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.
Who Do You Love
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh the jets ain't jumping 'cause the clouds too low
I want to know
I want to know
I want to know
The ice on the window the highway the sea
Who do you love is it him or is it me
Hey, hey I want to know
I called Detroit city on the telephone
The man on the line tell me you ain`t home
I want to know
Who's that voice
What's it say
There's a deep red glow in the early morning sky
Who do you love better make up your mind
Don't want to buy love
Don't want to try love
I just want your love babe
Hey alright!
Well it's five in the morning and the place is dead
I'm gonna rest my body on a empty bed
Who do you love
I gotta know
What's his name baby
What's your game
Make up your mind are you his are you mine
When you get back I ask you one more time
Hey, hey!
Hey, hey!
The lyrics of the Ian Hunter's song "Who Do You Love" depict the singer driving on a rainy and snowy road, contemplating his lover's loyalty. The planes he hears are grounded because of the low clouds, leaving him with his thoughts. He wants to know if the person he loves is also in love with him or someone else. The ice on the window and the ocean beside the highway represent the barriers that lay between the singer and his lover. He asks if the person on the other side of the line his detective work got him to speak to is his rival, and what they are saying. The lyrics claim that there is a red glow in the sky, symbolizing the pending day, the decision that the singer wants his lover to make. He insists that he is not interested in buying or trying to obtain love; he just wants his lover's love.
The chorus repeats "Who do you love," as the singer repeatedly questions his lover's decision. The lyrics also explain how it's early morning, and the place that the singer is at is empty, and he is going to rest but wants to know the name of the person his lover is with. He wants to know what's going on and who his lover's heart belongs to. In the final moments, Hunter requests a definitive answer. He asks his lover to decide whether they will return to him, or leave him for their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving off in the rain and snow
Leaving a difficult or uncertain situation, perhaps under unpleasant circumstances.
Oh the jets ain't jumping 'cause the clouds too low
A reference to bad weather affecting air travel. Can also refer to things not going right for the singer.
I want to know
The singer is seeking information.
The ice on the window the highway the sea
Describing the surroundings and conditions. Can be interpreted as a metaphor for the artist's emotional state.
Who do you love is it him or is it me
The artist is questioning the loyalty of their partner.
Hey, hey I want to know
Reiteration of the singer's desire for information.
I called Detroit city on the telephone
Attempt to contact someone who can help the singer get information.
The man on the line tell me you ain`t home
Obstacle preventing the artist from getting the information they seek.
Who's that voice
The artist hears a voice and is curious as to whose it is.
What's it say
The artist is trying to decipher the message conveyed by the voice.
There's a deep red glow in the early morning sky
A sense of foreboding or portent of things to come.
Who do you love better make up your mind
The artist is growing impatient with the lack of clarity in their relationship.
Don't want to buy love
The singer does not want a relationship rooted in financial exchange.
Don't want to try love
The singer does not want a relationship based on experimentation or novelty.
I just want your love babe
Simple and straightforward desire for affection from the singer's partner.
Well it's five in the morning and the place is dead
Describing the time and conditions of the artist's situation.
I'm gonna rest my body on a empty bed
The artist is physically exhausted and intends to rest.
Who do you love
Reiteration of the singer's question to their partner.
I gotta know
The singer is becoming increasingly insistent on obtaining a clear answer.
What's his name baby
The artist wants to know the identity of their partner's other love interest.
What's your game
The artist is becoming suspicious of their partner's intentions and actions.
Make up your mind are you his are you mine
The artist wants their partner to choose between them and their other love interest.
When you get back I ask you one more time
The singer intends to continue questioning their partner until they get a satisfactory answer.
Hey, hey!
Exclamation of frustration and impatience from the artist.
Hey, hey!
Closing exclamation of frustration and impatience.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind