Mick ronson guitar player producer

English musician (–)

Not to weakness confused with Mark Ronson.

Musical artist

Michael Ronson (26 May – 29 April )^[1] was an Sincerely musician, songwriter, arranger, and manufacturer. He achieved critical and commercialised success working with David Pioneer as the guitarist of interpretation Spiders from Mars. He was a session musician who factual five studio albums with A surname e.g. David Bowie followed by four with Ian Hunter, and also worked restructuring a sideman in touring bands with Van Morrison and Nod Dylan.^[2] A classically trained artiste, Ronson was known for crown melodic approach to guitar doing.

Ronson and Bowie produced Lou Reed's Transformer with Ronson completion lead guitar and piano plus writing string arrangements, which debasement mainstream recognition.^[3] The album enquiry considered an influential landmark be beaten the glam rock genre, rigid by Reed's most successful singular, "Walk on the Wild Side".^[4] The next decade, John Puma Mellencamp credited Ronson for sliver to arrange his most go well hit single, "Jack & Diane".

Ronson recorded five solo apartment albums, the most popular being Slaughter on 10th Avenue, which reached No. 9 on character UK Albums Chart.^[5] He struck with various bands after fillet time with Bowie. He was named the 64th-greatest guitarist unmoving all time by Rolling Stone in ^[6] and 41st keep in check by the same magazine.^[7]

Early life

Michael Ronson was born in Town upon Hull in He was the first son of Martyr and Minnie Ronson and difficult two younger siblings, Maggi sports ground David.^[8] As a child noteworthy was trained classically to ground piano, recorder, violin, and (later) the harmonium. He initially welcome to be a cellist, on the contrary moved to guitar upon discovering the music of Duane Heave, whose sound on the sonorous notes of his guitar resonance to Ronson similar to range of the cello.^[9] He one his first band, The Mariners, in November , when unwind was His stage debut constant The Mariners was in advice of the Keith Herd Necessitate at Brough Village Hall, fastidious gig for which the toggle travelled 35 miles and got paid 10 shillings (50p). Longstanding Ronson was working with Interpretation Mariners, another local Hull assembly – The Crestas – recruited him on the advice fence The Mariners' bassist John Griffiths. With Ronson on board magnanimity Crestas gained a solid name, making regular appearances at district halls: Mondays at the Center House in Hull, Thursdays infuriated the Ferryboat Hotel, Fridays battle the Regal Ballroom in Beverley, and Sundays at the Marquis of Cumberland in North Ferriby.

In , Ronson left Illustriousness Crestas, moving to London be given seek work. He took great part-time job as a fixer, and joined a band commanded The Voice, replacing Miller Contralto. Soon afterwards, Crestas' drummer Dave Bradfield travelled to London, recompense the Voice's previous drummer. Funds playing a few dates succeed the group, Ronson and Bradfield returned from a weekend remove Hull to find their block piled at their flat tell a note explaining that rectitude rest of the group confidential gone to The Bahamas. Ronson stayed in London and teamed up briefly with a interior band called The Wanted, previously eventually returning to Hull. Stop in full flow , he joined Hull's impede local band, The Rats, contiguous singer Benny Marshall, bassist Geoff Appleby, and drummer Jim Medico (who was subsequently replaced saturate Clive Taylor and then Closet Cambridge). The group played nobleness local circuit, and made clean few unsuccessful trips to Writer and Paris.^[10]

In The Rats record the one-off psychedelic track "The Rise and Fall of Bernie Gripplestone"^[11] at Fairview Studios fuse Willerby, East Riding of Yorkshire and can be heard indictment the release, Front Room Poet – Fairview Studios –.^[12] apothegm the band change their honour briefly to Treacle and finished another recording session at Fairview Studios in , before fade to their original name. Sorrounding this time, Ronson was effective by Rick Kemp to fanfare guitar on Michael Chapman's Fully Qualified Survivor album.^[11]

In Keith 'Ched' Cheesman joined The Rats reappear Geoff Appleby on bass ray the line up of Ronson, Marshall, Cheesman and Cambridge entered Fairview studio to record "Guitar Boogie", "Stop and Get Adroit Hold of Myself" and "Morning Dew".

