Arms and Legs, Ian Hunter, Man Overboard

About Arms and Legs which is a catchy heartfelt love song Ian says "A good song!" It is and he is honest with his work when some songs don't make it but this one does. It's a song of being all in at 100% and you've given the relationship your all. The deftly structured track possesses a killer chorus describing "a ghostly shadow of a man," unsteady of his feet, pondering a lost opportunity, performed in a most reflective manner. 

This song is one of those should have been a hit sensitive love songs that Ian excels in. Hunter has enough maturity to be self-reflective, vulnerable, and sensitive all at the same time. 

Ian confesses that his poor unfocused sleep is caused by not taking a chance since he "walked away from love." He questions himself: "I don't know know what I was thinking of." 

Yet, he emboldens himself and looks for a second chance repeating: "If you want to know what love is" he is saying hey, here I am! The core of the song is here are my arms and legs because my thoughts are "I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do, 'Cause nothing really matters but you." Hunter convincingly exclaims that the beloved is his "illness" and "disease." He continues: "You're up there on that pedestal and I'm down here on my knees. You are my obsession every waking hour. All I do is think of you, wondering where you are." Hunter plumbs the depths of emotion and not only expresses his love but romantically embraces his love. Talk about a turnaround! 

The song still seems to be about unrequited love despite his devotion since he is "watching from a distance, can't believe you're smiling without me." The singer asks for that second chance because he repeats the conditional clause "If you want to know what love is" I am available. 

Hunter hits some high points in his lyrical creativity that remind me of the classic Temptations hit Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong from 1971 as in both songs the singer doesn't even really know the object of his affection. Ian sings:

"I still got your picture hanging in my soul
Every time I look at it tears start to roll
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
Every time I hear it I start tearing up again

I'm the guy you never seemed to notice
A passer-by, our eyes never meet."

The song should have been a huge hit. It is a classic in its own right. 

There is also a live version of the song on Live In The UK 2010. 

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's TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me

The first time I heard it live was in NYC (https://bpca.ny.gov/place/rockefeller-park/) and even in the rain-soaked park the lyrics pierced through the drizzle.  

After two albums that were somewhat political in nature (2001's Rant and 2007's Shrunken Heads), 2009 find Ian in a more mellow frame of mind. After a long and successful career he has time to look back on his life and say "Yeah... I've no complaints..."

The album opens strongly with The Great Escape, which tells of the singer's narrow escape after a "lack of respect" for a local thug. Indeed, several songs seem to be telling tales of the rougher side of life, such as the title track which informs us "They say crime doesn't pay, well take a walk down my way..."

Ian doesn't forget his working-class roots either, with the delightful Girl From The Office, which is reminiscent of the Kinks at their best and has a very English feel to it, and tells the story of a factory-floor romance. As always with Ian's songs of this nature, it has a happy ending (he gets the girl).

Ballads have always been a strong point with Ian, and these are prominent especially on the second half of the album. Not all work, however, with These Feelings being a particular weakness.

More up-tempo songs are on the first half of the album. I hesitate to say "rockers", as medium-pace is about the best we get these days (I did say Ian is more mellow these days) and guitars, although present, are rarely high in the mix any more. Those expecting another Just Another Night or Cleveland Rocks should perhaps look elsewhere. That was then and this is now... That said, Arms And Legs is a strong guitar-led song that will really work well in a live setting, as is the next track Up And Running.

Ian hopes to tour with the album both in the USA and UK, so we will wait and see how the songs work in a live setting. Reports from the two gig so far (at the time of writing, end July '09) are positive. As for where this album fits in Ian's extensive back catalogue time only will tell. It is more immediately likeable than its predecessor (sometimes it takes a few plays to "get" an Ian Hunter album, but I liked this straight away), but ulimately I feel it may end up a notch or two down from his very best.

