The fake Mott The Hoople CDs

Details

It is my sad duty to report that there are several CDs on sale in otherwise quite respectable high street and online stores that are credited to Mott The Hoople but in fact are not the real thing, ie they are fakes. Please study this page; I have listed all the fakes that I know of, with the sleeves and a typical track listing.

The Danish picture disc

The "Dudes" sleeve

The original K-Tel sleeve

The German version

Yet another version

Review

In 1996 K-Tel put out a CD called Mott The Hoople - Best Of. It purported to contain re-recordings of Mott's hits made by Ian and Mick shortly before Mick died. It was a fake.

Early in 1997 it resurfaced in Europe on a Danish label. This time it was called All The Young Dudes, and credited to "Mott The Hoople featuring Ian Hunter". The picture on the CD is actually a nice photo of the band, but that doesn't change the fact that this CD is a fake.

It has since surfaced on the "Going For A Song" label, in a garish pink cover, titled Mott The Hoople - Dudes (GFS 065). This "new" CD also has the title Older on the price bar-code. There is also a German copy, called The Magic Collection, and an Irish one (also called All The Young Dudes).

All CDs are a collection of rather poorly-done covers, together with some "new" songs, all credited to "McCullogh/Chapman". This CD was seen on sale in the big London stores (HMV and Tower), and on several otherwise reputable on-line stores. Unfortunately some members of the public may be taken in by this, and judge Mott and Ian on this CD.

In March 1998 K-Tel were found guilty in the UK courts on two counts of supplying a CD with a false description and fined £8000 plus £1488 costs. This was widely reported both on BBC TV and several national newpapers (including The Times).

Obviously my advice is to avoid this CD like the plague. Now that K-Tel have been fined in the UK courts for producing the fake CD we can only hope it will disappear from the shelves for ever. This is, of course, a forlorn hope. Tower Records in London (Piccadilly Circus) still (summer 2000) stock the picture disc, and many of the on-line stores such as Amazon.co.uk, Jungle.com and others also stock some of the variations.

These are the titles to look out for and avoid: Mott The Hoople - Best Of, All The Young Dudes (picture disc), Dudes, The Magic Collection.

It is of course confusing that one of the forgeries should be called All The Young Dudes, since that was also the title of Mott's breakthrough album in 1972. The genuine ATYD has only ever appeared on CBS/Columbia/Sony, and never in picture disc form. Indeed, apart from Castle's The Collection and Mott CD (both in 1987), no 72-74 era Mott The Hoople has ever been licensed to any other label.

It is also confusing that Walkin' With A Mountain (both the original Island CD from 1990 and the Best Of 1969-72 Spectrum reissue) are also often listed as "Best Of".

Sadly, I must also report that the forgeries have also started to appear on one or two budget (ie ultra-cheap) 70's compilations (pictured).

As always, caveat emptor (buyer beware).