Mick Ronson 1946 - 1993

Born on May 26, 1946 in the Yorkshire city of Hull in Northern England, Mick Ronson was the first son of George and Minnie Ronson. Members of the Mormon Church, Mick had a younger sister, Maggie, and a brother, David.

Displaying early musical ability when he was given an accordian by a neighbor at the age of three, Mick was later offered piano lessons with a series of teachers but became discouraged as each was challenged in dealing with so young and so talented a student. He also took an interest in playing the recorder and played harmonium in his family's church. Later, wanting to play the cello, Mick was told he'd first need to learn and play violin for four years. While he proved an adept student, an insensitive teacher and the pressure of his peers discouraged him from continuing to pursue violin or to ultimately learn to play cello.

Violin was quite fun but after about three years I got fed up with it, because people used to make fun of you if you carried a violin case. All the big lads were getting motorbikes, and I wanted to go out into the streets and into bowling alleys and things. I used to pay people to carry my violin because I was afraid to--there were some tough lads there. (Interview in "Guitar Player," December 1976)

While he didn't return to playing a musical instrument for another three years, Mick's grounding in string instruments ultimately revealed itself in his use of strings in arranging for other artists, particularly in his collaborations with David Bowie.



1963 - 1965 - THE MARINERS / THE CRESTAS

At the age of seventeen, Mick bought his first guitar, an acoustic Rosetti, which he purchased for four pounds (some sources report that his parents purchased it for him on a payment plan). Shortly after that, in November of 1963, Mick joined his first band, The Mariners. The band stayed together for about nine months, functioning originally without a bass player (Rick Kemp later joined the band to play bass later became a member of Steeleye Span) and landed some minor gigs in the local area. One such appearance was at the Elloughton Village Hall some 35 miles from their home where they preceded the Keith Herd Band on stage. For their efforts, they were paid 35 shillings.

Competing with The Mariners at the time was another local band known as The Crestas. After a period of flux during which members of The Crestas departed and musicians from other local bands were enlisted to fill their vacancies, an opening remained for a lead guitar player. After members of The Crestas checked him out at a Mariners' performance, Mick was recruited for that role. The group immediately gained a strong local reputation and before long was appearing regularly at a number of local clubs and ballrooms. Mick remained with The Crestas for a short period of time after the band experienced another turnover in personnel in mid 1965 and then decided to pursue his fortunes in London.



1965 - 1966 - LONDON

Mick made the first of a number of moves to London later in 1965 and immediately took work as a mechanic to support himself as he sought out musical alliances. Mick quickly joined with a locally based band known at The Voice. What he didn't know at the time was that the band was sponsored by a religious cult--an offshoot of the Church of Scientology--known as The Process. Mick played a number of gigs with The Voice prior to finding out about their sponsors and stories vary as to whether Mick left the band because it was antithetical to his Mormon upbringing or whether the band actually abandoned Ronson--and London--and moved to the Bahamas while Mick was visiting his family in Hull. Mick attempted to sustain himself with random jobs in London and ultimately joined a local Motown-cover band known as The Wanted. The band and the relationship was short-lived, however, and Ronson was forced to return to Hull.



1967 - 1969 - THE RATS / TREACLE

One of Hull's resident bands, The Rats had disbanded prior to Mick's return with members both returning to school and looking for greater possibilities. Singer Benny Marshall and Jim Simpson, the drummer, had kept the band's name. Ronson, who'd accepted work in a local paint factory, was first recruited and then Geoff Appleby, a bassist, joined the newly revitalized group. A London audition yielded a month-long gig in Paris and Ronson, as he had in the past and would in the future, left his day job to pursue his musical interests. Before the band would leave, Simpson would refuse to make the trip and was ultimately replaced by Clive Taylor, an old bandmate of Marshall's. The month in France left The Rats rich in experience but they retrurned to England broke. John Cambridge, who'd been originally desired to replace Simpson when the drummer left, replaced Clive Taylor and the band became regulars on the Hull music scene during 1967.

Keith Herd, for whom Ronson and The Mariners had opened in 1963, opened his Fairview Studios in Hull in 1967. The Rats went into the studio for the first time that winter and recorded The Rise and Fall of Bernie Gripplestone. With record in hand, The Rats went south to London but after only a short time, returned toHull, having found no bookings. Working the local Hull clubs again through 1968, the band, temporarily renamed as Treacle and under local management, returned to Fairview Studios again in early 1969. Geoff Appleby, having recently been married, left the band and was replaced by Keith Cheeseman. Mick and Appleby remained long-time friends with Appleby playing on Ronson's solo efforts. In spite of a paralysis that left him unable to communicate, Appleby appeared onstage at the memorial concert for Mick in 1994
Treacle recorded Stop and Get A Hold of Myself, Mick's Boogie (an interpretation of Mick's hero's, Jeff Beck's, Jeff's Boogie) and Morning Dew. Drummer John Cambridge left Treacle to join Junior's Eyes (Junior's Eyes would soon thereafter provide backings for a not yet widely known David Bowie and Cambridge would ultimately invite vocalist Benny Marshall to provide a harmonica solo on Bowie's Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed) and was replaced by Mick 'Woody' Woodmansey. By the end of 1969, Mick was back in Hull and recorded with The Rats for the last time putting two numbers to tape in the Fairview studios. Michael Chapman, the first of many musicians for whom Ronson sessioned, recalled

The Rats were like your local heavy metal covers band...the loudest band in the district. But there was a spark about Mick, because of the notes he picked. He wasn't the average black Les Paul and as many Marshalls as you could get in the back of the truck type.



1970 - DAVID BOWIE & THE HYPE

In an event that was to be momentus in Ronson's musical career, former Rats drummer, John Cambridge, returned to Hull in January of 1970 with the intent of bringing Ronson back to London. Cambridge wanted Mick to play lead guitar in a new band, The Hype, being put together to back David Bowie. Bowie and Ronson met for the first time on February third and within hours, Mick was rehearsing to back Bowie in the latter's appearance on John Peel's Sunday Show.

