This page will contain latest news in the Ian Hunter/Mott The Hoople camp.
This page last updated 22nd July 2025.
A lavish 400-page book of rare and previously unseen pictures of Ian Hunter (and maybe Mott The Hoople) is in the works. It is compiled by renowned rock photographer Ross Halfin and will be available in two editions: a "Deluxe A3 Edition" priced at £170 and a "Super Deluxe A3 Edition" priced at an eye-watering £549. Apart from a "personally signed lithograph by Johnny Depp, Ian Hunter and Ross Halfin" I don't know what the super-deluxe edition buys you. You can pre-order from www.rufuspublications.com/rufusbooks/ianhunter.
22nd July 2025
A Mott fan book is in the works. 'You Are One Of Us' will be written by the fans, for the fans, about how Mott The Hoople has soundtracked our lives with music, magic and memories.
Click on this link to find out how you can contribute to the book due to be published in October in time for the Ross-on-Wye jamboree: https://www.hitthenorth.co.uk/mott-the-hoople. Those wishing to contribute have until 1st August to send in their submissions.
22nd July 2025
I have a little more info about the upcoming fan convention. John Fiddler, Morgan Fisher, Luther Grosvenor (aka Ariel Bender), Verden Allen and Kris Needs (who ran the Sea Divers fan club) are hoping to participate. I understand that this event is now sold out.
People are saying "this could be the last time..."
22nd July 2025
Guitarist Mick Ralphs has passed away. A founding member of Mott The Hoople, he left the band in the summer of 1973 to form Bad Company with Paul Rodgers with whom he enjoyed enormous success.
He had had a serious stroke in October 2016 and was being well looked after in a specialist care home.
Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
24th June 2025
A Mott fan convention has been announced for October 2025 in Ross-on-Wye. Here is what has been announced thus far:
MottFest 2025 – a celebration in music, words and film, of all things Mott the Hoople, Mott, British Lions and beyond!
Corn Exchange, Ross-on-Wye Friday 3rd October (evening) and Saturday 4th October (afternoon and evening) with a possible further event at lunchtime of Sunday 5th October.
Full details and ticket links will be available as soon as possible. There will be a fans-only pre-sale before tickets are released to the wider public.
29th April 2025
Suzi Ronson - Mick Ronson's widow - has written a book about her time with the David Bowie entourage and her involvement in creating the Ziggy Stardust image. Called Me and Mr Jones it is a fascinating insight into the chaos surrounding the band as in the space of a few weeks Bowie rises from aspiring star into the major pop artist of the early 70's.
1st October 2024
Ian Hunter's latest album, Defiance Part 2: Fiction was released on 19th April on the Sun Records label. It features 10 songs and is available on CD, vinyl and digital formats. There was also a limited-edition 2-LP version featuring three bonus tracks available exclusively on Record Store Day which was on Saturday 20th April.
The track listing is as follows:
1Only available on 2-LP version.
The track Precious is now available on YouTube
The musicians, as on Defiance Part 1, read like a who's who of the rock world and feature some on the last recordings by Taylor Hawkins and Jeff Beck:
1st October 2024
Mott's breakthrough album from 1972 was reissued as a 2-LP set on the Burning Shed label on 8th December 2023. The first LP features the "remastered" album, while the second LP features bonus tracks of early versions and outtakes.
There was also a super-deluxe issue, which as well as the above 2-LP set, includes two CDs and a 12-inch vinyl single featuring the "unlocked cars" version of All The Young Dudes and the b-side version of One Of The Boys. In addition, there is a 72-page hardback book, 3 art prints, two posters, a 'Sea Divers' membership card and an individually-numbered certificate. Expect to pay £125 for this whopper.
The two CDs mirror the content of the two LPs (but not the 12-inch single). The bonus tracks have all been released before on either the Mental Train box set or All The Young Dudes - The Anthology. Only the "unlocked cars" version of All The Young Dudes has not been previously released (it was for BBC radio use only). The b-side version of One Of The Boys has not been previously released on any compilation or CD (despite what some sleeve notes mat say).
24th November 2023
British Lions debut album has been reissued together with a bonus live disc. The first disc contains the original album (with the original running order restored), together with the bonus tracks we saw on the Angel Air disc save for the BBC tracks for which the rights are not available. It is on the Think Like A Key label.
The second disc contains a live concert recorded at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco and previously released as Live At The Old Waldorf, San Francisco 1978. This disc omits the (studio) bonus tracks of the Angel Air release.
24th November 2023
A 4-CD box set of Mick Ralphs' solo work is due in November. Released on Cherry Red Records, it features his solo albums Take This!, It's All Good, That's Life - Can't Get Enough and a live album from the Mick Ralphs Blues Band Should Know Better.
27th August 2023
David Bowie's famous "retirement" show from 1973 has been reissued on Blu-Ray/2CD. We finally get all the encores, including The Jean Genie/Love Me Do and Round And Round which both feature Jeff Beck. Picture quality is much improved compared with previously releases.
27th August 2023
Ian's 1995 solo album, Dirty Laundry, has been reissued on CD and blue vinyl. Remastered by the engineer who worked on the original album it has new sleeve notes. The vinyl omits two tracks, Good Girls and Never Trust A Blonde.
27th August 2023
Ian's latest album was released on 21st April 2023. Titled >Defiance Part 1, it features the following tracks:
The list of musicians that have collaborated on this album reads like a who's who of rock music: Jeff Beck, Johnny Depp, Joe Elliott (from Def Leppard), Billy Gibbons (from ZZ Top), Taylor Hawkins (from the Foo Fighters), Duff McKagan and Slash (from Guns 'n' Roses), Todd Rundgren, Jeff Tweedy (from Wilco), Robert Trujillo (from Metallica), Waddy Wachtel (Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards), Brad Whitford (from Aerosmith), Dane Clark (John Mellencamp), Billy Bob Thornton and J.D.Andrew (from the Boxmasters), and Dean Delo, Robert de Leo and Eric Kretz (from Stone Temple Pilots).
It is on the Sun label in North America and UK. Initial reports it would be on a different label in the UK now seem to be wide of the mark.
24th April 2023