Flashback - Mott The Hoople

For this week’s Flashback, we are going to go back to 1974. On May 8 & 9, 1974, Mott the Hoople performed 2 shows at the Uris Theater on Broadway in New York City that were recorded for a live album. The American Tour was dubbed The Broadway Tour! Mott The Hoople was a star-crossed band that was on the verge of collapse when David Bowie gave them the song All the Young Dudes. The single was a hit and the subsequent album also called All the Young Dudes was a success both in England and America. Follow up albums Mott and The Hoople were also very successful.

Turmoil and dissent continued to follow the band as Mick Ralphs left the band after the Mott album. Luther Grosvenor was brought in to replace Ralphs. He was given the stage name Ariel Bender. The Broadway Tour was a major success that included a date at Waterbury Palace Theater. The Mott The Hoople was the first rock band to sell out a week of concerts on Broadway! In just six weeks after the release of Mott The Hoople Live, they broke up. The album was released in November of 1974. The album peaked at #32 in England and #23 in the US.

The album should have been released as a double album but Columbia did not agree. The label wanted it to be a US release only. Even an attempt to include a 10 inch bonus disc to include more tracks was turned down. The label did allow for special pressing accommodations to have nearly 54 minutes of music on the single LP.

In 2004 drummer Dale Griffin was allowed to produce the 30th Anniversary Edition that included almost all of the Broadway show plus the complete Hammersmith show.

Please join me, The Great Santini at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday February 5, 2015 as we listen to the once mighty Mott The Hoople rock Broadway!