He was going to play on a radio show called 'The David Peel Show" and out of the clear blue he looked at me and said, 'How would you like to come along?' and I said, 'Yeah, O.K.' I sat down and watched him as he moved his fingers around and I filled out pieces in between what he was playing. That's how we started. (Ronson, Circus Magazine, April 1974)

Within a month, The Hype, composed of Ronson, Tony Visconti (Visconti went on to a long career in production which he continues to the present) and Cambridge played their first live gig behind Bowie at The Roundhouse in London on February 22, 1970 in what was perhaps the first glam rock performance. With Bowie costumed as "The Spaceman" and Ronson as "The Gangsterman" the performance was booed, apparently to the delight of Bowie who said "people hated it. They absolutely loathed what we were doing. It was great!"

By the early months of 1970, having already been called upon by Michael Chapman and Elton John for his guitar prowess and now working actively with David Bowie, Mick Ronson was stepping into the musical world to which he'd aspired over the past seven years. His partnership with David Bowie would cast him into the musical world's spotlight.


1963 - 1969 - DAVID BOWIE'S EARLY YEARS

Thirty five odd-years after his career began, it’s sometimes difficult to recall that David Bowie wasn’t always a star: nor was he always David Bowie! David Jones labored through the 1960s in search of an identity and a reputation that would reach beyond London’s music scene. For the first years of his career, starting in 1963, he played with or fronted local groups. Continuing his quest for acceptance, on the heels of Bob Dylan and Donovan, he ultimately set out as a solo act. Late in 1966, Jones changed his name to David Bowie and used the moment as an opportunity to restart his faltering career. Along with his change of name, opportunity awaited the newly christened Bowie in the person of Ken Pitts who undertook to manage the artist’s career. Sensing a change in the music scene, Pitts groomed Bowie to be a more thoughtful artist and, in 1967, secured for him a contract on the Deram label.

While his initial effort, a self-titled album for Deram, was commercially unsuccessful and sold fewer than a thousandcopies, Bowie’s career was boosted by the support of John Peel whose BBC show, Top Gear, provided him with a regular venue to present his songs. In 1969, Pitts used the popularity of Bowie’s recently penned Space Oddity to gain a one year contract with Philips/Mercury. A subsequent album carrying the name of the single--Bowie’s first modestly successful effort--resulted and as he entered the new decade, some of the notoriety for which he’d worked began to be realized. Production of the album had been turned over to Gus Dudgeon because Bowie’s producer on earlier efforts, Tony Visconti, regarded it as an ill-advised, shameless, commercial sellout.

Over the months that followed the release of Space Oddity, Bowie, backed first by Junior’s Eyes and later by The Hype, supported other acts as he performed to publicize his own efforts. While these backing bands would ultimately become footnotes in Bowie’s history, along with his relationships with Tony Visconti and Gus Dudgeon, they’d provide the web from which The Spiders From Mars would emerge.



1970 - RONSON MEETS BOWIE

In 1969, John Cambridge left The Rats and joined Bowie in London as part of Junior’s Eyes. He was replaced in the Rats by another local Hull musician, Mick "Woody" Woodmansey. The group continued to perform locally and to record on a sporadic basis with their music taking a harder, driving edge. Ronson, already highly regarded and growing ever more confident began to become more and more flamboyant as he performed, emulating Jimi Hendrix as he picked at his guitar with his teeth. Within months, in February of 1970, Cambridge returned to Hull with the intent of gathering up Ronson and bringing him back to London at Bowie's request. The story is told that Ronson had taken a job as a municipal gardener and was marking out a cricket field when Cambridge located him. His past ventures in London having yielded nothing but debt and knowing that Bowie had yet to achieve wide-spread acclaim, Ronson was at first reluctant but ultimately agreed and traveled to London along with his then pregnant teenage girlfriend Denise and Cambridge wherehe met Bowie on February 3, 1970 at the Marquee Club (Bowie was accompanied that night by Junior'sEyes). Two days later, along with Tony Visconti and Cambridge, Ronson backed Bowie on John Peel's BBC Sunday Show. BBC records of the performance show the group, which would become Hype, was listed simply as the Tony Visconti Trio. Having had only two days of rehearsals in the basement of Bowie's Haddon Hall home, Ronson provided workman-like support, following the recorded lines on "The Prettiest Star" (the original accompaniment had been recorded by Mark Bolan), "Janine" and "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud." Displaying the abilities that would earn him regard as the guitar hero of the Seventies, Ronson took control of "Unwashed and Somewhat Sightly Dazed" and of a new song, "The Width of a Circle," his signature number throughout the Ziggy era. (Visconti stated that Denise lasted only a week at Haddon Hall before returning to Hull where she gave birth to Mick's son, Nicholas, who is now a Hull-based guitarist. Visconti also suggests that the first meeting of Mick and Bowie may have occurred earlier than noted above. He states that Ronson added "a little guitar line in the middle part and joined in the handclaps in the same section" during the mixing of "The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud" sometime after it was recorded in June of 1969).)

1970 - THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD

The Sunday Show appearance was followed by the February 22, 1970 show at The Roundhouse with Hype making its first formal appearance. Bowie, attired as Starman, was accompanied by Ronson as Gangsterman, bassist Visconti as Hypeman and drummer Cambridge as Cowboyman. While not necessarily a musical success (the four, opening for Country Joe McDonald, late of the San Francisco psychedelic band Country Joe and the Fish and for Noel Redding's Fat Mattress were greeted with disdain by the denim-clad crowd in attendance), it marked what many perceive to be the birth of Glam Rock. In the months that followed (sessions took place at Trident Studios from April 18 through May1 and then moved to Advision Studios from May 12 through 22), Ronson, along with Visconti (who also produced and contributed arrangements) and Woody Woodmansey who had replaced Cambridge, provided the hard driving backing for
Bowie's album The Man Who Sold The World.

