 With
Mott the Hoople, guitarist/vocalist
Ian Hunter established himself as one of the toughest and
most inventive hard rock songwriters of the early '70s, setting the stage for
punk rock with his edgy, intelligent songs. As a solo artist,
Ian Hunter never attained the commercial heights of
Mott the Hoople, but he cultivated a dedicated cult following.
Ian Hunter was born in Owestry, Shropshire, but was raised in cities throughout
England since his father worked in the British Intelligence agency called MI5
and had to move frequently. Eventually, the family returned to Shrewsbury, where
the teenaged
Ian Hunter joined a band called
Silence in the early '60s.
Silence released an album, but it received no attention. In the years
following
Silence,
Ian Hunter played in a handful of local bands and worked a variety of jobs.
In 1968,
Ian Hunter began playing bass with
Freddie "Fingers" Lee and the duo played around Germany. Shortly afterward,
Ian Hunter became the vocalist for
Mott the Hoople. During the next six years,
Ian Hunter sang and played piano and guitar with the band, becoming its lead
songwriter within a few albums. Although few of their records sold,
Mott the Hoople was one of the most popular live bands in England. In 1972,
David Bowie produced their breakthrough album, All the Young Dudes, which
brought the band into the British Top Ten and the American Top 40. For the next
two years, the group had a consistent stream of hits in both the U.K. and the
U.S.
Toward the end of 1973, the band began to fall apart, as founding member and
lead guitarist
Mick Ralphs left the band.
Ian Hunter carried through another album, but he left the group in late 1974,
taking along former
Bowie guitarist
Mick Ronson, who had just joined
Mott. Just prior to leaving the group,
Ian Hunter published Diary of a Rock Star, an account of his years leading
Mott the Hoople, in June of 1974.
Ian Hunter moved to New York, where he and
Ronson began working on his solo debut. Released in 1975, Ian Hunter spawned
"Once Bitten, Twice Shy," a Top 20 U.K. hit. Following its release,
Ian Hunter and
Ronson embarked on a tour. After its completion, the pair parted ways,
although they would reunite later in the '80s. All-American Alien Boy,
Ian Hunter's second solo album, was recorded with a variety of all-star and
session musicians, including members of
Queen. Released in the summer of 1976, All-American Alien Boy was a
commercial failure. It was followed in 1977 by Overnight Angels, an album that
saw
Ian Hunter moving closer to straightforward rock & roll; disappointed with the
completed album,
Ian Hunter decided to leave the album unreleased in America.
Following the mainstream approach of Overnight Angels,
Ian Hunter became involved with England's burgeoning punk rock movement,
producing
Generation X's second album, 1979's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. For
Ian Hunter's next solo album, he reunited with
Mick Ronson, who produced and arranged 1979's You're Never Alone With a
Schizophrenic. The album was a hit, especially in America where it peaked at
number 35.
Ian Hunter and
Ronson set out on another tour, which resulted in the 1980 double live
album, Ian Hunter Live / Welcome to the Club. In 1981,
Ian Hunter released Short Back N' Sides, which was produced by
the Clash's
Mick Jones.
Two years later, he released All of the Good Ones Are Taken. After the
release of All of the Good Ones Are Taken,
Ian Hunter became a recluse, spending the next six years in silence;
occasionally, he contributed a song to a movie soundtrack. In 1989,
Ian Hunter resumed recording, releasing YUI Orta with
Mick Ronson. After its release,
Ian Hunter remained quiet during the '90s, appearing only on
Ronson's posthumous 1994 album Heaven and Hull and at tribute concerts for
Ronson in 1994 and
Freddie Mercury in 1992.
Ian Hunter returned to recording with Artful Dodger, which was released in
Britain and Europe in the spring of 1997. After a Columbia/Legacy compilation
titled Once Bitten Twice Shy offered a wealth of
Ian Hunter solo titles in the year 2000, much attention was paid to 2001's
fine Rant. In 2002,
Ian Hunter performed a pair of semi-acoustic concerts in Oslo, Norway which were
recorded for later release on CD and home video; the resulting project, called
Strings Attached, included some new songs, including "Twisted Steel", inspired
by the events of September 11, 2001. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book
Ian Hunter for your next corporate or private event.
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