mick ronson : slaughter on 10th avenue

mick ronson
slaughter on 10th avenue
rca records (1974)
apk1-0353


Mick Ronson's debut album released in 1974. Tape which I bought with my well-earned pocket money for all of £2.35 from a Boots the Chemists store. At that time Boots sold both vinyl and cassettes as did a lot of other chain stores whose principal business wasn't selling records. Of course, Ronson I knew as the guitarist in Bowie's backing band, The Spiders From Mars, and was curious to find out what he had to offer as a solo artist. It's a short album -clocking in at just under 36 minutes- but it has its moments. Particularly the 'Only After Dark' track which is also the B-side to the 'Love Me Tender' single released a couple of months before the album.

The Bowie connection is furthered with two tracks; 'Growing Up and I'm Fine' by Bowie himself and 'Pleasure Man / Hey Ma Get Papa' co-written with the Thin White Duke. Not forgetting fellow Spider From Mars, Trevor Bolder, on bass. Bolder and Ronson had played together in The Rats in their native Hull before joing up with Bowie. Bolder would go on to join Uriah Heep and later, Wishbone Ash.

'Slaughter on 10th Avenue,' which became more or less Ronson's signature tune, was originally music from a ballet by Richard Rogers which was first used in a Rogers & Hart Broadway comedy musical in 1936! Apparently Ronson had listened to the original music often as a child and had always liked it. His version does it well.

All in all, 'Slaughter...' is a pretty decent album but not a great classic like 'Ziggy Stardust' nor 'Hunky Dory.' Still, it's worthy of a place in any music fan's collection. Never bought a vinyl copy though.