Arms And Legs

(Ian Hunter)

Up in the morning, unsteady on my feet
I can't seem to focus, didn't get much sleep last night
I look in the mirror, what do I see?
There's a ghostly shadow of a man staring back at me

I'm the one that walked away from love
Couldn't take that chance, I don't know what I was thinking of
If you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is

These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the thoughts running 'round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'Couse nothing really matters but you

You are my illness, you are my disease
You're up there on that pedastal and I'm down here on my knees
You are my obsession every waking hour
All I do is think of you, wondering where you are

I'm the one watching from a distance, can't believe you're smiling without me
If you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is

These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the words running round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'cos nothing really matters but you

I still got your picture hanging in my soul
Every time I look at it tears start to roll
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
Every time I hear it I start tearing up again

I'm the guy you never seemed to notice
A passer-by, our eyes never meet
But if you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is

These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the words running round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'cos nothing really matters but you

Arms And Legs	4:34	Originally issued on Man Overboard.
Arms And Legs (live October 2010)	4:37	This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) issued on Live In The UK 2010.

Apathy 83, Ian Hunter, All American Alien Boy

There is an alternate version although it is unclear if this is just another studio take or a demo and the song of unknown provenance is simply entitled Apathy; while the regular release of the song Apathy 83 emerged on Hunter's second solo album. The number 83 has no obvious reference. 

With accordion and congas Hunter captured aspects of Dylan's work but he makes it his own by describing the decline of rock 'n' roll to give way to the music of the young and the sickly sound of greed. There are several intriguing aspects of the lyrics in this song and as typical on the album release Ian is making profound social observations. Most importantly is Ian's observation that the music business was declining drastically replaced by coke and corporates. In several verses he states that there is "no rock 'n' roll no more just the music of the youth," "greed," and "rich."

In 1976, the music industry was dominated by a few major record labels such as CBS, RCA, and Warner Communications. The industry was highly centralized, with record labels controlling most aspects of the business. This meant that artists had little bargaining power when it came to contracts and royalties. Touring allowed artists to promote their albums and connect with fans while generating revenue from ticket sales and merchandise. However, touring was also expensive, with artists often paying for their own travel and accommodations.

With the title, Hunter makes an off hand reference to "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones. "Sympathy" is a track from The Rolling Stones' 1968 album "Beggars Banquet." The song is known for its controversial lyrics that depict the devil's role in various historical events, including the crucifixion of Jesus and the Russian Revolution. The song's percussion section, featuring congas and bongos, is particularly notable and creates a driving rhythm that underpins the entire track. The song's lyrics also touch on themes of power, violence, and revolution, suggesting that these are recurring themes throughout history.

Hunter confirms that the song is related to the Stones. He relates a story that he had just seen the Stones at Madison Square Garden, and who should he meet at the concert but Bob Dylan. Bob asked him what he thought of their show and Ian responded: "Insipid"and Dylan responded "apathy for the devil." Dylan gave Hunter the idea for the song. The rock 'n' roll of Little Richard and Fats Domino according to Hunter was associated with innocence while the 1970s apathy was only punctuated by David Bowie.

Another important theme is social upheaval by punk rock. Bands such as the Sex Pistols, The Clash (big fans of Mott The Hoople), and The Ramones gained popularity with their anti-establishment message and DIY approach to music production. 

References to the American Civil War and "gone with the wind" tie in with the themes of power and violence in the song. Rhetorically he asks: "Was it your General Sheridan who once said, "The only good, good man is a dead good man." It wasn't Sheridan because he transferred from command of an infantry division in the Western Theater to lead the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac in the East thus he was not in the March to Atlanta associated with the phrase gone with the wind. Sherman's March to the Sea was a military campaign conducted through Georgia in 1864 by William Tecumseh Sherman.  

Moreover, the quote "The only good, good man is a dead good man" fits in well with ideas of power and violence and is commonly attributed to the character Deke Thornton, played by Robert Ryan, in Sam Pekinpah's 1969 film "The Wild Bunch." Hunter must like the film so much he wrote a song entitled, The Wild Bunch.

The phrase "gone with the wind" refers to the well-known book and film of the same name when the tide of war turns against the Confederacy after the Battle of Gettysburg. In one of the most brutal experiences during war Sherman commanded a scorched earth policy against the South and the phrase `war is hell' is usually attributed to him. As experienced by many Southerners Scarlett the leading character loses her beau Rhett to the war, her home deserted and pillaged by Union troops, the fields untended, and finding out that her mom died of typhoid fever while her father lost his mind. Scarlett vows to ensure her and her family's survival. 

