Mott The Hoople bassist Pete Overend Watts dead at 69

photo: Mott The Hoople reunion - London, October 2009 - by Wonker

Mott The Hoople bassist and founding member Pete Overend Watts died Sunday at the age of 69 after a six-year battle with throat cancer.

“Oh dear,” posted former Mott frontman Ian Hunter with the news. “My extremely eccentric, lovely mate – Peter Overend Watts – has left the building. Devastated.”

Former Mott keyboardist Morgan Fisher also posted news of the bassist’s death on social media, writing a tribute and sharing a recent email he received from Watts while in hospice care.

“My dear, darling, crazy friend Peter Overend Watts passed on today,” Fisher wrote. “I can't speak, am numb. All I can do is share one of the last emails he sent me, on December 6th 2016. Unedited, unexplained. His bravery, honesty, generosity, open heart and still-devastatingly witty humour during his last days utterly blow me away. He left this world as a total hero, a samurai. Love you, Pete.”

Originally a guitar player, Watts switched to bass by 1965 when he teamed up with guitarist Mick Ralphs in the Buddies; after a series of name changes, the pair connected with drummer Dale Griffin, organist Verden Allen and Hunter to officially form Mott The Hoople in Herefordshire in 1969 and release their self-titled debut album.

Three records later and the band found themselves on the verge of breaking up due to poor sales when fan David Bowie stepped in to persuade them to stay together by offering them his song, "Suffragette City", for their next album; Mott turned the tune down and Bowie provided them with “All The Young Dudes” instead.

Bowie produced the 1972 album “All The Young Dudes” and the title track hit No. 3 on the UK charts, becoming the band’s signature song and biggest hit of their career.

More singles and lineup changes followed by the time Ralphs left in 1973 to form Bad Company, with Hunter exiting the following year.

The group shortened their name to Mott for two records before more lineup changes led the band to become British Lions for two albums by the time they shut things down in 1979.

Watts went on to become a record producer, working on albums for artists including Hanoi Rocks and Dumb Blondes.

Watts and the original Mott The Hoople lineup regrouped for a series of reunion shows in 2009 and again in 2013 (with Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers filling in for Griffin).

The bassist’s passing follows the death of drummer Dale Griffin at the age of 67 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s in January of 2016.




See also:

Mott The Hoople drummer Dale Griffin dead at 67

Mott The Hoople drummer Dale Griffin dead at 67

Mott The Hoople drummer and founding member Dale “Buffin” Griffin died Sunday at the age of 67 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s.

The Hereford Times reports band manger Pete Purnell confirmed Griffin passed away in his sleep Sunday evening.

"I can't believe it - Dale was like family, we were very close - we went through a lot together," said keyboardist Verden Allen. “I got a call from our manager Pete Purnell this morning and he told me. Dale was a nice, well-spoken man and a brilliant drummer, it's unbelievable that he's gone."

Griffin was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 58 and was living in a care home near Brecon.

The drummer last performed with Moot The Hoople during a series of five 40th anniversary shows in 2009. Griffin played during the show’s encores while Pretenders sticksman Martin Chambers handled the main set.

"He played three songs with us, including All The Young Dudes," explains Allen. "I suppose in some ways it's a release for him now - he had suffered for many years."

Mott The Hoople formed from a pair of early 1960s Herefordshire bands, cementing their lineup with the addition of singer Ian Hunter in 1969 – the same year they issued their self-titled debut album.

Three more records followed in 1970 and 71 to low sales before the group discussed breaking up, which caught the attention of fan David Bowie. The singer persuaded the band to stay together and offered them his song, "Suffragette City", for their next album; Mott turned the tune down and Bowie provided them with “All The Young Dudes” instead.

Bowie produced the 1972 album “All The Young Dudes” and the title track hit No. 3 on the UK charts, becoming the band’s signature song and biggest hit of their career.

More singles and lineup changes followed by the time Hunter exited in 1974, with the group moving forward to record and perform as Mott and then British Lions before disbanding in 1980.

Griffin went on to a second career as a producer on numerous BBC Radio 1 John Peel sessions throughout the 80s and early 90s.

Def Leppard singer’s Down ‘N’ Outz to release live DVD

Down ‘N’ Outz – the Mott The Hoople-inspired side project of Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott – is set to release its first live DVD.

"Live At The Hammersmith Odeon" was filmed at the legendary London venue on October 6, 2009 when Down ‘N’ Outz opened for the reunited Mott The Hoople.

There’s some cool launch plans for the DVD: it will first be available at merchandise stands at shows on the British Paul Rodgers/Down ‘N’ Outz tour, which starts next week.

A limited edition of only 500 copies will be made available initially, all of which are personally signed and numbered by Joe and the rest of the band. Any remaining copies, and a regular (unsigned) version will be available through the band’s web site shortly after the tour.

Bonus material for the package includes footage from the Dave Kilner tribute show (featuring Leppard’s bass player Rick Savage), three promo videos and a behind-the-scenes documentary.

Down ‘N’ Outz
"Live At The Hammersmith Odeon" DVD
Release date: April 2011

01. Golden Opportunity
02. Overnight Angels
03. One More Chance To Run
04. Storm
05. Shouting And Pointing
06. Career (No Such Thing As Rock 'n' Roll)
07. Who Do You Love
08. By Tonight
09. England Rocks
10. Good Times

As for the opening slot on Rodgers tour, Elliott was thrilled the rock legend personally requested Down ‘N’ Outz for the occasion.

“Well, I wouldn’t say he insisted, it’s not like he’s going to beat me up if I didn’t do it but yeah, he did ask for us. And I thought that was really sweet,” Joe told the Express & Star. “I don’t know Paul like, as best friends, but we e-mail.”

Elliott met Rodgers through a pretty solid connection. “We first met in 2005 when he was with Queen and I went to see them in Dublin,” tells Joe. “Brian May, who I’ve known for years, said ‘Have you never met Paul?’ So he took me in to see him and, of course, I’d done the sneaky, I’d taken my iPod with me because we’d just finished recording “Little Bit Of Love,” the Free song for the "Yeah!" album, and I took it in and said ‘Here, have you got any headphones?’

“And he was really impressed, he said ‘This sounds great, I never thought I’d hear anybody cover this song.’ That was like a kind of bonding moment,” continued the Leppard frontman. “He must have heard the album, I don’t know. Until I see him I won’t be able to ask him. I was quite flattered that he did actually request us.”

Joe Elliott's Down 'n' Outz

Down ‘N’ Outz – Good Times


See also:

New video: Joe Elliott's Down ‘N’ Outz – “Overnight Angels”