My Grandad taught Mick Ronson how to play. He was in his first band with my Grandad, named the Mariners. My Grandad urged him to join a band called The Rats and that’s where Bowie picked him up from. Eternally proud.
Mick Ronson was a beast on guitar. The man was so talented and really did play a big part to make Bowie such a massive success in the seventies. By all accounts, Mick was a lovely guy with a gentle nature. It was a very sad day when he died.
Mick Ronson took part in the already legendary tribute concert for Freddie Mercury on 20th of April 1992 and gave wonderful performance, but self passed away one year later. RIP Mick.
Initially I loved Bowie as a performer and singer - as I grew up, I realized that subconsciously I loved Bowie because of Mick Ronson's muscular guitar sound - Mick was an integral and indispensable part of Bowie's early sound
Excellent insight and point of view. There certainly was something special about guitarists in the 70s if you think about it. I think they are both great players but Ronno will always be my favorite
Mick Ronson: 1993 - Liver Cancer... David Bowie: 2016 - Liver Cancer. They tragicly shared the same destiny... Rest In Peace MR & DB. We miss you both. 💔
@@creativesource3514 For whom exactly? In Bowie's case it's also believed he also had lung cancer. 80% of people who drink too much succumb to liver disease.
@@apollomemories7399 yes I was referring to Bowie. Lung primary with liver secondaries which meant it was stage 4. Likely the lung cancer was due to smoking.
@@creativesource3514 It wasn't apparent you were referring to Bowie. The thing is it wasn't reported so maybe difficult to assume lung cancer was stage 4. It's most probable it was due to smoking, however, a great number of people die from lung cancer who have never smoked. Originally, it was reported that Ronson had pancreatic cancer, virtually untreatable. Liver cancer is often given as the majority of people have no idea what or where the pancreas is.
@@apollomemories7399 hi again. By the way, I'm a cancer surgeon. So if it's spread to Liver from a lung primary then by definition it's stage 4. Stage 4A. Yeah 10-20% of lung cancers are not smoking related andal are non-small types. Mainly adenocarcinoma. Pancreatic is always horrible as it remains asymptomatic at early stages and presents late. Screening for Pancreatic is virtually impossible.
Bowie announced on stage at Hammersmith Odeon that the band was breaking up, without telling the other guys in advance. He also paid them a pretty measly wage - when they found out what Mike Barson the new keyboard player was getting they were shocked.
My dad was good friends with Mick, sang on his memorial album with the Spiders from Mars, and still gets tearful when we talk about him. Mick died when I was a toddler, so I have no memories, but the influence he had on people around me is incredible.
I used to live across the road from where he was born on Beverley Road and played rugby on the pitches he prepared as a groundsman at Andrew Marvell School Even now as I pass Woodmansey village hall I think of Mick's band rehearsing there before he went south
Absolutely agree!”Moonage Daydream” is epic,especially Mick’s end solo which is hauntingly beautiful,and vicious at the same time.I heard it live in the early 70s...amazing gig.Ronno deserved far more credit for his contributions,and Bowie’s elegy in this interview is pretty lame and lacking in gratitude.However,we don’t know all the details,so maybe shouldn’t judge so harshly?...Chuffed to learn that Mick lived on Bev Rd in Hull and so did I as a student in 1975.Think I’m gonna play “Moonage Daydream”now!...
I’ve a guitarist friend whose the world’s biggest Ronson fan. He even went to a cinema screening of Ziggy the Motion Picture with a tape recorder to record a part of a solo they cut from the live album. He later got into Jeff Beck and said Ronson completely copied Beck.
More then a lead guitarist David he arranged the songs and gave them the sound and feel. Would not of had success without him. Be like Elton John not having Bernie.
Mick Ronson was amazing so talented and unique. I mean not only can he play he goes from timeshift to time shift and comes right back into the Rhythm like it was born there. And if you watch him play you can tell keep playing it from within
I had the fortune of seeing the Hunter/Ronson band in a small club in Youngstown, Ohio, around 1979. What a treat! As I am a longtime Mott the Hoople and Bowie fan.
Aladdin Sane is one of my favorite albums of all time. It doesn't have any of my favorite songs but, from beginning to end in one continuous play, the album is perfect.
Huge bowie fan for 50+ years No doubt at all in my mind that the break up of the spiders could, and should, have been handled so much better. How much of that was down to bowie and how much was down to his management at the time, who didn't win too many medals for treating people well, we will never know i guess. I do think that bowie learned, in later life, to treat his collaborators better; mind, that was a necessity given that a huge part of his success was about choosing great artists with whom to work.
Bowie dropped the Spiders and with it their hard earned pay stopped overnight. They were understandslbe upset and had families and mortgages. Bowie went on to superstardom .The Spiders and Ronson in particular polished his strummed basic tracks into first rate material. Bowie would still be in Haddon hall without the Spiders
Bowie himself was near penniless after that period, which is well documented. Bowie then went on to make more of "his strummed basic tracks" into massive hits becoming wealthy along the way. Diamond Dogs on which Bowie took over guitar went to number 1, so it seems he was quite capable on his own. Mick Ronson had exactly the same opportunity with a record contract and solo albums. Bowie's songwriting ability made Mick Ronson famous and not the other way around as their careers after that date makes perfectly obvious. Had Mick Ronson become the huge rockstar and Bowie disappeared would you think Mick would be responsible for Bowie's "family and mortgage?" I honestly find your logic completely absurd, as if you expect Bowie to keep touring with them until their kids are grown up. Bowie wanted out of that part of his career and had no obligation to keep playing with those musicians. When bands break up people go their separate ways. They then receive the royalty payments they agreed to and signed for. Your comment is like Mick Ronson is the orphan Oliver incapable of making his way in the world and Bowie was somehow eternally obligated to perform with and provide for him.
the spiders were talented, and mick ronson surely was the backbone of a lot of the ziggy period, but to say david bowie owed his fame to them is a bit much
Exactly true,Bowie was the start and he wrote the songs and he was the amazing frontman who had to sing and perform each and every night, they were the band he used not the other way around,yes Mick was just about the best guitar player of any decade but Bowie was Bowie,and he was just as broke after that period but he was the superstar and found his way forward,
Ronson ignited Bowie's career after so many false starts in the early days. I really believe that had it not been for Ronno, Bowie's star would never have ascended like it did. Sadly, Ronno got little to show for it and died almost penniless.