The Man Who Sold The World was, up until the first Tin Machine album, Bowie's most hard-rock oriented album. Although Mick Ronson's solos do dominate, the music, courtesy of the Moog synthesiser, also has a forbidding futuristic feel.....David Buckley (The Complete Guide To The Music of David Bowie)

With The Man Who Sold The World completed, Bowie retreated to Haddon Hall, seemingly still undecided as to the direction of his career. Tony Visconti departed, discouraged by Bowie's lack of focus and dubious work ethic during the recording of the album. He was soon engaged producing Marc Bolan and T. Rex. Ronson and Woodmansey returned to Hull where they teamed with bassist Trevor Bolder and former Rats lead singer, Benny Marshall, to form Ronno. Thanks to the efforts of Bowie's new wife, Angie, they signed a contract with Vertigo and began recording an album with Tony Visconti producing. During this period, Ronson was called upon to contribute to an Elton John session which produced "Madman Across The Water." The version--"far too psychedelic" according to producer Gus Dudgeon--was replaced by a more orchestrated arrangement on the subsequent Tumbleweed Connection. The group's commitment to producing the album faltered when Bowie called and requested that Ronson return to London. A single, "Fourth Hour Of My Sleep" / "Power of Darkness," resulted from the sessions and was released by Vertigo in 1971. A promotional movie of the two numbers was also shot but never released.



1971 - HUNKY DORY / THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST

Recording under the name Arnold Korns to circumvent contractual commitments to Mercury Records, Bowie was accompanied by guitarist Mark Carr Pritchard, bassist Polak de Somogyl and drummer Ralph St Laurent Broadbent (the group of schoolboy musicians had previously been performing as "Runk"). The limited output of these sessions, "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang On to Yourself" (released in May of 1971 as a single) provided early material for the Ziggy Stardust album while "Looking for a Friend" and "Man In the Middle" remained more obscure. While Bowie considered several past collaborators, he ultimately decided that Ronson was essential to his efforts. Mick, this time accompanied by former Rats drummer Woody Woodmansey and bassist Trevor Bolder, returned to London in May of 1971. The major project of this period, however, was Hunky Dory. A radical departure from its rock-based predecessor, Hunky Dory was centered around the piano interpretations of Rick Wakeman, a highly regarded keyboard session man. Ronson and Bowie's acoustic guitars are evident and, for the first time, Ronson expanded his musical horizons and contributed string arrangements on "Life On Mars?" and "Changes." Bolder recalls "Mick returning to Hull to take a course in music theory, and then 'diving in the deep end,' writing orchestral scores." Mick commented at the time that "what I'm good at is putting riffs to things, and hooklines, making things up so songs sound more memorable."

Bowie's manager, Tony Defries, used a master of Hunky Dory to secure a contract with RCA and the album was released in December of 1971. Weeks before its release, Bowie and the soon-to-be Spiders entered the Trident Studios to record the material that ultimately would be compiled to produce The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars, arguably the most influential album of the 1970s. Most of the material, other than the two Arnold Korns songs, was written hastily during the summer and fall of 1971 as the RCA relationship began to materialize.

The sessions weren't very much different to any of the other Bowie sessions. We recorded quickly, just as we always did. It was very much a band feel, with all the members laying down their basic tracks, patching them up to eliminate any mistakes, and then adding the overdubs. The bassist and drummer weren't around much for that part of it. But Mick Ronson was important. Like me, he had the job of trying to anticipate what David wanted, and then translating that into musical terms. In that respect he was very good. They were both on the same wavelength. He knew exactly what David wanted at that time. (Ken Scott)



1972 - 1973 - ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS ON TOUR

Studio and production work on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars was completed on February 2, 1972. Between its completion and its release on June sixth of that year, Bowie and the Spiders embarked upon two tours of the U. K., the first during February and March and the second beginning in April and continuing through July. It was during a concert in Oxford on June 17 during "Sufragette City" that Bowie "went down" on Mick's guitar for the first time. The moment was captured on film by Mick Rock and the photo, widely distributed by RCA brought Bowie, the Spiders and the album additional notoriety. Compared to previous Bowie releases, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars had achieved instantaneous recognition in Great Britain (acceptance in the U. S. was slower to materialize), moving into the Top Ten and remaining there for the next eighteen months. Also during the period between the completion of the album and it's release--specifically April--Bowie and Ronson were responsible for the production of Lou Reed's seminal Transformer album. While Bowie received cover credit for the production, it's widely acknowledged that it was Ronson who was actually responsible. Bowie later commented ":at that point he [referring to Ronson] came into his prime--his contribution was massive. He gave great support to Lou's songs. The arrangements would tend to be Mick's and not mine." Reed added "Transformer is easily my best-produced album. That has alot to do with Mick Ronson. His influence was stronger than David's, but together as a team they are terrific."

For the first time in the Fall of 1972 and again in late Winter, early Spring of 1973, Bowie and the Spiders traveled to and toured the United States. In between, material was recorded in London for the forthcoming Aladdin Sane album. Bowie and Ronson lent their efforts also during this period to resurrecting the floundering Mott the Hoople. On the verge of disbanding, Bowie contributed his recently penned "All The Young Dudes" and Ronson provided the string arrangement on the ballad, "Sea Diver." These sessions were to become the basis of Ronson joining Mott in 1974 and of a long-term collaboration with the group's lead singer, Ian Hunter.

Whereas Bowie performed solely with the Spiders on the first U. S. tour, the group doubled in size through the addition of horns, rhythm guitar, backing vocalist and keyboards (played by Mike Garson who would later make ongoing contributions to Ronson's solo efforts and who, to the present day, collaborates with Bowie). The second U. S. tour was followed in April with a whirlwind tour of Moscow, Siberia and Japan and a triumphant May return to London. With only a three week break, Bowie and the Spiders embarked upon another tour of Great Britain beginning on May 12 and ending with the famous July 3 London Odeon show. As a belated birthday present to Ronson, Bowie sent a pair of tickets to the concert to Mick's hero, Jeff Beck. Beck would ultimately joing Bowie and the Spiders onstage playing guitar with Ronson on "Jean Genie," and "Love Me Do." While the concert was filmed and released ten years later in 1983, all footage containing Beck was edited out. While Beck's biographers report that he was unhappy with how his playing came over on film, Tony Visconti suggested that Beck, not expecting to be called onstage, was not comfortable with the appearance of his bell bottom trousers! Bowie who'd previously said "you know, after America, Moscow, Siberia and Japan, I just want to bloody well go home to Beckenham and watch the telly" announced to the audience "not only is this the last show of the tour, but it's the last show we'll ever do. Thank you."



