Roll Away the Stone

"Roll Away the Stone" is a single released by English rock band Mott the Hoople, recorded before Mick Ralphs left the band. The song was written by Ian Hunter and released on the CBS label.[1] In this version Ralphs plays lead guitar and one of the Thunderthighs handles the bridge voice. It was re-recorded by the band for their 1974 album The Hoople, with Ariel Bender on lead guitar and English vocalist Lynsey de Paul singing the vocal bridge.[2] Ian Hunter revealed the story behind the song in an interview with Classic Rock in 2014.[3]

For the Kelly Joe Phelps album, see Roll Away the Stone (album).
Not to be confused with Roll Away Your Stone.
"Roll Away the Stone"
Single by Mott the Hoople
B-side"Where Do You All Come From?"
Released
  • November 1973 (1973-11) (UK)
  • 1974 (US)
RecordedJuly 1973
GenreGlam rock, hard rock
Length3:02
LabelColumbia Records
Songwriter(s)Ian Hunter
Producer(s)Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople singles chronology
"All the Way from Memphis"
(1973)		 "Roll Away the Stone"
(1973)		 "The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll"
(1974)

It reached No.8 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in December 1973, spending five weeks in the top 10.[4] When the band appeared on the BBC show Top of the Pops on 15 November 1973; drummer Dale "Buffin" Griffin played the drums with two pool cues.

In 1986, the song was used a background song on the 1974 edition of the BBC TV series The Rock 'n' Roll Years, for the news clips relating to the two general elections in the United Kingdom that year. It also featured in the film The Diary of a Teenage Girl,[5] as well as on the soundtrack album.[6]

References
  1. "Mott The Hoople - Roll Away The Stone". Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  2. Hugh Fielder (2014-05-13). "The Story Behind The Song: Roll Away The Stone by Mott The Hoople - Classic Rock". Teamrock.com. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
  3. Rob Hughes. "The Story Behind The Song: Roll Away The Stone by Mott The Hoople". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 381. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. "The Diary of a Teenage Girl". IMDb.com. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  6. "Various - The Diary Of A Teenage Girl Soundtrack". Discogs.com. Retrieved 14 September 2019.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.