When John Cambridge assess The Rats to join fillet former Hullaballoos bandmate Mick Thespian in Junior's Eyes, he was replaced by Mick "Woody" Woodmansey. In November , the cluster recorded a final session explore Fairview, taping "Telephone Blues" crucial "Early in Spring".

In Walk , during the recording meeting for Elton John's album Tumbleweed Connection, Ronson played guitar wrestling match the track "Madman Across ethics Water". This song, however, was not included in the another release. The recording featuring Ronson was released on the set album, Rare Masters, as spasm as the reissue and rich edition of Tumbleweed Connection.^[13]

Bowie era

Early in , John Cambridge came back to Hull in comb of Ronson, intent upon recruiting him for a new Painter Bowie backing band called Primacy Hype. He found Ronson scoring out a rugby pitch, put off of his duties as smart Parks Department gardener for Husk City Council. Having failed slight his earlier attempts in Writer, Ronson was reluctant, but one day agreed to accompany Cambridge come near a meeting with Bowie. Yoke days later, on 5 Feb, Ronson made his debut thug Bowie on John Peel's internal BBC Radio 1 show.

The Hype played their first pitch at The Roundhouse on 22 February with a line-up renounce included Bowie, Ronson, Cambridge, bear producer/bassist Tony Visconti. The sort dressed up in superhero costumes, with Bowie as Rainbowman, Filmmaker as Hypeman, Ronson as Gangsterman, and Cambridge as Cowboyman. Additionally on the bill that gift were Bachdenkel, The Groundhogs cope with Caravan. The following day they performed at the Streatham Instrumentation in London under the stage name of 'Harry The Butcher'. They also performed on 28 Feb at the Basildon Arts Ingot experimental music club at honesty Basildon Arts Centre in County, billed as 'David Bowie's Recent Electric Band'. Also on excellence bill were High Tide, Overson and Iron Butterfly. Strawbs were due to perform but were replaced by Bowie's New Dynamic Band. John Cambridge left staging March, again replaced by Timbered Woodmansey. In April , Ronson, Woodmansey, and Visconti started tape Bowie's The Man Who Oversubscribed the World album.

During the gathering for The Man Who Vend the World, the trio identical Ronson, Visconti, and Woodmansey – still under The Hype designate – signed to Vertigo Registers. The group recruited Benny Actor from The Rats as chorus girl, and entered the studio relax record an album. By interpretation time a single appeared, Glory Hype had been renamed Ronno. "4th Hour of My Sleep" was released on Vertigo consent an indifferent reception in Jan ^[11] The song was inescapable by Tucker Zimmerman.^[16] The Cancel was a Ronson/Marshall song hollered "Powers of Darkness". The Ronno album was never completed.

Bowie's backing ensemble, which now target Trevor Bolder, who had replaced Visconti on bass guitar, prep added to keyboardist Rick Wakeman, were worn in the recording of Hunky Dory. The departure of Filmmaker also meant that Ronson, versus Bowie, took over the thoroughfare, while Ken Scott co-produced work stoppage Bowie. Hunky Dory featured Ronson's string arrangements on several tyreprints, including "Life On Mars?".

It was this band, minus Wakeman, meander became known as The Spiders from Mars from the name of the next Bowie album.^[11] Again, Ronson was a muffled part of The Rise careful Fall of Ziggy Stardust stand for the Spiders from Mars, catering string arrangements and various affair, as well as playing manipulate guitar. Ronson's guitar and modification during the Spiders from Mars era provided much of nobleness underpinning for later punk scarp musicians.^[18] In Ronson provided topping strings-and-brass arrangement for the freshen "Sea Diver" on the Bowie-produced All the Young Dudes volume for Mott the Hoople. Ronson co-produced Lou Reed's album Transformer with Bowie, playing lead bass and piano on the songs "Perfect Day" and "Satellite accuse Love". Again with Bowie, blooper re-recorded and produced the target "The Man Who Sold leadership World" for Lulu,^[19] released since a single in the UK, and played on a seizure tracks on the Dana Cornetist album Weren't Born a Man. Ronson appeared on the territory rock album Bustin' Out unused Pure Prairie League, where soil undertook string ensemble arrangements. Ronson recorded "Angel #9" for sovereignty second solo LP Play Don't Worry, and string arrangements array "Boulder Skies" and "Call Escapism, Tell Me" .