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

Ian recorded his second solo album in NYC, and this finds him in an altogether softer mood - there are none of Ian's trademark rockers on this album. Management differences meant that Mick Ronson was absent ("I'll never work with Mick again so long as Tony DeFries is his manager" - Ian), so Ian brought in Chris Stainton on keyboards to act as a balancing force in the studio ("I need someone who'll argue with me").

Highlight of the album is Irene Wilde (which Ian maintains is a true story), and You Nearly Did Me In (which features Queen's Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor on backing vocals).

The 2006 reissue sees excellent sound quality, and a host of bonus tracks none of which have been released before. It also comes with an excellent booklet written by Campbell Devine. The original version of Rape has been restored, which some may see as a disappointment compared with the rare intro on the previous 1998 CD.

This is the third release of this album on CD. This album was previously available on a USA CD. Sound quality was good, considering that by all accounts the master tapes were not in good shape. No bonus tracks. In 1998 this album was issued in the UK as part of Sony's Rewind series. Sound quality was excellent, audibly better than the USA CD. The 1998 CD also came with a previously-unavailable version of Rape, which had the Singin' In The Rain intro. This version was previously available only on a few US test pressings and had never been issued officially before!

Sheridan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Sheridan)

William Tecumseh Sherman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman%27s_March_to_the_Sea).

(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065214/)

"The Wild Bunch."

 book and film of the same name (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/)

"The Wild Bunch" is a Western film that explores the lives of a group of aging outlaws who are looking to pull off one last heist. The film is known for its graphic violence and gritty realism, depicting the harsh realities of life on the American frontier. The character who utters the quote, Deke Thornton, is a former member of the Wild Bunch who has been hired by the authorities to track down his former comrades and it captures the film's underlying themes of violence, death, and betrayal, and reflects the harsh realities of life on the American frontier.

Apathy 83

(Ian Hunter)

Standin' on the edge of Vesuvius - my mouth is runnin' dry
Drunk on wine & wisdom - giving it all away
Old enough to hate tomorrow - young enough not to know where to run
Oh there ain't no rock'n roll no more - just the music of the young

Apathy for the devil Apathy for the devil
Apathy for the devil 'N Apathy for the son.

The moon shines brightly on some summer lawn - and envy caught like a leaf
Comes floating down upon this frozen desert sand - 
spitting bullets through the night
The siren wails on the ambulance - compassion touches my head 'n it bleeds
There ain't no rock'n roll no more just the sickly sound of greed.

And it's Apathy for the devil And it's Apathy for the devil
And it's Apathy for the devil 'N Apathy for the creed

No more gardens for the gardenless - no more - havens for the havenless
No more helpers for the helplessness - no more - somethings for a less
For the law is now the lawless
'N the flaw is now the flawless
'N the crime is now accepted
'N the criminal respected
'N now evil gets elected
'N now sinful get selected
Heed a president proven rotten 

Now officially forgotten

Was it your General Sheridan who once said 
"The only good, good man is a dead good man."
It was not me babe
I just said keep your head 'n your bread well down under them floorboards

'N you - you look like you gone with the wind
Running naked through the streets
Wired out - tired out - transcendental mental - only laughing in your sleep
Nostalgia is starting to focus too late, imagination is starting to itch
There ain't no rock'n roll no more just the music of the rich

'N it's Apathy for the Devil 'N it's Apathy for the Devil
'N it's Apathy for the Devil Apathy's at fever pitch

Apathy 83	4:43	Originally issued on All American Alien Boy. It can also be found on the compilations Gold and Once Bitten - the CBS Collection.
Apathy 83 (alternate version)	4:40	An alternate version (called just Apathy) is on the 2006 and 2016 CD reissues of All American Alien Boy.

Another Fine Mess, (Ian Hunter/Darrell Bath/Honest John Plain), Ian Hunter, Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry

Another Fine Mess almost can apply to the album it appears in but the project turned out to be stimulating. The can be viewed as a reflection on life on the road with Mick Ronson: Hunter is Stan Laurel with Ollie Ronson. The title referenced the well-known comedic catchphrase of Laurel and Hardy, the British-American comedy duo during the classic Hollywood era of American cinema. 

This album originally came out in 1995 on a small Norwegian label, with the US label Cleveland International also picking it up and later released by Cherry Red with an accompanying booklet.

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

Laurel and Hardy were a British-American comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957).

