He also recorded several solo albums, the most notable example of which was Slaughter on 10th Avenue, which reached #9 on the UK Albums Chart. Ronson played with various bands after his time with Bowie. He was named the 64th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone.
Michael Ronson was born in Beverley Road, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, in 1946, then moved to Greatfield, Hull. As a child he was trained classically to play piano, recorder, violin, and (later) the harmonium. He initially wanted to be a cellist, but moved to guitar upon discovering the music of Duane Eddy, whose sound on the bass notes of his guitar sounded to Ronson similar to that of the cello.[3] He joined his first band, The Mariners, in November 1963, when he was just 17. His stage debut with The Mariners was in support of the Keith Herd Band at Brough Village Hall, a gig for which the band traveled 35 miles and got paid 10 shillings (50p). While Ronson was working with The Mariners, another local Hull group – The Crestas – recruited him on the advice of The Mariners' bassist John Griffiths. With Ronson on board the Crestas gained a solid reputation, making regular appearances at local halls: Mondays at the Halfway House in Hull, Thursdays at the Ferryboat Hotel, Fridays at the Regal Ballroom in Beverley, and Sundays at the Duke of Cumberland in North Ferriby.
In 1965, Ronson left The Crestas to try his luck in London. He took a part time job as a mechanic, and before long, he teamed up with a band called The Voice, replacing Miller Anderson. Soon afterward, Crestas' drummer Dave Bradfield made the trip down to London when the Voice's drummer left. After playing just a few dates with the group, Ronson and Bradfield returned from a weekend in Hull to find their gear piled at their flat and a note explaining that the rest of the group had gone to The Bahamas. Ronson stayed in London and teamed up briefly with a soul band called The Wanted, before eventually returning to Hull.
In 1966, Ronson joined Hull's top local band, The Rats, joining singer Benny Marshall, bassist Geoff Appleby, and drummer Jim Simpson (who was subsequently replaced by Clive Taylor and then John Cambridge). The group played the local circuit, and made a few unsuccessful trips to London and Paris.
In 1967 The Rats recorded the one-off psychedelic track, "The Rise And Fall Of Bernie Gripplestone" at Fairview Studios in Hull, and can be heard on the 2008 release Front Room Masters – Fairview Studios 1966–1973.[5] 1968 saw the band change their name briefly to Treacle and book another recording session at Fairview Studios in 1969, before reverting to their original name. Around this time, Ronson was recommended by Rick Kemp to play guitar on Michael Chapman's Fully Qualified Survivor album.[4]
When John Cambridge left The Rats to join his former Hullaballoos bandmate Mick Wayne in Junior's Eyes, he was replaced by Mick "Woody" Woodmansey. In November 1969, the band recorded a final session at Fairview, taping "Telephone Blues" and "Early in Spring".
In March 1970, during the recording sessions for Elton John's album Tumbleweed Connection, Ronson played guitar on the track "Madman Across the Water". This song however was not included in the original release. The recording featuring Ronson was released on the 1992 compilation album, Rare Masters, and the 1995 reissue of Tumbleweed Connection.
Early in 1970, Cambridge came back to Hull in search of Ronson, intent upon recruiting him for a new David Bowie backing band called The Hype. He found Ronson marking out a rugby pitch, one of his duties as a Parks Department gardener for Hull City Council. Having failed in his earlier attempts in London, Ronson was reluctant, but eventually agreed to accompany Cambridge to a meeting with Bowie. Two days later, on 5 February, Ronson made his debut with Bowie on John Peel's national BBC Radio 1 show.
The Hype played their first gig at The Roundhouse on 22 February with a line-up that included Bowie, Ronson, Cambridge, and producer/bassist Tony Visconti. The group dressed up in superhero costumes, with Bowie as Rainbowman, Visconti as Hypeman, Ronson as Gangsterman, and Cambridge as Cowboyman. Also on the bill that day were Bachdenkel, The Groundhogs and Caravan. The following day they performed at the Streatham Arms in London under the pseudonym of 'Harry The Butcher'. They also performed on 28 February at the Basildon Arts Lab experimental music club at the Basildon Arts Centre in Essex, billed as 'David Bowie's New Electric Band'. Also on the bill were High Tide, Overson and Iron Butterfly. Strawbs were due to perform but were replaced by Bowie's New Electric Band. John Cambridge departed on 30 March, again replaced by Woody Woodmansey. In April 1970, Ronson, Woodmansey, and Visconti commenced recording Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World album.