1973 - AFTER ZIGGY STARDUST / PINUPS

Ronson, a party to Bowie's decision to "retire" from performing (the retirement was short lived) remained to work, along with Trevor Bolder, on Bowie's next effort, Pinups, a collection of covers of Siixties songs that had influenced him in the past. As work on the album progressed, he was positioned by the Mainman enterprise to step into Bowie's shoes. Woody Woodmansey and Trevor Bolder ultimately were left without work. The two eventually added a guitarist, Dave Black, and recorded and issued an album in 1976 which was greeted with minor enthusiasm and found its way briefly into the U.S. top 40. A track featuring Mick Ronson (Trevor Bolder recalls it titled either "Roller" or "She's A Roller") was recorded but remains unreleased.

Except for an appearance in October, 1973's "1980 Floorshow," and an unplanned walk-on at a Bowie concert in Toronto in the early 1980s, "Pinups" was to be Ronson's last work with Bowie until the last years of his life. In the early 1990s, the two contributed to one another's albums which were then in production (Bowie with a cover of "Like a Rolling Stone" on Ronson's Heaven and Hull which was issued after his death and Ronson with a blistering solo on "I Feel Free" on Bowie's Black Tie, White Noise). The two also made a poignant appearance at the April, 1992 memorial concert for Freddie Mercury a year before Ronson's death where they appeared with Ian Hunter, members of Def Leppard and the remaining members of Queen to perform "All The Young Dudes" before partnering on Bowie's "Heroes."..

...terrifically close...in its own way, even closer than we were before because I've changed an awful lot. Mick was exactly the same; he was so balanced throughout his life. Whatever the man's background was, it served him well. He was so rock solid; it was exactly the same Mick that I'd known 20 years before (David Bowie)

In April of 1994, a year to the day after Mick's death, a memorial concert, organized by his sister Maggi and longtime friend, Kevin Cann, was held at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. An extensive line-up of musicians, all with whom Mick had previously worked and all of whom he had in some way touched, appeared to pay tribute. David Bowie was not present and his absence was noted-- emotionally--by some in attendance as reported by David Buckley in his book on Bowie, Strange Fascination.

"I don’t understand why he didn’t turn up to Mick Ronson’s funeral or to the memorial service" says producer Gus Dudgeon. "I thought it was a shame. He might have a very good reason and I’m sure he feels he does, but…he should have been there. I was there and I was upset that he wasn’t there."

"It wasn’t big enough, was it?" was Ian Hunter’s later assessment. "Freddie’s was big—David knew he’d be seen by a lot of people there." Backstage at the benefit concert, Hunter reportedly said, "If that fucker shows his face here tonight, I’ll smash his fuckin’ face in."

Approached on this subject in 1998 by a reporter from the French magazine Rock & Folk, Bowie was evasive in explaining his absence from the event:

I would rather remain silent on this subject. I'll talk about this absence sooner or later. Truthfully, I wasn't convinced about the real motivations behind this event but, frankly, I'd rather keep quiet for the moment, it's too delicate...there were problems with personality conflicts. The only thing I can say is that Ian Hunter doesn't have anything to do with it.
Although regarded now as a classic British rock band, Mott The Hoople struggled for commercial success throughout its six year history. Originally molded and promoted by legendary Island Records producer Guy Stevens, the band recorded five top 20 singles and a half dozen varied, a critically well regarded albums. In 1973, however, Mott was on the verge of collapse--for all intents having split upon return from an ill-fated Swiss engagement--until a chance meeting between bassist (Pete) Overend Watts and David Bowie changed the group's short term fortunes. Bowie, who appreciated Mott and admired its lead singer, Ian Hunter, had sent a demo tape of his song, "Suffragette City" to the group hoping that they might be able to use it. Watts, who'd received the tape, didn't feel the song was right for the group but, being a fan of Bowie's and of the Spiders From Mars, held onto the demo as well as Bowie's telephone number. Watts contacted Bowie, reportedly to find out whether or not me might need a bass player.



So I called him on the off chance and said, thanks very much for the tape, we won't be needing it because we've split up. And he sounded genuinely upset. I said the other problem is we haven't managed to get a hit single...he called me back two hours later and said..."I've written a song for you since we spoke, which could be great." (Overend Watts, Mojo Magazine, November, 1998)

The song, "All The Young Dudes," was produced by Bowie and resurrected Mott The Hoople's fortunes. The sessions led to a collaboration between the group and Bowie as well as to representation by Bowie's manager, Tony DeFries of the MainMan organization. The groundwork for the twenty year relationship between Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter also evolved from the sessions with Ronson providing a string arrangement for "Sea Diver," a ballad which appeared on the album All The Young Dudes. With a hit record finally in hand, the previously hard rocking, working class band adopted a "glitter rock" persona a la Bowie and the Spiders and returned to touring, still searching for the long term success which had eluded them.

With success came difficulties, however, first when organist Verden Allen departed the group feeling that his writing efforts were not being recognized nor was he being given ample opportunity to provide lead vocals. He was ultimately replaced by Morgan Fisher. The next departur--and the most serious--was that of Mick Ralphs who'd been a founding member of the group, its lead guitarist and, along with Hunter, writer of most of its music. Sensing Mott The Hoople as he'd known it was changing, Ralphs left to form Bad Company with Paul Rodgers of Free. He was replaced by ex- Spooky Tooth guitarist, Luther Grosvenor, who assumed the name Ariel Bender for his stint with Mott The Hoople. Although he was popular on tour and seemed to be well regarded by other members of the band, Bender's and Mott's musical styles differed and didn't gel. On the heels of the release of their new single, "Foxy Foxy," Bender departed the band as it again discussed breaking up.

Hunter sensed the group's end was near but, at the same time, attempted to breath new life into it. Penning "Saturday Gigs," Hunter recounted the band's exploits and, in effect, said farewell to its fans. At the same time he was writing it, however, he was also convincing the other members of Mott The Hoople that they should try to recruit Mick Ronson to play lead guitar. Ronson had recently completed his failed Great Britain tour and was struggling to maintain the momentum of his solo career. Mick's possible availability to join the group was brought to Hunter's attention by their mutual friend, photographer, Mick Rock. The band was excited when Ronson agreed to join them at Hunter's urging.