711honved i read somewhere, but i don't remember where....that Bowie paid for some of the healthcare for Rionson. Which is nice if true...but too bad he would have needed to. I think Ronson was just into making music. I wish he had done more solo work though.
Brian Hadley Ian Hunter & Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) helped Ronson with his medical bills. Bowie had sent Ronno some tapes for his Heaven & Hull album but Hunter said that they were of poor quality. Bowie did some vocals on what would be the final album released after his death. Ironically, it was Tony Defries of Mainman who provided Ronno with a home in his final days & he also contributed to medical bills. I was always surprised why Bowie never attended Ronno's funeral or memorial concert. It's a subject Bowie always steers away from. I think Ronno lacked the confidence & self esteem of Bowie & this limited his solo output. So nice to see him finally being credited for his wonderful musicianship.
That video clip is how I found out Ronson had diied. I was all set there in front of the TV, ready to see Bowie, taping the show,,,and he comes out and says that. I knew Ronson was sick...but this was before the internet really. You just didn't pick news as easily. I love that remake Def Leppard did of Only After Dark.
Mick Ronson was a major part of launching Bowie to fame. This band, "The Spiders From Mars",this line up of musicianship, is one of the best in the history of rock from this era. Sad that Bowie decided to end this band so early on, with such short notice, and not give Mr. Ronson and all their fair due for the incredible work and musicianship they had achieved. Very selfish of Mr. Bowie. Mick Ronson is one of the finest guitarist of this era and astounding to behold in live concert. A fine, soft spoken, thoughtful, intelligent person and a great guitarist.
It’s sad the way they broke up. But I like that Bowie had an ever changing line-up of musicians. It made it possible to have very different sounding albums over the years. And while I love the Spiders from Mars, I wouldn’t want to have missed the DAM trio.
The late 60's and early 70's were a time when many musicians were moving from band to band. It a time of incredible creativity. So I can hardly judge Bowie for moving on after all that period in the early 70's was Bowie's most creative and most productive.
When once asked about Mick in an interview Bowie said he couldn't remember much about him!! Now in this interview he misses him a lot!! Hmm. Mick Ronson never got the recognition he deserved! A great guitarist and, mostly overlooked, a great arranger!! He certainly influenced me in the early 70's!!
STILL makes me feel Sad!! R.I.P. - Mick WAS (is) One of the BEST People in R'n'R - His Fame Should have been as high as Bowies - & 2Me - It IS!! Thank You!!
I had NO IDEA! Mick was there with Bowie from the beginning. I even got to meet him, he was a lovely man. I now mourn both of my all time favorite actors!musicians... Human beings
I just watched a documentary on Mick Ronson and he was truely underrated, under paid and under appreciated, he should have had so many more royalties and recognition of his productiin input
Very underrated but very influential. Not given enough credit as he had a huge influence in the creation of he sound that so many loved about Bowie records. It was a unique style that nobody else could have achieved. It's just a shame he left the party so early.
He was a truly talented musician of that there is and can be no Doubt. As for underestimating him I never did. He was in someways sort of shy and modest whereas others had the front to promote themselves.
According to Ronson, Bowie was spending all his time smoking dope and having sex with Angie, so Mick and the boys had to entirely write the man who sold the world and Bowie only wrote the lyrics. Great album, almost metal, totally deranged.
Man Who Sold is such a great record you don't hear much about. Running Gun Blues and She Shook Me Cold by themselves would earn a writer a gold star. @@richardhead4564
I hate Bowie for not going to his funeral, or paying respects before he was prompted in this interview. Ronson was a massive influence on his Ziggy Stardust era. He was a brilliant musician. Appalling.
Mick Ronson was a genius. He learned how to score music early during his tenure with DB. He arranged everything on the albums. It’s a shame he couldn’t pull off his solo career. He knew the double lead was a force between himself and DB.
When Mick and Ian Hunter ( of Mott the Hoople) met, Ian asked Mick to do string arrangements for one of his songs, and asked how much it would cost, Mick said 20 quid. Mick did them on a package of cigarettes and " I think he never even got paid" - Ian Hunter
If it wasn't for Mick, Trevor and Woody Mr Bowie you wouldn't have had life and career you had. Very sad that you treated them like shit to advance yourself. However, all water under the bridge etc. Saw them live at the Empire theatre here in Edinburgh in 1973, a great night. R. I. P to David, Mick and Trevor
No body has any idea what career and life Bowie would have had without Mick and the Spiders. What kind of career and life do you think they would have had without Bowie? He would have worked with different musicians, thats all. It would have been different, maybe worse, maybe better. The fact is, Mick Ronson was interpreting Bowie's ideas, not his own.
Being 16 at that time. I always really imitated them both as one person. Singing the lyrics and playing Ronson riffs. They did a dance on that album where each would lead and the other backed off. David should of took him along on the ride going forward. I’ve always kind of faulted David for not keeping him around. Of course I don’t know the whole story. But man Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was and is a masterpiece in my musical universe.
I love Mick Ronson, he have a unique style and a great talent, i believe he is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. We all missing you a lot Mick Ronson! In the Rolling Stone magazine top of the 100 best guitarists Ronson was in the 27 and in the first place was David Gilmour or E. Clapton, i can't remember but these two are actually, today the absolute best guitar players in this time.
Brian Hadley hi brian... love guitar.. play abit.. some guy stole my guitar this year..lol. im not great llayer but i fool around part time ...would love to know how can find that first solo full version and the second one like it... also what guitar he used on first solo and tabs ... if any and even drummer? Band? Info would be appreciated . thanks for clips of ronson..
He owed millions in royalties to Ronson. I’m amazed Mick never challenged Bowie on why his pay cheques paled in comparison .The man died a poor man in spite of writing a significant chapter in rock and roll. That was the tragedy for me and DB knew it. No Ronson no Ziggy
He didn't owe any royalties because Mick Ronson didn't write the songs. Mick Ronson actually said so himself. Also, Bowie didn't write Mick Ronson's paycheques, Tony de Fries did, as he was the person who Ronson was contracted to. He would have been the person to take it up with.
