November 30, 2018

20,000 Vinyl LPs 158: Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Ave.

~      
 vinyl LP album front cover detail
album cover photo by Leee Black Childers 
photo of album by Styrous®


I have been prompted to do this article because of a new documentary about the influence and contributions Mick Ronson made for the David Bowie 1970's band, The Spiders From Mars (link below). It is a tribute way late in the making but it is finally there. The documentary features guest musicians Marianne Faithfull, The Troggs and Amanda Lear. There are many fine reviews of the film by Billboard Magazine and others (links below).   

I have heard people say they have a "desert island" list comprising one hundred record albums they would take with them to that island. It would be impossible for me to narrow my list down to just 100 but without a moments hesitation Slaughter on 10th Avenue by Mick Ronson would be one of mine.
  

 vinyl LP album front cover 
album cover photo by Leee Black Childers 
photo of album by Styrous®


This is Ronson's 1974 debut album and what a great line up of music it is! Each song is unique in one way or another; the instrumentation is dazzling and  the personnel is  stellar.       


 
 vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®


Trevor Bolder played bass, trumpet, trombone and performed with Uriah Heep and The Spiders from Mars, the one-time backing band for David Bowie.    

Aynsley Dunbar was on drums and percussion. He has worked with Nils Lofgren, Eric Burdon, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, Michael Schenker, UFO, Flo & Eddie and Journey

Mike Garson played piano, electric piano and organ. He has worked with David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Billy Corgan, Free Flight and The Smashing Pumpkins.        

David Hentschel played ARP on Hey Ma Get Papa. He is an English recording engineer, film score composer and music producer who engineered All Things Must Pass by George Harrison and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John, as well as with artists including Genesis, Tony Banks, Ringo Starr, Queen, Nazareth, Marti Webb, Andy Summers, Mike Oldfield, Renaissance, Peter Hammill and Ronnie Caryl.      

Sid Sax very nicely took care of the strings. He was a leading violinist in London's session musician circles. In addition to being an eminent and influential orchestral leader he was also contractor, 'fixing' the personnel for recording sessions. In 1964 he was the joint founder of the National Philharmonic Orchestra, London together with Charles Gerhardt.      


 vinyl LP album back cover 
phosto by Leee Black Childers 
photo of album back cover by Styrous®


The songs range from standards to a couple co-written by Ronson and Scott Richardson of the  psychedelic SRC  band.       



 vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®


Love Me Tender, written by George R. Poulton and Ken Darby and performed originally by Elvis Presley, of course, is a slow rock cover that doesn't quite match up to Presley's version but it is pleasurable.           

Growing Up And I'm Fine, written by David Bowie, is a bouncey at times tune with a nice female backup.     

Only After Dark, co-written with Scott Richardson, is syncopated and    

Music Is Lethal          


Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
 vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®


On Oct. 20, 1973, Ronson performed with David Bowie at a live recording of The 1980 Floor Show for the NBC The Midnight Special TV show at The Marquee Club in London, England (link below). The club was the location of the first-ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on July 12, 1962. 

The title of the show was a play-on-words referring to the song 1984, that captured a transitional moment between the glamorous science fiction of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars album and the dark dystopia of the Diamond Dogs album, released six months later. Towards the end of the show Bowie and Marianne Faithfull do a cover of the 1965 song, I Got You Babe by Sonny & Cher.     


David Bowie, Mick Ronson - 1973     
The Marquee Club, London 
photo by Jack Kay




Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
 vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®




Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
 vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®



Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
 vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®




Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
 vinyl LP album back cover detail
detail photo by Styrous®





Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
 vinyl LP labels
photos by Styrous®



Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Love Me Tender, written by Presley*, Matson* - 4:50

A2 - Growing Up And I'm Fine, written by Bowie* - 3:10

A3 - Only After Dark, written by Ronson*, Richardson* - 3:30

A4 - Music Is Lethal, Lyrics by Bowie*Written-By – Battisti* - 5:10

Side 2:

B1 - I'm The One, written by Peacock* - 5:03
    Medley     (8:55)

    B2a - Pleasure Man, written by Ronson*, RIchardson*

    B2b - Hey Ma Get Papa, written by Ronson*, Bowie*
   
B3 - Slaughter On Tenth Avenue, written by Rodgers* - 4:41

Companies, etc.

    Phonographic Copyright (p) – RCA Records
    Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
    Mixed At – Trident Studios

Credits:

    Bass, Trumpet, Trombone – Trevor Bolder
    Drums, Percussion – Aynsley Dunbar
    Guitar, Vocals, Piano – Mick Ronson
    Leader [Strings] – Sid Sax*
    Piano, Electric Piano, Organ – Mike Garson
    Synthesizer [Arp] – David Hentschel (tracks: B2b)
    Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Mick Ronson
    Remix – Mick Ronson (tracks: A1), Mike Moran (7) (tracks: A1)
    Mastered By – John Koopman, Ray Staff
    Mixed By – Dennis Mackay, Mick Ronson, Peter Fielder
    Engineer – Dennis Mackay
    Engineer [Assistant] – Peter Fielder
    Cover, Design, Photography By [Cover] – Leee Black Childers

Notes:

Labels of this version show B2 as a Medley.
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped runout): APL1-0353A-10 I A5
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped runout): APL1-0353B=10 I A4
    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped runout, Variant 1): APL1-0353A-10 I A3
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped runout, Variant 1): APL1-0353B-10 I A3

Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Label: RCA Victor ‎– APL1-0353
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1974
Genre: Rock
Style: Glam
      
    
     
        
Viewfinder links:      
       
Mick Ronson      
David Bowie       
      
Net links:      
       
Billboard ~ Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story       
Film Threat ~ Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story       
     
YouTube links:      
       
Mick Ronson ~   
           Slaughter on Tenth Ave.      
           Only After Dark       
           Love Me Tender   
           Growing Up And I'm Fine
           Music Is Lethal       
The 1980 Floor Show Midnight Special (40 min., 40 sec.)
          


        
         Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
 vinyl LP album front cover detail
album cover photo by Leee Black Childers 
photo of album by Styrous®
   
       
          
       
Styrous® ~ Friday, November 30, 2018  













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