A Joyful and Exuberant Homage to Rock and Roll’s Innocent Past, a Theatrical Statement of the Band’s True Musical Heart.
The year 1976 was a watershed moment for Mud, the beloved, choreographed kings of the British glam rock scene. After years of defining the sound of pop radio, their creative freedom came at a high cost: they dramatically severed ties with the powerful Chinn/Chapman hit factory that had provided their chart-topping anthems. This profound separation was a high-stakes gamble, requiring the band to prove their worth as authentic, self-sufficient musicians. Their defiant answer came in the form of Mud Rock Volume 2, a record built on classic covers that served as a declaration of independence and reached a respectable number 33 on the UK Albums Chart. Within this statement piece was the roaring track “Hula Love.” Never released as a single and therefore never charting, its power is purely artistic—a vibrant, energetic declaration of the band’s fundamental rock and roll identity, unbound by commercial constraints.
The story behind “Hula Love” is the emotional drama of a group struggling for artistic credibility. Having been pigeonholed as pop puppets, the Mud Rock albums were a theatrical act of rebellion—a conscious effort to re-establish the band as genuine, powerful performers capable of handling the bedrock of rock history. The choice of “Hula Love,” originally a 1957 hit for rockabilly legend Buddy Knox, is a crucial part of this narrative. It’s a pure, nostalgic homage, a direct connection to the vibrant, untamed energy of early rock and roll that had originally inspired them all. The drama lies in the juxtaposition of their fading glam image with the raw, exhilarating rockabilly spirit they were embracing, a symbolic return to a simpler, more authentic time before the complications of commercial success took root.
The meaning of “Hula Love” is simple, infectious joy and the celebration of rock and roll’s rawest form. The song strips away the complex studio sheen of their earlier hits, focusing instead on pure, driving instrumental power and the undeniable charisma of frontman Les Gray. The music is a frantic, energetic explosion, with Rob Davis’s guitar work channeling the spirit of the 1950s with thrilling enthusiasm. The performance is full of theatrical flair, demonstrating that Mud possessed a spontaneous, live energy that transcended their reputation. The sound of their passionate, faithful interpretation of this classic is the dramatic engine, making the old song sound urgent and newly relevant, a desperate, joyful bid to prove their enduring mastery of the rock and roll form.
For those who followed the high-stakes journey of Mud, “Hula Love” is a truly nostalgic piece of history, a reminder that the heart of the band was always rooted in raw talent and a deep love for the classics. It is a testament to the band’s courage to choose artistic authenticity over guaranteed commercial success. The song stands as a timeless, deeply emotional, and defiant piece of musical history that perfectly captures the moment Mud claimed their voice, demanding to be heard on their own, passionate terms.