+RC Collins I miss them both, but unfortunately copious quantities of alcohol and everything else they were taking kind of does that to your liver :( (or at least didn't help)
It's not really that prophetic if you ask me. Coincidental they both died of cancer, but cancer is a very common cause of death. In fact it's the #2 most common cause of death in the USA, anyway.
A very sad day for Rock mumusic, Mick was so under appreciated as a songwriter and arranger RIP Mick. God dam the Manager who fired The SpidersFrom Mars
I dunno, I saw a lot of potent regret spilling out of him. I think he realized he wasn't the best to Ronson, and felt bad that he couldn't rectify it. He had a lot of drug issues then, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if Bowie, when he came out of the fog, realized how bad he'd harmed his various relationships. Idk, just speculating. The look of sadness and shame is hard to fake.
There are a few pieces of artwork on public view on walls in Hull (the city where he was born). One on the corner of Cranbrook Ave and Cottingham Road and another on Greenwich Ave on Bilton Grange, both in Hull, East Yorkshire, England.
I used to work with Micks sister and she was pretty bitter at how Bowie shelved him heartlessly and didn't even come to his funeral. I think she and Bowie made amends. But Bowie like Weller had the ability to close doors on people callously.
seriously..he didnt' even go to his funeral?..they were what I thought beyond close friends and than not to go to his funeral....David thought you had more class than that..
I absolutely agree w/ you on the 2nd part but I actually think Bowie didn't go to the funeral because his publicity would've overshadowed the main purpose. He lost his brother to suicide in the mid-Eighties and didn't go even though he genuinely admired and loved him, but didn't show up at the funeral, sending only flowers - for that exact reason. He also didn't start working with Iggy Pop again because Jim / Iggy (understandably so) got sick of being overly-associated with him. So I actually think it could've had to do with that.
David is clearly struggling to talk about this, and acknowledges his contribution in making David a star... What went between Mick and David is private - we don't know the facts - and shouldn't pass judgement on that basis. David Bowie paid for Rolan Bolan's education - a matter of fact. Perhaps he helped Mick - we will never know!
David did actually help Mick when he was sick. But Mick was proud and didn't want to accept the help, so he had to do so secretly without Mick finding out. I think he sent money to Mick's wife or something like that. I won't pass judgment on David, but I will on Tony Defries. That man was a scumbag and was the most responsible for that happening.
Chris Whyatt Bowie treated Trevor Bolder and Woodie Woodmansey like shit.He said he would rather pay the roadies than give them a raise.Ronno had his own solo deal and did work with Mott The Hoople and Dylan.
@@krehetpi It was DeFries who said that (about the roadies). And after that eventually he did raise their fee. But of course it was cruel of Bowie to do other things: dropping the "it's the last show we'll ever do" on their heads (everyone else knew in advance except Trevor, Woody and Angie), firing Woody on his wedding day...
Wow, you just threw people AT LEAST as talented, and some of them more so, under the bus. It is fine to have a favorite musician, but when it clouds your judgement you just end up sounding silly.
@@davidkearnes9623 Hehe, yes, let's see - Bowie had Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick, Adrian Belew, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Peter Frampton, Reeves Gabrels, Gerry Leonard, David Torn, Ben Monder, etc. He even had Pete Townsend and Lenny Kravitz guest on a track or two. Quite a group of guitarists there! Maybe not quite up to Steely Dan's standards, but I'd take them!
I'm not joking or being overly sentimental when I say that Mick Ronson was a very kind and sweet man. Ian introduced me to Mick (It's a long story) He was completely involved with what I was saying. I brought that double live 45 (I think it's a U.K. p) They'd never seen it before! It was a curio to them. It's not unusual to be kind to someone that you just met but I was backstage and it can sort of odd sometimes. He was very open-minded. I've met quite a few Music folks but Mick is #1.
Arranger as well as guitarist. TMWSTW, Hunky Dory and Ziggy would have been so so different without Mick. Dave should have seen him very alright financially. I hope he left a bit for Woody in his will.
To those who think Bowie is insincere here: he was a very private person and was very uncomfortable speaking about his innermost feelings. He almost never spoke about his half brother even though it is well known that he worshipped him. He showed great dignity and courage in facing his own death and handled it impeccably.
Yes an incredibly private person who featured himself on every album cover. Come on, look at his chosen profession 😂. He wanted people to think Mick’s genius was his own.
@@Paul83614 nah, it's well documented that Bowie was very private. No authorised biographies, for exampe. He wasn't bansky, but he separated his job as a performer from his private life. He wasn't a reality TV star, his career was based on making music, not being a 'celebrity'.
@@Paul83614 Geeze Paul, that's your opinion and your entitled to it. But.....many performers, comedians, musicians are naturally shy people. Getting on stage is their outlet.
@@stuartking84able It is also well known that David Bowie was extremely selfish and callous. Not at all what how he was or portrayed to be in interviews and documentaries. There ample examples of him really hurting musicians who were loyal to him, like Mick, who got ditched just like that. Bowie had at least two sides. One we saw and one we came to know after due to some journalists who researched Bowie and how he behaved and developped over the years.
Yeah, Ronno was hugely influential, but in a a sort of "everyday way", by huge number of people doing records all over the world, not necessarily big stars. His sound was one of the most copied, and he did invent it. In a way it became the trademark rock guitar sound.
@Goet Goet I agree with you, Ronno was very talented, maybe even more than Bowie, but Bowie was more of a showman so he got the fame. I’ve listened to the couple of albums Ronno recorded, they’re available on RUclips and he’s amazing, both the guitar playing a vocals. He should be in the top guitar players list, but Bowie never gave him the credit he deserved. I say this, being a big Bowie fan, mick R was never recognized for his talent. Actually, Bowie was always a loner, he never really promoted others unless he benefited as well.
Ian hunter stood by mick.I never had the chance to see mick ronson, although as a starstruck 16 year old in 1978 I remember carlos alomar taking the time to talk to me and give his aurograph at the gosforth park hotel.ive still got it along with dennis davis.
I met Mick backstage area Pinecrest Shelton CT.with Ian Hunter.He asked me 4 a Marlboro, only time in my life I wished I smoked. Great humble guy. Legend 4 sure.