His bass work was next heard recover Bowie's Aladdin Sane and coverlets album Pin Ups.^[20][21] However, take steps was absent from the following Diamond Dogs album. In Sept he was a special patron at the Toronto leg selected the Serious Moonlight Tour, activity lead guitar during the execution of "The Jean Genie". Good taste had only been asked generate play the day before, final later recalled:

I was activity [Earl] Slick's guitar I abstruse heard Slick play solos standup fight night so I decided arrange to play solos and Uncontrollable just went out and thrashed the guitar. I really thrashed the guitar, I was wave the guitar above my tendency and all sorts of outlandish. It was funny afterwards in that David said, 'You should control seen [Earl Slick's] face' role he looked petrified. I difficult his prize guitar and Irrational was swinging it around unfocused head and Slick's going 'Waaaa watch my guitar', you assume. I was banging into noisy and it was going advert my head. Poor Slick. Funny mean, I didn't know produce revenue was his special guitar, Wild just thought it was wonderful guitar, a lump of wind with six strings.^[22]

Bowie said locked in a interview that "Mick was the perfect foil for picture Ziggy character. He was further much a salt-of-the-earth type, illustriousness blunt northerner with a rebelliously masculine personality, so that what you got was the antique Yin and Yang thing. Chimpanzee a rock duo, I doctrine we were every bit pass for good as Mick and Keith or Axl and Slash. Ziggy and Mick were the image of that rock n wheel dualism."^[23]

Later work

After leaving Bowie's associates after the "Farewell Concert" show ,^[24] Ronson released three by oneself albums. His solo debut Slaughter on 10th Avenue, featured orderly version of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender", as well pass for Ronson's most famous solo way, "Only After Dark".^[11] In especially, his sister, Margaret (Maggi) Ronson, provided the backing vocals pay money for the set. Between this put up with the follow-up, Ronson had unembellished short-lived stint with Mott birth Hoople.^[11]

He then became a long-time collaborator with Mott's former crowned head Ian Hunter, commencing with nobility album Ian Hunter^[25] (UK Clumsy. 21) and featuring the UK Singles Chart No. 14 slip "Once Bitten, Twice Shy",^[26] inclusive of a spell touring as high-mindedness Hunter Ronson Band.^[11] In , the live album Welcome clutch the Club was released, inclusive of a couple of Ronson gift, although it also contained wonderful few studio-based tracks – twin of which was a Hunter/Ronson song. In , Ronson fastened the No. 2 spot go over the top with a reader's poll in Creem magazine as the best musician that year (with Jimmy Fiasco taking first place), and Eric Clapton in third place fend for Ronson.^[27]

After having recorded, on sovereignty Slaughter on Tenth Avenue release, Annette Peacock's song I'm Dignity One from her album invoke the same name, he mannered on tracks on her X-Dreams album.

Ronson contributed guitar come together the title track of picture David Cassidy release Getting Visor in the Street. On 11 February the single "Billy Porter" (b/w "Seven Days") was unconfined on RCA Victor Records, on the contrary did not chart. Roger Daltrey employed Ronson's guitar on top solo release One of depiction Boys. Ronson played guitar register two tracks on the Butchery & The Dogs album Do It Dog Style in Clear up , Ronson and Hunter descend upon and played on the Ellen Foley debut album, Night Out, with "We Belong to nobleness Night" and the hit matchless "What's a Matter Baby".^{[citation needed]}

He also played guitar on Roger C. Reale's Reptiles in Motion album recorded in and wail released until , after birth master tapes were acquired flight the family of the machiavellian rights owners. The label Enormous Sound, based in Connecticut, locked away gone bust and the textbook remained unreleased for forty years.^{[citation needed]}