This 1995 album is an oddity. Not quite a full solo album, but more than just a collaboration. It started life as a project by Norwegian keyboardist Casino Steel with Ian invited to sit in in the studio. It soon became much more than that, with Ian writing a number of songs (some of which were written in the studio) and contributing to a few others. More importantly, it marked the return of Ian to the recording studio following the death of his long-time friend Mick Ronson.

With vocal duties shared as well this has something of a "band" feel to it. Despite being recorded at a number of studios, it also has a good live feel to it, which is no bad thing. Dancing On The Moon opens things up nicely, while Another Fine Mess looks back to life on the road with Ronson. My Revolution is another standout track, this time looking back to Ian's Mott days - fans will appreciate the reference to "a revolution for fun", while Ian acknowledges the advancing years in the next line with "you'd better lock up yer mums!" Sheer brilliance.

Darrel Bath's Never Trust a Blonde is great fun, as is Honest John Plain's Psycho Girl and Good Girls. All have a good, earthy 1950's rock n roll feel to them. The album ends with a trademark Ian weepie, this time the great The Other Man in which he forgives his lady but not the guy who shagged her.

This album originally came out with little fanfare in 1995 on a small Norwegian label, with the US label Cleveland International also picking it up. In the days before Amazon, etc, it meant getting hold of copies in the UK was difficult (but not impossible). This release on Cherry Red, therefore, makes it the first time this album has been available in the UK. This time round you also get a good booklet, explaining the background to the recording of the album.

This is a fun album. Not Ian's best but by no means his worst and certainly worthy of consideration.

(Ian Hunter/Darrell Bath/Honest John Plain)

Well you rang me up you say you wanna get high
Now I'm underpaid and I'm overtired
Riding shotgun 'round the world
I'm too young to die, too old for the girls
You wanna know something, I've had it with you
Another Fine Mess you got me into

Well, you're always in one hole or another
And I come runnin' just like a brother
When are you ever going to get yourself cleared
You'll keep on running 'til we disappear
I can't believe the things you do
Another fine mess you got me into
Another fine mess (3)
Well that's what you get when you settle for less
Another fine mess yeah, another fine mess

Look on the bright side - smile smile smile
Relive our childhood just for a little while
Can't you see it's catching it up on you Hit me, Darrell
Well, that's another fine mess you got me into

How many more times are you gonna get pissed?
How many more asses have we gotta kiss?
How many more songs have I gotta write?
How many more sessions into the night?
For some dumb fuck who don't got a clue
Another fine mess you got me into

Well you say I'm kicking up too much fuss
Twenty-four hours is too long on the bus
The band's all moan and the driver's slow
There's not enough people - too many shows
Down in the bus with the birthday blues
Another fine mess you got me into
Another fine mess (3)
Well, that's what you get when you settle for less
Another fine mess (2)
Oh, I said another fine mess - another fine mess

Another Fine Mess

3:28

Originally issued on Ian Hunter's Dirty Laundry.

American Spy, Ian Hunter, Rant

On American Spy the rhythm section is really tight here as they were coming together as a band. It is a mid-tempo rocker that never lets up and it has a strong bridge of intermixed lead and rhythm guitar. The harmony vocals are also a standout of the tune as the voices are in unison behind Ian's lead vocals. 

Hunter has reflected on and written about his experiences as both a Brit and as an American outsider and this song uniquely reflects on his Hamilton, Scotland background. As he identifies as an almost Scot is clearer in his song Comfortable (Flyin' Scotsman) from When I'm President. The song continues his thoughts and contrasts on his British-American life. 

An American audience would not understand his reference to the "bovver boys" and that remark would take a bit of explanation. It represents a nonstandard or dialectal (in particular Cockney) pronunciation of bother and is British slang for violence, especially that associated with youth gangs; in particular, in the UK it is a hooligan who creates bother (trouble), specifically a member of a skinhead gang.

Hunter deliberately contrasts America ("I left home on the 4th of July") and now he is a spy or "pirate with a patch over one eye." A good number of Ian's songs are biographical and he refers to his "fourteen years on the factory floor" as he was an apprentice or worker who kept getting fired or he left jobs as he pursued music. He apprenticed on the "Centre Lathe" which is used to manufacture cylindrical shapes from a range of materials including steel and plastic. Many of the components that go together to make an engine work have been manufactured using lathes. 