A hurtful slight on Micks wife and a perpetual damning of Dave Brown that he didn't attend the funeral of a man who absolutely played a huge part in his success, especially in America, from where Bowie generated most of his millions, possibly (my infected logic) gaining him a model wife and superstar lifestyle. I still admire Bowie for the simple reason that I was weaned on his music and I can't deny his song writing talent yet, with his lack of empathy for a founder member of his empire, he has demeaned himself to me.
@@colinjefferys2857 Not just Mick Ronson.. He had this band somewhere near 1973-74. When you look how hard they worked, toruing America and what they earned. SO Bowie invited some other, American artists. Now he's trusty loyal band found out they got payed like 10 times more if not more. So they were hesitant but felt really badly treated and asked for a raise. So how did Bowie manage it: he sacked them. Just before a new tour (I believe a week). How? Well one got married and on that very day, Bowie of course did not attend the wedding but made his presence known. He called the guy and sacked him via a phone call. Because they dared to ask for a raise. Sure we can be a fan of Bowie and I love his music, his intelligence but his personality had some very serious flaws which in at least part were influenced by his druguse I guess.
My Grandad taught Mick Ronson how to play. He was in his first band with my Grandad, named the Mariners. My Grandad urged him to join a band called The Rats and that’s where Bowie picked him up from. Eternally proud.
ho-hum @Berlin Mark
isn't a youtube comment proof
enough @@cameronharris955
@@cameronharris955 Sorry, I don't believe it's absolute horse shit to you.
Cool Jack Griffiths. I'm writing a book about Bowie now. Could I interview your grandad if he's still with us?!! Cheers!!
Cameron David Maxwell Harris You don’t know either way ass clown, so get over it.
Mick Ronson was so good. He doesn’t get enough recognition. The man Who Sold the World is an extremely underrated guitar album.
Brilliant album
Mick Ronson was a beast on guitar. The man was so talented and really did play a big part to make Bowie such a massive success in the seventies. By all accounts, Mick was a lovely guy with a gentle nature. It was a very sad day when he died.
@@skygazer6898 l agree love ronno
Bowie was writing his songs almost completely alone. So Mick Ronson didnt write Man who sold the World
@@Watcher4111He didn't write it, but he curated most of the arrangements on the album, giving it a very distinct sound.
Mick Ronson took part in the already legendary tribute concert for Freddie Mercury on 20th of April 1992 and gave wonderful performance, but self passed away one year later. RIP Mick.
yes , brilliant seeing them all together with Ian Hunter too
Also played guitar with Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review - check out the recent Scorsese movie.
Initially I loved Bowie as a performer and singer - as I grew up, I realized that subconsciously I loved Bowie because of Mick Ronson's muscular guitar sound - Mick was an integral and indispensable part of Bowie's early sound
*realiSed
@@adolflenin4973 thank you Sir - with a username like that, I can only imagine your personality traits
@@johnnyrotten5507 You are welcome comrade
Bowie's best music was with Mick Ronson, like the Stones best albums were with Mick Taylor
@@adolflenin4973 *realised
Mick ronson was a cool guy and a fantastic guitarist
And producer, arranger, etc.
who died penniless because Bowie didn't give him the production and songwriting credits he deserved.
@@johng2880 His blackwife named Iman controlled him. Poot bowie
Mick was a glam version of jimmy page only mick never fluffed his notes he was spot on and without him there would have been no ziggy. RIP mick
Excellent insight and point of view. There certainly was something special about guitarists in the 70s if you think about it. I think they are both great players but Ronno will always be my favorite
Nah. Apples & Okra.
Agree 100% that really was Mick Ronson album the whole sound but he never got credit for for that or did the spiders Bowie just along for the ride
Also Mick Ronson could sing as well, unlike Page.
Mick Ronson: 1993 - Liver Cancer...
David Bowie: 2016 - Liver Cancer.
They tragicly shared the same destiny... Rest In Peace MR & DB. We miss you both. 💔
I don't think it was primary liver cancer. It may have spread to the liver from some other primary site.
@@creativesource3514 For whom exactly? In Bowie's case it's also believed he also had lung cancer. 80% of people who drink too much succumb to liver disease.
@@apollomemories7399 yes I was referring to Bowie. Lung primary with liver secondaries which meant it was stage 4. Likely the lung cancer was due to smoking.
@@creativesource3514 It wasn't apparent you were referring to Bowie. The thing is it wasn't reported so maybe difficult to assume lung cancer was stage 4. It's most probable it was due to smoking, however, a great number of people die from lung cancer who have never smoked.
Originally, it was reported that Ronson had pancreatic cancer, virtually untreatable. Liver cancer is often given as the majority of people have no idea what or where the pancreas is.
@@apollomemories7399 hi again. By the way, I'm a cancer surgeon.
So if it's spread to Liver from a lung primary then by definition it's stage 4. Stage 4A.
Yeah 10-20% of lung cancers are not smoking related andal are non-small types. Mainly adenocarcinoma.
Pancreatic is always horrible as it remains asymptomatic at early stages and presents late. Screening for Pancreatic is virtually impossible.
0:46 ‘I miss him a lot’ honestly just makes me want to cry. RIP Ronson and Bowie.
Bowie won't rest in peace after the way he shit on the man who made him
@@asacarrick1440 can you explain what happened please?
Bowie announced on stage at Hammersmith Odeon that the band was breaking up, without telling the other guys in advance. He also paid them a pretty measly wage - when they found out what Mike Barson the new keyboard player was getting they were shocked.
(A lot more than them, in other words).
@@losttango thank you
My dad was good friends with Mick, sang on his memorial album with the Spiders from Mars, and still gets tearful when we talk about him. Mick died when I was a toddler, so I have no memories, but the influence he had on people around me is incredible.
That is crazy! I’m friends with his son!
@@johannalysdahl3977 Wow! I hope his son is as good a guy as his dad - I’ll need to ask my dad if he ever met Mick’s family.
@@johannalysdahl3977 Wow ! Thats wild ! Mick and I went to different schools together
How cool is that?
@@CaledonianCloud honestly he’s the best guy I know. Incredibly calm, kind and pure of heart. ❤️
I had the honour and the pleasure to play with Ronno 5-6 times in and around Hull ,We all new he was something special .
+Ralph Taylor
Cool !
