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.
Overnight Angels
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out along the Appalachian way
You can hear the sound of the overnight angels
As they pray
Charged by the light of some mariners lantern
Spitting out a cold but triangular spray
Can't you hear the screams of the overnight angels
As they play
Talking to the spirits through a silver curtain
Reaching out beyond the length of the light
You can catch a glimpse of an overnight angel
As he shines
Dancing through the toys of the dead and the living
Laughing at the poets changing their rhymes
Can't you feel the pulse of the overnight angels
Beating time
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels angels angels
Children of the junkies led the revolution
Push yourselves over get yourselves there
Someone throw their arms round the overnight angels
Cause they care
Angels don't need no phony religion
Throw them out along with the ethnic nowheres
They will never speak to the overnight angels
They can only stare
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels angels angels angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels Angels Angels Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels Angels Angels Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels Angels Angels Angels
Angels Angels Angels Angels
Angels Angels Angels Angels
Angels Angels Angels Angels
Overnight Angels
Overnight Angels
Talking about
The Overnight Angels
The song "Overnight Angels" by Ian Hunter features powerful imagery of a spiritual world full of mystery and wonder. The lyrics suggest a setting where the heat of Indian summer and the Appalachian way create an atmosphere where the overnight angels can be heard praying. The use of mariners' lanterns and a triangular spray add to the feeling of being in a mystical place where the angels dance amongst the toys of the dead and the living. They connect with spirits through a silver curtain and reach out beyond the light while changing the rhymes of poets.
The second half of the song features more political and social commentary, suggesting that the "children of the junkies" led the revolution and that the overnight angels care. The lyrics emphasize the fact that these angels don't need phony religion or ethnicity, and that they cannot be spoken to or understood by those who only stare. The repetition of the chorus, "Can you hear us talking 'bout the Overnight Angels," only serves to highlight the importance of this elusive world beyond our own.
Overall, the song's lyrics encourage listeners to look beyond the everyday experiences and engage with something that is difficult to understand. Whether the references are to religion, spirituality, or social commentary, the song encourages listeners to seek out something more profound.
Line by Line Meaning
In the heat of the Indian summer
Amidst a hot, summer season in India
Out along the Appalachian way
On a journey along the Appalachian road
You can hear the sound of the overnight angels
The sound of angels that appear at night can be heard
As they pray
As they offer their prayers
Charged by the light of some mariners lantern
Energized by a ship's light
Spitting out a cold but triangular spray
Emitting a cold, triangular-shaped mist
Can't you hear the screams of the overnight angels
Do you not perceive the shouting of these night angels
As they play
As they frolic around
Talking to the spirits through a silver curtain
Engaging with the spirits through a metallic material
Reaching out beyond the length of the light
Extending outward beyond the reach of light
You can catch a glimpse of an overnight angel
You can observe a quick look of the night angel
As he shines
As he radiates light
Dancing through the toys of the dead and the living
Moving rhythmically through items that belong to both the deceased and alive
Laughing at the poets changing their rhymes
Chuckling at bards who alter their poetic patterns
Can't you feel the pulse of the overnight angels
Do you not sense the vigor of these night angels
Beating time
Marking the cadence
Can you hear us can you hear us
Are we audible to you
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels
We are discussing the angels that appear at night
Angels don't need no phony religion
These angels do not require a fake faith
Throw them out along with the ethnic nowheres
Expel them as well as communities with no clear cultural identity
They will never speak to the overnight angels
They will never engage in conversation with the night angels
They can only stare
They can only gaze
Children of the junkies led the revolution
Offspring of drug addicts spearheaded the rebellion
Push yourselves over get yourselves there
Overcome obstacles and reach your intended destination
Someone throw their arms round the overnight angels
Somebody embrace the night angels
Cause they care
Since they are concerned
Can you hear us can you hear us
Are we audible to you
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels
We are discussing the angels that appear at night
Angels Angels Angels Angels
Angels, angels, angels, angels
Overnight Angels
Angels that are visible at night
Talking about
Conversing about
The Overnight Angels
The angels that are seen at night
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@smokinjz
In the heat of the Indian summer
Out along the Appalachian way
You can hear the sound of the overnight angels
As they pray
Charged by the light of some mariners lantern
Spitting out a cold but triangular spray
Can't you hear the screams of the overnight angels
As they play
Talking to the spirits through a silver curtain
Reaching out beyond the length of the light
You can catch a glimpse of an overnight angel
As he shines
Dancing through the toys of the dead and the living
Laughing at the poets changing their rhymes
Can't you feel the pulse of the overnight angels
Beating time
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels angels angels
Children of the junkies led the revolution
Push yourselves over get yourselves there
Someone throw their arms round the overnight angels
Cause they care
Angels don't need no phony religion
Throw them out along with the ethnic nowheres
They will never speak to the overnight angels
They can only stare
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the overnight angels angels angels angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels Angels Angels Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels Angels Angels Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels
Can you hear us can you hear us
We're talking 'bout the Overnight Angels Angels Angels Angels
Angels Angels Angels Angels
Angels Angels Angels Angels
Angels Angels Angels Angels
Overnight Angels
Overnight Angels
Talking about
The Overnight Angels
@DeathWatchatMidnight
I got this on vinyl import after its release. It is one of my favorite albums and will remain so. Ian Hunter at his finest with Earl Slick playing guitar. Thank you so much for posting this!
@roybatty5796
Great song, I bought this on cassette, didnt have a record player then, when it first came out and have always liked this album. Overnight angels, Broadway and Little Star being my favourite tracks
@johntyrie9019
Great album!
@chuckymonster14
well Thankyou rockerbox 1973,,bee searchin for this since loosing this album due tragic events.thanks mate....
@brentcoursey3775
Right on, Doug! Â I've been saying that for more than 35 years now!
@richardozimek5314
In the heat. Good one Ian. Respect
Diamond dogs
@Mungovision
awesome
@rockerbox1973
your welcome mate!
@abygalemoon6689
His lyrics were unique. Angels don't need no phony religions
@rockerbox1973
your welcome my friend :-)