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.
Every Step Of The Way
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were the girl that let me follow you
You used to hang out in the alleyway
You sewed a button on my shirt one day
I asked around til I found your name
Then underneath the arches in the pourin' rain
I said you (yeah you)
Do you want to, do you want to, do you want to dance
Take a chance baby, take a chance
I'll be with you every step of the way
I'll even show you how to strut someday
Ain't got a girl 'n' it's a cryin' shame
I can't figure out who's to blame
I want you (yeah you)
I want you, every step of the way
I know, things gettin' better
I know, it's gonna be o.k.
So don't go, I ain't gonna let ya
I want to be with you, every step of the way
So take a walk down the avenue
Just you 'n' me baby, me 'n' you
Remember that night in the alleyway
You know something, you still look the same
This world is a mean old world
It don't mean nothin' without you girl
I want you (yeah you)
I want you, every step of the way
The lyrics of Ian Hunter's song "Every Step of the Way" narrate the story of a man who used to follow a girl he saw on the avenue. The girl is described as someone who used to hang out in the alleyway and sewed a button on the man's shirt. The man goes on a quest to find her and asks around until he knows her name. He finally meets her under the arches in the pouring rain and professes his love for her. He says he wants to be with her every step of the way and promises to show her how to strut someday. The lyrics continue with the man reminiscing about their past and hoping for a better future with her. He affirms that the world would mean nothing without her.
The tone of the song is upbeat, and the storytelling rhythm is engaging. The lyrics tell a nostalgic story of a man longing for a woman he used to follow, and the music blends elements of rock, pop, and folk. Ian Hunter's vocal delivery is emotive and soulful, accompanied by guitar solos and lively percussions. The song's lyrics are universal and speak to the longing for love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to see you on the avenue
I used to see you often when walking on the avenue
You were the girl that let me follow you
You were the girl who didn't mind me following you when I saw you on the avenue
You used to hang out in the alleyway
You used to spend time in the alleyway
You sewed a button on my shirt one day
You kindly sewed a button back onto my shirt when it fell off
I asked around til I found your name
I inquired with others until I discovered your name
Then underneath the arches in the pourin' rain
I met you under arches during heavy rainfall
I said you (yeah you)
I addressed you directly, saying 'you'
I want you, every step of the way
I want to be with you all the time
Do you want to, do you want to, do you want to dance
Are you interested in dancing together?
Take a chance baby, take a chance
Let's take a risk and try dancing together
I'll be with you every step of the way
I'll always be by your side
I'll even show you how to strut someday
I'll even teach you how to strut with confidence
Ain't got a girl 'n' it's a cryin' shame
I don't have a girlfriend and it's upsetting
I can't figure out who's to blame
I can't identify who is responsible for my lack of a girlfriend
I want you (yeah you)
I want you specifically
I know, things gettin' better
I know things are improving
I know, it's gonna be o.k.
I know everything will be alright
So don't go, I ain't gonna let ya
So don't leave, I won't let you
I want to be with you, every step of the way
I want to always be by your side
So take a walk down the avenue
Let's go for a walk together on the avenue
Just you 'n' me baby, me 'n' you
Just us two, baby, you and me
Remember that night in the alleyway
Remember that night we spent together in the alleyway
You know something, you still look the same
You know what? You still look exactly the same as that night
This world is a mean old world
This world can be harsh and cruel
It don't mean nothin' without you girl
It's meaningless without you, girl
I want you (yeah you)
I want you specifically
I want you, every step of the way
I want to always be by your side
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER, NICHOLAS MARC CLARKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mungovision
a great voice
Anthony Heflin
Another cool song off this very underrated album, only song that got airplay was All of the Good Ones Are Taken, such a shame, Ian Hunter should have gotten more recognition, by the way he did the original Once Bitten Twice Shy for the many who don't know
peterwilliamham
Hunter is the man.....
Peter Wesley Bastone
Great Track...shared to the Netshows Radio "Program 106" Playlist on youtube
rockerbox1973
@rockerbox1973 without a doubt
Tim Jones
What happened to the eye protection.
Jeffrey Stanke
+Tim Jones Shades off, happens now and then
rockerbox1973
@peterwilliamham