the Mott archive
a Mott The Hoople website
with news, discographies, picture sleeve gallery and guide to cover versions for Mott The Hoople and all members and spin-off bands
site index
- John Fiddler
- Mott The Hoople
- Ian Hunter
- Mick Ronson
- Mick Ralphs
- Verden Allen
- Overend Watts
- Dale Griffin
- Luther Grosvenor
- Morgan Fisher
- Blue Weaver
- Mick Bolton
- Nigel Benjamin
- Ray Majors
- Bad Company
- Medicine Head
- British Lions
- Spooky Tooth
- Love Affair
- Mott
- Doc Thomas Group
- Partners In Crime
- Box Of Frogs
- Widowmaker
- Steve Hyams
- Sandy Dillon
- Darrell Bath
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JOHN FIDDLER discography
After nearly 10 years with his first band Medicine Head, John Fiddler teamed up with the remnants of Mott The Hoople in 1977 to form the excellent, albeit short lived British Lions. The 80s saw him working with the Yardbirds spin-off band Box Of Frogs on two albums, and a collaboration with Scott Gorham (ex-Thin Lizzy) resulted in an unreleased album. Fiddler finally released his first solo album in 1992.
This discography details John Fiddler's solo records plus his one-off collaborations. His work with Medicine Head, British Lions and Box Of Frogs have separate entries in the main site index.
Quick links: solo releases | UFO | Morgan Fisher | Freeway/Partners In Crime | Western Front
"LOOK DON'T TOUCH" UK 7" single | 1980
(Harvest HAR 5204)
John Fiddler teamed up with Ray Major for two great solo singles on Harvest Records in 1980. Presumably because this first one, coupling "Look Don't Touch" and "You Got Everything" didn't sell, the second one ("Can't Get Over You") was credited to Medicine Head instead.
"STATE OF THE HEART" UK cassette album | 1992
(private pressing)
Tracklisting: Strong Heart / Win Or Lose / Only The Roses / Time Will Tell / Who's Having Fun? / It's Love That Really Counts / Gimme Blue Skies / Sex In The 90s / Hearts Of Fire / When I Looked Away / Everybody Has The Blues (Sometimes) / Where's Heaven Now?
This UK cassette only release was sold by mailorder and at concerts in 1992. No catalogue number / label is listed. John still performs songs from this album in concert.
"RETURN OF THE BUFFALO" UK CD | 1995
(Red Steel RMC CD0197)
Tracklisting: Time For Love / Princess / Return Of The Buffalo / Time Will Tell / Wish / Strong Heart (electric) / Kinda Crazy, Kinda Sad / Let The Kids Know / Hurt / (A Day) Without You / Working Class Hero / Walkin' Blues / Win Or Lose / Strong Heart (acoustic)
Some of the songs from the cassette only album "State Of The Heart" were re-recorded for this 1995 release which included a fine mix of original material and cover versions.
BRITISH LIONS - "Live and Rare" UK CD | 1999
(Angel Air SJPCD 044)
This British Lions compilation includes John Fiddler's home demo of "Acoustic Chair", a song that became "Electric Chair" when it was given the full band treatment. This was the first of several British Lions releases on Angel Air which added John Fiddler solo material from his personal archive.
MOTT THE HOOPLE - "Friends And Relatives" UK 2CD | 1999
(Eagle EAGCD 104)
Tracklisting: John Fiddler - "Only The Roses". Also British Lions' "One More Chance To Run" (demo) and "Wild In The Streets" (demo). Other artists: Mott The Hoople, Mott, Verden Allen, Mick Ralphs, Morgan, The Silence, The Rats, Ray Majors, Overend Watts, Steve Hyams and Doc Thomas Group.
This excellent 2CD set has 25 tracks licenced from Angel Air's catalogue. "Only The Roses" is a 1999 reworking (the original is on the "State Of The Heart" cassette) and according to the sleeve notes, "it will be included on Fiddler's forthcoming solo album on Angel Air" - but it never was!
"THE BIG BUFFALO" UK CD | 2000
(Angel Air SJPCD 048)
This is a re-issue of "Return Of The Buffalo", with the addition of four bonus tracks: "When I Looked Away" and "Where's Heaven Now?" are culled from the 1992 cassette, while "This Man's On Fire" and "I Stand Alone" are previously unreleased.
Tracklisting: Time For Love / Princess / Return Of The Buffalo / Time Will Tell / Wish / Strong Heart (electric) / Kinda Crazy, Kinda Sad / Let The Kids Know / Hurt / (A Day) Without You / Working Class Hero / Walkin' Blues / Win Or Lose / Strong Heart (acoustic) / This Man's On Fire / When I Looked Away / Where's Heaven Now? / I Stand Alone
BRITISH LIONS - "British Lions" USA CD | 2000
(Angel Air SJPCD 065)
This re-issue of British Lions debut album from 1978 has eight bonus tracks, including three John Fiddler demos from 1979: "Can't Get Over You", "You Got Everything" and "Long Distance Love". The first two were re-recorded and released in 1980, credited to Medicine Head and John Fiddler, respectively.
