Drummer Terence Dale "Buffin" Griffin, a founding member of Mott the Hoople, has passed away at the age of 67 following a struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
Griffin's passing has been confirmed by associates at Angel Air Records, who shared the news on Facebook with a post referring to him as "one of the nicest, friendly and talented men I have ever known" and saying he "died peacefully in his sleep" on Jan. 17.
"All he ever wanted was for his beloved Mott the Hoople to reform and it was his determination that achieved that very feat in 2009," adds the post. "Sadly by then he was too ill to perform at the five sold out dates though he did join the band for encores."
Griffin discussed his diagnosis in a Wales Online profile published in 2010, sharing his struggle with a series of frank quotes that included the painful admission that he'd occasionally felt abandoned by old friends who weren't sure how to handle his deteriorating condition.
"Many old friends now avoid me as they do not know what to say, which is really hurtful," said Griffin. "I just wish they would realize that, inside, I am still the same old Buffin I always was. We have to make people aware of this horrible disease. The main thing is to get the word out. There are still a lot of people who think that Alzheimer's is just people getting old and that it's no bother, no bad thing. But I think it is a big deal – when you live with it, it can be pretty grim at times."
'One of the Boys'
After making four albums that very few people heard, Mott the Hoople were about ready to call it quits when red-hot Bowie stepped in as the band's producer, handpicked some great songs for them to cover, encouraged their own songwriting and contributed the great 'All the Young Dudes' (see No. 1 on our list of the Top 10 Mott the Hoople Songs) to the project. It completely turned the group around. Clocking in at close to seven minutes, 'One of the Boys' is the album's longest songs and the tightest link to their bluesy past.
'Jerkin' Crocus'
Once Bowie began steering the band in a more glam direction, Ian Hunter quickly stepped up with his own songs, twisting the blues-rock crunch of his previous work into showier and more stinging tunes. 'Jerkin' Crocus' is one of his earliest stabs at writing in the new style and a highlight of the 'All the Young Dudes' album.
'Crash Street Kidds'
By 1974's 'The Hoople,' the band was beginning to fall apart. Guitarist Mick Ralphs was gone, and Mott's shifting personnel pretty much left Hunter in control of the group. But they managed to pull it together for their final album, their toughest-sounding LP and in some ways their most ambitious. 'Crash Street Kidds' is noisy excess, but it's totally glorious noisy excess.
'Hymn for the Dudes'
A sequel of sorts to 'All the Young Dudes' (see No. 1 on our list of the Top 10 Mott the Hoople Songs), 'Hymn for the Dudes' is the centerpiece of the band's quickly assembled follow-up to their breakthrough album, and this time they produced themselves. As its title lets on, 'Hymn for the Dudes' takes on some spiritual tones, with Hunter checking in with one of his all-time greatest performances.
'Roll Away the Stone'
Even though they lost guitarist Mick Ralphs, who formed Bad Company with Paul Rodgers, Mott the Hoople packed their final album with some of their best singles. 'Roll Away the Stone' was one of the last records they made with Ralphs, but the version most people are familiar with is a re-recorded take featuring new guitarist Ariel Bender. It's also the version found on 'The Hoople.' Either way, it's a great song.
'The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll'
'All the Young Dudes' and 'Mott' are the band's two best albums, but there's plenty of terrific songs on the band's final record too (see No. 5 on our list of the Top 10 Mott the Hoople Songs). The LP's lead-off track and second single features a searing guitar solo by new member Ariel Bender and one of Hunter's most passionate vocals. Plus, that old-school rock 'n' roll thing they do swings like crazy.
'Honaloochie Boogie'
It took them more than four years and just as many albums until they had their breakout hit, thanks to Bowie's help. When Mott returned the following year, they produced themselves, closely following the template Bowie had laid out for them. 'Honaloochie Boogie' was the first taste of 'Mott,' and it's one of the group's best, a mid-tempo pop song with a glam-rock topping.
'All the Way From Memphis'
With success came some typical rock-star problems. Like gear being lost during overseas tours. 'All the Way From Memphis' chronicles an incident in which Mick Ralphs' guitar was shipped to a different state than the one in which the band was playing. It's also a slam on rock-star excess, something the somewhat struggling Mott the Hoople still knew little about.
'All the Young Dudes'
When David Bowie decided to step in and save Mott the Hoople's dying career, they were little more than a cult British boogie-blues band with a few decent songs in their catalog (see No. 10 on our list of the Top 10 Mott the Hoople Songs). Then Bowie — basking in the glory of 'Hunky Dory' — offered the group his newly penned 'Suffragette City.' They rejected it. Then he wrote 'All the Young Dudes' specifically for them, changing their course and fortunes. The song became an anthem for glam kids everywhere, and the band suddenly found themselves showered in glitter and global acclaim.
Read More: Top 10 Mott the Hoople Songs | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/mott-the-hoople-songs/?trackback=tsmclip
Posted by: Grandmaof3grandsons <grandmaof3grandsons@comcast.net>
| Reply via web post | • | Reply to sender | • | Reply to group | • | Start a New Topic | • | Messages in this topic (1) |
Blog, a searchable database of obituaries
back to 2001:
http://DeadCelebrityAlert.com
- - -
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section
107, any copyrighted work in this message is
distributed under fair use without profit or
payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the included
information for non-profit research and
educational purposes only.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