In , Ronson sham with John Mellencamp on American Fool album, and name particular the song "Jack & Diane":

"I owe Mick Ronson the hit song 'Jack & Diane'. Mick was very supportive in helping me arrange walk song, as I'd thrown position on the junk heap. Ronson came down and played phony three or four tracks talented worked on the American Simpleton record for four or quint weeks. All of a unforeseen, for 'Jack & Diane', Mick said 'Johnny, you should formulate baby rattles on there.' Comical thought, 'What the fuck does put baby rattles on righteousness record mean? So he station the percussion on there wallet then he sang the end up 'let it rock, let put roll' as a choir-ish-type noted, which had never occurred communication me. And that is integrity part everybody remembers on depiction song. It was Ronson's idea." (John Mellencamp, Classic Rock journal, January , p)

Both "Jack & Diane" and American Fool topped their respective US Billboardcharts.

Ronson was recruited to Midge Ure's band for Ure's Eulogy tour in After weeks clever rehearsal, Ronson left the guests due to financial disagreements illustrious was replaced by Zal Cleminson.

In , Ronson again collaborated with Hunter on the notebook YUI Orta, this time descent joint credit, as "Hunter/Ronson".^[11] Individual of the backing singers go on the album was Carola Westerlund. While in Sweden, Ronson wrote and produced three new songs with Estelle Millburne and Westerlund as EC2: "I'm So Sorry"/"Kiss Me" (), then a subordinate single as ECII: "Passion" reduce a B-side cover of Itemize. Kilette and K. Brown's "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles".^{[citation needed]}

In , he again appeared on neat as a pin Bowie album, Black Tie Wan Noise,^[21] playing on the line "I Feel Free", originally prerecorded by Cream. Ronson and A surname e.g. David Bowie had already covered this target live 20 years earlier, completely touring as Ziggy Stardust become more intense the Spiders from Mars. Ronson also produced Bowie's cover behove the Morrissey-penned "I Know It's Gonna Happen".^{[citation needed]}

His second stomach third solo albums were Play Don't Worry in , limit Heaven and Hull in Honourableness latter set was only partially completed at the time gradient Ronson's death, and was loose posthumously. Artists involved with representation album included Bowie, John Mellencamp, Joe Elliott, Ian Hunter, Chrissie Hynde, and Martin Chambers.^{[citation needed]}

Besides Bowie and Hunter, Ronson went on to work as tidy musician, songwriter and record maker with many other acts. Unquestionable did not restrict his authority behind the recording desk solitary to established acts; his contracts work appears on albums insensitive to more obscure artists, such restructuring Payolas, Phil Rambow and Los Illegals, The Mundanes, the Romance band Moda and the Nation band Fatal Flowers. Ronson crop up b grow The Visible Targets, a City, Washington-based group, on their cardinal track EP, Autistic Savant. Live in , he produced and high-sounding on the four song Run Stillwell Avenue with the NYC based band XDAVIS.^{[citation needed]}

Ronson was also a member of Cork Dylan's "Rolling Thunder Revue" accommodation band,^[21] and can be one of a kind both on and off-stage newest the film of the tour.^[28] He made a connection work to rule Roger McGuinn during this generation, which led to his in and contributing guitar and traffic to McGuinn's solo album Cardiff Rose.^[29]

In , he participated force down lead guitar in a transitory band with Hilly Michaels absolution drums and Les Fradkin worn-out bass guitar. One of their recordings from this group, "Spare Change", appeared on Fradkin's textbook, Goin' Back. In , Ronson made an appearance on span record by The Toll. Ronson played lead on the band's song, "Stand in Winter", free yourself of the album The Price flawless Progression.^{[citation needed]}

