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Issue #49, Part 1 - January 7, 2005

Sorry about that. I told you I might not make it. I was running around quite a bit as was Trudi, and Hunter Towers was crammed for Xmas. Family, gigs, travel, parties - all in all, quite eventful!

Peter Jordan sent me a lyric called 'Perfect Stranger'. Funny, I've been messing with that title myself. Very good - if a tad literal. Peter asks when does writing come easiest - up mood or down? Inspiration is the greatest tool of all, but it doesn't grow on trees. I would say I've always written from the 'down' on balance. '3,000 Miles' was written in the studio at the last minute (we were one short).

Willie says start the set with 'R.I.P' and after four lines go into 'NWTR'. Party time! He also wants permission to release my entire catalog on kazoo! He then lists a bunch of songs I'm to do in May. They're all good, but strictly for the inner circle. Don't think I could get away with it William. Too many ballads spoil the broth (Scotch, of course).

Gerard York sends greetings from Florida. The English tour is all but complete and will be posted very soon. Second half of May.

John Tilley: Hope the New York show was OK for you.

TL asks how did the medley on Disk 2 of the MTH reissue come about? Too far back. Says it's great.

Mike Dwyer: I'm getting requests for songs and autographs etc. for NY shows which I've already done! Mike wanted 'Boy' (sorry, maybe next time).

Rockin Martin: As far as I know, we start in Europe (Norway, I think) around the 27th of April and go on from there through the end of May (in the UK). The site will give the details as soon as they are confirmed.

Dan Baker asks if Bush's reelection shocked me? No. He's the incumbent in a war situation. The irony is he started the war!

Chuck Brinkmann: Come to Florida!

George Manglaris: Come to Austin! We are actually working on that one.

Graham: Come to Toronto! We're working on that one too.

Louis R: Bring back 'Standing In My Light' (I do now and again).

Tom Davis (Canada) went down to Victoria and found MTH reissues at A+B Sound, a large western Canadian recording chain ($30 Canadian). Cheap at half the price!

John Holcomb: Is there a DVD with Ralpher in the works? Yup. Comes out on Secret Records in the UK in February. Shot at the Astoria in 2004. Yes, Luther mostly played a Les Paul Junior. Come to Nashville!

Janne Olsson: 'Do you play poker?' Grew out of it.

Willie's insisting I wear a kilt on Jools Holland. Enough!! (Never thought about that - good idea.)

Pee Jay: How do you get a ticket to Jools Holland? Actually the audience at this particular show was full of celebrities, so it was pretty impossible.

Matt Nojonen feels pretty alien in his own land. But where are you going to go, Matt?

Greg: Did I open for 'Rush'? Yes, I did at some point and I remember they were extremely nice people. I don't remember where or when.

Ian (Munich) loves the 30th Anniversary MTH album. Why do I take the mick out of 'Honaloochie Boogie'? Don't know. I just do! It's a bit light I suppose.

Rob Cowell (New Zealand): 'Boy' was a bitter discourse about Bowie. Why?' Truthfully, 'Boy' was an amalgamation of characters at the time. It wasn't about David. I like Sam Alladyce and Bolton too. It's been particularly difficult for him and he's done a great job.

Thomas Kavanagh on learning to live without Andy York. Stuff happens. Andy lives near me. We're out once a week. John Mellencamp is his gig and has been for ten years. When John finishes, Andy will be back in the fold. Jack the Mechanic is out with Rufus Wainwright this spring so we have to bring in another guy. This is what happens when you work with great people - and I work with great people.

Mats asks if I gigged with Alex Harvey? Actually, Alex and I got on rather well (once he found out I was half Scottish). I remember him introducing me to his entire family, including his brother, Les, at the Apollo in Glasgow back in the Mott days. Alex loved 'the pipes'.

Andy Martin: I was hoping for Newcastle, but I don't see it yet.

Dave Hall: Does 'Rant' get me a bigger recording budget? I don't work that way anymore. I don't release studio albums often and when I do the industry has changed so much I just do one record deals. 'Rant' is out on loan; I get it back eventually.