During the sessions for The Man Who Sold The World, the trio of Ronson, Visconti, and Woodmansey – still under The Hype moniker – signed to Vertigo Records. The group recruited Benny Marshall from The Rats as vocalist, and entered the studio to record an album. By the time a single appeared, The Hype had been renamed Ronno. "4th Hour of My Sleep" was released on Vertigo to an indifferent reception in January 1971. The song was written by Tucker Zimmerman. The B-side was a Ronson/Marshall composition called "Powers of Darkness". The Ronno album was never completed.
Bowie's backing ensemble, which now included Trevor Bolder who had replaced Visconti on bass guitar and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, were used in the recording of Hunky Dory. The departure of Visconti also meant that Ronson, with Bowie, took over the arrangements, whilst Ken Scott co-produced with Bowie. Hunky Dory was perhaps their most collaborative album, which the sleeve notes acknowledged.
It was this band, minus Wakeman, that became known as The Spiders From Mars from the title of the next Bowie album. Again, Ronson was a key part of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, providing string arrangements and various instrumentation, as well as playing lead guitar. Ronson and Bowie achieved some notoriety over the concerts promoting this album, when Bowie would simulate fellatio on Ronson's guitar as he played. Ronson's guitar and arranging during the Spiders from Mars era provided much of the underpinning for later punk rock musicians. In 1972 Ronson provided a strings-and-brass arrangement for the song "Sea Diver" on the Bowie-produced All The Young Dudes album for Mott The Hoople, and co-produced Lou Reed's album Transformer with Bowie, playing lead guitar and piano on the song "Perfect Day". Again with Bowie, he re-recorded and produced the track "The Man Who Sold The World" for Lulu, released as a single in the UK, and played on a few tracks on the Dana Gillespie album Weren't Born a Man.
Ronson appeared on the 1972 country rock album Bustin' Out by Pure Prairie League, where he undertook string ensemble arrangements and contributed guitar and vocals on several tracks most notably "Angel #9" which reappeared on his solo LP "Play Don't Worry."
His guitar work was next heard on Bowie's Aladdin Sane and 1973's covers album Pin Ups. However, he was absent from the subsequent Diamond Dogs album.
Bowie said in a 1994 interview that "Mick was the perfect foil for the Ziggy character. He was very much a salt-of-the-earth type, the blunt northerner with a defiantly masculine personality, so that what you got was the old-fashioned Yin and Yang thing. As a rock duo, I thought we were every bit as good as Mick and Keith or Axl and Slash. Ziggy and Mick were the personification of that rock n roll dualism."
After leaving Bowie's entourage after the "Farewell Concert" in 1973, Ronson released three solo albums. His solo debut Slaughter on 10th Avenue, featured a version of Elvis Presley's, "Love Me Tender", as well as Ronson's most famous solo track, "Only After Dark". In addition, his sister, Margaret (Maggi) Ronson, provided the backing vocals for the set. Between this and the 1975 follow-up, Ronson had a short-lived stint with Mott the Hoople.He then became a long-time collaborator with Mott's former leader Ian Hunter, commencing with the album Ian Hunter(UK #21) and featuring the UK Singles Chart #14 hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", including a spell touring as the Hunter Ronson Band. In 1980, the live album Welcome to the Club was released, including a couple of Ronson contributions, although it also contained a few studio-based tracks – one of which was a Hunter/Ronson composition.
In 1974, Ronson secured the #2 spot from a reader's poll in Creem magazine as the best guitarist that year (with Jimmy Page taking first place, and Eric Clapton in third place after Ronson.
Ronson contributed guitar to the title track of the 1976 David Cassidy release Getting It in the Street.
Roger Daltrey employed Ronson's guitar on his 1977 solo release One of the Boys.
In 1979 Ronson and Hunter produced and played on the Ellen Foley debut album, Night Out, with "We Belong To The Night" and the hit single "What's a Matter Baby."
In 1982, Ronson worked with John Mellencamp on his American Fool album, and in particular the song "Jack & Diane". Both "Jack & Diane" and American Fool topped their respective US Billboard charts.