When we knew Mick Ronson was going to join us, we all thought it was the best thing that could happen. But it didn't happen. We never seemed to have a conversation with him. He didn't want to talk. I don't know if he was shy or what. (Pete Overend Watts, Mojo Magazine, December, 1998)

Mott The Hoople entered the studio to record "Saturday Gigs" which was Ronson's only recorded effort with the group, providing a brilliant solo. They then embarked upon a nineteen date European tour beginning with Ronson's first appearance with the band in Lund, Sweden on October 10, 1974 (audience recordings made during this show appear on the Mott The Hoople Fan Club cd European Ending which also includes recordings of the tour's final concert at the Taverne D'Olympia in Paris on November 2nd). The same lack of communication Watts had alluded to pervaded the tour and continued to divide the group. Ian Hunter, interviewed in Mojo Magazine stated:

Mick still had DeFries for a manager, who we no longer spoke to. We'd do gigs, there'd be an RCA limo for Mick. I didn't care, to be honest, because I liked Mick and I was willing to put up with all the crap. But it got to the point where me and Mick would be sitting over at one end of the room and the others would be sitting at the other end.

With the issues within the group adding to the self-imposed pressures of feeling responsible, with Ralphs having departed, for providing all of Mott The Hoople's musical material, Hunter traveled to the United States where he subsequently suffered what was reported to be a nervous breakdown late in 1974. Hunter's illnes caused the band to drop the tour of Great Britain scheduled to follow on the heels of the European tour. On the 12th of December, Hunter contacted his bandmates to say "I've left." While other members of Mott The Hoople recruited another vocalist and attempted to perpetuate the band and its name, they were largely unsuccessful. Ian Hunter regrouped to pursue a solo career which is active to this day and Ronson moved on, continuing to weave in and out of the fabric of rock music until his death.

Looking back on his brief and ill fated tenure with the band, Ronson told Circus Magazine:

It was really a bad trip. They're not a band. Just people who play to satisfy their egocentrism...I needed a band, but I soon realised that things weren't good. We played together on stage, but offstage everyone was on his own. They just didn't speak to each other...The last tour they did was not for the pleasure of playing live, making the crowd happy... they played just to make money for Christmas. They simply needed money to buy Christmas presents. How could I play with people like that?



Ronson, having left the Bowie camp, formed a band of his own, "The Fallen Angels." Comprised of Bowie alumni Mike Garson and Trevor Bolder, Mick added Aynsley Dunbar and an American, Scott Richardson, to the complement. While the group apparently recorded at least some material, no contract or commercial releases followed and when Richardson chose to return to the United States to attempt a solo career, the group disbanded.

Mick was ultimately approached by MainMan's Tony DeFries and encouraged to pursue a solo career while the association with Bowie with still fresh in the mind of the public. DeFries obtained a substantial contract from RCA Records for Mick to deliver three albums, the first of which was Slaughter On 10th Avenue.



1974 - SLAUGHTER ON 10TH AVENUE

Having completed his work on Bowie's Pinups, Ronson entered the first months of 1974 under the guidance of Tony De Fries and the MainMan promotional organization. With a contract from RCA in hand, Ronson had retired to the Chateau D'Herouville in the North of France where he recorded his first solo album, Slaughter On 10th Avenue (Pinups had been recorded here just weeks earlier). "Slaughter" was planned to be a concept album in the vein of The Rise And Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.

The story's about a guy in the 1980s. He's a layabout--just sort of bums around the street...sees this chick and falls in love with her...She's a dancer in a nightclub and a prostitute as well. She falls in love with him in the end, and wants to quit and go with him. But her pimp boyfriend finds out. She comes out of this club one night and he shoots her. And I'm left alone without her. (Mick Ronson describing Slaughter On 10th Avenue)

Ronson produced and arranged Slaughter On 10th Avenue himself. He was chiefly accompanied on the album by Trevor Bolder, Aynsley Dunbar and Mike Garson. While Bowie made no contributions to the recording of the album itself, he wrote and contributed "Growing Up An I'm Fine," co-wrote "Hey Ma Get Papa" and also wrote English lyrics for the Italian "Music Is Lethal." Ronson's prior association with Scott Richardson in the short-lived "Fallen Angels" provided additional material for the album. The two co-wrote two tracks which appeared on Slaughter On 10th Avenue: "Only After Dark" and "Pleasure Man."



1974 - THE U.K. TOUR

Ronson made his first solo concert appearances on February 22 and 23 at The Rainbow in London. The fifteen song set list was comprised of Slaughter On 10th Avenue; I'm The One; Leave My Heart Alone; Growing Up And I'm Fine; Only After Dark; Angel No. 9; Hey May Get Papa; Page 43; Music Is Lethal; Music Maker; Pleasure Man; Love Me Tender; Woman; Slaughter On 10th Avenue (reprise) and Moonage Daydream. Ronson's album, Slaughter On 10th Avenue was released in March and was well received, rising to the Top 10 on the UK charts. The release was supported by a thirteen show tour of the UK again commencing with a show at London's Rainbow. Historically a member of a "power trio," Ronson appeared on stage backed by his own band comprised of Mike Garson on keyboards, Trevor Bolder on bass, Mark Carr-Pritchard on rhythm guitar and Richie Dharma on drums as well as full brass and string sections and two female vocalists including his sister Maggie. Given no time to develop as a solo act, Ronson was booked into the largest of venues and was heavily promoted with elaborate press kits being developed and circulated for The Rainbow and subsequent appearances (kits containing a red flexi-disc were circulated for The Rainbow gig while a similar kit containing a black disc supported the following shows. MainMan's promotional work built expectations upon which Ronson couldn't deliver. Lacking both experience and confidence as a frontman (some suggested that talent was also lacking) the tour was deemed a failure and plans to extend it were scrapped.

They spent a lot of money on him. They put Mick out there, but Mick wasn't a frontman. Mick was this sideman who everybody thought should be a frontman. Frontmen are a totally different make-up, and he couldn't do it. He got too flummoxed. (Ian Hunter)

Mick appeared on the April 11 airing of the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test television program. While he performed three solo numbers including Play Don't Worry and Angel No. 9, backed by John Turnbull on guitar, Geoff Appleby on bass, Blue Weaver on keyboards and Jim Toomey on drums, the slot was originally booked to promote the Hunter - Ronson collaboration about to kick of in the United States. Ronson filled in as a solo artist when Hunter found it necessary to return to the US before the scheduled appearance.



