Too bloody hot to do anything really……

Gaz: Any chance of the Winery this year?' Not this year.

Douglas Paul asks how I write? I've no idea. A trick of the genes I suppose. You have to keep your aerial up; don't want to miss one.

Mark Hughes: The first time I did anything with Tracie was when we lived in Westchester and I had a studio over the garage. I remember doing stuff with Tracie and Robbie Alter. Tracie later toured with me, and she got up on the Mott the Hoople Hammersmith shows. She's got her own thing going - Jesse has his own thing going - and I do my thing. That the way it works.

Ian Mcdermott: 'What's your secret for looking so good?' You haven't seen me close up!

Joe: Re: set list. It is difficult - there's no set plan. I just hope when a tour looms, stuff comes naturally into view. You can't please everybody, so you just pick 'em and hope for the best.

David: The Mott list is OK but the solo list doesn't include anything from the last ten years or so, so I would have to disagree.

Scott MacNicholl: Scott's a D.J. who's passionate about music and hosts a program in Alburquerque, NM on Saturday nights at 10 PM MDT - 89.9 FM KUNM. Just played, 'The Wheel of the Quivering Meat Conception.' I've forgotten how that went.

Ron Ando: There's talk of late January/early February, but it's early stage talk at this point.

Glen Weisberg: Highland Ballroom is in November.

Joe S.: 'Was Duane Eddy an influence?' Nope. Different neck of the woods.

Joe Brien: Yeah, the Monkeys did one - 'Every Step of the Way.'

Jeffrey: Stick with the day job, Jeff.

Rob Wiltsher: 'How much do you miss being part of the Underground in the early days, or are you glad to see the back of them?' Therein lies the rub. It's great to be underground, but with it comes a lack of any kind of fiscal support. Like any other 'trade' - you want to eventually be able to afford a house, cr and to look after your family. Underground is great when you are 19, not so great when you are 40. I've had a bit of both and I'm still pretty much on the outside, so I count my blessings. Not good with pressure.

John Clark: 'You've been quoted as saying MTH was the last chance - it was either this, or the factory.' Well, to me, working in a factory semi-skilled was kind of like jail. Stan Tippens usee to scare the life out of me in the early days, 'Do it - or you'll be back in the factory!' I met a lot of happy people in factories - I wasn't one of them. It was probably the mid-90's before the threat was obliterated completely.

Tony NYC loves 'Shrunken Heads.' Thank-you.

Patrik Hanson: Do you know, I can't remember. (I think it was Clive Bunker - Trudi)

Carol Mitchell: 'Do you ever go back to Shrewsbury?' My eldest son, Steve and his wife Jonsey still live in the area, as do my 3 grandkids, Jamie, Ben and Louis - so I'm back there now and again. I may have had a pint at the Benbow. I remember sneaking in the back door of the Music Hall. The area hasn't changed much at all. I left at 16 so I wasn't much of a drinking man then.

Patti: If you check the gigs on this sight, you'll see where we're at.

Dave P.: We'll be there!

Joe Scanlon: It was a bit panic stantions - glad you enjoyed.

Kelly: I like the names you've chosen - see you in October. Why girls? Boys are so much easier!

Amanda Nicoll: What else am I going to do? See you in October.

James Kaklamanos: 'Boston.' Would if I could.

Paul: 'Come to Perth - a lot of old poms down here would appreciate your dulcet tones.' Aptly put, but a bit of a schlep. Harry Oddsock: 'Who's supporting at Birmingham?' Don't know, yet.

Mister Bignose: 'Fancy a trip to Sydney?' As above, but one.

Sha la push: 'Would you tour without singing any MTH songs?' It's easy enough to do, but it might piss a lot of people off. Besides - barring one - I wrote 'em. 'Strings for London?' Nah Great to see you on Jools' - Thank you.

Graham Stark: 'Don't believe all these people raving about 'Somewhere'; they're just being polite. 'Sweet Jane' + 'River of Tears' are my favourites.'

I just like tsinging it. It's a great song. 'Also do blasts of Jerry Lee.' That just happens sometimes - all according to the mood.

Pete Jordan: Re: Mick Ronson in Guitarist Magazine. 'What stuff have you done since he died that he would like?' He would like a lot of it. I got it back largely because he passed. Re: the ice cream bit. He was an extremely unselfish chap. Front men are noticeably more selfish, but in his case, I always made an exception because he was worth it - both as a musician and a man.

Mark F: 'Do you watch 'Pawn Stars' + 'American Pickers' ? Yes, I do - and judging by the guitars behind Rick's shoulder, he's not doing much guitar business. They've been there for months. 'Pickers' is OK, but the acting is a bit lame.

Pat: 'I don't understand people getting angry about your songs. You're not attacking people - you're attacking the status quo - as you've always done. 'Amateurs, amateurs, bullshit calamiters' could have been the Bush administration. I wonder where these people have been your whole career?' So there!!!

Joe S.: 'Just downloaded 'Down in the Bowery'. Any details?' Al asked me if I'd do a song, I said yes, and he sent me 'Down in the Bowery'. Popped round the studio with Andy and Pete and put my part down in a couple of hours. Sent it to him and he was happy with it. And there we are.

JoeJo: 'Enjoyed the Winery - especially, Friday.' Yes, we'll do it again. We wanted to do early December, but they have all these private parties booked, so we decided on the 'Highline' because some people would rather move about a bit.

Tripp: 'Happy 4th to you and your family! What a treat.' That's why we went; you never know.

