This just blew my mind. Ever since Bowie's death I have been watching a lot of old Bowie videos on youtube and then have been noticing and appreciating Mick Ronson's playing. I started looking for other Mick Ronson videos, and I was actually thinking " I wish I could have seen him play before he died". But Now I see this and find out I actually DID see him, I saw that 'final' (haha) Who/Clash/T.Bone Burnett tour in 1982. I didn't know who Mick was back then, I was just 17 and mostly just wanted to see The Clash. Plus I was tripping hard at that show! I can't even remember anything about Burnett's set. So I saw Mick Ronson, and I didn't pay any attention! DOH! I wish the 51 year old me could tell the 17 year old me some things.
That's exactly it, I went from wishing I had seen him.. to knowing I had seen him and not even known what I was seeing. Lots of regrets! Back then it wasn't as easy to look up bands and see who was playing in the touring band and what former bands they were in. You didn't have everyone's complete discography at your fingertips, so unless you read it in a music magazine or something , you didn't always know. (and I actually had a subscription to Rolling Stone all through high school, but I still didn't know.) So I guess I can technically say I have seen him, but with an asterisk.
I was 12 when I bought Aladdin Sane in 1973 and I remember thinking that the piano sounded so strange but really exciting it opened the the door to the likes of Coltrane , Coleman and Dolphy
@wildcatter63 Mick left the band a couple of times in the early days. Bowie had a gig in Leeds and Mick and Woody just went home to Hull. According to Woody he also fancied being Rick Wakeman and went back to Hull again to take more lessons with his piano teacher who taught him how to arrange music.
Thank you for this post. Mick Ronson was one of the best guitarists on the scene back in the 70's-90's…just listen to Moonage Daydream or Black Country Rock or She Shook Me Cold- just orchestral. I don't have another way to describe it other than almost like an orchestra instrument. You could see now as the story of Bowie's album recordings comes out (although in the day, I didn't know), the huge contribution that both Mick and Tony Visconti had to the production. Thanks again.
Such a fantastic musician who has contributed to so many brilliant tracks. My personal faves have to be his stuff with Bowie and Smashing Pumpkins. Top man!! :)
The evidence continues to mount. I haven't come across a single one of Ronson's peers that is not going to laud his incredible talents. And yet the Rock Hall of Fame continues its wayward rambling in search of the most non-Rock people you can imagine. Did you know that Dionne Warwick is up for consideration this year? Bwa ha ha....
