The Clash on Alright Now 1979

[muppet hi fi]

Exactly! Don’t forget the Mesa Boogie too.

You probably know this, but the MXR Phase 90 (in tasteful orange) isn’t a “pedal”, just a box. The levels are hand-set. Didn’t work all that well for Keith on some of those outdoor ‘78 gigs, especially for anyone in the back.

No Teddy, I thought it was just a small box with hand-dials and a punch button (like most other later MXR effects, at least the one's guys I played with used). Not like the dedicated foot-punch pedal of, say, Ibanez pedals, but still a small button that could be stomped, yeah? (hey, you're the guitarist, I'll defer to you!).

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. You can absolutely stomp it on and off with your foot on the little button. You just can't use your foot like a pedal to alter how much or little effect you want like, say a Cry Baby wah wah. And I'm a lousy guitar player.

Ah, gotcha. And by the way, judging by the late, great Blow-Up, you're a fine guitar player. No Steve Vai, but hey, not everyone can be!

Spare guitarist. Lead vocalizer. More Strummer than Jones. But thank you.

Yeah, yeah, I know. But nothing wrong with just Strumming - ya know, like that Bobby Zimmerman dude, or what's-his-name Presley, or that Patterson cat who used to front Mott.

[mcintyrepoet]

Many thanks Heston , great to see the Israelites footage - any chance of a higher definition download for the IMCT hardcore? What's the source for this one?

[Heston]

Many thanks Heston , great to see the Israelites footage - any chance of a higher definition download for the IMCT hardcore? What's the source for this one?

My source is MP4 mate, and probably the best we'll get. I can send you the file but the YouTube conversion took nothing away as far as I can tell.

[dave202]

No Teddy, I thought it was just a small box with hand-dials and a punch button (like most other later MXR effects, at least the one's guys I played with used). Not like the dedicated foot-punch pedal of, say, Ibanez pedals, but still a small button that could be stomped, yeah? (hey, you're the guitarist, I'll defer to you!).

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. You can absolutely stomp it on and off with your foot on the little button. You just can't use your foot like a pedal to alter how much or little effect you want like, say a Cry Baby wah wah. And I'm a lousy guitar player.

Ah, gotcha. And by the way, judging by the late, great Blow-Up, you're a fine guitar player. No Steve Vai, but hey, not everyone can be!

Spare guitarist. Lead vocalizer. More Strummer than Jones. But thank you.

Yeah, yeah, I know. But nothing wrong with just Strumming - ya know, like that Bobby Zimmerman dude, or what's-his-name Presley, or that Patterson cat who used to front Mott.

That Mott band were my heroes as a kid. On a cross North Sea ferry going into Hull I was wearing a Hunter/Ronson Band t-shirt and a soldier returning from Germany came across and asked if it was Mick Ronson. Turned out they'd gone to school together and the last he's seen of him was when he was going down to London to play with "someone calling himself Bowie". I had done a poster as an art class project for Mott The Hoople playing Dundee, a gig that never went ahead as they split at the beginning of the tour and I was broken hearted. The poster survived most of my former school being burned down and the band still burns bright in my heart. I'm a dude...

[101Walterton]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. You can absolutely stomp it on and off with your foot on the little button. You just can't use your foot like a pedal to alter how much or little effect you want like, say a Cry Baby wah wah. And I'm a lousy guitar player.

Ah, gotcha. And by the way, judging by the late, great Blow-Up, you're a fine guitar player. No Steve Vai, but hey, not everyone can be!

Spare guitarist. Lead vocalizer. More Strummer than Jones. But thank you.

Yeah, yeah, I know. But nothing wrong with just Strumming - ya know, like that Bobby Zimmerman dude, or what's-his-name Presley, or that Patterson cat who used to front Mott.

