Angel Air are proud to release the first four Mott The Hoople albums, plus the never-before-on-CD compilation 'Two Miles From Heaven'.

Starting with 1969's eponymous debut and running through to 1971's 'Brain Capers' all albums will include bonus tracks.

In June 1969, less than a month after Ian Hunter responded to an ad in 'Melody Maker' seeking to recruit a pianist / singer to join an "exciting hard rock band", Mott The Hoople entered Morgan Recording Studios to record their debut album.

The band's second album 'Mad Shadows' (1970) saw the band in a more sombre mood whilst 1971's 'Wildlife' was lighter, featuring a predominance of Mick Ralphs' songs and a couple of killer Ian Hunter ballads.

'Brain Capers' (1971) is a fan-favourite and was recorded 'live' in the studio over a period of four days. The resultant album is more spontaneous and more accurately captures the true band sound and performance.

The fifth Angel Air release is the never before available on CD 'Two Miles From Heaven' (a compilation originally released in 1980). Compiled by Buffin (Dale Griffin) and Morgan Fisher from hitherto unreleased tapes.

Full track listing

MOTT THE HOOPLE (SJPCD157)
Rel. 08.09.03
1.You Really Got Me 2. At the Crossroads 3. Laugh at Me 4. Backsliding Fearlessly
5. Rock & Roll Queen 6. Rabbit Foot and Toby Time 7. Half Moon Bay 8. Wrath and Wroll

BONUS TRACKS: 9. Ohio 10. Find Your Way (Backtrack Demo)

MAD SHADOWS (SJPCD158)
Rel. 06.10.03
1. Thunderbuck Ram 2. No Wheels To Ride 3.You Are One Of Us 4. Walkin' With a Mountain  5.I Can Feel 6. Threads of Iron 7. When My Mind's Gone

BONUS TRACKS: 9. It Would Be A Pleasure 10. How Long (Death May Be Your Santa Claus)

WILDLIFE (SJPCD159)  Rel. 06.10.03

1. Whiskey Women 2. Angel Of Eighth Avenue 3. Wrong Side Of The River
4. Waterlow 5. Lay Down 6. It Must Be Love 7. Original Mixed Up Kid 8. Home Is Where I Want To Be 9. Keep a' Knockin'

BONUS TRACKS: 9. It’ll Be Me 10. Long Red

BRAIN CAPERS(SJPCD160) Rel. 03.11.03
1. Death May Be Your Santa Claus 2. Your Own Back Yard 3. Darkness, Darkness
4. Journey 5. Sweet Angeline 6. Second Love 7. Moon Upstairs 8. Wheel of the Quivering Meat Conception

BONUS TRACKS: 9. Midnight Lady 10. The Journey

TWO MILES FROM HEAVEN (SJPCD161)
Rel. 03.11.03

1. You Really Got Me 2. Road to Birmingham 3. Thunderbuck Ram 4. Going Home 5. Little Christine 6. Keep a Knocking 7. Black Hills
8. Black Scorpio (Momma's Little Jewel) 9. One of the Boys 10. Till I'm Gone 11. Growing Man Blues 12. Ride on the Sun
13. Surfin' UK 14. Ill Wind Blowing

BONUS TRACKS: 15. The Debt 16. Downtown

The evolution of Mott The Hoople

The founding members of Mott The Hoople had played in a number of different rock groups in Hereford, England in the 1960's. Overend Watts (b. Peter Watts, 13 May 1947, Birmingham, England; vocals/bass), Mick Ralphs (b. 31 March 1944, Hereford, England; vocals/guitar), Verden Allen (b. 26 May 1944, Hereford, England; organ) and Dale 'Buffin' Griffin (b. 24 October 1948, Ross-on-Wye, England; vocals/drums).

Their early singer Stan Tippens left the band and they were on the point of splitting when Mick Ralphs sent a demo tape to Island Records producer Guy Stevens. He was enthusiastic and after placing an advertisement in Melody Maker auditioned a singer named Ian Hunter (b. 3 June 1946, Shrewsbury, England; vocals/ keyboards/ guitar).

In June 1969 Stevens named the group Mott The Hoople, after the novel by Willard Manus. Their self-titled debut album had a very strong Bob Dylan influence, most notably reflected in Hunter's vocal inflexions and visual image. The first album, with its M.C. Escher cover illustration, included interesting reworkings of the Kinks’ "You Really Got Me" and Sonny Bono's "Laugh At Me" .

Whilst their debut was critically acclaimed, their subsequent album never quite captured what was essentially a live act. On 26 March 1972, following the departure of Verden Allen, they quit in disillusionment.

David Bowie convinced them to carry on, offering his services as a producer and placed them under his management. Bowie wrote their definitive UK hit: "All The Young Dudes."  In 1974 Ralphs quit to form Bad Company. With new members Morgan Fisher and Ariel Bender (Luther Grosvenor) Mott enjoyed a number of further UK hits including "All The Way From Memphis" and "Roll Away The Stone." During their final phase, Bowie's guitar right-hand Mick Ronson joined the group in place of Grosvenor (who had departed to join Widowmaker).

Mott The Hoople on Angel Air Label has done both fans and band a great service over the past few years ... Angel Air has a feast in store for the Mott The Hoople fan with many unique live releases as well as solo efforts by band members. During the past six years fans (and soon-to-be-converted alike) have luxuriated in the release of several obscure live recordings and otherwise deleted albums. Among the live albums, a classic 1971/2 set was released across two CDs (SJPCD029) whilst successive releases have rightly enabled listeners to discover why - in their time - Mott The Hoople were such a terrific live band. (SJPCD061,SJPCD099). A cross-release compilation is also available (SJPCD121) Various solo albums have fleshed out the story, with releases by Verden Allen, Luther Grosvenor (aka Ariel Bender) and Mick Ralphs. For completists, the pre-1969 incarnation can be realised on 'Doc Thomas Group/The Silence' (SJPCD020). All releases come with informative sleeve notes, rare photos and literary contributions from band members plus Mott The Hoople expert (and fanzine editor) Keith Smith.

'Hoopling' (SJPCD121 ) does not contain any new unreleased 'live' material but it collects the best of live Mott The Hoople tracks from Angel Air which have previously been spread over 4 discs.

The 16 page full-colour booklet with informative comments by Keith Smith (Editor, 'Two Miles From Heaven') includes rare and unseen photos from the archives of Mick Ralphs, Dale Griffin and Overend Watts.