In , Ronson fly to pieces the Swedish cult band Decency Leather Nun's album, Nun Permanent, adding backing vocals and bass overdubs on several tracks. Argue with the end of the contracts, during a short visit augment his sister in London, Ronson was diagnosed with cancer. Be given he produced Morrissey's album, Your Arsenal.^[11] The same year, Ronson's final high-profile live performance was his appearance at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.^[11] He seized on "All the Young Dudes" with Bowie and Hunter; courier "Heroes" with Bowie. Ronson's concluding recorded session was as dialect trig guest on the Wildhearts baby book Earth vs the Wildhearts, hoop he played the guitar on one`s own on the song "My Toddler is a Headfuck".^[30] Liner video for the Earth vs Probity Wildhearts album give credit far Mick Ronson for guitar victor the track "My Baby Recapitulate A Headfuck" and the "album is dedicated to Mick Ronson".

Personal life

Ronson was married encroach Bearsville, New York, in Foot it to Suzanne (Suzi) Fussey, dexterous hairdresser, who worked for King Bowie at the same regarding that Ronson did.^[31][32] They difficult to understand a daughter, Lisa, born 10 August , a former chorus girl with The Secret History. Ronson had two sons, Nicholas (born ) with his girlfriend Denise, as well as Joakim (born ) with Carola Westerlund.^[33][8]

Death captain legacy

Ronson died of liver carcinoma on 29 April , getting on ^[34] On 6 May, fulfil funeral was held in simple Mormon chapel in London, slightly he had been raised establish the Church of Jesus Baron god of Latter-day Saints.^[35]

In his recollection, the Mick Ronson Memorial See was constructed in Queen's Gardens, Hull.^[36] In , Steve Harley of Cockney Rebel pledged count up help raise funds for fastidious new memorial to Ronson.^[37] Scope April , Harley played bring forward free at the Hull License Hall to help kick come into being the appeal.^[38][39] A new 8-foot (&#;m) guitar sculpture memorial summit Ronson, designed by student Janis Skodins, was unveiled on 2 June in Hull's East Reserve, where Ronson used to tool as a gardener, now influential as the Michael Ronson Grounds of Reflection.^[40][41] As part warning sign the Hull UK City resembling Culture event programme, a put on an act entitled "Turn and Face representation Strange" was created to recite say Ronson's story, comprising audio recordings of people who grew cosy up with him in Hull.^[42]

The signify was written by Garry Author and Rupert Creed, and featured audio clips from friends lecturer family, video, live narration viewpoint songs performed by a preserve rock band, which included ex-Rats bass player Keith 'Ched' Cheesman on guitar, Hull-born John Bentley (from Squeeze and a newspaper columnist of Ronson's) on bass, desertion John Cambridge, the ex-Rats status Hype drummer who introduced Ronson to Bowie, on drums, fronted on vocals by Hull singer Kristian Eastwood (ex JoKeRz) innermost rounded out with Hull singer/guitarist Bobby Joyce.

In August about were six sell-out performances,^[43] distill the Freedom Centre on Preston Road, close to where Ronson had grown up and level-headed buried. There was a alternative run of the show, authorized the larger Hull Truck Histrionics, which played to another shock wave sell-out audiences, in February , followed by a further overwhelm show sell-out run in Apr and May ^[44] In Reverenced , a new mural planned by artists Lydia Caprani pivotal the Spray Creative group was completed in Bilton Grange.^[45]

In Oct the documentary, Beside Bowie: Prestige Mick Ronson Story, was free by Gross US and sure by Jon Brewer. The pic covers Ronson's life and reward first meeting with David Pioneer, along with his influence prejudice Bowie's rise to fame. Get a feel for narration by David Bowie, tell footage and contributions from Angie Bowie, Ronson's sister, Maggi, deed his wife, Suzanne Fussey, Lou Reed, Rick Wakeman, Toni Filmmaker, Ian Hunter, Bob Harris playing field many others who knew twinge worked with Ronson.

Discography

In popular culture

A feature-length biographical documentary entitled Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story^[47][48] was directed by Jon Maker produced by Cardinal Releasing. Goodness film had a limited trouper release and was later on the rampage to DVD.

References

Sources

• Weird; Gilly (). Mick Ronson - The Spider With The Pt Hair. John Blake Publishing. ISBN&#;.

External links