This CD was only issued in USA and Japan because Vertigo retains the rights to release the album in Europe. It was also re-issued in Japan in 2006 in a cardboard sleeve replicating the original LP cover.
VARIOUS ARTISTS - "Miniatures 2" UK CD | 2000
(Cherry Red CDBRED 165)
John Fiddler contributed a new song called "Another 21st Century Day" for the "Miniatures 2" compilation which was compiled and edited by Morgan Fisher in 2000, as a follow up to the original 1980 "Minatures" LP. It is a fascinating collection of 60 new tracks, all no more than 60 seconds long.
Other contributors on "Miniatures 2" include Gavin Bryars, Hugh Cornwell (ex The Stranglers), Lol Coxhill, David Cunningham, Robert Fripp (ex King Crimson), Howard Jones, John Paul Jones (ex Led Zepplin), The Levellers, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Sun Ra and Terry Riley. Be sure to check out Morgan Fisher's blog dedicated to the "Miniatures" albums at www.morgan-fisher.com!
"YOU CAN BE IN MY DREAM" USA CD | 2010
(private pressing)
Tracklisting: Time Will Tell / Let The Kids Know / I'll Turn You On / Pictures In The Sky / Only To Do What Is True / Rising Sun / Slip And Slide / Strong Heart / Win Or Lose / Only The Roses
Released in 2010, "You Can Be In My Dream" was a limited edition of 100 signed copies exclusive to the www.john-fiddler.com website. The 10-track CD was a recording of a show John played 06 June 2009 at a place called "Fiddler's Dream" in Phoenix, Arizona.
UFO - "Mechanix" UK LP | 1982
(Chrysalis CHR 1360)
This UFO album from 1982 contains "We Belong To The Night" which was co-written by John Fiddler. USA and Japanese editions of the album wrongly credited the song only to Way/Carter/Mogg, but the UK version correctly tag the name John Fiddler to the end of the songwriter credits.
MORGAN FISHER - "Seasons" UK LP | 1983
(Cherry Red B RED 54)
John Fiddler was the lead vocalist on "Take A Heart" (The Sorrows) and "May This Be Love" (Jimi Hendrix), two tracks from Morgan Fisher's 1983 covers album "Seasons". The album also included songs by The Zombies, Traffic, Francis Lai and Simon Dupree and the Big Sound.
PARTNERS IN CRIME - "Organised Crime" UK LP | 1985
(Epic EPC 26356)
John Fiddler teamed up with Ray Majors from British Lions in 1983 to form Freeway, a band that also featured John Coghlan (drums, ex-Status Quo) and Terry Uttley (bass, ex-Smokie). They spent a year making demos - but Fiddler left in 1984 to join Box Of Frogs.
The band were originally called Stranger and at one point also included bass player Ian Ellis (ex-Savoy Brown and Steamhammer) and keyboard player Jeff Banister. Fiddler was eventually replaced by Noel McCalla (ex-Moon and Jody Street). With the addition of bass player Mac McCaffrey and Mark De Vanchque (aka Mark Booty - formerly with Wildlife) on keyboards, the band signed signed a record deal with Epic as Partners In Crime and their 1985 album "Organised Crime" included the song "Heat Of The Night" which was written by Fiddler and Majors.
TRIVIA ALERT! John Fiddler played guitar with John Coghlan's Diesel Band for a one-off gig at the Marquee back in 1977, alongside Andy Bown playing bass, Gordon Edwards (ex-Pretty Things) on keyboards, guitarist Micky Moody (then with Whitesnake), and vocalist Jackie Lynton.
MEDICINE HEAD - "One And One Is One" Germany 7" single | 1987
(Bellaphon 100.07.405)
John Fiddler teamed up with Scott Gorham (ex-Thin Lizzy) and Pete Haycock (ex-Climax Blues Band) to form a band called Western Front in 1987. They released one single with remakes of two classic Medicine Head songs ("One And One Is One" and "Pictures In The Sky") on the German label Bellaphon.
The single was credited to Medicine Head rather than Western Front. A 3-track 12" edition was also available, with extra track "Cadillac" (Bellaphon 120.07.211)
With the help of Box Of Frogs session musician Peter-John Vettesse (keyboards) and former Reflex bass player Nigel Ross-Gilroy, Western Front finished recording an album and got three major record companies interested, but nothing happened - and the band eventually called it quits in 1988. The album remains unreleased.