Ian has a clever phrase explaining his disenchantment with lathe work but seeking a better life:

Tryin' to get it done quick
I was always in the red - never in the black
You make a little money 'n they take it all back
This ain't the way to spend the rest of my life

Hunter indicates mixed feelings about the USA remarking that "Englishmen don't commit suicide - they move to the USA" and they have 

They got "big back yards, "Platinum cards," and a "holiday" but he strenuously indicates they are "Seedy little snobs - I don't wanna know 'em." Although he went West moving is just casting your fate to the winds! 

The song was inspired by a story from long time mate Miller Anderson. He knew a spy who joined the Army and went to a bar in Cuba proclaiming: `Do you wanna' buy a drink for an America spy?' The authorities took him away never to return. The line stayed in Hunter's mind for years thinking it would be a great title for a song. Ian has never been to a Cuban bar but since he left England in 1975 he wrote the story with a twist and used the same line. Of course no one wanted to buy a drink but the idea provided good fun for a song.  

A live version of the song is available from 2002 on Bag of Tricks Vol. 1 (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

Cockney) pronunciation of bother and is British slang for violence, especially that associated with youth gangs; in particular, in the UK it is a hooligan who creates bother (trouble), specifically a member of a skinhead gang.

(https://technologystudent.com/equip1/mlathe1.htm)

American Spy

(Ian Hunter)

Neon lights in the pouring rain - it's just another Saturday
Avoid the bovver boys comin' out the Indian - looking for a fray
I left home on the 4th of July - in nineteen hundred and seventy five
I'm just a pirate with a patch over one eye
Wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

I spent fourteen years on the factory floor
I never took a day off sick
I was workin' away all day on the Centre Lathe
Tryin' to get it done quick
I was always in the red - never in the black
You make a little money 'n they take it all back
This ain't the way to spend the rest of my life
Wanna buy a drink for an American,
Wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

Englishmen don't commit suicide - they move to the USA
They got big back yards and Platinum cards
'N everyday's a holiday
Seedy little snobs - I don't wanna know 'em
I don't trust them fuckers as far as I can throw 'em
Cast your fate to the winds say I
Wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

Don't ask me - sounded like a plan
Go west, go west, go west young man
I've had enough of that old school tie
Wanna buy a drink for an American
Do ya wanna buy a drink for an American (Spy)?
Do ya wanna buy a drink for an American Spy?

American Spy	4:30	Originally issued on Rant.
American Spy (live 19th May 2002)	5:06	This live version (recorded Life Cafe, Manchester England) can be found on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 1) (box set only).

American Music, Ian Hunter, YUI Orta

Hunter started working with John Jansen in 1987 on American Music which is a majestic tribute to the great early rockers that inspired Ian to pursue music and also features a terrific video montage with Ian and the late great Mick Ronson on guitar. Ronson got interested in playing guitar again and getting back to recording with strong songs such as this one. An early version and demo can be found on Sampling In Reality while the single and album track was originally issued on YUI Orta. Finally, there is a live 1988 version on Missing In Action. 

American Music received some push by Ian's record company with the promo video as few of Hunter's song were marketed well but this is a well-done professional effort for once. Ian consistently has released songs appreciative of the roots of rock and this is clear in the lyrics of this song as well. During the video that accompanied the release of the song early rock, blues, gospel, and rhythm and blues stars appear in the background complementing the lyrics. 

He writes of dreaming to get out of his hum drum youth with "honky tonk heroes" of American music from Memphis, Harlem, Nashville, New Orleans, and the Windy City. Hunter has noted his fascination with American cities, history, and names at times and this tune is a celebration of American music that crossed the pond and touched him during his youth in England. The celebration of youth and music that inspired Ian is brilliantly portrayed by picturing a young boy playing air guitar in the mirror.  

"The Killer," Jerry Lee Lewis, is one of the most highly visible and appropriately depicted stars in the video since he was a big influence on Ian. The blandness of the black and white world of Hunter's British upbringing accurately contrasts Ian's youth with the joy of American music. An English kid bearing a resemblance to the floppy blonde haired locks of Jerry Lee looks longingly at a music store and dreams of what could be. 

The pioneers and groundbreaking artists such as Lewis that appear are Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Otis Redding (including a direct tribute quoting "sitting on the dock of the bay"), Bill Haley, and Little Richard. 

