Rock History & Me #1: Ziggy Stardust
During this period of having no new travel stories, I’m drawn to write about another passion; Michaela isn’t convinced, but encouraged both by my sense of self indulgence and our fellow blogger Leighton Thomas at leightontravelsblogs.wordpress.com I’m pressing on…..
#1: Ziggy Stardust
As I took my seat on the sofa for the weekly Thursday night ritual of watching Top Of The Pops, I had no inkling of what was about to unfold. Within a few minutes I was transfixed, deaf to my parents’ disapproval, hooked instantly not only to the music but to this unworldly being and his ethereal lyrics. At each chorus, these two men would put arms around each other’s shoulders and sing cheek by jowl into a shared microphone.
That needs context. This was 1972, homosexuality had only been decriminalised five years earlier, this was literally the first time we’d seen men arm in arm. There were only three TV channels, there was of course no internet, no computers, we relied on newspapers for news and our access to music was basically TOTP and radio stations run by the BBC. I was 15 years old: a 15-year-old in 1972 was a much more naive and impressionable person than someone of the same age today.
Yet suddenly here on our TV screens was this androgynous individual dressed in a multi coloured all-in-one, arm in arm with a pale, skinny guitarist with long blond hair, dividing the nation’s opinions. It was the only topic of discussion at school the next day: everyone had seen it, everyone had an opinion. It was love or hate territory. I had loved it.
This was David Bowie’s monumental TOTP “Starman” appearance in July ‘72, the blond guitarist was of course Mick Ronson, and the first huge wave of fame in Bowie’s career was underway. By the weekend I had bought my very first LP, Hunky Dory, and within a few weeks I’d saved enough paper round money to acquire Man Who Sold The World and then, at last, Ziggy Stardust.
Those LPs, but Ziggy in particular, were on my turntable for months. I was to remain a fan of Bowie pretty much for ever – maybe lost him a bit during “Young Americans”, took a while to grasp “Earthling”, but came roaring back with “Reality”. Such is the diversity of Bowie’s output though that it’s almost as impossible to like everything as it is to dislike everything.
But the Ziggy album, with its iconic cover photography, its recurring themes which spawned speculation over whether it was autobiographical, portentous or even Hendrix’s life story, and Bowie’s at times haunting delivery, was, to this naive teenager, perfection.
Ziggy Stardust, the concept, the music, and the sense of discovery, was where my love of rock really began. I adored its every note, learnt its every word, I love it to this day. The opening chords of any one of its tracks still set my spine tingling; I close my eyes and I am once again that teenager, wondering who or what I was going to be, in awe of this amazing star named David Bowie.
18 Comments
normareadtalktalknet
Always good to have a passion..
Gilda Baxter
Phil, your passion comes through in this post. Do you still have these LP’s? They must be worth quite a bit now…he was an absolute legend. I remember TOTP such an amazing program, so upbeat and fun.
Phil & Michaela
Yes i still have them, but would never sell no matter how much they’re worth. It’s kind of part of me!
Lookoom
I find this article about a type of music that I only know from afar, without having adhered to it, interesting and well written. I wonder if the choice of one’s favourite type of music would be like that of the duckling that takes for its mother the first being that shows it attention and then follows it obediently. But it’s interesting that with the benefit of time, you can explain what new contribution these artists could make at that time.
leightontravels
Aah you did it, great stuff! While I wasn’t around to see that first TOTP performance, of course this was an essential moment in the history of popular music. You are reminding me that I have a bunch of album reviews that I’d like to redo and repost one of these years. Bowie is one of my top ten artists and, as you say, Hunky Dory and Ziggy are two of his very best. I’m a little surprised about your apathy towards Young Americans, for me it was 84-97 where he really got lost. But you know, horses for courses. Totally agree that Reality was his return, so to speak. Great post and hoping to see a few more in due course. ‘When you climb to the top of the mountain, look out over the sea. Think about the places perhaps, where a young man could be”.
Phil & Michaela
Cheers bud. I’m preparing a few more, simply because they’re fun to write…and gives me a reason to put the album on whilst writing. Evoke the memories and remember when Lady Stardust sang his songs of darkness and dismay…
Andrew Petcher
I was never a fan of Bowie. Can’t explain it. Might have been his voice, I didn’t like it. But I did like this album. My favourite track was Suffragette City. I gave the vinyl album and all of my others to my son just last year.
Phil & Michaela
I’m pleased to say I still have my entire vinyl collection, up in the loft. I don’t have anything to play them on, but I have replicated the whole collection (and lots more besides) with downloads on to devices, so one way and another I’ve lost nothing!
Andrew Petcher
My son will look after my collection. He still plays vinyl.
giacomoasinello
One of my favourite albums. I love the concert video filmed at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1973 too.
Phil & Michaela
Last time I saw Bowie was at Wembley Arena on the Reality tour. It was absolutely outstanding, one of the best gigs I ever saw.
giacomoasinello
His Glastonbury performance in 2000 is the stuff of legend too.
Toonsarah
A great read for someone, like me, from this same era. I wasn’t a huge Bowie fan although I liked a lot of his music, but I have great memories of the music of that period and the exotic glamour of stars like him and Marc Bolan. Of course like you I got my music from TOTP and Radio One (and Luxembourg!)
Phil & Michaela
Ah, “Fab 208”, tiny transistor radio clamped to your ear, under the bedclothes….
Toonsarah
Exactly like that 😀
wetanddustyroads
What can I say … 1972 was indeed a great year (I was born that year 😉). But I love to read how passionate you are about the artists (and proud of your vinyl collection)!
Phil & Michaela
Born in 1972???! A mere youngster!
wetanddustyroads
😁 … it’s been a long time since someone called me that! I think I’ll take it as a compliment!