rock and roll singer, pianist and keyboard player. He first recorded in the late 1950s before performing in Hamburg with the Beatles. After a stint with Cliff Bennett and the Rabble Rousers, he released several albums with his own band as well as recording with Chuck Berry and David Bowie, among others.

Young toured the US in the 1980s with Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson.

It is fitting that “Bed of Roses” with so many early rock ‘n’ references is the first single from Ian’s “Defiance Part 1” available at the legendary Sun Records: 

https://store.sunrecords.com/product/X3LPSR49/ian-hunter-defiance-part-1-lp?cp=null

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

Bed of Roses 

In a short clip Ian verifies the veracity of the information about his days in Germany.

SubStack text to be included here. 

Bed of Roses Lyrics

——————————

We used to call it Camelot

With all them ladies of Shalott

The people liked to Lancelot

At the bed of roses

And what went on behind the scenes

Was way beyond your wildest dreams

Life was burstin' at the seams

In the bed of roses

And the band played all night long

The band played all night long

Song after song after song after song

In the bed of roses

The boy stood on the burning deck

The strap was buriеd 'round my neck

My fingers bleeding on the frеts

At the bed of roses

We slept on blankets on the floor

A grumbling drummer saddle sore

Seven hours and sometimes more

At the bed of roses

And the lamps sway side to side

The lamps sway side to side

If the lamps don't sway, you just died

At the bed of roses

Temptations reared their ugly heads

Some things better off unsaid

But I still got the pictures in my head

Of the bed of roses

And people rave about 54

But that was just a disco store

Done for better - far before

At the bed of roses

And Roy stays forever young

Roy stays forever young

Roy stays forever young

At the bed of roses

So unto us a club was born

A fallout shelter from the storm

And I was proud to be a thorn

In the bed of roses

You can never go back, so they say

And it's a bank now anyway

But I can still feel it like yesterday

The bed of roses

And the lamps swayed side to side

The lamps swayed side to side

Local gangsters and their weekend brides

In the bed of roses

And the band played all night long

The band played all night long

The silver bugs and Sheridan

Down the bed of roses.

Alice, Ian Hunter, The Hoople, Bag of Tricks, Vol. 3

The nugget Alice is from Mott the Hoople The Hoople LP although it was included commonly in 2011 live sets. When performed live the Rant Band usually segued directly into Waterlow. Ian said he was reluctant to perform it live since it was from some time ago, had many lyrics, and he might not remember them all. It is lyrically full. The context is the mean streets of New York City and Alice is a prostitute. The song was written about someone particular but Hunter does not remember who. The time period is when Mott was first coming over to the States. It was recorded at John Dee, Oslo Norway 8th October 2012.

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

reluctant to perform it live

Alice playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Alice+Ian+Hunter

2011 Carnegie PA

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lDPRKwBv5h0

Alice, Mott The Hoople

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg8nNytkPxI

Lyrics and chords to "Alice"

Alice

(Ian Hunter)

    C7                           F7
Now Alice needed money I put ten dollars on the breeze,

       C7                      F7
As the wind died away she sank way below her knees,

         Bb               F/A                 Gm7            F
And as a hurricane passed by she clutched the money from the sky,

    Gm                Gm/F
She must have been at least a fathom high.


              C7                         F7
She works the forty-second beat on Forty Second Street,

             C7                        F7
with all her golden ambitions and dead rhinestones in her feet,

           Bb                F/A             Gm7                F
and when a stranger said she sucked she just smiled believed in luck,

       Gm               Gm/F            Eb   
as she climbed into his truck to make a buck.


Dm      Dm/C     Bb                F/A
Oh my god, she's running round the trees,

Gm                Gm/F                         C7sus4  C7    F   C7
Said she couldn't touch them because they're so...     real.


F    F/A        Bb
Alice     you remind me of Manhattan,

    F             F/A        Bb
The seedy and the snazz, the shoeboys and the satins,

C11    F              F/A           Bb
Like a throne made of gilt (I wonder if this is actually guilt since that seems to make more sense in context) that too many johns have sat in,

G/B Gm/Bb    C11
Oh, I got my eyes on you.


Gm  F          C7                        F7
    Now keep a watch on your watch and a watch on her watch,

             C7                           F7
cause if you ain't too careful he's gonna kick you in the crotch,

           Bb         F/A          Gm7                   F
and you're out in the cold and you know that you've been rolled,

        Gm              Gm/F              Eb
and the cops don't even stop and you feel old.


