We have a fondness for guitarists here at That Devil Music.com world HQ, and few more so than the late Mick Ronson. An integral part of the sound of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” era, Ronson would go on to play alongside legends like Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and John Mellencamp and the guitarist also had a lengthy friendship with former Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunter, playing on a number of Hunter’s solo albums during the 1970s and ‘80s. Ronson had also built a significant solo career before his untimely death 25 years ago, in April 1993, releasing a trio of critically-acclaimed albums including a bona fide classic in 1974’s Slaughter On 10th Avenue.
In 2017, filmmaker Jon Brewer unveiled Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, a feature-length documentary film about the guitarist’s life and career that enjoyed a limited theatrical run before its release on DVD and streaming via Hulu and Amazon Prime. Brewer, who had previously made documentary films on B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix, lined up some heavy hitters for his Ronson movie, which features narration by David Bowie and exclusive contributions from Ian Hunter, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Queen’s Roger Taylor, and Rick Wakeman of Yes, among others.
On June 8th, 2018 Universal Music will release Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack, a fourteen-song collection to compliment Brewer’s documentary film. Known to his friends as “Ronno,” the de facto movie soundtrack features songs from Ronson’s various collaborations with artists like David Bowie, Ian Hunter, Elton John, and Michael Chapman as well as a handful of the guitarist’s solo tracks. The album also includes a previously-unreleased cover version of “This Is For You” by Joe Elliott, as well as a piano tribute to Ronson by former Bowie keyboardist Mick Garson, who has also played with Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins.
Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack also features a live performance of Mott the Hoople’s “All The Young Dudes” from the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert For AIDS Awareness held at Wembley Stadium in London that includes members of Queen, Bowie and Ronson, and Def Leppard’s Elliott and Phil Collen. The soundtrack includes a lengthy essay and liner notes and will be released on CD and heavyweight 180-gram black vinyl as well as a digital download. A limited edition red vinyl version of the album is available exclusively from the uDiscover website.
Mick Ronson was an imaginative and innovative guitarist whose work inspired a generation of British rockers to follow. If you’re not familiar with Ronson’s work, Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack seems like a great place to start! The full tracklist for the album is provided below along with a handy Amazon.com link to buy a vinyl copy (that's the version I'm gonna buy!) of this long-overdue tribute to a great artist.
Buy the vinyl LP from Amazon.com: Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack
Beyond Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story, The Soundtrack track listing:
1. Queen, Ian Hunter, David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Joe Elliott & Phil Collen – “All The Young Dudes” [live]
2. Michael Chapman – “Soulful Lady”
3. Elton John – “Madman Across The Water”
4. David Bowie – “Moonage Daydream”
5. David Bowie – “Cracked Actor”
6. David Bowie – “Time”
7. Ian Hunter – "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"
8. Mick Ronson – “I’d Give Anything To See You”
9. Mick Ronson – “Hard Life”
10. Mick Ronson – “Midnight Love”
11. Mick Ronson – "Like A Rolling Stone"
12. Joe Elliott – “This Is For You” *
13. Queen, David Bowie and Mick Ronson – “Heroes” [live]
14. Mike Garson – “Tribute To Mick Ronson” *
* Previously unreleased
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