This is one of the those songs that seems like it should have been a hit since it had so many things going for it. Great guitar work by Ronson, a tribute to the power of rock by Ian, and a strong marketing video push. 

Writing the song Hunter resisted calling it by the title since it sounded like it could be an Exxon commercial but there was no way around it. After three months he felt it was complete and it is a sincere tribute to American music. As kids they listened to the Light Program on the BBC but twice a week they would play Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On or Hound Dog. Young people listened all the time since there was no warning when the good music was coming on. Ian says it was like a letter from a friend when the great tunes came across the air waves. 

An awesome promotional video was filmed at a disused mental institution at Teddington in Middlesex which accompanied the song.  

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

American Music

American Music

(Ian Hunter)

I have a dream-its only one dream
But I know dreams can come true
And I have a wish-its only one wish
But I know wishes can too

I wanna be-faraway from here
With those honky tonk heroes-burnin' my ears-oh

Love American music-I play it all night long
Just me n' records-n' a vivid imagination
I love to dance in the mirror-I practice every single word
And it seems to me American music-is all I've ever heard
Oh oh oh-oh oh oh its lonely on the underground
I sit and watch my world go round n' round n' round n' round n' round
I sit and watch the world go round

I hear the sons of Memphis-I hear the brothers or Harlem
I hear the Nashville Cats n' the rag time mamas outa New Orleans
I hear the Windy City-I hear a gospel singers hymn-and it seems to me
American music is all there's ever been

C'mon baby oh oh -oh oh-oo-oo
I love the names of the cities-I hear the echo echoing
And it seems to me American music is all there's ever been

Sittin' on the dock of the bay 2x

With my girl yes

With my girl 

Repeat

https://youtu.be/X67Scbwrdn4

American Music	4:13	A single and album track, originally issued on YUI Orta. It can also be found on the compilation Family Anthology.
American Music (live 11th June 1988)	3:49	This live version (recorded at Rock and Roll Heaven, Toronto ON) can be found on Missing In Action (not on the box set).
American Music (early version)	3:49	This early version/demo can be found on Sampling In Reality.

All The Young Dudes, Ian Hunter, Welcome to the Club, Ian Hunter & The Rant Band Live in the UK 2010, Strings Attached

The most well-known of all Mott The Hoople songs All The Young Dudes and closely associated with Ian is this song. Originally released as a Mott song it has continued to be a staple of Hunter's live shows from 1979-2010. The widely circulated story is that Mott broke up and Pete "Overend" Watts rang him up to see if David Bowie needed a bass player. Instead, David said he was a fan and had material for Mott thus first Overend and then the whole band went to his flat to hear songs. The band needed a killer song to break into the charts and Ian said he knew it was hit the first time he heard it; this effort was their last grasp at commercial success and it did break them into the charts. The ending rap was uncredited to Ian from a stage prank that he pulled on stage wherein he would invite someone from the audience to come forward or pour beer over them. Nonetheless, he did not get songwriting credit as it was originally Bowie's song. Hunter's pop instincts were keen though and he turned down David's first offering of Suffragette City and the band readily embraced All The Young Dudes as a result. 

Ian consistently plays the song live and often it is the final song of the night to close the shows. Otherwise, there are numerous live versions of the song. Starting with his collaboration with Mick Ronson. Ian played the song, with Rick Derringer in 1981, the Freddy Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, the Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in 1994, Def Leppard in 1996, Ringo Starr in 2001, the orchestral version in 2002, and finally with the Rant Band in 2010. At the latter version Hunter ends by saying `I suppose I've done just about as much as a man can do' which came from a story honoring Jerry Lee "The Killer" Lewis as he said the same thing one time Ian heard him live at a gig. 

Also recorded at the Park West, Chicago IL 22nd June 1979 on Collateral Damage.

There is also a version from Rick Derringer & Friends. 

