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photos by
vinyl LP front cover
cover art, retouching - George Underwood
photo of album cover by Styrous®
The other day I was working with Lon (link below) on the vinyl LP collection and he pulled out my old recording of All the Young Dudes, by Mott the Hoople; the song began to play in my mind and it triggered many wonderful memories of that time in my life.
All the Young Dudes is the fifth studio album by Mott the Hoople, released in 1972. It was their initial album for the CBS Records label (Columbia Records in North America), and was a turning point for the then-struggling British band. The group was about to break up when David Bowie stepped in and gave them the song All the Young Dudes. Bowie also produced the album, which took Mott "from potential has-beens to avatars of the glam rock movement".
I have always loved the title track, All the Young Dudes, which was released as a single prior to the album and charted worldwide, becoming the "ultimate '70s glitterkid anthem". Sweet Jane, a cover of the Velvet Underground song from their 1970 album Loaded,
was issued as a single in Canada, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and
the United States, though not in their home market of the UK. One of
the Boys, originally the B-side of All the Young Dudes, was also
released in North America and Continental Europe.
vinyl LP back cover detail
back cover photos by Mick Rock
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
A "dude" is a "fop or dandy" who lives in a big city. The word was first used in print in 1870, in Putnam's magazine. The illustraion by George Underwood on the album cover is from a black and white 1917 ad for Society Brand Clothes.
Society Brand Clothes ad - 1917
Other songs that incorporate the word "dude" in their title are Dude (Looks Like a Lady) by Aerosmith, Do It Like a Dude by Jessie J and Party At a Rich Dude's House by Kesha.
vinyl LP back cover detail
back cover photos by Mick Rock
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
With its dirge-like music, youth suicide references and calls to an imaginary audience, the song bore similarities to Bowie's Rock 'n' Roll Suicide, the final track from Ziggy Stardust. The lyrics reference contemporary stars T. Rex and contain references to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray have described the track as "one of that rare breed: rock songs which hymn the solidarity of the disaffected without distress or sentimentality".
Bowie once claimed that the song was not intended to be an anthem for glam, that it actually carried a darker message of apocalypse. According to an interview Bowie gave to Rolling Stone magazine in 1973, the boys are carrying the same news that the newscaster was carrying in the song Five Years from Ziggy Stardust; the news being the fact that the Earth had only five years left to live. Bowie explains: All the Young Dudes is a song about this news. It's no hymn to the youth, as people thought. It is completely the opposite." All the Young Dudes is also thought of as a gay anthem. Lou Reed said "It's a Gay Anthem! A rallying call to the young dudes to come out in the streets and show that they were beautiful and gay and proud of it."
vinyl LP back cover detail
back cover photos by Mick Rock
detail photo of album back cover by Styrous®
The original release of the song had to be changed lyrically in
order that it might be played on UK radio and TV. The line in the second
verse: "Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks and Sparks" was a reference
to UK retailer Marks & Spencer,
also known by that colloquialism. As such, air play of the song in its
original form would have breached broadcasting regulations relating to
advertising in force at the time. The line was replaced with: "Wendy's
stealing clothes from unlocked cars". Today, both versions are freely
aired (link to lyrics below).
vinyl LP back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
All the Young Dudes has been covered by Bruce Dickinson (of Iron Maiden), Ozzy Osbourne and Tesla. Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby
reference the song, along with a number of other
glitter-era hits, in Another Drive-In Saturday on their self-titled 2008 album.
vinyl LP back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®
Before moving to the CBS Records label, the group was with Island Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in North America for three years. Speculation has persisted over the years that, although All the Young Dudes was released by CBS/Columbia Records, the group may have recorded part or all of the album while still under contract to their original label, Island Records – a situation that, if proven true, might give Island ownership rights to the recordings. Fuel was added to this speculation in 2006 with the re-release of Young Dudes in remastered form, including several bonus tracks.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 491 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2012, the album listed at No. 484 on a revised list by the magazine.