In 1990, Ronson again collaborated with Hunter on the album Yui Orta, this time getting joint credit, as "Hunter/Ronson". In 1993, he again appeared on a Bowie album, Black Tie White Noise, playing on the track "I Feel Free", originally recorded by Cream. Ronson and Bowie had already covered this track live twenty years earlier, whilst touring as Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
His second and third solo albums were Play Don't Worry in 1975, and Heaven and Hull in 1994. The latter set was only partly completed at the time of Ronson's death, and was released posthumously. Artists involved with the album included John Mellencamp, Joe Elliott, Ian Hunter, David Bowie, Chrissie Hynde, and Martin Chambers.
Besides Bowie and Hunter, Ronson went on to work as a musician, songwriter and record producer with many other acts including Slaughter & The Dogs (who took their name from the Ronson album Slaughter on 10th Avenue), Morrissey, The Wildhearts, The Rich Kids, Elton John, John Mellencamp, T-Bone Burnett, Dalbello, Benny Mardones, Iron City Houserockers and the Italian band Moda. He did not restrict his influence behind the recording desk to just established acts. His production work appears on albums by more obscure artists, such as Payolas, Phil Rambow and Los Illegals and The Mundanes. Ronson produced The Visible Targets, a Seattle based group, on their 1983 five track EP, "Autistic Savant".
Ronson was also a member of Bob Dylan's "Rolling Thunder Revue" live band,[12] and can be seen both on and off-stage in the film of the tour.[17] He also made a connection with Roger McGuinn during this time, which led to his producing and contributing guitar and arrangements to McGuinn's 1976 solo album Cardiff Rose.
In 1982, he participated on lead guitar in a short lived band with Hilly Michaels on drums and Les Fradkin on bass guitar. One of their recordings from this group, Spare Change, appeared on the Fradkin's 2006 album, Goin' Back.
In 1987, Ronson made an appearance on a record by The Toll. Ronson played lead on the band's song, "Stand in Winter", from the album The Price of Progression.
In 1992 he produced Morrissey's album, Your Arsenal. The same year, Ronson's final high profile live performance was his appearance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. He played on "All the Young Dudes" with Bowie and Hunter; and "Heroes" with Bowie. Ronson's final recorded session was as a guest on the 1993 Wildhearts album Earth vs the Wildhearts, where he played the guitar solo on the song "My Baby is a Headfuck".
Ronson died of liver cancer on 29 April 1993 at the age of 46, survived by his wife Suzy, and his children Nicholas, Lisa (with wife, Suzi Ronson), and Joakim (with Carola Westerlund). Ronson was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His funeral was held in a Mormon chapel in London on 6 May.
In his memory, the Mick Ronson Memorial Stage was constructed in Queens Gardens in his hometown of Hull. There is also a street named after him on Bilton Grange Estate, not far from where he lived.
Throughout his career with Bowie, Ronson used a 1968 Gibson Les Paul customised "Black Beauty". In the post-Bowie era, Ronson tended towards a blue, rosewood-board Fender Telecaster; he did not, however, limit himself to these two guitars. Ronson also used Marshall 200 amps (not to be confused with a Marshall Major) that he nicknamed "The Pig". Ronson also used a MKI Tone Bender for his signature sound during the Spiders from Mars era.
Don't Look Down
Mick Ronson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know what I'm doing here, but you might know my name
Room full of faces laughing, I'm so alone
Feel a little strange, 'cause I'm so far from home
Don't wanna fall
Remember don't look down
Don't wanna fall
Yeah, don't look down
Had a woman's love, but she sent me away
Can't live with a broken heart, but there's no place to stay
I won't be crying, I don't have the time
Better keep my head on straight, 'cause I'm walking the line
Don't wanna fall
Remember don't look down
Don't wanna fall
Remember don't look down
Don't look down
Getting kinda scared but you see, I'm here just the same
Gonna face the day, 'cause there's no one else I can blame
I got my trouble, I'll get it over and done
I'll never get too far if I keep trying to run
Don't wanna fall
Remember don't look down
Don't wanna fall
Remember don't look down
Don't look down
Don't look down
The lyrics of Mick Ronson's “Don't Look Down” reflect a man’s inner turmoil while in an unfamiliar place. He is lost, lonely, and uncomfortable, surrounded by strangers who seem happy while he feels out of place. He does not know why he is there, but others might recognize him because of his name. Ronson’s use of the phrase “don’t look down” throughout the song suggests the man’s sense of vulnerability and a fear of failing. He does not want to fall and potentially injure himself, but every step seems perilous, even more so because he is far from home. The lyrics are evocative of a personal struggle to remain above ground when it feels like everything and everyone is pulling him down.