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

43:25

At 43:25 the song starts on the Derringer version:

https://youtu.be/NvQ79Bx26rs

All The Young Dudes

(David Bowie)

Well Billy rapped all night about his suicide
How he kick it in the head when he was twenty-five
Speed jive don't want to stay alive
When you're twenty-five
And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks and Sparks
And Freedy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face
Funky little boat race
Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile deliquent wrecks
Oh man I need TV when I got T Rex
Oh brother you guessed
I'm a dude dad
All the young dudes (Hey dudes)
Carry the news (Where are ya)
Boogaloo dudes (Stand up Come on)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear you)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (And I want to talk to you all of you)
Carry the news
Now Lucy looks sweet cause he dresses like a queen
But he can kick like a mule it's a real mean team
But we can love oh yes we can love
And my brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones
We never got it off on that revolution stuff
What a drag too many snags
Now I've drunk a lot of wine and I'm feeling fine
Got to race some cat to bed
Oh is there concrete all around
Or is it in my head
Yeah
I'm a dude dad
All the young dudes (Hey dudes)
Carry the news (Where are ya)
Boogaloo dudes (Stand up)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (I want to hear ya)
Carry the news (I want to see you)
Boogaloo dudes (And I want to relate to you)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (What dudes)
Carry the news (Let's hear the news come on)
Boogaloo dudes (I want to kick you)
Carry the news
All the young dudes (Hey you there with the glasses)
Carry the news (I want you)
Boogaloo dudes (I want you at the front)
Carry the news (Now you all his friends)
All the young dudes (Now you bring him down cause I want him)
Carry the news Boogaloo dudes (I want him right here bring him come on)
Carry the news (Bring him here you go)
All the young dudes (I've wanted to do this for years)
Carry the news (There you go)
Boogaloo dudes (How do you feel)
Carry the news

All The Young Dudes (live 22nd June 1979)	3:40	Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded at Park West, Chicago IL) was issued on Collateral Damage. Not on the box set.
All The Young Dudes (live 5-11th November 1979)	3:29	This live version (recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles CA) was originally issued on Welcome to the Club, and is also on the compilations The Best of Ian Hunter, The Collection, From The Knees Of My Heart and Shades of Ian Hunter.
All The Young Dudes (live 22nd November 1979)	4:25	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).
All The Young Dudes (live 19th April 1980)	3:50	This live version (recorded Rockpalast TV Show, Grugahalle, Essen Germany) was originally issued on Live At Rockpalast (not on the box set)
All The Young Dudes (live 11th September 1981)	(9:20)	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).
All The Young Dudes (13th September 1981)	8:01	This live version (with Rick Derringer, recorded at The Palladium, New York NY) is on Rick Derringer And Friends.
All The Young Dudes (live 20th April 1992)	3:48	This live version (recorded at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Wembley Stadium, London England) is on Mick Ronson's Heaven And Hull.
All The Young Dudes (live 29th April 1994)	5:04	This live version (recorded Hammersmith Apollo, London England) is on the Mick Ronson Memorial Concert.
All The Young Dudes (live 19th July 1996)	4:00	This live version (featuring Def Leppard) was issued on the compilation Once Bitten Twice Shy.
All The Young Dudes (live 22nd August 2001)	5:35	This live version (recorded at the Rosemont Theater, Chicago IL) is on Ringo And His New All-Starr Band (and the accompanying DVD).
All The Young Dudes (live 29/30th January 2002)	5:42	This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached.
All The Young Dudes (live 28th May 2004)	5:35	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.
All The Young Dudes (live October 2010)	7:10	This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) was released on Live In The UK 2010.

All The Way From Memphis, Ian Hunter, Welcome to the Club, Strings Attached, Truth

All The Way From Memphis is one of Ian's most well-known tunes from both the studio release and his live concerts. It is a homage to rock 'n' roll roots from Memphis and in the piano intro especially to The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis. Live Ian has said live that the original rock and roller Jerry Lee Lewis told him there is only one thing to do when the music is low; you have to turn the sound up again! How appropriate it is that Sun Records signed Ian with Defiance Part 1 as he also recorded Ghosts as a tribute to early rock 'n' roll and the city of Memphis. 

The song is mostly true and based on the 1972 Mott The Hoople concert in Memphis. This was Ian's famous invasion of Graceland that he relates in Diary of a Rock 'n' Roll Star. The foray didn't prove entirely successful but Ian got the song out of the experience. 

Hunter was not happy with the Memphis mix from Mott so he was happy to do it again and perform live as well. Understandably, Ian objected to the Mott version as a single but the CBS UK Head Dick Asher put it out as soon as Hunter's back was turned on a US tour. It went Top Ten. Ian says he can be a poor judge of his own work. 

