Mozelle
The Album

Releasing on all platforms Friday 11th April 2025.



         

01 Mozelle 04:37
02 Somebody Been Talkin' 03:42
03 As Long As I Have You 04:14
04 Too Late Brother 03:28
05 Don't Start Me Talkin' 03:09
06 Just To Be With You 05:53
07 Politicians 03:32
08 Three Time Winner 03:04
09 In the Dark 03:57
10 Cat Squirrel 03:35
11 Susie Q (Mono Mix) 02:42


NEW: Mozelle album now available on vinyl and CD made to order through elasticStage.com - full colour artwork with basic track info - audio quality highly commended - fast turnaround - click here and give it a try.

Mick writes:

My new album for 2025 - eleven tracks of rockin' blues.

This is pretty much a Chicago Blues jam with a few twists, and a nod back to the early days of British blues rock, which I was privileged to be a small part of.

For example - the title track 'Mozelle'. although an original song, reminds me of the first time I saw Rory Gallagher's 'Taste' on their very first London appearance - raw and gutsy.

'Just to be with You' has a little of the oily grunge of Jeff Beck's 'Truth' album..(though I ain't Rod Stewart)! 'Politicians' is actually a remake of a song released by my band Killing Floor in 1971.. and so on.

Mozelle News: Currently No. 1 on the Roots Music Report UK album airplay chart - also in at No. 17 on their main international chart and No. 5 on their International Blues Rock chart.



Many thanks to all the radio presenters currently featuring the album, including Cap'n Barney over on WMHB in Maine, David Fusco at Blues Deluxe and Big D on WWOZ down in New Orleans. Your continuing support always much appreciated.



Mozelle

Inspired by Tommy McClennan's song 'Mozelle Blues' here's 'Mozelle', a little three piece blues rocker featuring my E Series Strat with the Texas Special pickups.

I kept to a three piece line-up to try to capture some of that live feel that I remember from the early days of British blues rock.. I remember seeing Rory Gallagher's 'Taste' fresh off the boat from Ireland on their first trip to London. Rough and Raw like it should be.

Somebody Been Talkin'

My version of the Homesick James Chicago Blues classic - the 1930s Harmony archtop sounding sweet using Homesick and Elmore's original tuning. I hope you enjoy the music.

As Long As I Have You

I first recorded this Little Walter classic with a blues rock arrangement on my very first solo album, 'Looking For Trouble' back in 1983. It was always popular so I thought it was time for a re-run.

This version is a little heavier and longer, although this album cut is a little shorter than the single version released a few weeks earlier. Anyway, I think all the versions rock - take your pick!

Too late Brother

Here's a version of, I think, a very underrated Little Walter song, written by Al Duncan. The original is given a 'My Babe' type arrangement - maybe that's why it gets ignored compared to its famous sibling.

But I think it's a great little song - the lyrics just flow along. A dark tale of a friend gone wrong. My representation of a 45 for the single release artwork might be a bit over the top, but I think it suits the mood.

The Epiphone 'Dot' with the Parsons Road pickups doing the business - Too Late Brother.

Don't Start Me Talkin'

The first track on the first blues album I ever bought.. a fine collection of Chicago Blues called I think 'Rhythm and Blues'. Yes that sums it all up nicely.

A great lyric by Sonny Boy, but I did change the term 'signifyin'' to 'cheatin' and lyin''. Signifying was never a term much used by us middle class white boys from suburban London. Anyway, a rockin' little track taken at just about the maximum speed that my old arthritic fingers can manage.

Just to be with You

My version of Muddy Waters' classic, written by one Bernard Roth.

Mr Roth also wrote another of Muddy's greatest hits, 'Forty Days and Forty Nights'. I don't know what he was on at the time, but it was certainly potent. His songs are rich in Dali-esque imagery and Biblical references.. not your every day blues lyrics. But great stuff.

So here's a tale of fighting sharks with toothpicks and crawling across oceans turned to sand.. wow.

This was the very first track I recorded using my new Les Paul.. sticking with the neck pickup on this one, so it's pretty fat sounding. And I had Jeff Beck's 'Truth' album in the back of my head, so there's a little of that. I think it's a powerful piece of music and I hope you enjoy it.

Politicians

This song was originally called 'Call For The Politicians' and was featured on the album 'Out of Uranus' - released by my first band, Killing Floor, back in 1971. It was also released as a single on Larry Page's 'Penny Farthing' label, and was very nearly a national hit.. featuring on the BBC Radio One playlist and 'bubbling under' the national chart. The band appeared on Radio One's popular 'One O'Clock Club' and was interviewed by DJ Annie Nightingale, along with other chart contenders including Gilbert O'Sullivan and Ken Dodd.