1974 - PLAY DON'T WORRY

While wanting to move away from solo work, Ronson returned to the studio (this time the Trident and Scorpio studios in London as well as Strawberry Studios located in Southern France) in June to fulfill contractual obligations to deliver a second RCA album. While using basically the same supporting musicians as he had on Slaughter On 10th Avenue and the subsequent tour, neither Mike Garson or Aynsley Dunbar were available. Thus, Mick also played many of the instruments himself. Play Don't Worry, proved to be another mixed bag but did contain his first writing effort "Billy Porter" which was released as a single in October and would become and remain his most successful commercial effort. Between the completion of Play Don't Worry and its eventual release (which was absent any commercial support) in February of 1975, Ian Hunter, at the suggestion of photographer Mick Rock, approached Ronson and convinced him to join Mott The Hoople. Ronson's brief history with the then failing band is documented separately. The decision to accept Hunter's offer to join Mott was significant in that it led the two into a long-term relationship of recording, touring and producing which ended only with Ronson's death in 1993. The Hunter-Ronson liason is also treated separately within this site.



1976 - MICK RONSON BAND

The Rolling Thunder Revue played its last concert in May of 1976 at New York's Madison Square Garden and Ronson departed to begin rehearsing for subsequent touring and recording. He was paired, improbably, with former teen idol, David Cassidy, of Partridge Family fame. Cassidy brought along with him Ricky Fataar who had played drums on his previous year's album. Mick and Cassidy had met during the course of the Rolling Thunder tour and the latter joined Ronson's initial sessions which took place at the SIR rehearsal studios in New York City. In an article in Creem in February of 1977, Cassidy said "I don't want to make it sound like 'Okay, here we are together in a new band.' We actually are, but I'm trying to keep it hidden from you, because we're just not ready to do a press trip yet." After the death of his father and with participation in the rehearsals complicated by being based in Los Angeles, Cassidy and Fataar departed shortly after the sessions began.

In late October of 1976, Ronson moved his band to Woodstock in Upstate New York where they began to rehearse. The new "Mick Ronson Band" was comprised of Bobby Chen on drums, Jay Davis on bass and Mick Barakan who Ronson had met years earlier during his work with Dana Gillespie, on guitar (Barakan and Ronson would reunite several years later to form the short-lived "New York Yanquis"). In November, they recorded at the Bearsville Sound Studios owned by Albert Grossman. Ronson, in addition to his lead position with the band, produced the tracks which were engineered by John Holbrook and Dennis Ferrante.

I was house engineer at Bearsville at that time. I knew of Mick's earlier work but to see him in the studio was a thrill. There was a very good atmosphere and we taped the tracks in one hit over the course of a few days. (John Holbrook - The Barn at Bearsville shown at right)

Seven tracks were recorded. The band recorded two of Ronson's own compositions with "Hard Life" and "I'd Give Anything To See You (Right Now)." Other covers included Fataar's (David Cassidy's drummer) "I'm Just a) Junkie For Your Love;" Blondie Chaplin's "Crazy Love;" "Just Like This," by Rolling Thunder cohort T Bone Walker and "Hey Grandma," previously recorded by Moby Grape and written by Skip Spence. "Angel No. 9," which had previously appeared on Ronson's second album, Play Don't Worry," was also recorded by the new group. The mixing of the tracks was interrupted by the band taking to the road and was never fully completed. All the studio tracks are available on the 1999 Burning Airlines/NMC Ltd. release, Just Like This.

Upon completion of the recording work, the band embarked upon a short, six date tour along with Rush, The James Gang, Black Oak Arkansas and Gentle Giant. The set, given the number of acts on the bill, was necessarily short. It opened with "Crazy Love" and, in addition to "Hey Grandma," "(I'm Just a) Junkie For Your Love," and "I'd Give Anything To See You (Right Now)," included bassist Jay Davis' "Taking A Train" and Mick and Suzie's (his wife) "Hard Life." The finale for the set was "Just Like This." A representative set, recorded live during the tour at the Buffalo (New York State) Century Theater in November of 1976 is available on the 1999 cd, Showtime, also released by Burning Airlines/NMC Ltd.

During the Buffalo show, Ahmet Ertegun, Chairman of Atlantic Records, was in the audience. Ronson and his new manager, Barry Imhoff (who'd extricated Ronson from his MainMan contract), subsequently met with Ertegun to explore a possible recording deal. When the deal failed to quickly materialize, bassis Davis departed. The group retreated to Woodstock again and replaced Davis with Burt Carey. They continued their recording, this time at the Turtle Creek Barn annex to the Bearsville studios. Again, John Holbrook was employed to engineer the recordings which were done with relatively primative four-track equipment. Four new songs, all of which appear on the Just Like This cd previously mentioned were recorded. These included three Ronson numbers, "Is That Any Way," "I've Got No Secrets" and "Hard Headed Woman" as well as one credited to the group as a whole, "Roll Like The River." The original tapes of these four numbers were in the possession of drummer Bobby Chen since they were recorded.

We simply played into the mikes and I believe John did little in terms of setting levels. The sessions were very loose and everything was relaxed. In fact, I think if I hadn't boxed up the reels personally, at the end and taken them with me, these tracks might never have survived. (Bobby Chen talking about "The Barn" recording sessions)

The Atlantic Records deal failed to materialize and Ronson's new management seemed to lack focus. "Imhoff did a decent job for Mick but he seemed to be spread too thin," Suzie Ronson stated years later. Lack of finances forced the group to cease their rehearsals and recording in Woodstock. At the end of the year, Barakan returned to Great Britain for Christmas. When he returned after the holidays, Mick's focus had turned to production and session work for others. The tapes recorded during the original Bearsville Sound Studios sessions were held as the bill for the studio and production time was left unpaid. It wasn't until more than 20 years later that the tapes were released for the public to enjoy.



1981 - NEW YORK YANQUIS

Little is written--nothing exists as titled commercial recordings--of Mick Ronson's 1981 band, The New York Yanquis. Evidence points to Ronson fronting and touring with a band during the summer of 1981, making August appearances in Upstate New York (Rochester, August 7th), Connecticut (The Agora in Hartford, August 9th) and on Long Island in New York (My Father's Place, August 11th). While it's probable that additional dates may have been played, documentation of those dates nor their locales have yet been verified.