Ralph Taylor brilliant!! Lucky man
I traveled to Hull via Google earth street view just to see where Mick grew up. I 'drove' around for hours.
I used to live across the road from where he was born on Beverley Road and played rugby on the pitches he prepared as a groundsman at Andrew Marvell School
Even now as I pass Woodmansey village hall I think of Mick's band rehearsing there before he went south
Piffle utter piffle !!!
Go and listen to the end of Moonage Daydream where Mick Ronson performs one of the most exciting, breathtaking guitar solos of all time 🎸
I just did, so thanks for that.
Far out.... Hey now
That is an epic guitar piece-so spacey and loaded with atmosphere.
Absolutely agree!”Moonage Daydream” is epic,especially Mick’s end solo which is hauntingly beautiful,and vicious at the same time.I heard it live in the early 70s...amazing gig.Ronno deserved far more credit for his contributions,and Bowie’s elegy in this interview is pretty lame and lacking in gratitude.However,we don’t know all the details,so maybe shouldn’t judge so harshly?...Chuffed to learn that Mick lived on Bev Rd in Hull and so did I as a student in 1975.Think I’m gonna play “Moonage Daydream”now!...
I’ve a guitarist friend whose the world’s biggest Ronson fan. He even went to a cinema screening of Ziggy the Motion Picture with a tape recorder to record a part of a solo they cut from the live album. He later got into Jeff Beck and said Ronson completely copied Beck.
Mick deserved so much more recognition than he got. He was amazing.
I agree with others on here, Bowie's best music was the music he created with Mick Ronson.
The Man Who Sold the World is the best album ever!
Before foreign woman ruined them relationship..
More then a lead guitarist David he arranged the songs and gave them the sound and feel. Would not of had success without him. Be like Elton John not having Bernie.
He gave Ian Hunter his boost when quitting Mott the Hoople.
Co-wrote, arranged and played on most all Ian's albums before he passed
Mic Ronson had an immediately recognisable sound. Great guitar player and great presence on stage.
Saw Mick playing guitar 🎸 with David and the Spiders from Mars in Aberdeen in the early 70s. A true legend.
David and Mick were both class guys - very much missed!
ronson was one of the most unique underated guitar players of the 70s if im not mistaking i believe he also recorded with mott the hoople as well!
@wildcatter63 he recorded lounge lizard and saturday gigs
Mick Ronson was amazing so talented and unique. I mean not only can he play he goes from timeshift to time shift and comes right back into the Rhythm like it was born there. And if you watch him play you can tell keep playing it from within
I had the fortune of seeing the Hunter/Ronson band in a small club in Youngstown, Ohio, around 1979. What a treat! As I am a longtime Mott the Hoople and Bowie fan.
Yes I saw Hunter Ronson in clubs around that time too. Buffalo and Toronto. Amazing shows.
Mick was a massive part of David's huge success back in the 70s....Huge....God bless him x
r.i.p mick ronson, a great talent, giving person and a nice man.
Aladdin Sane is one of my favorite albums of all time. It doesn't have any of my favorite songs but, from beginning to end in one continuous play, the album is perfect.
Mick was a monster guitar player. I saw the Spiders From Mars tour at Pirate's World in Dania, Fl. EPIC
Mick's solo on the live cut of Moonage Daydream is life changing.
RIP Bowie and Ronson xoxoxoxo :'(
Huge bowie fan for 50+ years
No doubt at all in my mind that the break up of the spiders could, and should, have been handled so much better.
How much of that was down to bowie and how much was down to his management at the time, who didn't win too many medals for treating people well, we will never know i guess.
I do think that bowie learned, in later life, to treat his collaborators better; mind, that was a necessity given that a huge part of his success was about choosing great artists with whom to work.
Bowie dropped the Spiders and with it their hard earned pay stopped overnight. They were understandslbe upset and had families and mortgages. Bowie went on to superstardom .The Spiders and Ronson in particular polished his strummed basic tracks into first rate material. Bowie would still be in Haddon hall without the Spiders
Bowie himself was near penniless after that period, which is well documented. Bowie then went on to make more of "his strummed basic tracks" into massive hits becoming wealthy along the way. Diamond Dogs on which Bowie took over guitar went to number 1, so it seems he was quite capable on his own.
Mick Ronson had exactly the same opportunity with a record contract and solo albums. Bowie's songwriting ability made Mick Ronson famous and not the other way around as their careers after that date makes perfectly obvious.
Had Mick Ronson become the huge rockstar and Bowie disappeared would you think Mick would be responsible for Bowie's "family and mortgage?"
I honestly find your logic completely absurd, as if you expect Bowie to keep touring with them until their kids are grown up.
Bowie wanted out of that part of his career and had no obligation to keep playing with those musicians. When bands break up people go their separate ways. They then receive the royalty payments they agreed to and signed for.
Your comment is like Mick Ronson is the orphan Oliver incapable of making his way in the world and Bowie was somehow eternally obligated to perform with and provide for him.
the spiders were talented, and mick ronson surely was the backbone of a lot of the ziggy period, but to say david bowie owed his fame to them is a bit much
Exactly true,Bowie was the start and he wrote the songs and he was the amazing frontman who had to sing and perform each and every night, they were the band he used not the other way around,yes Mick was just about the best guitar player of any decade but Bowie was Bowie,and he was just as broke after that period but he was the superstar and found his way forward,
MIck Ronson played guitar with such aggression and soul.
His solo on 'Moonage Daydream' is in top 5 of all time.
Ronson is the sound and playing I tried to copy. Only he and Wray could make a guitar sound frightening, and beautiful at the same time.
Ronson ignited Bowie's career after so many false starts in the early days. I really believe that had it not been for Ronno, Bowie's star would never have ascended like it did. Sadly, Ronno got little to show for it and died almost penniless.
711honved i read somewhere, but i don't remember where....that Bowie paid for some of the healthcare for Rionson. Which is nice if true...but too bad he would have needed to. I think Ronson was just into making music. I wish he had done more solo work though.
Brian Hadley Ian Hunter & Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) helped Ronson with his medical bills. Bowie had sent Ronno some tapes for his Heaven & Hull album but Hunter said that they were of poor quality. Bowie did some vocals on what would be the final album released after his death. Ironically, it was Tony Defries of Mainman who provided Ronno with a home in his final days & he also contributed to medical bills. I was always surprised why Bowie never attended Ronno's funeral or memorial concert. It's a subject Bowie always steers away from. I think Ronno lacked the confidence & self esteem of Bowie & this limited his solo output. So nice to see him finally being credited for his wonderful musicianship.