That Mott band were my heroes as a kid. On a cross North Sea ferry going into Hull I was wearing a Hunter/Ronson Band t-shirt and a soldier returning from Germany came across and asked if it was Mick Ronson. Turned out they'd gone to school together and the last he's seen of him was when he was going down to London to play with "someone calling himself Bowie". I had done a poster as an art class project for Mott The Hoople playing Dundee, a gig that never went ahead as they split at the beginning of the tour and I was broken hearted. The poster survived most of my former school being burned down and the band still burns bright in my heart. I'm a dude...

Great story mate.

[Heston]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. You can absolutely stomp it on and off with your foot on the little button. You just can't use your foot like a pedal to alter how much or little effect you want like, say a Cry Baby wah wah. And I'm a lousy guitar player.

Ah, gotcha. And by the way, judging by the late, great Blow-Up, you're a fine guitar player. No Steve Vai, but hey, not everyone can be!

Spare guitarist. Lead vocalizer. More Strummer than Jones. But thank you.

Yeah, yeah, I know. But nothing wrong with just Strumming - ya know, like that Bobby Zimmerman dude, or what's-his-name Presley, or that Patterson cat who used to front Mott.

That Mott band were my heroes as a kid. On a cross North Sea ferry going into Hull I was wearing a Hunter/Ronson Band t-shirt and a soldier returning from Germany came across and asked if it was Mick Ronson. Turned out they'd gone to school together and the last he's seen of him was when he was going down to London to play with "someone calling himself Bowie". I had done a poster as an art class project for Mott The Hoople playing Dundee, a gig that never went ahead as they split at the beginning of the tour and I was broken hearted. The poster survived most of my former school being burned down and the band still burns bright in my heart. I'm a dude...

I have a little unseen Mott footage I may be able to upload soon.

[muppet hi fi]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. You can absolutely stomp it on and off with your foot on the little button. You just can't use your foot like a pedal to alter how much or little effect you want like, say a Cry Baby wah wah. And I'm a lousy guitar player.

Ah, gotcha. And by the way, judging by the late, great Blow-Up, you're a fine guitar player. No Steve Vai, but hey, not everyone can be!

Spare guitarist. Lead vocalizer. More Strummer than Jones. But thank you.

Yeah, yeah, I know. But nothing wrong with just Strumming - ya know, like that Bobby Zimmerman dude, or what's-his-name Presley, or that Patterson cat who used to front Mott.

That Mott band were my heroes as a kid. On a cross North Sea ferry going into Hull I was wearing a Hunter/Ronson Band t-shirt and a soldier returning from Germany came across and asked if it was Mick Ronson. Turned out they'd gone to school together and the last he's seen of him was when he was going down to London to play with "someone calling himself Bowie". I had done a poster as an art class project for Mott The Hoople playing Dundee, a gig that never went ahead as they split at the beginning of the tour and I was broken hearted. The poster survived most of my former school being burned down and the band still burns bright in my heart. I'm a dude...

Nice one Dave. Aye. So did the squaddie from Hull actually not know of Mr. David Jones from the wilds of Brixton or was he just taking the piss? (I love stories like these. Thanks for posting it, mate).

[muppet hi fi]

I have a little unseen Mott footage I may be able to upload soon.

Yes, please. There's not really much out there.

[Heston]

I have a little unseen Mott footage I may be able to upload soon.

Yes, please. There's not really much out there.

Ok, will sort it over the weekend mate.

[muppet hi fi]

I have a little unseen Mott footage I may be able to upload soon.

Yes, please. There's not really much out there.

Ok, will sort it over the weekend mate.

Cheers, Hes. Looking forward to it.

[Heston]

I have a little unseen Mott footage I may be able to upload soon.

Yes, please. There's not really much out there.

I've just checked and it's when they called themselves "Mott" after Ian Hunter left. A live performance of "Shouting and Pointing" from So It Goes in 1977. I can upload to YouTube if anyone is still interested, not sure how well-liked this version of the band is?

[dave202]

Ah, gotcha. And by the way, judging by the late, great Blow-Up, you're a fine guitar player. No Steve Vai, but hey, not everyone can be!

