Devoted fans of Mott the Hoople are being invited to celebrate the legacy of one of rock’s most beloved bands by contributing stories and photographs to a new tribute book titled You Are One of Us.
The band, which formed in 1969, forged a deep emotional connection with its followers—one that endures to this day despite the group’s original split in 1974. Loyalty among fans has remained strong through the decades, bolstered by memorable reunion performances in 2009, 2013, and 2019.
Music journalist Kris Needs, once president of the band’s fan club, Sea Divers, praised the group for its accessibility, describing Mott as “the approachable face of rock” who “transformed it into a thing we could reach out and touch”.
The book takes its name from a track on Mott’s Mad Shadows album, a song that perfectly captures the mutual admiration between band and fans. This sentiment is echoed throughout the book by figures such as Kris Needs himself and long-time admirers like Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and Mick Jones of The Clash.
“This is our chance to thank the entire extended Mott family for the music and the magic with our cherished memories,” said Andrew Field, co-editor and publisher at Hit the North, who previously released We Rocked, You Rolled in 2013 — a road crew diary by Phil John chronicling Mott’s last European tour in 1974.
“If fans want to be in the book, simply visit the Hit the North website and send their online word-and-image submissions. We’ll publish the definitive fans perspective, written by the fans for all the other fans and the surviving band, the crew and their families,” Andrew explained. He is collaborating with fellow Mott enthusiasts David Crisfield, Keith Hollinshed, Simon Rowberry, David Rowe, and Andrew Whalley to bring the project together.
“Mott The Hoople kept me sane when I was at military boarding school in the seventies. They were the big brothers with attitude I never had. I thought they’d been virtually forgotten about until the internet revealed loyal fans were still very much in love with everyone in the Mott wider family. Concerts not only celebrated the group, but also became great social gatherings in their own right … two fans from either side of the Atlantic met at a concert and are now happily married,” Andrew added.
Originally from Herefordshire, Mott the Hoople stayed grounded and connected to their fanbase throughout their meteoric rise — whether performing on Broadway in New York, appearing on Top of the Pops, or partying with the likes of David Bowie, Queen, Led Zeppelin, and Keith Moon. Their cultural influence has been acknowledged by bands such as Queen, REM, and the Mambo Sons.
You Are One Of Us is set to be released this Autumn to coincide with MottFest 2025, a two-day fan celebration taking place in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, on 3rd and 4th October 2025. A special closing event may also be held on 5th October in the town.
To share your story or images, visit https://www.hitthenorth.co.uk/mott-the-hoople or contact Andrew Field at [email protected]. Submissions close on Friday, 1st August 2025.