That video clip is how I found out Ronson had diied. I was all set there in front of the TV, ready to see Bowie, taping the show,,,and he comes out and says that. I knew Ronson was sick...but this was before the internet really. You just didn't pick news as easily. I love that remake Def Leppard did of Only After Dark.
711honved
Bowie was a little shit. Ronson was a cool guy.
+711honved AH HA!"...BOWIE SERIOUSLY FUCKED MICK OVER!..IT'S A FACT..BUSINESS |& =''FRIENDSHIP JUST DONT FUKIN MIX!
Mick Ronson was a major part of launching Bowie to fame. This band, "The Spiders From Mars",this line up of musicianship, is one of the best in the history of rock from this era. Sad that Bowie decided to end this band so early on, with such short notice, and not give Mr. Ronson and all their fair due for the incredible work and musicianship they had achieved. Very selfish of Mr. Bowie. Mick Ronson is one of the finest guitarist of this era and astounding to behold in live concert. A fine, soft spoken, thoughtful, intelligent person and a great guitarist.
Mick Robson huh?
Clive Bindley You bet Mick Ronson !
You are so right my friend. Exactly well said.
It’s sad the way they broke up. But I like that Bowie had an ever changing line-up of musicians. It made it possible to have very different sounding albums over the years. And while I love the Spiders from Mars, I wouldn’t want to have missed the DAM trio.
The late 60's and early 70's were a time when many musicians were moving from band to band. It a time of incredible creativity.
So I can hardly judge Bowie for moving on after all that period in the early 70's was Bowie's most creative and most productive.
When once asked about Mick in an interview Bowie said he couldn't remember much about him!! Now in this interview he misses him a lot!! Hmm. Mick Ronson never got the recognition he deserved! A great guitarist and, mostly overlooked, a great arranger!! He certainly influenced me in the early 70's!!
Bowie used people like Ronson as stepping stones to success. Once they had served their purpose he'd discard them and forget they existed.
Probably cocaine induced brain fog. 😏
I saw mick ronson back in the early 80s with Ian hunter band and they rocked God speed mick
I saw ronno at the hammersmith odeon on a solo tour called slaughter on tenth Avenue also have the album I'm so glad I did
STILL makes me feel Sad!! R.I.P. - Mick WAS (is) One of the BEST People in R'n'R - His Fame Should have been as high as Bowies - & 2Me - It IS!! Thank You!!
David and Mick, two fantastic musicians and beautiful men. Rest in peace. ❤️💖🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Bowie was nuts, but he was incredibly talented and always knew the right thing to say, no matter the situation.
Glad Bowie and Ronson had the chance to work together one last time on the "Black Tie White Noise" album. RIP to both Legends.
I had NO IDEA! Mick was there with Bowie from the beginning. I even got to meet him, he was a lovely man. I now mourn both of my all time favorite actors!musicians... Human beings
I admire arsenio hall here. He seemed to accept all kinds of people and musical bands. Rip David and mick
It was his JOB.
@@ta2jac1 well nowadays the idiot liberal talk show hosts don’t show any respect to the guests they don’t agree with
I just watched a documentary on Mick Ronson and he was truely underrated, under paid and under appreciated, he should have had so many more royalties and recognition of his productiin input
Very underrated but very influential. Not given enough credit as he had a huge influence in the creation of he sound that so many loved about Bowie records. It was a unique style that nobody else could have achieved. It's just a shame he left the party so early.
He was a truly talented musician of that there is and can be no Doubt. As for underestimating him I never did. He was in someways sort of shy and modest whereas others had the front to promote themselves.
No Mick no amazing guitar to enjoy...he was a wizard! We are lucky to have recordings of his talent.
That guitar solo on Time! Gorgeous playing!
I loved Bowie, but he didn't do right by Ronson, and these words seem a bit hollow.
Hull is very proud of Mick Ronson.
very underrated guitarist
mick was up there with the very best
Mick Ronson was a great guitarist will be missed Bowie and the spiders from Mars were my favourite band
Ronson shd have got the credit or at least more credit for Transformer. He did all the arrangements
Ronno was and still is an axe legend... period!
+LMA UK no doubt!
Was interested to see this moment, because ages ago I had read that Bowie did not turn up at Mr Ronson's funeral, which always seemed a curious thing.
David Bowie attended the funeral of Marc Bolan in September 1977...why would Bowie miss Ronson's funeral ? 🤔
Mick Ronson guitar genius
How about " the lead guitarist for that band - and arranger - and co-producer - and right hand man " - was Mick Ronson ?"
According to Ronson, Bowie was spending all his time smoking dope and having sex with Angie, so Mick and the boys had to entirely write the man who sold the world and Bowie only wrote the lyrics. Great album, almost metal, totally deranged.
Bowie " only wrote the lyrics "...wow...some of his best lyrics are on that album.
And I think you'll find he did a bit of vocalising too.
Man Who Sold is such a great record you don't hear much about. Running Gun Blues and She Shook Me Cold by themselves would earn a writer a gold star. @@richardhead4564
@@richardhead4564 Heavy record
I hate Bowie for not going to his funeral, or paying respects before he was prompted in this interview. Ronson was a massive influence on his Ziggy Stardust era. He was a brilliant musician. Appalling.
I agree. Bowie treated Mick shabbily in my opinion 😢
Mick Ronson was a genius. He learned how to score music early during his tenure with DB. He arranged everything on the albums. It’s a shame he couldn’t pull off his solo career. He knew the double lead was a force between himself and DB.
When Mick and Ian Hunter ( of Mott the Hoople) met, Ian asked Mick to do string arrangements for one of his songs, and asked how much it would cost, Mick said 20 quid. Mick did them on a package of cigarettes and " I think he never even got paid" - Ian Hunter
If it wasn't for Mick, Trevor and Woody Mr Bowie you wouldn't have had life and career you had. Very sad that you treated them like shit to advance yourself. However, all water under the bridge etc. Saw them live at the Empire theatre here in Edinburgh in 1973, a great night. R. I. P to David, Mick and Trevor
No body has any idea what career and life Bowie would have had without Mick and the Spiders. What kind of career and life do you think they would have had without Bowie? He would have worked with different musicians, thats all. It would have been different, maybe worse, maybe better. The fact is, Mick Ronson was interpreting Bowie's ideas, not his own.