    C7                             F7
See Alice really liked you but you stayed a while too long,

        C7                              F7
now she wants you to forget it and come back before too long,

            Bb           F/A                Gm7          F
but make it quick if you could, she's gonna star in Hollywood,

       Gm             Gm/F               Eb
the producer seems to think, she's kinda good.


Dm        Dm/C        Bb           F/A
Me and my camera eyes sitting on a fence,

Gm              Gm/F               C7sus4
laughing at the lights of New York City.


F    F/A       Bb
Alice    you remind of Manhattan,

    F         F/A        Bb
the seedy and snazz, the shoeboys and the satins,

C11    F              F/A           Bb
like a throne made of gilt that too many johns have sat in.

G/B  Gm/Bb    C11
Oh, just come over.



ROLL UP

See Alice on the palace where her name adorns the boards,
ain't no flash in the Cannes, she got the willpower of a horse,
and it's a long way to Broadway from a 42nd lay,
or is it really just a couple of blocks away.

Now I wonder if she wonders if I wonder if she wonders
about the times I put her down when she seemed to be right under?
She told me morals are traditions, contradictions, superstitions,
see Alice is always based on split decisions.

Me and my stupidity sittin' on a fence
and digging what I thought was New York City.

Oh Alice, you remind me of Manhattan,
the seedy and snaz, the shoeboys and the satins,
like a throne made of gilt that too many johns have sat in,
Oh, I like you


     F    F/A   Bb
Yeah Alice, the lights were meant for you,

C11  F             F/A              Bb
your weaknesses successful and your selfishness the clue,

          F             F/A         Bb
you gotta lose what you get and for what you get you lose,

G/Bn
Oh, I know it.


   F   F/A      Bb                   C11
Oh Alice, don't stop and think a minute

F                F/A           Bb
or your brain is gonna get ya, drop your heart right in it,

             F        F/A             Bb
and you're a shooting star and you'll die if you don't win it.

G/Bn
Yeah


You didn't make the book

Alice (live 8th October 2012)

4:39

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

Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady, Ian Hunter, outtake from The Artful Dodger

This rare nugget is an outtake from The Artful Dodger sessions and is available on the Once Bitten, Twice Shy compilation as well as Tilting The Mirror Rarities (box set only). Hunter rarely makes a foray into a funky sound but this basic track indeed does. Ian's sometime collaborator Darrell Bath also recorded the tune along with other Hunter tracks.

With Darrell Bath, Ian finally found a partner he was comfortable working with after the early demise of Mick Ronson. They met at the sessions for "Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry" in 1994 and worked together, on and off, for the next six years. When Ian was not touring, Darrell was busy plugging his own career with regular gigs in London - and he eventually released his first 'solo' album, "Same Old Brand New", in May 2000. This also marked the end of his working relationship with Ian.

The song bears no relation to the Helen Reddy hit but imitators Great White did record a song with the same title.

Lyrics

He likes to wear thousand dollar suits
He likes to lift weights, do little too
He likes to show off in front of all your friends
And then you go home and you beat her up again
That's no way to treat a lady (ain't no way)
You're as low as low you can be
That's no way to treat a lady (ain't no way)
If you don't respect her set her free
He never comforts her when she cries
The only tissues you got are lies
Her body shocked, her face is black and blue
How could she ever love scum like you

That's no way to treat a lady
There's something wicked there in your brain
That's no way to treat a lady
You're pretty dumb so I'll say it once again

Ain't no way, Ain't no way, (Ain't no way)
Ain't no way to treat a lady
No it ain't no way, Ain't no way, (Ain't no way)
It ain't no way to treat a lady

He never picked her up when she fell
You never gave her anything but hell
You don't support her even though she's got your kids
And you're trying to destroy her, best thing that you ever did

That's no way to treat a lady
You never learn, you're as stubborn as a mule
That's no way to treat a lady
There's ain't no fool like a young fool
Her feet are aching
Her back is breaking
Her nerves are shaking
From the crap she's taking
Her hands are raw
Her heart is sore
She doesn't know when she can take any more

He likes to play dirty little games
He likes to call her dirty little names
She got no money, she got nothing left of her
And everywhere she looks all she sees is dirt
That's no way to treat a lady (ain't no way)
You as low as low you can be
That's no way to treat a lady 

Your dirty little secret is safe with me

Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady

4:32

Outtake from The Artful Dodger sessions. Originally issued on the Once Bitten Twice Shy compilation. It can also be found on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only).