🔘 Saturday Gigs – Single: Oct. 1974

Cover art for Mott the Hoople's single "Saturday Gig," released in the Netherlands under CBS label, catalogue number CBS 2754.

Label: CBS Records

Catalogue Number: S CBS 2754

Format: 7" Vinyl Single

Released: October 18, 1974 (UK)

A poignant, reflective farewell — the final Mott the Hoople studio recording with Ian Hunter.

🔘 Overview

Saturday Gigs was released on October 18, 1974 as a UK 7" single on CBS Records (S CBS 2754). Written by Ian Hunter, the track served as a nostalgic look back at the band’s chaotic rise, lineup changes, and near‑mythic touring years. Unbeknownst to fans at the time, it would become the last studio recording featuring Hunter before his departure and the dissolution of the classic Mott lineup.

The B‑side, a 6‑minute medley of Jerkin’ Crocus, Sucker, and Violence, captured the band’s raw, theatrical energy — a retrospective burst of their early‑’70s swagger.

🔘 Track List (Common Configurations)

7" Vinyl — S CBS 2754

A. Saturday Gigs (4:17)

Written by: Ian Hunter

B. Medley (6:10)

a) Jerkin’ Crocus

b) Sucker

c) Violence

Written by: Ian Hunter, Mick Ralphs, Verden Allen, Pete Overend Watts, Dale Griffin

Produced by: Mott the Hoople

🔘 Release Details

Label: CBS Records

Formats: 7" Vinyl, 45 RPM

Country: UK

Year: 1974

Notes:

- Final studio recording with Ian Hunter

- Retrospective, autobiographical A‑side

- B‑side medley drawn from earlier Mott material

- Standard CBS orange label

🔘 Variants (Discogs‑Verified)

Variant 1

UK – CBS – S CBS 2754 (1974)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Paper Label)

Variant 2

UK – CBS – S CBS 2754 (1974)

Format: 7" Vinyl (Injection‑moulded label, later press)

🔘 Chart Data (BBC / Official Charts Company)

Peak Position: UK — No Chart Entry

Weeks on Chart: —

Chart Notes:

- Despite strong fan affection, the single did not chart

🔘 Context & Notes

Recording Notes

A bittersweet, mid‑tempo reflection — Hunter’s vocal delivery tinged with nostalgia and resignation, backed by Mott’s signature mix of glam grit and emotional weight.

Collector Notes

Paper‑label first pressings are preferred. The single is highly regarded among Mott collectors due to its historical significance as the band’s final Hunter‑era studio release.

Legacy

A symbolic closing chapter — Saturday Gigs stands as Mott the Hoople’s self‑written epitaph, marking the end of their classic era and the beginning of Hunter’s solo career.

🔘 Related Material

Previous Single

Foxy, Foxy (1974)

Next Single

No further Hunter‑era singles

🔘 Discography (Selected, Chronological)

Saturday Gigs — 1974

Medley (Jerkin’ Crocus / Sucker / Violence) — 1974

🔘 Mini‑Timeline

Oct. 18, 1974 — UK single released

Late 1974 — Final Hunter‑era recording

🔘 Glam Flashback

Mott look back on the madness — a farewell drenched in memory, swagger, and the last spark of the classic lineup.

🔘 Tags

#MottTheHoople #SaturdayGigs #IanHunter #1974 #CBSRecords #GlamRock #VinylArchive #SingleChronicle

🔘 Sources

CBS Records

Discogs

Contemporary music‑press documentation

Mott the Hoople archival references