Spare guitarist. Lead vocalizer. More Strummer than Jones. But thank you.

Yeah, yeah, I know. But nothing wrong with just Strumming - ya know, like that Bobby Zimmerman dude, or what's-his-name Presley, or that Patterson cat who used to front Mott.

That Mott band were my heroes as a kid. On a cross North Sea ferry going into Hull I was wearing a Hunter/Ronson Band t-shirt and a soldier returning from Germany came across and asked if it was Mick Ronson. Turned out they'd gone to school together and the last he's seen of him was when he was going down to London to play with "someone calling himself Bowie". I had done a poster as an art class project for Mott The Hoople playing Dundee, a gig that never went ahead as they split at the beginning of the tour and I was broken hearted. The poster survived most of my former school being burned down and the band still burns bright in my heart. I'm a dude...

Nice one Dave. Aye. So did the squaddie from Hull actually not know of Mr. David Jones from the wilds of Brixton or was he just taking the piss? (I love stories like these. Thanks for posting it, mate).

Yes, he knew Bowie all right, but I still think it was great he made a point of coming across to tell me. We were a bunch of kids and he was part of a bunch of soldiers who for the most part probably couldn't be bothered with us. Just a nice bloke and to take the time to tell me a bit about Mick Ronson was great.

[dave202]

I have a little unseen Mott footage I may be able to upload soon.

Yes, please. There's not really much out there.

I've just checked and it's when they called themselves "Mott" after Ian Hunter left. A live performance of "Shouting and Pointing" from So It Goes in 1977. I can upload to YouTube if anyone is still interested, not sure how well-liked this version of the band is?

I'd still give it a look. They did two albums as Mott, then a further album with yet another singer but were called British Lions by this time. I saw they were playing the Caird Hall in Dundee in 1978 as support so went to see them. They were supporting AC/DC who had a slightly better career give or take the occassional problems like death of a singer, conviction of threatened murder by a drummer...,

[muppet hi fi]

I have a little unseen Mott footage I may be able to upload soon.

Yes, please. There's not really much out there.

I've just checked and it's when they called themselves "Mott" after Ian Hunter left. A live performance of "Shouting and Pointing" from So It Goes in 1977. I can upload to YouTube if anyone is still interested, not sure how well-liked this version of the band is?

I've got zero interest - Clash II as far as I'm concerned Thanks for checking though.

[Chairman Ralph]

I've just checked and it's when they called themselves "Mott" after Ian Hunter left. A live performance of "Shouting and Pointing" from So It Goes in 1977. I can upload to YouTube if anyone is still interested, not sure how well-liked this version of the band is?

I wouldn't mind seeing it, as an arch-Ian Hunter/Mott fan who's interested in all the branches of the tree, so to speak. So you could do it for me.

As to your question, the short answer is that it went the way it does with most bands who lose an iconic frontman -- making do with less public interest, and a lower profile, before it all dies a death. To my recollection, Mott got good live reviews, but both their albums were roundly panned in the music press. Shouting & Pointing holds the distinction of being the only Mott/MTH album that didn't trouble the US or UK charts -- ouch!

Still, for the curious, I'd recommend the Angel Air CD, the aptly-titled Live: Over Here & Over There, as the best way to experience Mott, over their two albums, which are hit and a fair proportion of miss. Career (No Such Thing As Rock 'N' Roll) is their best song, or at least the one that comes the closest to matching the glories of old. But I prefer the CD, which gives you harder-rocking chunks of shows from the US and UK (hence, the title).

The guys soldiered on as British Lions, and it's the same story. Their '78 S/T album is somewhat better -- mainly for the covers, Wild In The Streets, and International Heroes, plus a couple good "attitude" songs, like Eat The Rich -- I'd recommend another Angel Air CD, Live & Rare, a live and demo comp that gives you a clearer glimpse of the potential that struggled to find its way on tape. That's my take, anyway.