Being 16 at that time. I always really imitated them both as one person.
Singing the lyrics and playing Ronson riffs. They did a dance on that album where each would lead and the other backed off.
David should of took him along on the ride going forward.
I’ve always kind of faulted David for not keeping him around.
Of course I don’t know the whole story. But man Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was and is a masterpiece in my musical universe.
Ronson was a very in demand studio musician when he wasn't playing behind Bowie.
No Bowie, without Ronno 🙏🎶
Yes, yes, yes. 💖🎶
I love Mick Ronson, he have a unique style and a great talent, i believe he is one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
We all missing you a lot Mick Ronson! In the Rolling Stone magazine top of the 100 best guitarists Ronson was in the 27 and in the first place was David Gilmour or E. Clapton, i can't remember but these two are actually, today the absolute best guitar players in this time.
This is a video I put together of some live clips of Ronson ruclips.net/video/Kz7PwxDWSFA/видео.html
+Brian Hadley Sweet. Thx for taking the time to do that. Ronson was a truly gifted multi-instrumentalist.
+Spencer Maze totally agree. I wanted to be able to see the best parts in one video
Brian Hadley hi brian... love guitar.. play abit.. some guy stole my guitar this year..lol. im not great llayer but i fool around part time ...would love to know how can find that first solo full version and the second one like it... also what guitar he used on first solo and tabs ... if any and even drummer? Band? Info would be appreciated . thanks for clips of ronson..
He owed millions in royalties to Ronson. I’m amazed Mick never challenged Bowie on why his pay cheques paled in comparison .The man died a poor man in spite of writing a significant chapter in rock and roll. That was the tragedy for me and DB knew it. No Ronson no Ziggy
He didn't owe any royalties because Mick Ronson didn't write the songs. Mick Ronson actually said so himself. Also, Bowie didn't write Mick Ronson's paycheques, Tony de Fries did, as he was the person who Ronson was contracted to. He would have been the person to take it up with.
So cool....so strange... so magical....love Bowie forever
Now that's spookily prophetic today. RIP David Bowie
+Lynne Kells
Eerily so true
+RC Collins I miss them both, but unfortunately copious quantities of alcohol and everything else they were taking kind of does that to your liver :( (or at least didn't help)
Lou Reed also died of liver cancer
It's not really that prophetic if you ask me. Coincidental they both died of cancer, but cancer is a very common cause of death. In fact it's the #2 most common cause of death in the USA, anyway.
Twaddle.
Thanks, Dave, for your complete apathy to the death of a colleague.
A very sad day for Rock mumusic, Mick was so under appreciated as a songwriter and arranger RIP Mick. God dam the Manager who fired The SpidersFrom Mars
Bowie speaks with forked tongue. He never paid the spiders their fair dues.
I dunno, I saw a lot of potent regret spilling out of him. I think he realized he wasn't the best to Ronson, and felt bad that he couldn't rectify it. He had a lot of drug issues then, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if Bowie, when he came out of the fog, realized how bad he'd harmed his various relationships. Idk, just speculating. The look of sadness and shame is hard to fake.
@wildcatter63 yeah I was going to type the same thing
Ironic - given how Bowie literally USED the Spiders.....
There are a few pieces of artwork on public view on walls in Hull (the city where he was born).
One on the corner of Cranbrook Ave and Cottingham Road and another on Greenwich Ave on Bilton Grange, both in Hull, East Yorkshire, England.
I used to work with Micks sister and she was pretty bitter at how Bowie shelved him heartlessly and didn't even come to his funeral. I think she and Bowie made amends. But Bowie like Weller had the ability to close doors on people callously.
seriously..he didnt' even go to his funeral?..they were what I thought beyond close friends and than not to go to his funeral....David thought you had more class than that..
I absolutely agree w/ you on the 2nd part but I actually think Bowie didn't go to the funeral because his publicity would've overshadowed the main purpose.
He lost his brother to suicide in the mid-Eighties and didn't go even though he genuinely admired and loved him, but didn't show up at the funeral, sending only flowers - for that exact reason. He also didn't start working with Iggy Pop again because Jim / Iggy (understandably so) got sick of being overly-associated with him. So I actually think it could've had to do with that.
They weren't close friends either, they had a good professional connection but didn't hang out together or socialise outside of work.
Right about Weller. He didn't just seem to break up the band, he seemed to have been vindictive about it for some reason.
@@georgeedward1226 Are you guys talking about Paul Weller?
David is clearly struggling to talk about this, and acknowledges his contribution in making David a star... What went between Mick and David is private - we don't know the facts - and shouldn't pass judgement on that basis. David Bowie paid for Rolan Bolan's education - a matter of fact. Perhaps he helped Mick - we will never know!
David did actually help Mick when he was sick. But Mick was proud and didn't want to accept the help, so he had to do so secretly without Mick finding out. I think he sent money to Mick's wife or something like that. I won't pass judgment on David, but I will on Tony Defries. That man was a scumbag and was the most responsible for that happening.
Chris Whyatt
Bowie treated Trevor Bolder and Woodie Woodmansey like shit.He said he would rather pay the roadies than give them a raise.Ronno had his own solo deal and did work with Mott The Hoople and Dylan.
@@krehetpi It was DeFries who said that (about the roadies). And after that eventually he did raise their fee. But of course it was cruel of Bowie to do other things: dropping the "it's the last show we'll ever do" on their heads (everyone else knew in advance except Trevor, Woody and Angie), firing Woody on his wedding day...
Anastasia R
Ah well, we can blame it on the coke.It makes people act nasty.RIP.
wildcatter63
Funny how Bowie had De Fries and Mercury had Paul Prenter. Where there’s genius, there’s a parasite feeding off them.
Ronson made Bowie
Have one of their albums and some of the songs are so great. Guitar playing still have not heard like that today.
he was his best guitarist. Not up for question.
Steve Mcniel your so right !!! I never looked at another Bowie band quite like the Spiders ever .