However the record didn't chart, although it sold well in Germany. (Nobody told us at the time).

This new version is called just 'Politicians' and has been stripped back to its country blues roots. Some of the lyrics have been updated for our extraordinary 2025 political climate, although the chorus remains basically the same, and the song is credited to its original writers, myself and Killing Floor singer Bill Thorndycraft. The old 1930s Harmony archtop sounds nice with the slide and I think the track has a 60s Dylanish, Byrdlike feel.

It's not meant to criticise all politicians.. there are plenty of good ones out there. I think the good ones will recognise who I'm talking about. Enjoy the music, and here's to democracy..

Three Time Winner

Here's a celebratory little song in keeping with its original Valentine's Day release - to my friend, lover and 'all around standby'.

With a little reference to a bottle of whisky in the sideboard thrown in - just to liven things up. Actually, that verse is all part of the story..

This track was originally going to be an acoustic version of the R&B standard 'Hi-Heel Sneakers'. However I ran into some problems.

'Hi-Heel Sneakers' was written by Tommy Tucker, real name Robert Higginbotham. Well the Higginbotham's are very zealous about controlling their copyright. I don't blame them - I'd do the same if I owned the rights to a blues classic.

And they are known for sending out cease and desist letters if they feel their rights are being abused. In fact I fell foul of them myself when I had an earlier version of the song on release on Bandcamp. No big problem.

And when I applied for a license to release this version of the song I was told it wasn't available. I could have bought it from another source at a ridiculous amount of money, but, you know..

So, what to do? I liked the backing track.. thumped out on my Oxfam acoustic and my 1930s Harmony, with the rhythm on a cardboard box. (No tuning involved). And it is, after all, a generic twelve bar blues, so no reason not to insert a new song into the track.

Well I'd been looking for an excuse to employ the phrase 'all around standby' which I'd pinched from a BB King song, so 'Three Time Winner' fell into place.

And the whisky verse? Well that's a little tribute to Mr. Higginbotham's original, where he sings about his 'Old Crow Liquor'. Back in the days when we were making regular ferry trips over to mainland Europe for gigs and tours, I always grabbed a bottle of something from Duty Free on the ship.. often a bottle of cheap and cheerful Claymore whisky. I always think of our bass player Ian Ellis noting my purchase with a gaelic twinkle in his eye.. 'ah Mick's got his Claymore'.

So I hope you enjoy this rocking little acoustic jam which you can dedicate to your own 'All Around Standby'. Three Time Winner.

Cat Squirrel

Here's the original vocal version of the popular 60's British blues rock instrumental 'Cat's Squirrel' .. originally a song by the great Dr. Ross.

Doctor Ross really was great actually - I saw him play at the 100 Club in London. Just sat there and boogied away - first time I really got the 'boogie disease'. I don't think he did 'Cat Squirrel' - I'm sure I would have noticed. He should have done - he could have said 'here's a song I wrote for The Cream'.. that would have raised an eyebrow or two.

I also saw Cream at the Marquee Club, but i don't think they did the song either. However I did see Mick Abrahams play it a few times with the original Jethro Tull. Very good too.

Anyway, you've got to give EC some credit for turning the song into an instrumental.. it works well. I've just rocked it out here, using the Les Paul and a few 'Creamisms' and sticking to the straight three piece line-up. But do check out Dr. Ross's original - it's a great track.

I've used the original title 'Cat Squirrel' and credited it to the good doctor. It is his song after all.

Susie Q (Mono Mix)

I don't own a Telecaster. However, here's the bridge pick up on the E Series Strat giving it some welly. I think it sounds pretty good.

Susie Q is of course an R&B classic, originally written and recorded by Dale Hawkins, with the legendary James Burton supplying the guitar solos.

There's a wonderful Youtube of Dale, hat perched on the back of his head, having a whale of a time on some TV show, miming to his hit record and showing off to the girls. I'm still practising his patented right knee lift, although the arthritis doesn't help.

For the solos James Burton appears in the corner of the screen looking super cool and playing like a god.

I tried to capture a little of Burton's magic - playing with my fingers instead of a pick, which hurt a bit but was worth it.

So I think this rocks. And I think it's the kind of track I'd happily end a set with. I hope you enjoy the music. Susie Q.