Greg Becker: 'Chicago!' I'm up for it.

Bruno Silveira: I'm not sure what you're talking about in the first question. As to your second question - it is true that 'Dirty Laundry' was originally planned as a Mexican folk album. Went a bit off course on that one.

Rich: 'I echo the love for 'Somewhere' - don't forget the lyricist, Stephen Sondheim.' Sorry - I did know - just forgot.

Jeffrey says, 'Dog days are here.' He's right about that. The last couple of summers were great, but this one is a real sweater.

JoeJo is going to the Highline.

John Channing: Noted.

Clyde: I'm not bothered about meeting music idols. It's the music - not the messenger.

Alan (Kent, WA): Re: The Maltese Falcon - 'It looks a lot better than the original.' Absolutely. A great piece of work. Pity I'm mostly acoustic. I'll have to bring it on for something.

Steve Karmazin: Yes, I've got old cassette players downstairs - upstairs - anywhere. And bits of paper stashed; nothing's thrown out. At this stage - just rough ideas - a sequence - or a melody line that I like. I'll get down to it early next year.

Tom: 'Did 'MO' outsell 'SH' and 'Rant'. I think they've all done about the same.

Peejay: It will be acoustic at the 'Union'. I don't know if it will be recorded. People who want to record theses events sometimes make what I consider to be unreasonable offers. P.S. Don't do bloody covers - I hate it when artists do covers when they don't need to.' But maybe I do need to.

Pat: Never mentioned anything he liked. 'Was Pete Townsend at MTH/IH fan - re: photo in Mojo?' I've no idea. Never asked him.

Bill C: A) Can't remember B) It's your car. C) That's a good picture D) What comes - comes E) 'Regards to the band - they do good work for you. Behave yourself, see you around.'

Back to work - enough of this 'thinking'.

Lofty wants 'Central Park' in Manchester. We'll see.

Andy Allison: 1) I can't really place one song above another. I do, however, really get off when a song starts telling me what to do. This happened in 'Minds Gone' early on - it happened with 'Once Bitten' and it happened with 'Dead Man Walkin'' 2) I have held songs back for one reason or another. Sometimes they just don't fit - so you shelve them until they do.

Howard Chapman: Too late now for this year. Ask them to contact Frank Riley at High Road Touring for next year. They'll know who he is.

Mke Pecucci: Re: 'Roll Away the Stone'. I remember the lyric being secondary. The key to the whole thing here was inserting E major into a song which was in C. That is what gave me the verse. The title I held out on for a while, because it sounded like the 'The Rolling Stones'. Eventually, I couldn't find anything better, so 'Roll Away the Stone' it was. I remember the Hollies wanted the song - badly!

L.A. Richards: No idea.

Michael Wolf: Not particularly fond of the idea at the moment!

RX: So sorry - Rick Pikula. I only got this today (18t7 of July). Condolences to family and friends.

Don Terry: 'Canada!'

Peter Lozancich: 'Salt Lake City!

Phil Judge: 'At Leicester -great show - loved your version of 'Somewhere' (now are you sure - you are not being just polite? ed). 'Always been one of my fave songs - especially P.J. Proby's version. Have you ever worked with PJ? How did you get on with him? Do 'Rose' at Birmingham Town Hall.' Basically, I did 'Somewhere' because I loved PJ's version so much. When it cam out, PJ was as big as the Beatles - riots all over the place. I bored every pub stupid in Northampton playing that record over and over again. I did meet him once in a large gathering of leather rockers - they all loved him to death. PJ was a one off who really enjoyed shooting himself in the foot on a regular basis - which I kind of admired. He didn't play the game. 'Wharra bloke' as Luther would say.

Derek Warren: Thank you, Derek.

Pat: 'How was Tull? Are you a fan?' We come from different necks of the woods so to speak. He's still great at what he does - as is Martin and the band. Extremely nice people too.

Pat: On about Nicol Williamson. Hey, I'm a fan; he got me out of the factory.

Jeff: Not so fast; I remember Winfield.

Mark F.: Not so far.

Tina Earl wants Toronto. How about them Jays.

Richard Usher: (Hey Ritchie!) Either way is OK by me. Scruffy Worthing? I simply can't believe it.

Jeff Scott: 'Have you heard about Dave Letterman's new label? Would you be interested?' Didn't know about this. I'm always interested. It's in the contractual areas that things get sticky.

Patty Woltz: There you go! Look forward to seeing you guys again.

Dave Pitt: Wants 'Angel of Eighth Avenue' in Birmingham. You guys seem to be wanting older stuff in October - am I right? Nothing at the moment, Dave.

Tony Jay: 'We've spoken about our mutual admiration for PJ Proby (more fascination than admiration - ed.). Just found out he's being investigated for benefit fraud in the UK.' Bloody typical! I believe his Dad was extremely well off - had lots of palominos in Texas - but I think they fell out years ago. He's a bit of a handful - as Darrel Bath would say.

Well, - we got to most of them. Happy trails.

IH
The Horse's Mouth
HOT!! Hunter Towers

P.S. I just googled PJ's case and he says he's innocent of all charges. Man, he's doing tons of dates with Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Searchers and Chip Hawkes. Glad to see he's out there. If anybody goes to one of the shows, let me know how it went.

P.P.S. A lot of the papers said he was a friend of Elvis'. The way I remember it, P.J. did all the vocals for demos that were presented to Elvis (for him to pick which songs to record himself).