Wow, you just threw people AT LEAST as talented, and some of them more so, under the bus. It is fine to have a favorite musician, but when it clouds your judgement you just end up sounding silly.
@@davidkearnes9623 Hehe, yes, let's see - Bowie had Carlos Alomar, Earl Slick, Adrian Belew, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Peter Frampton, Reeves Gabrels, Gerry Leonard, David Torn, Ben Monder, etc. He even had Pete Townsend and Lenny Kravitz guest on a track or two. Quite a group of guitarists there! Maybe not quite up to Steely Dan's standards, but I'd take them!
@@trixlee5102 You forgot Fripp!
@@davidkearnes9623 Stacey Heydon and Mark Plati too.. Ronson is still my favorite out of the bunch though..
So sadly missed, but their music lives on
Thanks for the 51 seconds ..he must have meant a lot to you ...
I believe Mick and David are together again, making wonderful music in Heaven.
He was the real genius behind most of Bowie's early years.
I'm not joking or being overly sentimental when I say that Mick Ronson was a very kind and sweet man. Ian introduced me to Mick (It's a long story) He was completely involved with what I was saying. I brought that double live 45 (I think it's a U.K. p) They'd never seen it before! It was a curio to them. It's not unusual to be kind to someone that you just met but I was backstage and it can sort of odd sometimes. He was very open-minded. I've met quite a few Music folks but Mick is #1.
Could’ve given him a bit more credit than that.
Mick was and still is the music guy with David...David was and still is the lyrics....
Mick ronson a legend
Arranger as well as guitarist. TMWSTW, Hunky Dory and Ziggy would have been so so different without Mick. Dave should have seen him very alright financially. I hope he left a bit for Woody in his will.
He was a espetacular guitar man! R.ip romson and David Bowie
Mick also plays great guitar on the lou reed transformer album produced by david bowie
To those who think Bowie is insincere here: he was a very private person and was very uncomfortable speaking about his innermost feelings. He almost never spoke about his half brother even though it is well known that he worshipped him. He showed great dignity and courage in facing his own death and handled it impeccably.
Yes an incredibly private person who featured himself on every album cover. Come on, look at his chosen profession 😂. He wanted people to think Mick’s genius was his own.
@@Paul83614 nah, it's well documented that Bowie was very private. No authorised biographies, for exampe. He wasn't bansky, but he separated his job as a performer from his private life. He wasn't a reality TV star, his career was based on making music, not being a 'celebrity'.
@@Paul83614 Geeze Paul, that's your opinion and your entitled to it. But.....many performers, comedians, musicians are naturally shy people. Getting on stage is their outlet.
Sounds like bullshit. Bowie was a user. How much glaring proof must be right under your nose?
@@stuartking84able It is also well known that David Bowie was extremely selfish and callous. Not at all what how he was or portrayed to be in interviews and documentaries. There ample examples of him really hurting musicians who were loyal to him, like Mick, who got ditched just like that. Bowie had at least two sides. One we saw and one we came to know after due to some journalists who researched Bowie and how he behaved and developped over the years.
Bowie didn't *announce* it, he was answering a question.
Sadly, he rather understated Mick’s contribution. He wasn’t just the guitarist in the band.
I thought Bowie really did not give full credit there, Ronson was the genius who made you’re sound and gave life to you’re songs.
Yeah, Ronno was hugely influential, but in a a sort of "everyday way", by huge number of people doing records all over the world, not necessarily big stars. His sound was one of the most copied, and he did invent it. In a way it became the trademark rock guitar sound.
Love Bowie but this is a poor elegy. Mick was the arranger and he brought so much to the group, not just guitar playing
@Goet Goet
I agree with you, Ronno was very talented, maybe even more than Bowie, but Bowie was more of a showman so he got the fame. I’ve listened to the couple of albums Ronno recorded, they’re available on RUclips and he’s amazing, both the guitar playing a vocals. He should be in the top guitar players list, but Bowie never gave him the credit he deserved. I say this, being a big Bowie fan, mick R was never recognized for his talent. Actually, Bowie was always a loner, he never really promoted others unless he benefited as well.
@Goet Goet Bowie said wonderful things about Ronson as a musician lots of times during his life, so I don't know what you are talking about.
Together again! Forever! Rest in Peace
Ian hunter stood by mick.I never had the chance to see mick ronson, although as a starstruck 16 year old in 1978 I remember carlos alomar taking the time to talk to me and give his aurograph at the gosforth park hotel.ive still got it along with dennis davis.
+Roy Harris these are live clips I put together of Ronson. ruclips.net/video/Kz7PwxDWSFA/видео.html
I met Mick backstage area Pinecrest Shelton CT.with Ian Hunter.He asked me 4 a Marlboro, only time in my life I wished I smoked. Great humble guy. Legend 4 sure.
search the documentary called beside bowie. that gives you the whole story by friends and ronson widow....
A hurtful slight on Micks wife and a perpetual damning of Dave Brown that he didn't attend the funeral of a man who absolutely played a huge part in his success, especially in America, from where Bowie generated most of his millions, possibly (my infected logic) gaining him a model wife and superstar lifestyle. I still admire Bowie for the simple reason that I was weaned on his music and I can't deny his song writing talent yet, with his lack of empathy for a founder member of his empire, he has demeaned himself to me.
The blackwoman named iman controlled bowie. Silly englishman
Hear hear
Bowie let himself down how he treated ronson
Yeah came here to comment that, went Freddies tribute tho. Shit move, Bowie.
@@colinjefferys2857 Not just Mick Ronson.. He had this band somewhere near 1973-74. When you look how hard they worked, toruing America and what they earned. SO Bowie invited some other, American artists. Now he's trusty loyal band found out they got payed like 10 times more if not more. So they were hesitant but felt really badly treated and asked for a raise. So how did Bowie manage it: he sacked them. Just before a new tour (I believe a week). How? Well one got married and on that very day, Bowie of course did not attend the wedding but made his presence known. He called the guy and sacked him via a phone call. Because they dared to ask for a raise.
Sure we can be a fan of Bowie and I love his music, his intelligence but his personality had some very serious flaws which in at least part were influenced by his druguse I guess.
Bowie would have been a star regardless...But Mick made him a rock star.
Mick was one of the all-time greats in made David Bowie in 1970