In the second stanza, the man’s vulnerability is further emphasized. He has lost a woman's love, breaking his heart and leaving him with no place to go. Still, he has no time to cry; he needs to stay focused because he is “walking the line.” Whether he is pursuing a new relationship or attempting to cope with his internal struggles, he cannot afford to let himself fall. Refusing to look down becomes essential to keep himself grounded and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Overall, “Don't Look Down” is a reflective song that expresses feelings of isolation, uncertainty, and vulnerability. Ronson’s use of repetition and simple lyrics helps emphasize the character's focus and determination to not give in to his fears. The song offers an important lesson about how we can keep ourselves steady by redirecting our thoughts, looking straight ahead, and persevering through tough times.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't know what I'm doing here, but I say it again
I'm not sure why I'm here, but it's a recurring feeling
Don't know what I'm doing here, but you might know my name
I'm not sure why I'm here, but you might recognize me
Room full of faces laughing, I'm so alone
I'm surrounded by people, but I still feel isolated and left out
Feel a little strange, 'cause I'm so far from home
I feel a bit out of place and uncomfortable because I'm far away from my usual surroundings
Don't wanna fall
I don't want to fail
Remember don't look down
I need to keep my head up and stay positive
Yeah, don't look down
It's important to not let myself get discouraged
Had a woman's love, but she sent me away
I was once in love, but it ended and I was left rejected
Can't live with a broken heart, but there's no place to stay
I can't keep dwelling on my heartbreak, but I also don't know where to go next
I won't be crying, I don't have the time
I won't let myself be consumed by sadness, I need to focus on moving forward
Better keep my head on straight, 'cause I'm walking the line
I need to stay level-headed because I'm walking a fine line between success and failure
Getting kinda scared but you see, I'm here just the same
I'm feeling a bit frightened, but I'm still here and I won't give up
Gonna face the day, 'cause there's no one else I can blame
I need to take responsibility for my life and face each day head-on
I got my trouble, I'll get it over and done
I have many problems, but I'll find a way to overcome them
I'll never get too far if I keep trying to run
I can't just run away from my problems or I'll never make any real progress
Don't wanna fall
I don't want to fail
Remember don't look down
I need to keep my head up and stay positive
Don't wanna fall
I don't want to fail
Remember don't look down
I need to keep my head up and stay positive
Don't look down
It's important to not let myself get discouraged
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN ROSS, ROBERT SHIELDS, CHRIS ALLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Myra Travin
Mick was such a beautifully lyrical player, as if music was inside him and trailed in clouds of glory everywhere he went. Such power, such subtlety, a fragile heart who had so much still yet to give. Rest easy, Mick -- we hear you.
Martin
The majesty of the musically inclined spirit of love also wanted from him as the clouds from heaven. All the glory of his ever so fragile heart, his loving fragile heart, his glorious fragile loving heart, and the fragility of those clouds that trailed from within him are shrouding the angels and the good Lord Himself.
Thank God we have such astute and poetic fans that can so appropriately dote upon this beautifully lyrical player so lovingly.
Shiroumx M
well said!!! greetings from México
Steven Haywood
Myra Travin , I agree with you! What a song! What a guitar player!
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Steven Haywood
Myra Travin ,what a lovely way to say it!
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Cami Castle
Ronno is so underrated! Fantastic song! We owe so much to him. Rock on in the band in heaven with Trevor and David!
Steven Haywood
This is one of the strongest songs Mick ever wrote. One of six he co-wrote with Sham Morris on Heaven and Hull. There is another he wrote on his own, and three excellent covers. Great contributions on that album from Mick's collaborators too, make it an amazing achievement and a wonderful listening experience.
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Mari M.
What a gift he was to all of us ! Unbelievable musician my very favorite guitarist!
Mari M.
wildcatter63 ,agreed!!
Howard Anderson
Mick is the best!!! Great song, rocks so hard...