Hunter began his musical career on the bass guitar. An early foray into music was as an entrant in a talent competition at one of Butlin's holiday camps, performing "Blue Moon" as part of a skiffle group with Colen York and Colin Broome.
Hunter memorialized how he left his family in a later song, "23A Swan Hill," the address of his teenage home in Shrewsbury above a police station where his father was the Station Sergeant. He notes in concert that "my Dad was real mean" and did not approve of his son's artistic direction, in contrast to his "grand dad", referenced in "Cleveland Rocks", as "he was a rocker and I am, too".
So Hunter took off for Butlin's and "never looked back". Bandmates York and Broome came from Northampton, and were in a band called The Apex, which Hunter soon joined to play rhythm guitar. In 1963, while living in Northampton, he formed his own band, Hurricane Henry and the Shriekers. With Tony Marriott and guitarist Julian Coulter, the Shriekers worked steadily in Northampton, and by 1965 had picked up Freddie 'Fingers' Lee as a pianist and frontman. In a 2004 DVD interview Hunter volunteers Lee and their gigs in Hamburg as a major turning point, when he first began to "actually think maybe I could do this instead of working in factories".
In 1966 Hunter moved to London, where he joined The Scenery with guitarist Miller Anderson, drummer Dave Dufort, and keyboard player Dante Smith. By 1967 Smith and Dufort had left the band while John Vernon Smith joined on drums. The Scenery recorded some material with Bill Farley at Regent Sound, which was released without the band's knowledge in France and Japan. In early 1968, The Scenery had run its course and Miller Anderson joined Dave Dufort in Paper Blitz Tissue.
Also in 1968 Hunter remained in the band to back up Freddie Lee in the At Last The 1958 Rock and Roll Show, along with drummer Pete Philips and guitarist Chris Mayfield. The group got a regular booking at The Angel in Edmonton, and drew interest from both Chrysalis and NEMS but the group was never signed by them. Mayfield was soon replaced by the ever traveling Miller Anderson, and the group released a single on CBS called "I Can't Drive." As the short-lived rock and roll revival began to wane, At Last the 1958 Rock and Roll Show changed its name to Charlie Woolfe and released a final single, "Dance, Dance, Dance".
Hunter played sporadically in various other bands throughout the 1960s, including The New Yardbirds, and backed Billy Fury, The Young Idea and David McWilliams. He also worked as a journalist and staff songwriter for the firm Francis, Day & Hunter (no relation). Other jobs he took during these years included road-digging for a local council, and reporting for a local newspaper.
By 1969 Hunter was married and had two children, but was still hoping for a return to making music full time. That year he auditioned for and joined yet another band, Silence. Silence soon renamed themselves after a novel by Willard Manus, published in 1966: Mott The Hoople. By this time Hunter had taken to wearing the sunglasses that have long since become his trademark (photos of him without his "shades" are rare). The band was a live smash in England although their early U.S. tours on the coasts were slow in building a following. Whilst a critical success and despite being renowned for being an excellent live act, Mott the Hoople did not achieve sustained commercial success. After a dreary 1972 concert in a "gas cylinder" in Switzerland, they announced their disbandment.
David Bowie, a longtime fan of the band, was upset and offered them a song he had just written. As Ian recalls in a 2004 DVD interview, "He offered us 'Suffragette City', which I didn't think was good enough. And then he sat down on the floor, Regent Street it was in a publisher's office and plays 'All The Young Dudes' on an acoustic guitar." It shot to No. 3 in the UK singles chart and Mott had new life.
Mott the Hoople then had considerable commercial success with the albums All the Young Dudes (1972, produced by Bowie); Mott (1973) and The Hoople (1974). The band began to score financially with songs such as "Roll Away The Stone," "Golden Age Of Rock ´N´ Roll," "Honaloochie Boogie," "All The Way From Memphis," "Saturday Gigs," and especially "All The Young Dudes." When in 1973 original lead guitarist Mick Ralphs left to form Bad Company, Hunter began to play guitar until a replacement could be found but at the same time he was increasingly pressured to write hits for the band. Luther Grosvenor took over as lead guitarist, Grosvenor, aka Ariel Bender, was briefly replaced by Mick Ronson after the release of a live album following The Hoople. However, Hunter left the band in December 1974. The remaining members carried on under the names Mott and British Lions. Hunter has written a memoir, Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star, detailing a U.S. tour with Mott the Hoople.
In March 1975 Ian Hunter joined forces with Mick Ronson, formerly the leading member of David Bowie's backing band The Spiders from Mars and a member of Mott the Hoople for a brief time. Hunter's first single from his eponymous solo album was the UK Top 40 hit "Once Bitten Twice Shy". Hunter's best selling solo album was You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic. It was released in 1979 with Ronson and several members from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Two songs from You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic became successes for other artists. "Cleveland Rocks" was covered by the Presidents of the United States of America, whose version was used as the theme song for The Drew Carey Show. Also, "Ships" became a No. 9 pop hit in the USA in late 1979 for Barry Manilow.
During his solo career Hunter frequently worked with Ronson until the latter's death in 1993, but he has also had musical connections with many other artists, including Queen, Mick Jones (The Clash), Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Jaco Pastorius, Dennis Elliot (Foreigner), and David Bowie.
His album, Rant (2001), received wide critical acclaim and he won Classic Rock Magazine Songwriter's Award in October 2005.
In 2007 his latest album "Shrunken Heads" was released and it clearly shows that Ian Hunter is still very much alive.
