Mud Rock Vol. II
| Mud Rock Vol. II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 20 June 1975 | |||
| Recorded | December 1974 | |||
| Studios | Audio International Studios, London | |||
| Genres | Glam rock, rock and roll, pop rock | |||
| Length | 30:55 | |||
| Label | RAK | |||
| Producers | Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn | |||
| Mud chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mud Rock Vol. II | ||||
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Mud Rock Vol. II is the second studio album by English glam rock band Mud. It was released on 20 June 1975 by RAK Records and produced by songwriting and production duo Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.
The album followed the commercial success of the band's debut Mud Rock (1974). It consisted predominantly of cover versions, with nine of its ten tracks being interpretations of previously recorded songs by acts such as Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley, and Paul Anka.
Mud Rock Vol. II reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart, spending 12 weeks on the chart. It also reached the top five in the Netherlands and charted in West Germany and Norway.
Background and recording
Mud recorded their second album at Audio International Studios in London with producers Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn. The sessions took place in December 1974, bassist Ray Stiles said the album was recorded and mixed in five days.
The album continued the 'party' record approach of its predecessor, with party noises between tracks and spoken contributions from Geoffrey, the presenter featured on the first album. Compared with the first album, the record featured a wider range of additional musicians. These included strings arranged by Phil Dennys, brass performed by Gonzalez, piano by Pete Wingfield, backing vocals by Ellie Hope, and pedal steel guitar by Harvey Hinsley on selected tracks.
Release and commercial performance
Mud Rock Vol. II was released in the United Kingdom in June 1975 by RAK Records on LP, cassette and 8-track cartridge, as advertised pre-release in Record Mirror, and post-release in Disc magazine.
A total of six singles were released from the album:
- "The Secrets That You Keep", released 7 February 1975. Peaked at number 3 on several national charts including the UK singles chart.
- "Oh Boy", released 18 April 1975. Achieved number 1 in the UK, and Ireland.
- "One Night", released 18 July 1975. Peaked at number 7 on the Belgian (Flanders) Ultratop chart.
- "Hula Love", released in 1975 to continental Europe, where it charted in Germany reaching number 38.
- "Living Doll", released in 1976 in Germany, but did not chart.
- "Let's Have a Party", released in 1976 in Germany, but did not chart.
The album entered the UK Albums Chart on 26 July 1975 and reached a peak position of number 6. It spent 12 weeks on the chart. International chart peaks included number 4 in the Netherlands, number 34 in West Germany, number 19 in Norway, and number 5 in Finland.
On 1 March 1976 the album received a gold certification from the BPI in the United Kingdom.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Record Mirror | Positive |
| NME | Positive |
| AllMusic |    |
The album received positive reviews from the British music press. Record Mirror considered it slightly superior to its predecessor, praising the arrangements, production and performances, particularly the contributions of Pete Wingfield and the brass section Gonzalez. The review concluded that Mud had "never sounded better". Reviewing the album in New Musical Express, Bob Edwards described it as arguably the most consistent of the albums under consideration. He praised Les Gray's vocal performances on "One Night", "Hula Love" and "The Secrets That You Keep", as well as the band's versions of "Oh Boy" and "Living Doll". Edwards considered the album's humour and entertainment value among its principal strengths.
In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Dave Thompson regarded the album as following much the same formula as its predecessor, with its selection of rock and roll covers and party atmosphere. Although he criticised the lack of musical ambition, he praised several performances, including "Hula Love", "Let's Have a Party" and "One Night".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Secrets That You Keep" | Nicky Chinn, Mike Chapman | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Living Doll" | Lionel Bart | 2:55 |
| 3. | "One Night" | Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Tallahassee Lassie" | Bob Crewe,Frank Slay Jr., Frederick Picariello | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Let's Have a Party" | Jessie Mae Robinson | 1:40 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Tobacco Road" | John D. Loudermilk | 3:20 |
| 7. | "Oh Boy" | Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty, Sonny West | 2:50 |
| 8. | "I Love How You Love Me" | Barry Mann, Larry Kolber | 3:03 |
| 9. | "Hula Love" | Buddy Knox | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Diana" | Paul Anka | 3:56 |
| Total length: | 30:55 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from the original LP liner notes.
- Mud
- Les Gray – lead vocals
- Rob Davis – guitar, vocals
- Ray Stiles – bass, vocals
- Dave Mount – drums, vocals
- Additional musicians
- Phil Dennys – strings (tracks 2, 8, 10)
- Gonzalez – brass (tracks 3, 6)
- Pete Wingfield – piano (tracks 4, 5)
- Ellie – backing vocals (tracks 7, 9)
- Harvey Hinsley – pedal steel guitar (track 9)
- Production
- Mike Chapman – producer
- Nicky Chinn – producer
- Pete Coleman – engineer
- Phil Colman – tape operator
- Chris Blair – lacquer cutting
- Gered Mankowitz – photography
Charts
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 19 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen albumilista) | 5 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 34 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 4 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts) | 6 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
- 20 June 1975 – Original UK LP (RAK SRAK 513), cassette (TC-SRAK 513) and 8-track cartridge (8X-SRAK 513).
- 1976 – Double LP reissue paired with Mud Rock (RAK 52446).
- 1998 – CD 2 in 1 reissue with Mud Rock (BGO Records BGOCD415).
- 2012 - CD 2 in 1 reissue with Mud Rock (EMI R&R121111)
References
- 1 2 "Mud advertisement" (PDF). Record Mirror. 7 June 1975. p. 15. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Chinnichap - Mud split definite" (PDF). Music Week. 8 February 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ Marchese, Joe (15 May 2025). "Dyna-Mite: Cherry Red's 7Ts Label Collects Mud's Glam Oldies on "The Rak Years 1973-75"". The Second Disc. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- 1 2 "Mud – full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud – Discografie". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- 1 2 3 Mud (1975). Mud Rock Vol II (LP). RAK Records. p. rear cover. SRAK 513.
- ↑ "A Muddy Road to the Top" (PDF). Beat Instrumental. October 1975. p. 36. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- 1 2 "MUD end an era" (PDF). Record Mirror. 5 July 1975. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud Rock Vol 2" (PDF). Disc. 19 July 1975. p. 9. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Single reviewed by Sue Byrom" (PDF). Record Mirror. 8 February 1975. p. 21. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Capital Climbers" (PDF). Music Week. 8 February 1975. p. 36. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud – The secrets that you keep". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Oh Boy, It's Delayed" (PDF). Record Mirror. 19 April 1975. p. 25. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud – Oh Boy". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Birthday Number Ones: 8 May 1975". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud don't deserve it" (PDF). Record Mirror. 26 July 1975. p. 17. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud - One Night". Ultratop. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud – Hula Love". Offizielle Deutsche Charts. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud - Mud Rock Vol. II". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- 1 2 "Moz – Mot". Suomen listalevyt. August 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "BRIT Certified Award – Mud Rock Vol II". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mudrock II" (PDF). New Musical Express. 2 August 1975. p. 16. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave. "Mud Rock, Vol. 2 Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Mud – Mud Rock Vol. II". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Mud – Mud Rock Vol. II" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mud – Mud Rock Vol. II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "Mud Rock Vol2 – Mud | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Mud – Mud Rock Volume 2". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Mud Rock Volume 2 Mud in the "Search:" field.