Ian Hunter has recruited a who’s who of influential rockers to back him on his upcoming album, Defiance Part 1. The featured artists include the late Jeff Beck, Ringo Starr, the late Taylor Hawkins, and members of Metallica, Guns n’ Roses, ZZ Top, Wilco, Stone Temple Pilots, and Aerosmith, among many others.
“Bed of Roses,” the first single from the album — which is due April 21 — features Starr and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers. A fantasy about seeing the greatest concert Hunter’s ever witnessed, the track features a driving rhythm and Campbell’s bluesy guitar licks as Hunter sings, “The band played all night long, song after song after song after song, in the bed of roses.”
The singer, who cut his teeth in Mott the Hoople, began work on the album in 2020, as lockdowns began, writing with producer and multi-instrumentalist Andy York. At some friends’ suggestions, Hunter began reaching out to musicians he’s known to see if they’d want to contribute to the album. “Everybody’s sitting around,” he said in a statement. “It’s Covid. Nobody’s going anywhere. We started sending them out. Slash started doing something. Robert Trujillo from Metallica. Ringo Starr, Mike Campbell. Joe Elliott is on a few tracks. Johnny Depp said, ‘Jeff Beck’s with me and we’d like to do a couple of songs.’ I know Todd Rundgren, I toured with Todd way back, he’s done an amazing job. Billy Gibbons. Billy Bob Thornton and JD Andrew from the Boxmasters. It’s never ending. I mean, every day we’d get a phone call, this guy wants to do it, that guy wants to do it. It was like, I can’t believe this.”
The singer intends to release a Defiance Part 2, which will also feature an extensive guest list, at a later point.
In 2019. Hunter told Rolling Stone about the music he was working on that he hoped to record, as well as his creative process. “I usually write lyrics between 4 and 6 a.m.,” he said. “Then I’ll come down here between 4 and 6 in the afternoon and check it out, see if it’s working. I’m working on a load of stuff now. There’s an album over there [he points to the cassettes on the other side of the room]. That’s my new songs. Whether they’ll all get through the process, I don’t know. But we’ll go into the studio in August.”
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Defiance Part 1 track and guest list:
1. “Defiance”
Dane Clark: Drums
Robert Trujillo: Bass
Slash: Electric, Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Dennis Dibrizzi: Background Vocal
Andy York: Background Vocal
Ian Hunter: Electric Guitar
2. “Bed Of Roses”
Ringo Starr: Drums
Tony Shanahan: Bass
Mike Campbell: Acoustic and Electric Rhythm Guitars, Slide Guitar, Mandolin
Andy Burton: Organ
Rich Pagano: Tambourine
Andy York: Background Vocals
Ian Hunter: Piano
3. “No Hard Feelings”
Dane Clark: Drums and Percussion
Johnny Depp: Acoustic and Electric Rhythm Guitars, Slide Guitar, Background Vocals
Jeff Beck: Lead Guitar
Andy York: Electric Guitar, Bass
Ian Hunter: Piano
4. “Pavlov’s Dog”
Eric Kretz: Drums
Dean DeLeo: Electric Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Acoustic Guitar, Slide Guitar
Robert DeLeo: Bass
Dennis Dibrizzi: Background Vocal
Andy York: Background Vocal, Maracas
Ian Hunter: Piano
5. “Don’t Tread On Me”
Rich Pagano: Drums, Congas, Percussion
Todd Rundgren: Rhythm and Lead Electric Guitars, Background Vocals
Andy Burton: Organ
Andy York: Bass
Ian Hunter: Piano
6. “Guernica”
Dane Clark: Drums and Percussion
Mike Campbell: Electric Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Joe Elliott: Background Vocals
Andy Burton: Harmonium
Andy York: Bass, Baritone Guitar, Background Vocal
Ian Hunter: Piano
7. “I Hate Hate”
Dane Clark: Drums
Andy Burton: Keyboards
Dennis Dibrizzi: Background Vocals
Andy York: Baritone Guitar, Tambourine, Background Vocals
Ian Hunter: Piano
8. “Angel”
Taylor Hawkins: Drums, Electric Guitars, Electric Piano, Background Vocals
Duff McKagan: Bass
Brad Whitford: Slide Guitar
Waddy Wachtel: 12-String Acoustic Guitar, Lead Electric Guitars
Ian Hunter: Piano
9. “Kiss N’Make Up”
Taylor Hawkins: Drums
Billy Bob Thornton: Percussion, Lead and Backup Vocals
Billy F Gibbons: Electric, Rhythm and Lead Guitars
J.D. “Andrew: Bass
James Mastro: Electric Guitar
Rich Pagano: Congas
Andy Burton: Keyboards, Vibes
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10. “This Is What I’m Here For”
Taylor Hawkins: Drums
Waddy Wachtel: Electric Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Joe Elliott: Background Vocals
Paul Page: Bass
Andy Burton: Organ
Andy York: Baritone Guitar
Ian Hunter: Piano
11. “I Hate Hate” (Alternate Version)
Dane Clark: Drums
Jeff Tweedy: Electric Guitars and Bass
Andy Burton: Keyboard
Dennis Dibrizzi: Background Vocal
Andy Burton: Organ
Andy York: Tambourine and Background Vocal
Ian Hunter: Piano