In 2004, Rolling Stone rated All the Young Dudes No. 253 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and on its 2010 update was ranked at number 256. It is also one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
In 2004, Rolling Stone rated All the Young Dudes No. 253 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and on its 2010 update was ranked at number 256. It is also one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - Sweet Jane, written by L. Reed* - 4:20
A2 - Momma's Little Jewel, written by Hunter*, Watts* - 4:26
A3 - All The Young Dudes, written by D. Bowie* - 3:31
A4 - Sucker, written by Hunter*, Ralphs*, Watts* - 4:58
A5 - Jerkin' Crocus, written by Hunter* - 4:00
Side 2:
B1 - One Of The Boys, written by Hunter*, Ralphs* - 6:46
B2 - Soft Ground, Lead Vocals – Verden Allen, written by Allen* - 3:16
B3 - Ready For Love/After Lights, Lead Vocals – Mick Ralphs, written by Ralphs* - 6:46
B4 - Sea Diver, Arranged By [Strings & Brass] – Mick Ronson, written by Hunter* - 2:54
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Olympic Studios
Recorded At – Trident Studios
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Santa Maria
Phonographic Copyright (p) – CBS Inc.
Mastered At – Customatrix
Credits:
Arranged By – David Bowie, Mott The Hoople
Bass – Overend Watts
Cover [Colour Retouching] – George Underwood
Drums – Buffin
Engineer – Dave Hentschel*, Keith Harwood, Ted Sharp
Saxophone, Producer – David Bowie
Sleeve [Concept], Art Direction – Mick Rock
Vocals, Guitar – Mick Ralphs
Vocals, Organ – Verden Allen
Vocals, Piano – Ian Hunter
Notes:
℗ 1972 CBS, Inc.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side One label): AL 31750
Matrix / Runout (Side Two label): BL 31750
Side 1:
A1 - Sweet Jane, written by L. Reed* - 4:20
A2 - Momma's Little Jewel, written by Hunter*, Watts* - 4:26
A3 - All The Young Dudes, written by D. Bowie* - 3:31
A4 - Sucker, written by Hunter*, Ralphs*, Watts* - 4:58
A5 - Jerkin' Crocus, written by Hunter* - 4:00
Side 2:
B1 - One Of The Boys, written by Hunter*, Ralphs* - 6:46
B2 - Soft Ground, Lead Vocals – Verden Allen, written by Allen* - 3:16
B3 - Ready For Love/After Lights, Lead Vocals – Mick Ralphs, written by Ralphs* - 6:46
B4 - Sea Diver, Arranged By [Strings & Brass] – Mick Ronson, written by Hunter* - 2:54
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Olympic Studios
Recorded At – Trident Studios
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Santa Maria
Phonographic Copyright (p) – CBS Inc.
Mastered At – Customatrix
Credits:
Arranged By – David Bowie, Mott The Hoople
Bass – Overend Watts
Cover [Colour Retouching] – George Underwood
Drums – Buffin
Engineer – Dave Hentschel*, Keith Harwood, Ted Sharp
Saxophone, Producer – David Bowie
Sleeve [Concept], Art Direction – Mick Rock
Vocals, Guitar – Mick Ralphs
Vocals, Organ – Verden Allen
Vocals, Piano – Ian Hunter
Notes:
℗ 1972 CBS, Inc.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side One label): AL 31750
Matrix / Runout (Side Two label): BL 31750
Label: Columbia – KC 31750
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Santa Maria Pressing
Country: US
Released: Nov 1972
Genre: Rock
Style: Glam, Classic Rock
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Santa Maria Pressing
Country: US
Released: Nov 1972
Genre: Rock
Style: Glam, Classic Rock
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Songfacts.com ~ All the Young Dudes by Mott the Hoople
Pitchfork ~ All The Young Dudes review
Beach BoxVox ~ All the Young Dudes Cover: 1917 illustration
YouTube links:
Mott The Hoople – All The Young Dudes
Bruce Dickinson ~ All the Young Dudes
Tesla ~ All the Young Dudes
What an awesome song!
Styrous® ~ Saturday, September 8, 2018
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