One-man Mud Appreciation Society

These blokes ruled the radio across the pond.
Mention Mud to an American, however, and all you hear is "who?"
I have been stomping in my platform shoes (oh, of course not really) all over the house these days, soaking in the glorious glam rock of the 1970s.
I have wanted to make a glam-rock mix for friends, but I couldn't make the mix without adding a little Mud. A "best-of" CD arrived the other day. I can't quit listening.
Singer Les Gray, drummer Dave Mount, bassist Ray Stiles and guitarist Rob Davis were quite possibly the least pretentious band of all time. Perhaps that's why very few people in America have ever heard of them.
Mud just wanted to have fun, and during their brief reign, they succeeded admirably.
They concocted a catchy form of glam rock that reimagined the 1950s with 1970s production values. Their songs serve as a soundtrack to a fun night out with friends or a fun night in with grandparents.
Here are SIX REASONS why I love Mud:
1. Diabolically successful songwriters Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman are known for penning Sweet's hits. However, "Dyna-Mite" and "Tiger Feet," two of the many songs they wrote for Mud, are catchier -- by such a large margin, it is REDONKULOUS.
2. When Mud discovered Gray could sound like Elvis, they mined that talent to produce songs such as "Rocket" and "Lonely This Christmas." They sound remarkably like lost songs by The King.
3. A memorable television appearance miming to "Lonely This Christmas" included Gray using a ventriloquist dummy for the song's speaking portion, because miming to speech was too difficult for him to attempt.
4. "Tiger Feet" stood like a rollicking colossus atop the UK singles chart for a full month in early 1974. "That's neat, that's neat, that's neat, that's neat I really love your Tiger Feet."
5. After the band's demise, Gray embarked on a solo career. He recorded an Elvis tribute under the pseudonym "Tulsa McLean." Sadly, Gray passed away in 2004.
6. Little did anyone know at the time, but Mud actually harbored a SECRET MUSICAL GENIUS in their ranks. Curly-haired and wide-collared guitarist Davis was actually a POP MUSIC SAVANT. His post-Mud career includes penning the UK chart-topping hits "Groovejet (If this Ain't Love)" by Spiller and "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue (incidentally, a song so catchy you cannot get it out of your head... thanks Rob).
Weighing the evidence and determining that Mud are one of the truly great, yet under-appreciated bands of all time (at least over here in the states), I have decided to form a Mud Appreciation Society. I will commence spreading the gospel in five... four... three... two... one...!
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