Huntergirl: That's a long question. Can we do it next time around as I'm a month behind and I've got a ton of stuff to go through. Try it again next month - should be quieter.

Dave Hancox: Why don't I release copies of the shows myself? We just don't have the time at the moment. And there are certain legal reasons as well.

Kat on joining fans for a drink before any given show. I actually do have a preparation routine, which I try to keep to before shows - so it is kind of difficult. I've done it on occasion, but I'm not really there. Nice poem!

Rob: What's my favourite amp? Gibson Gold Top.

Brent (Ohio): Who is Campbell Devine? Campbell was a fan who turned into a mate and he's also an astute businessman. He's helped out on many occasions. He wrote the biography of Mott the Hoople published by Cherry Red.

Jeffrey asks do I enjoy leaf raking? Somebody does it. The turrets and the spires - they're up there cleaning them out. It's got to be done or the eaves rot.

Rob Young: is Andy doing BB King's? Well, you now know, he did as did Jack the Mechanic. Had both of them going at it. Feast or famine.

Hope Campbell: Disgusting!

Bryan (Omaha) has listened to 'Strings' four weeks straight. Am I really a Proby fan? Oh, yes. Did you know he used to do Elvis's demos?

Phil Huband: 1) Croydon was a pivotal gig for MTH; before that we'd only played clubs. The Fairfield Hall - was the first 'big one'. It was packed and chaos reigned. 2) 'Cleveland Rocks' is the biggest 'earner'. 3) Which album was the most expensive to make? Probably, 'Overnight Angels'. The cheapest ones have been the best ones.

Kevin: 'What prompted the 'ello' at the beginning of OBTS?' There was a gap and I filled it.

Dennis heard I lived in Danbury - do I? Nope.

Denise Lee: Do Kansas!

Rick Goward: L.A. at LAST!

Nikki Sixx: Noted.

Jim McConnell: 'There's a lot of talk about you being half Scottish. How about a National Anthem? Can you write half for us?' That depends on who's doing the other half.

Milker: Do we play 'Drivin' Sister' anymore? Nope. That's not to say we won't.

Eric Hemphill: 'If you had a day to collaborate with another writer - who would that be?' Bob Dylan. My take on Brian Jones? I really don't have one. He seemed to have been an early innovator, but then believed his press too much and became impossible to work with. That's my two cents worth.

Harold Nono: Do an acoustic album. Maybe - maybe. I liked Falkirk. Iron Bru on tap.

Jerry Ross: Clear Channel is driving him insane. Have I ever played softball? Yes I did and Craig Goetsch, a good friend of mine, hit me on the nose with a ball. I had a big red nose and a resolution - never again!

Janey Todd: Hi!

Alexander Falk: Good luck with it.

Kurt A. Braun: 'Were Ronno and you both in MTH at the same time?' Yes. I live in the U.S.

Colin Mair: Nice one.

Dave Holland suggested I go on 'Hootenanny' two months ago! There you go!

Rurth Speary: Actually, Philly's in the offing. Not certain yet, but it looks good. Down to logistics.

Andrew: Come down under!

Louanne: Didn't sign your doll, but I will sometime.

Carl Ewens: We did work with Bolan, but that was when he was doing his thing with Mickie Finn. John Peel would travel with him. Miller Anderson was with him for two years - that was a great band!

Matt Nojonan: Actually, I do have gutter guards. Put them in myself. Scary, but they work.

Charlotte Fox: Merry Xmas!

Mark: 'What chance of a tour of Australia before it's too late for all of us?' Bloody hell!

Deb: Yes, we will be back in the UK in 2005.

Dirk Faude: Did I ever see Cream? Nope. Did I work with Jack Bruce? He opened for us once in Chicago and I met him on some Bob Ezrin sessions with Hanoi Rocks.

Jane T. Austin? Maybe, Jane, maybe.

Rudy just saw an ad for the Key Club in LA and will be there.