The track was originally a Mott The Hoople song but Ian has consistently performed it live in concert officially from 1979-2004. It has become a staple of his live act as he moves to piano while playing it live. The studio version relates "she rides the train to Oreoles" (or Oriole) but when Luther Grosvenor (aka, Ariel Bender) played in the band Ian substitutes "Ariel" for Oreoles," otherwise he sings the original version. The Liverpool docks and the Oreoles were poetic license. Some of the lyrics are true and some fictionalized. Over the years, Hunter also changes the politically incorrect "spade," a mildly derogative word for a black male, to the neutral word dude. 

More importantly, the song is a paean to the aspirations and the desperation of rockers seeking success. Hunter references the Beatles, "From the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood Bowl," noting their origin and their famous Bowl appearance, insightfully identifying a rocker's internal thoughts of pursuing success at any cost,  "As your name gets hot so your heart grows cold. 'N you gotta stay young man, you can never be old." Age is something Ian understands first hand since early in his career he struggled to be in the band Mott The Hoople at the old age, at least for rock, at 29 years old. Hunter also lamented the coldness of the music business most famously in his Diary of a Rock 'n' Roll Star. He also consistently identified the limitation of stardom in Diary and elsewhere as in his lyric: "'N you look like a star but you're really out on parole!" As Hunter has struggled for recognition he popped the bubble off the rock lifestyle since it was not all that it was cracked up to be. You may be in a band, on tour, and recording, but you are not making any money. More than anyone else in the history of popular music Ian has honestly revealed what the rock lifestyle is really like. 

Kjetil Bjerkestrand weirdly but fascinatingly reinterpreted the song for the Strings Attached project. 

Also recorded at the Park West, Chicago IL 22nd June 1979 on Collateral Damage.

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

All The Way From Memphis

(Ian Hunter)

Forgot my six-string razor - hit the sky
Half way to Memphis 'fore I realised
Well I rang the information - my axe was cold
They said she rides the train to Oreoles (or, Oriole)

Now its a mighty long way down the dusty trail
And the sun burns hot on the cold steel rails
'N I look like a bum 'n I crawl like a snail
All the way from Memphis

Well I got to Oreoles y'know - it took a month
And there was my guitar, electric junk.
Some spade said "Rock'n'rollers, you're all the same.
Man that's your instrument." I felt so ashamed.

Now its a mighty long way down rock'n'roll
Through the Bradford Cities and the Oreoles
'N you look like a star but you're still on the dole
All the way from Memphis

Yeah it's a mighty long way down rock'n'roll From the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood Bowl
'N you climb up the mountains 'n you fall down the holes
All the way from Memphis

Yeah its a mighty long way down rock'n'roll
As your name gets hot so your heart grows cold
'N you gotta stay young man, you can never be old
All the way from Memphis

Yeah its a mighty long way down rock'n'roll
Through the Bradford Cities and the Oreoles
'N you look like a star but you're really out on parole!
All the way from Memphis

All The Way From Memphis (live 18th June 1979)	7:21	Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded at the Agora, Cleveland OH) is on the 30th Anniversary issue of You're Never Alone With a Schizophrenic. Not on the box set.
All The Way From Memphis (live 22nd June 1979)	7:17	This live version (recorded at Park West, Chicago IL) was issued on Collateral Damage. Not on the box set.
All The Way From Memphis (live 5-11th November 1979)	3:33	This live version (recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles CA) was originally issued on Welcome to the Club, and is also on the compilations The Best of Ian Hunter, The Collection, From The Knees Of My Heart and Shades of Ian Hunter.
All The Way From Memphis (live 22nd November 1979)	6:12	This live version (recorded Hammermith Odeon, London England) was originally issued on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only).
All The Way From Memphis (live 19th April 1980)	4:17	This live version (recorded Rockpalast TV Show, Grugahalle, Essen Germany) was originally issued on Live At Rockpalast (not on the box set).
All The Way From Memphis (live 11th September 1981)	4:13	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).
All The Way From Memphis (live 15th February 1989)	4:55	This live version (recorded The Dominion, London England) was issued on BBC Live in Concert.
All The Way From Memphis (live 29/30th January 2002)	5:28	This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached.
All The Way From Memphis (live 28th May 2004)	5:38	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.