Roll Away the Stone
"Roll Away the Stone" is a single released by English rock band Mott the Hoople, recorded before Mick Ralphs left the band. The song was written by Ian Hunter and released on the CBS label. In this version Ralphs plays lead guitar and one of the Thunderthighs handles the bridge voice. It was re-recorded by the band for their 1974 album The Hoople, with Ariel Bender on lead guitar and English vocalist Lynsey de Paul singing the vocal bridge. Ian Hunter revealed the story behind the song in an interview with Classic Rock in 2014.
It reached No.8 on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in December 1973, spending five weeks in the top 10. When the band appeared on the BBC show Top of the Pops on 15 November 1973; drummer Dale "Buffin" Griffin played the drums with two pool cues.
In 1986, the song was used a background song on the 1974 edition of the BBC TV series The Rock 'n' Roll Years, for the news clips relating to the two general elections in the United Kingdom that year. It also featured in the film The Diary of a Teenage Girl, as well as on the soundtrack album.