Rolf (Norway): We'll be there in April, I believe.

Willie wants me to die for my art, basically. I'm not having it.

Dirk Faude: Did labels ever mess with the lengths of my songs? No.

Vyt Iskeliunas: 'Play 'Bastard' at Asbury Park.' I didn't. Sorry.

Sharon Cavone: Andy couldn't play Asbury. Jack filled in.

Robert Small: My approach to writing - fear! Actually, I do get lyrics that don't fit music and vice versa. It's one of the conundrums.

Chris: This is actually quite spiffy - but it doesn't fit me now. Thanks.

Mick talks about Joe Elliott getting up with the Alex Harvey Band in Sheffield. Joe loves getting up. He's such a fan and that's what makes him so good. Ain't many people with Joe's energy. Lovely man.

Jeffrey Shapiro: We'll be there (he's wondering if LA is 'for real').

Phil Huband: Talking about Kim Fowley. I remember Kim - he's outrageous. I wrote a song with him? I've forgotten. By the way, that's Leon Russell on Nutrocker. I'm a fan of Leon's. I was with Kim when he got run over. All he could say was, 'Go do the gig'. What a guy!

Mick Mitchell: MTH were big GRIN fans.

Martin Reagan: Do I rate Dylan higher than Lennon? Both great. Bob gets it by a nose. Was 'Gun Control' a reaction to the Lennon shooting? I just don't like the gun laws in the U.S. in general. Business. We just did 'Resurrection Mary' in the New York area shows. Like that song.

A few of you are talking about Dylan appearing on 60 Minutes. I thought he was great. A bit of penicillin in a sea of bacteria.

Chris McVilly: Come to Australia! Lots of stuff here from Australia and Canada.

John Sutton: How's the sales on 'Strings' and 'Rant'? Good, but they could have been great if handled properly. The way 'Strings' has been handled so far by Universal (with the exception of Universal in Norway) is a joke.

Willie wants to buy me dinner at Equis in Hamilton. Fine, but I don't know what time we'll be there.

Coz: Actually not Northampton this time but Milton Keynes. Hope that's OK.

Allen: When you nip to the shop for fags do you still wear your shades? Yes, pathetic, isn't it? Is Ralpher on board for the UK tour 2005? Yep.

Steve K.: 'Your stock is rising.' Don't say that - it sounds too serious.

Ian Hunter: Says his name's really - really - really - Ian Hunter. Mine's not!

Gino: Am I improving? I think I'm getting better but you're only as good as the next one.

Don Allan: Do I still have a U.K. residence? Nope.

Bart wants older promo films on DVD. Sony are trying to do it as we speak.

Hal Freiman: offering me Jets seats. Great one, too. Thanks, Hal. They're doing pretty well this year. I like the coach; he lives it.

Bob Johnson - a firefighter. You guys are bloody brilliant! We'll definitely get to Boston soon. Don't know exactly when though.

Scott McClymont: I am of Scottish descent. The Pattersons (with one T or two T's) are from the McClaran clan - own tartan - the lot. Say hi to Craig. Lovely man.

Denise Thompson: You just did. Thank you very much and best of luck.

Pat: 'Rant's' still brill. Happy Xmas. Same to you.

Steve Hockemeyer thinks 'Old Records Never Die' is great. So do I, but for some reason I've always had a problem with it live.

Renee: Happy Xmas and a prosperous N.Y.

Bob Perodeau: Did I know Uriah Heep? Not really.

Glenn 'The Rock' asks if MTH ever worked with Slade. I liked Noddy a lot. Powerful voice.

Todd Allan: 'Was your house in Katonah the largest place you ever owned? One of the smallest, actually.

Renee: We're coming!

David Fowler: Thank you, David.

Manny prats came from Miami to the Stone Pony - loved it.

Coleen Gorman was at Farmingdale. Her husband bought a medium T-shirt and she lost it. (naughty girl) Did anybody find it?

Horse's Mouth #49, Part 2 will follow shortly ...