Mott The Hoople: "Who Will be the New Man in Mott?" Article (1974)

Mott The Hoople’s "Who Will be the New Man in Mott?", a one-page article in POP Magazine Issue 22, 1974.

George Harrison? Steve Harley? Chuck Berry? Who would be the new man in Mott The Hoople? This question occupied people's minds for weeks when it was announced that guitarist Ariel Bender would most likely leave the group. Well, now every child knows: Bender has actually left, and his replacement is none other than ex-David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson.

Beaming with happiness, Mott boss Ian Hunter appeared at a press conference in London's Grosvenor Hotel with his new husband. The two posed for the photographers, tightly embraced. An overwhelmingly happy couple

A happy couple: Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson

THE WEDDING OF THE YEAR

Mott's Ian Hunter explains how it came about Ronno is the one and only! He will be the third great guitarist I work with. I still can't believe that Ronno is actually in my group

Amazing words from a man who always thought that he was the best. Moreover, not so long ago he had claimed that he would spend the rest of his life with Ariel Bender wanted to be together. So why this sudden change? Opinion I have to admit, when you start working with a new man, everything looks very rosy. And Ariel was a person you just had to like. He was also an unlikely musician. Too good to be true. But his style and the style of the group simply couldn't be reconciled. He always remained Ariel Bender, never became a member of Mott The Hoople. No matter how we turned it around. We were always good friends, still are today. But unfortunately good friends don't always make the right music together. It's a real shame! I would have given a lot if we had been a good match. On stage, Ariel was like living gas. We constantly had the feeling that the wafer-thin ice was breaking beneath us. He simply didn't fit in with us. We had to find a guitarist who could sing, write and arrange. That was frustrating for Ariel. He has too much personality to be turned into a Mott The Hoople guitarist. What could we have done? He wasn't happy, we weren't happy - the separation was inevitable.

Now all paths are open to him. Financially everything is clear for him. He has good management, a record deal. Now everything depends on him. He always wanted to be at the top. Now he has his big chance!

So how did the connection actually come about? What persuasive tricks were necessary to get Mick Ronson, who had just been built up as a solo star with a lot of money, back into a band?

"Tricks were not necessary. I have known Ronno for a long time, from the time when we were produced by David Bowie. And I always thought he was a great guy. Amidst all the decadence and glitz that prevailed in the Bowie camp, I was sometimes really grateful that Ronno was around. He seemed to be the only to be a normal guy. And I think he felt the same way.

But I don't know why he came to us. You'll have to ask him yourself. All I know is that he's had two offers from really famous people in the last two days. He's also about to release his second solo album, and yet he came to us. I think he came because it's us; because he likes us. For us, he was the only possible man. If he had turned us down, Mott would have disbanded. We wanted him and no one else. And it's pretty difficult when you've set out to get that one, specific man from the huge rock'n'roll scene."

Won't there be similar difficulties with Ronson as with Bender? After all, he is also a musician with a lot of personality who will not adapt so easily.

I don't know how it will all turn out. We have already recorded a single, 'You Remember The Saturday Gigs', and I am thrilled about it. I think our collaboration will be a completely crazy but also great thing. I am convinced that we will often clash. But as the famous director Otto Preminger once said: 'Life is about fighting! If you don't fight every day, it's not worth living at all.' Personally, I have always lived by this motto. And to this day, it has been worth it.>>>