Mott The Hoople (October 28, 1972) – “The Young Dude” Buffin Interview - Melody Maker
This substantial Melody Maker feature speaks with Mott The Hoople drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin during the remarkable revival of the group’s fortunes in 1972. Buffin looks back candidly at the tensions and disappointments that had brought Mott close to breaking up, discusses the intervention of David Bowie and the success of “All The Young Dudes”, and reflects on the band’s determination to regain control of its own identity rather than simply become part of Bowie’s circle.
Publication: Melody MakerDate: October 28, 1972
Country: United Kingdom
Headline: The Young Dude
Interview Subject: Buffin
Artist: Mott The Hoople
THE STORY
Published under the large headline “The young dude”, the feature gives Buffin the opportunity to discuss Mott The Hoople’s turbulent history and the dramatic change in fortune surrounding the group during 1972.
The article begins with Buffin discussing David Bowie. Far from pretending that Mott The Hoople had always admired Bowie, Buffin candidly acknowledges that the group had previously disliked much of Bowie’s work.
What changed that attitude was direct contact with Bowie himself.
Buffin describes Bowie as a very funny and engaging person and recalls the positive impression Bowie made when the two sides began working together.
THE DAVID BOWIE CONNECTION
Bowie’s involvement came at a crucial point for Mott The Hoople.
Buffin explains that the group had become demoralised and uncertain about its future. Bowie’s encouragement and involvement helped provide fresh momentum at a time when Mott desperately needed it.
The association ultimately led to “All The Young Dudes”, giving the group a major new opportunity.
Buffin nevertheless makes clear that Mott The Hoople did not want to become permanently dependent upon Bowie.
The article reveals a determination within the group to use the renewed attention constructively while re-establishing its own musical identity.
NEARLY BREAKING UP
A substantial part of the interview concerns the period when Mott The Hoople came close to disbanding.
Buffin talks openly about the pressures created by disappointing audience responses, management difficulties and the feeling that the group’s efforts were not producing sufficient results.
Performing could be frustrating when the band felt it was working hard without receiving the reaction it wanted.
The article presents the group’s survival as anything but inevitable. Mott had reached a point where continuing together was seriously in question before circumstances began to change.
IAN HUNTER
Buffin discusses Ian Hunter’s position within Mott The Hoople and the changing relationships inside the group.
The article acknowledges Hunter’s importance while also presenting Mott as a collective rather than simply a backing group built around one personality.
Buffin’s comments reveal the tensions that can develop when individual members receive differing levels of attention, particularly as a band becomes better known.
At the same time, the interview demonstrates considerable loyalty towards the group and a desire to make Mott The Hoople work on its own terms.
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE
The continuation of the feature looks at Mott The Hoople’s experiences in America.
Buffin recalls playing American venues and discusses the differences between audiences on either side of the Atlantic.
The article touches on the challenges of building a reputation through touring and the contrasting reactions encountered from different American audiences.
Buffin also reflects upon the difficulties of being placed alongside other acts and of performing for audiences that might not necessarily have come specifically to see Mott The Hoople.
AUDIENCES AND LIVE PERFORMANCE
Live performance is central to Buffin’s assessment of the band.
Mott The Hoople had built much of its reputation through energetic concerts, but Buffin explains that audience response could vary considerably.
The feature discusses occasions when the band encountered particularly intense reactions as well as times when an audience proved harder to win over.
Rather than treating every performance as a triumph, Buffin gives a more realistic account of the frustrations and rewards involved in touring.
REGAINING THEIR IDENTITY
One of the strongest themes running through the interview is Mott The Hoople’s determination to remain identifiable as Mott The Hoople.
Bowie’s assistance is acknowledged as enormously important, but Buffin appears equally concerned that the group should not simply become known through its association with another star.
The success surrounding “All The Young Dudes” gave Mott a renewed opportunity, but the longer-term challenge was to turn that opportunity into a sustainable career based upon the group’s own character.
The interview therefore captures Mott The Hoople at a transitional point: grateful for the intervention that helped revive the band but determined to prove that its future could extend beyond it.
PHOTOGRAPHY
A large black-and-white portrait of Buffin dominates the right-hand side of the opening page.
The printed caption reads:
“BUFFIN: ‘David gave us our self-respect back.’”
The photograph and caption neatly summarise the central argument of the feature: Bowie’s involvement had not simply produced a successful record but had helped restore Mott The Hoople’s confidence at a moment when the group was struggling.
CONTEXT AND NOTES
The feature provides an unusually candid contemporary account of Mott The Hoople’s position following the success of “All The Young Dudes.”
Rather than portraying the Bowie connection as a straightforward success story, Buffin discusses the doubts, earlier hostility, internal pressures and loss of confidence that preceded it.
The article also demonstrates that Mott were already conscious of the potential danger of becoming identified entirely through Bowie. The renewed confidence generated by the collaboration was therefore accompanied by a determination to establish a future in which Mott The Hoople retained its own personality.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
Event: Buffin discusses Mott The Hoople’s revival and relationship with David Bowie
Publication Date: October 28, 1972
Era: All The Young Dudes era
Tone: Candid, reflective and occasionally critical
Photography: Large black-and-white portrait of Buffin
WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS
• Buffin discussing Mott The Hoople’s difficult period before their 1972 revival
• Candid acknowledgement of the group’s earlier attitude towards David Bowie
• Bowie credited with helping restore Mott The Hoople’s confidence
• Discussion of “All The Young Dudes”
• Mott’s earlier consideration of breaking up
• Reflections on Ian Hunter and relationships within the group
• Discussion of touring and audience reactions
• Mott The Hoople’s determination to retain an identity independent of Bowie
• Buffin captioned with the statement “David gave us our self-respect back
All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.
Comments