The only member of "The Yanquis" whose name is reported was guitarist Mick Barakan. Barakan, remember, was a member of the 1976 Mick Ronson Band. He also performed as a member of The Johnny Average Band (the group's name has also been reported as Johnny Average and the Falcons), recording under the name Shayne Fontaine due to other contractual restrictions (Ronson is also listed as a contributor to their sole album, Some People, which was released in 1981, playing on one track, "Gotta Go Home," along with Ian Hunter drummer Eric Parker). Ronson, by this time, had a residence in Woodstock and The Johnny Average Band recorded their album at the same Bearsville Studios where he and his group had worked in 1976. There's reason to believe that at least some members of The Johnny Average Band had evolved into "The Yanquis" that same year. Liner notes for Ronson's posthumous Just Like This album suggest the possibility that John Sebastian may have performed with either The Johnny Average Band or The New York Yanquis under the name Bobby Subterranean, again for contractual reasons. Neither Sebastian's name or his pseudonym appear on the list of artists on the Johnny Average album, thus leading to speculation he may have toured with "The Yanquis."

The New York Yanquis as a performing group was a short lived endeavor apparently. The Yanquis provided backing for Lisa Bade's 1982 album, Suspicion, and Ronson returned to the production and session work which consumed much of his time in the 1980s.



1993 - HEAVEN AND HULL

Having been active in the United States and Europe through the nineteen eighties and into the nineties, Ronson returned to the U.K. in the summer of 1991 to begin preparations for his first tour there since his unsuccessful 1974 effort. It was during this time that he discovered he was suffering from liver cancer. The U.K. tour along with planned dates in Sweden were necessarily cancelled. Mick did, however, manage to complete some dates with Graham Parker, produce for Sonic Walthers and complete his most visible production effort, Morrissey's Your Arsenal before playing on one track of The Wildhearts' 1992 album. A description of these efforts along with his final sessions with David Bowie can be found in the Others section of this site. The work with Bowie, included a single track, "I Feel Free," for Bowie's Black Tie White Noise as well as an interpretation of Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone," which would appear on Mick's posthumously released Heaven And Hull in 1994.

Ronson had been writing and demoing material in the years immediately prior to his death. Tracks from Heaven And Hull such as "Trouble With Me" and "Take A Long Line" were part of his repetoire as early as the end of the nineteen eighties. Taking this material as a core, after his diagnosis with terminal liver cancer, Mick began work on his third solo album almost twenty years after the release of his second one. Calling on past relationships including Bowie, Ian Hunter, John Cougar Mellancamp, Chrissie Hynde, Sham Morris, Joe Elliott and Sham Morris, Ronson intermingled solos and duets covering material mostly of his own writing. Quietly haunting, the album reflects a man apparently at peace with himself and with his future. Mixed and completed by Joe Elliott after Mick's death, the album closes with the cover of "All The Young Dudes" recorded at the tribute to Freddie Mercury two years prior when Mick reunited with Bowie, Ian Hunter and members of both Def Leppard and Queen.



2001 - INDIAN SUMMER

Fans of Mick Ronson have been fortunate in that several pieces of his work have been rescued from obscurity and released in 1999 by the Burning Airlines Records division of New Millenium Communications in Great Britain. The tapes of the 1976 Bearsville sessions, long "held hostage," were released as Just Like This with that year's subsequent live performances coming out as Showtime (a bonus disc contained in the limited release two cd set contains additional live performances as well as a thirty minute interview from the nineteen eighties). These followed the release of a 1998 compilation on Snapper containing most of Mick's 1970's solo releases, titled Mainman.

After the completion of Ronson's last album, Heaven And Hull, one last taste of his musical abilities was discovered. A box marked "film music & Indian Summer" containing one inch tape was found. Later, additional notes were found that indicated that Mick had been working on the soundtrack for a movie with the possible working title of "Indian Summer." While some of the material had apparently been recorded at the Bearsville Studios in Woodstock around 1981 and 1982 (the same period Mick recorded there with The Johnny Average Band and toured with the short lived New York Yanquis), other material apparently had been recorded in Mick's home where he played all instruments and utilized a drum machine for rhythm backing.

Ronson's songs are intended to back the story line of an Englishman who comes to the United States and falls in love. The two disc set provides the music as a stand alone entity and then integrates it with dialogue taken from the notes that were discovered. The dialogue is weak as the story line seems to be also. The music is simple, straightforward and not yet polished by studio recording and mixing. As such, it provides a very intimate look at Ronson and allows the listener the feeling of being alone in Mick's home hearing him play in private. One track, "China," had previously been recorded during sessions for Ian Hunter's Short Back 'n' Sides album in 1981. This is a different version of the number.

Nothing, apparently, is known of the origination of the idea for the movie that was planned or of how Ronson became involved. Obviously it was never produced. Perhaps a clue, albeit an obscure clue, is provided by Joe Grushecky, lead singer of The Iron City Houserockers whose album, Have A Good Time (but get out alive), Ronson produced in 1980:

One night Anita Pallenberg [former girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards] translated German lyrics for the title song at the request of an eccentric English actor who was hanging around with Mick.

Obscure? Absolutely!

While interesting, Indian Summer is for the Ronson "completist." Those new to the music of Mick Ronson would do well to look for one of his earlier releases.

1975 - IAN HUNTER

Recovered from his episode of nervous exhaustion which left him hospitalized in december of 1974, Ian Hunter, at Ronson's urging, traveled back to London early in 1975. Here they recorded Ian Hunter, Hunter's solo debut, which was released on March 28. To promote the album, the two, under the banner of the Hunter - Ronson Band, toured the U.K. from March 19 through April 2 and then moved across the Atlantic for a U.S. tour from Apirl 17 through June 2. The two played together but promoted their current individual albums. While the U.S. performances were better attended and received, neither tour was considered a commercial success. Hunter, interviewed during this period, said that it was Mick who'd taken the lead in recording Ian Hunter and in arranging the tour.

Anyway, Ronno put the group together and we cut the album; it was a group album. Ronno mixed the album and I sat back watching the telly. He then wanted to tour...thinking it'd be therapeutic for me. I guess it was a good crossover...but not what I wanted. That whole album was more Mick than me I suppose.