All The Young Dudes
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How he'd kick it in the head when he was 25
Don't wanna stay alive when you're 25
Wendy's stealing clothes from unlocked cars
Freddy's got spots from ripping off stars from his face
Funky little boat race
The television man is crazy
Man I need a TV when I've got T. Rex
Hey brother you guessed I'm a dude
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
Now Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen
He can kick like a mule
It's a real mean team
We can love
Oh we can love
And my brother's back at home
With his Beatles and his Stones
We never got if off on that revolution stuff
What a drag
Too many snags
Well I drunk a lot of wine
And I'm feeling fine
Gonna race some cat to bed
Is this concrete all around
Or is it in my head
Oh brother you guessed I'm a dude
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
All the young dudes
Carry the news
Boogaloo dudes
Carry the news
The song "All the Young Dudes" by Ian Hunter was written in the early 70s and became an anthem for the youth culture of that time. The song paints a vivid picture of the struggles and challenges faced by young people during that era. The opening lines talk about Billy, who is talking about his suicide and his desire to end his life at 25. This could be interpreted as a reflection of the hopelessness felt by many young people during the time of the song's release. The line "Don't wanna stay alive when you're 25" could be seen as a cry for help, a plea to society to take notice of the struggles of young people.
The next verse describes Wendy stealing clothes from unlocked cars and Freddy with spots on his face from ripping off stars, a clear indication of the rebellious and anti-establishment attitudes of young people. The lyrics then go on to describe the television man as crazy, calling the youth "juvenile delinquent wrecks." The youth culture is shown as being misunderstood and judged harshly by society. However, the chorus of the song contradicts this negative view by stating that "All the young dudes carry the news."
The line "Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen" is a reference to glam rock fashion, which was popular in the early 70s. The line "We can love, oh, we can love" is a nod to the sexual revolution of the time when attitudes towards sexuality were changing rapidly. The reference to "Beatles and Stones" shows that the youth culture was not all about rebellion and anti-establishment sentiment, but that they were still influenced by the music of the previous generation.
Overall, "All the Young Dudes" is a powerful song that captures the essence of youth culture in the early 1970s. It acknowledges the struggles and challenges faced by young people and celebrates their creativity, energy, and rebellious spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Billy rapped all night 'bout his suicide
Billy talked all night about taking his own life, going as far as saying he would put an end to it by his twenty-fifth birthday.
How he'd kick it in the head when he was 25
Billy plans to end his life by suicide when he turns twenty-five.
Don't wanna stay alive when you're 25
Billy doesn't want to live past his twenty-fifth birthday.
Wendy's stealing clothes from unlocked cars
A woman named Wendy has been stealing clothes from unlocked cars.
Freddy's got spots from ripping off stars from his face
A man named Freddy has spots on his face from removing stars that he had previously stuck to it.
Funky little boat race
This phrase is nonsensical, but may be a reference to a type of British slang.
The television man is crazy
The person on TV is insane.
Saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks
The TV person is calling us troublemakers.
Man I need a TV when I've got T. Rex
I don't need TV because I have T. Rex (a rock band).
Hey brother you guessed I'm a dude
The artist is acknowledging that he is a man.
All the young dudes
The young people of this generation.
Carry the news
They have information to share.
Boogaloo dudes
Another name for the young people of this generation.
Now Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen
A man named Jimmy looks handsome even though he dresses in women's clothing.
He can kick like a mule
Jimmy is capable of delivering powerful kicks.
It's a real mean team
Jimmy and the artist make a formidable pair.
We can love
We are capable of feeling love.
Oh we can love
We are capable of feeling love.
And my brother's back at home
The singer's brother is back at their residence.
With his Beatles and his Stones
The artist's brother is a fan of both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
We never got if off on that revolution stuff
We were not able to engage with the revolutionary idealism of our time.
What a drag
How disappointing.
Too many snags
There were too many unforeseen difficulties or obstacles in the way.
Well I drunk a lot of wine
The artist has consumed a significant amount of alcohol.
And I'm feeling fine
Despite having consumed a significant amount of alcohol, the singer feels okay.
Gonna race some cat to bed
The singer plans to hurry to bed, possibly with another person.
Is this concrete all around
The singer is questioning whether the ground is made of concrete or something else.
Or is it in my head
The artist is questioning whether his perception of reality is accurate.
All the young dudes
The young people of this generation.
Carry the news
They have information to share.
Boogaloo dudes
Another name for the young people of this generation.
Carry the news
They have information to share.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
flyawaytodie
It's sad to realise that Mick Ronson died a year after this performance. Such an underrated guitarist.
storminization
I was thinking the same thing! Mick Ronson was one of the nicest people I've met and my late brother, Lloyd Watson, who opened for Bowie and Roxy Music at the Rainbow, London in 1972, said his musical knowledge was phenominal. A brilliant guitarist. David Bowie was lovely when we met him at the after-show party. Spoke very quietly and won our parents over with his charm; asking Dad if it was OK if he could kiss Mum, my cousin and myself. Mum, bless her, said after he'd moved on "A strange looking young man but impeccable manners". I can still see Mick's grin and wink when he overheard her!
Savvas Musician
One of the greatest moments in Rock history .
Jorge Robles
What an incredible performance, a great song played by a great band (Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, David Bowie, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Brian May, Joe Elliott and Phil Collen), the best live version of All The Young Dudes.
Mike Tan
Absolutely sublime!
Swissted Chef
Absolutely and how humble Bowie does not want to push himself up front but plays the Sax, fantastic.
Sticky Wicket
Very few people have had such justified self confidence than the legend that is David Bowie. Absolute assurity with not one ounce of undeserved bravado. I love him. I miss him. He was the soundtrack of my youth.
Marlene Sullivan
STILL MY SOUNDTRACK I'M OVER 70
Simo-Pekka Sunila
92
Øyvind Kristoffersen
Be honest. Ian Hunter rule this one!