UMC Announce Mott The Hoople Box Set 69-71

August 31, 2018

UMC have announced today a huge 6-CD box set release that features all of Mott The Hoople’s recordings (previously unheard and unreleased tracks too) between 69 and 71, including hits like ‘Thunderbuck Ram’, ‘Laugh At Me’, ‘Waterlow’, and a new version of ‘Rock And Roll Queen’.

50 pages of rare photos of the band in a brand new booklet and extensive footnotes by Mott-expert Kris Needs accompany the four studio albums, unheard tracks, live recordings, and covers of classic tracks like ‘Hey Jude’, ‘You Really Got Me’, and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’. Coming out on November 2nd via UMC, this will be an essential purchase for Mott fans and an essential present for anyone that knows a Mott fan! There will be a lot of excitement around this one as there has never been a release that specifically covers the years between 1969 and 1971 like this before.

Out November 2nd

Bringing together all of their albums from the period, the set also includes bonus material plus BBC sessions and live concerts. The studio albums have all been remastered from the original tapes (where available) by renowned engineer Andy Pearce and have been complemented by bonus tracks selected by Mott the Hoople expert, Kris Needs.

Disc 5 comprises more unheard and, in some cases, unreleased music from the Island archive and Disc 6 rounds everything off with live material recorded at Fairfield Hall, Croydon on 13th September 1970 plus a BBC Radio One In Concert from the Paris Theatre, London on 30th December 1971. The CDs are housed in a shoe box style package with a 50-page booklet designed by Phil Smee who scoured the archives for rare photos and memorabilia, tracing the evolution of the band. It is completed with comprehensive sleeve notes by Kris Needs.

Disc Titles:
Disc One: Mott the Hoople plus bonus tracks
Disc Two: Mad Shadows plus bonus tracks
Disc Three: Wildlife plus bonus tracks
Disc Four: Brain Capers plus bonus tracks
Disc Five: The Ballads of Mott The Hoople
Disc Six: It’s Live and Live Only

TRACKLISTING:

CD1 – MOTT THE HOOPLE
Originally released November 22 1969 – Island Records ILPS 9108

You Really Got Me
At the Crossroads
Laugh at Me
Backsliding Fearlessly
Rock and Roll Queen
Rabbit Foot and Toby Time
Half Moon Bay
Wrath and Wroll

Bonus Tracks

If Your Heart Lay with the Rebel (Would You Cheer the Underdog?) (Instrumental Take 2)
Rock and Roll Queen (Single A side)
Road to Birmingham (Single B side)
Road to Birmingham (Guy Steven’s Mix)
You Really Got Me (Complete take)
You Really Got Me (Vocal mix)
Rock and Roll Queen (Guy Steven’s Mono Mix)
Rock and Roll Queen (Kitchen Sink Instrumental)
Little Christine (2 Miles)

CD2 – MAD SHADOWS
Originally released September 1970 – Island Records ILPS 9119

Thunderbuck Ram
No Wheels to Ride
You Are One of Us
Walking with a Mountain
I Can Feel
Threads of Iron
When My Mind’s Gone

Bonus Tracks

Thunderbuck Ram (BBC Session)
Thunderbuck Ram (Original Take with Organ)
No Wheels to Ride (Demo)
Moonbus (Baby’s Got a Down on Me)
The Hunchback Fish (Vocal Rehearsal)
You Are One of Us (Take 9)
Going Home (2 Miles)
Keep A-Knockin’ (Studio version)

CD3 – WILDLIFE
Originally released March 1971 – Island Records ILPS 9144

Whiskey Women
Angel of Eighth Avenue
Wrong Side of the River
Waterlow
Lay Down
It Must Be Love
The Original Mixed Up Kid
Home Is Where I Want to Be
Keep A-Knockin’ (Live)

Bonus Tracks

Midnight Lady (Single A side)
The Debt (Single B side)
Downtown (Single A side)
Brain Haulage (Whiskey Woman)
Growing Man Blues (Take 10)
Long Red (Demo)
The Ballad of Billy Joe
Lay Down (Take 8

CD4 – BRAIN CAPERS
Originally released December 1971 – Island Records – ILPS 9178

Death May Be Your Santa Claus
Your Own Backyard
Darkness, Darkness
The Journey
Sweet Angeline
Second Love
The Moon Upstairs
The Wheel of the Quivering Meat Conception

Bonus Tracks

Mental Train (The Moon Upstairs)
How Long? (Death May Your Santa Claus)
Darkness, Darkness
Your Own Backyard (Complete Take)
Where Do You All Come From (Backing Track)
One of the Boys (Take 2)
Movin’ On (2 Miles)
Black Scorpio (Mommas Little Jewel)

CD5 – THE BALLADS OF MOTT THE HOOPLE
Unheard and unreleased music from the Island archive

Like a Rolling Stone (Fragment)
No Wheels to Ride (1st House)
Angel Of 8th Avenue (Tape 816)
The Journey
Blue Broken Tears (Tape 816)
Black Hills (Full Ralph’s Version)
Can You Sing the Song That I Sing (Full Take)
Till I’m Gone (2 Miles)
The Original Mixed Up Kid (BBC Session)
Ill Wind Blowing (2 Miles)
I’m A River (Vocal Rehearsal)
Ride on The Sun (Sea Diver) (2 Miles)

CD6 – IT’S LIVE AND LIVE ONLY
– Tracks 1 – 7: Fairfield Hall, Croydon, 13 September 1970
– Tracks 8 to 12: Paris Theatre, London, BBC Radio One, In Concert, 30 December 1971