Subsequent touring to promote Ian Hunter and Mick's new album, Play Don't Worry, was curtailed when Ronson met Bob Dylan and Bob Neuwirth that May and joined the Rolling Thunder Revue which toured from October, 1975 through May, 1976



1979 - YOU'RE NEVER ALONE WITH A SCHIZOPHRENIC

Ronson and Ian Hunter returned to the studio together again at the Power Station in New York City when they recorded You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic in January of 1979. Mick co-produced the album along with Hunter, provided arrangements and played guitar, sharing the lead on "When Daylight Comes" and taking co-writing credit on "Just Another Night." John Cale guested on the album and rhythm backing was provided by Roy Bittan, Max Weinberg and Gary Tallent of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.

A lengthy U.S. tour--"The Schizophrenic Tour"--to promote the album began in June and through end of year. The 1979 iteration of the Hunter-Ronson band included Tommy Mandel, Martin Briley and Hilly Michaels, musicians who would maintain long term relationships with Hunter. The band traveled to London and performed a single show at the Hammersmith Odeon on November 22. The show recorded and broadcast the next year by BBC. Two performances, on November 5 and 11, at The Roxy in Los Angeles were recorded and were ultimately edited for release as the double album, Welcome to the Club, in 1980.



1980 - WELCOME TO THE CLUB

"The Ian Hunter Band featuring Mick Ronson" recorded three additional studio tracks on January 10 and 11 which were added to the November, 1979 recordings of the Los Angeles Roxy shows. The result was the double album, Welcome to the Club, which was released in the spring. The album featured two Ronson instrumentals, "FBI" and "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue." Ronson was credited with producing and arranging the album along with Hunter. The band toured Europe that spring, with the April 20 performance on the German television show Rockpalast broadcast across Europe (a commerically released video of this performance is out of print but occasionally available in used condition). An appearance on The Chorus, was recorded for French television a few days later.



1981 - SHORT BACK 'n' SIDES

Hunter returned to the Power Station in New York City and recorded his next album, Short Back 'n' Sides, in 1981. Ronson and Hunter began by sharing production duties on the album but, when they disagreed over the presentation of the material, Mick stepped back, satisfied to contribute guitars, keyboards and vocals. Hunter sought out the assistance of Mick Jones of The Clash, to produce the album.

I met him again in England in '77, and then he started going out with Ellen Foley just after I produced her first album with Ronson. I heard the album Jones produced for Ellen, and he gave me a copy of Sandanista! I listened to it once--and I liked the way it sounds. I'm not in agreement with what he's talking about. I find it rather naive. I've never really listened to the Clash's albums, but if there's one thing we seem to agree on, it's the sound. I thought he was making some good sounds, and that's all I wanted him to do. I said, 'Who's making all those noises on your album and Ellen's album?' He said, 'Me.' So I said, 'Fine. Come and do some noises on mine.' (CREEM, January, 1982, "Ian Hunter Likes Rock 'N' Roll." )

Appearances were made on the album by other members of The Clash and Todd Rundgren who was a neighbor of Mick's in Woodstock. The album featured "Lisa Likes Rock 'n' Roll" which Hunter had written for Mick's daughter, Lisa. which was released as a single in Great Britain only. The lbum was decently received in the United States but less well in the U.K..



1982 - 1983 - ALL OF THE GOOD ONES ARE TAKEN

Although Ian Hunter and Ronson remained close throughout their careers, Hunter produced two albums which were without any contributions from Mick. All American Alien Boys represented a stylistic change for Hunter and was released in 1976. Overnight Angels (coincidentally featuring guitarist Earl Slick who'd replaced Ronson after he and Bowie had split) was released in 1977 and, with management changes underway at Columbia, the album was never released in the U.S.. Hunter recorded All Of The Good Ones Are Taken over the winter of '82 - '83. Ronson was featured on a single track, providing an ominous guitar solo on the track "Death And Glory Boys." The album was only briefly available and in limited quantity before disappearing from distribution.



1984 - 1985 - PRODUCTIONS FOR / WITH HUNTER

Based on the lack of commercial acceptance of his albums and his cynical opinion of the music industry, Hunter ceased most of his recording efforts. In 1984, Mick produced "(I'm) The Teacher" which Hunter recorded at the Power Station in New York. The song, which was co-written with Hunter, was included on the soundtrack for the motion picture Teachers. During the same period, Hunter recorded "Good Man In A Bad Dream" for the soundtrack for the film Fright Night. Ronson was again responsible for production and played on the track.

In 1985, Ronson and Hunter were called upon to co-produce Cast The First Stone, the debut album for the New Jersey group Urgent called . Ronson also played guitar and keyboards. Hunter later termed the sessions as a "souless experience." The album was only released and made available in the U.K..



1987 - CANADIAN CLUB TOUR

During 1987 Ronson traveled to Canada to join Hunter on a 15 date tour of small bars and clubs along with Roy Young. The dates provided an opportunity to debut new musical material and provided the impetus for the Hunter - Ronson and American Music tours which would follow over the next three years. At the same time, the two combined to contribute material to Urgent's follow-up album, Thinking Out Loud, with Ronson playing on the tracks "If This Is Love" and "Inch By Inch."



1988 - 1989 - U.S. AND EUROPEAN TOURS

Fueled by the 1987 club dates in Canada, Ian and Mick embarked upon a 60 date tour of the U.S. billed as the Hunter - Ronson Band. This tour covered the second half of 1988 and, in January, 1989 the two traveled to Sweden and did a tour of small clubs. They then Performed subsequent dates in U.K. (Ronson's first appearance there in 10 years) as well as in Norway and Germany. While in London, the BBC recorded the show at the Dominion Theatre on February 15, 1989 which was later released as The Hunter Ronson Band, BBC Live in Concert in the U.S. and U.K. as a compact disc.



1990 - YUI orta

YUI orta was released early in 1990. It represented the last album on which the two collaborated and was the first on which Ronson received cover credit. While the album contained material that was obviously targeted at the commercial "pop" market, it also contained several cuts which featured trademark guitar work by Ronson. Probably the most noteable of these contributions was the instrumental cut, "Sweet Dreamer." During February of the year, Hunter and Ronson toured Sweden together.