When we remember the days of glam we also will remember a few one-hit wonders from this age. Alvin Stardust with his retro-styled Rock 'n' Roll attitude and Gary Glitter with his dazzling glam outfit were those who made me to investigate for the originals they copied. In my very younger days I liked to watch them on TV and they were a kind of hero for a summer until I got involved to the originals they copied for their sound.
Making a small series about glam rock would not be complete if David Bowie is missing. He started his career with as another band covering blues rock songs and playing on youth gatherings and weddings. But he always wrote songs for himself and tried to play it with his first band. The record company early saw the possibilities of his songwriting talent but his first albums under his name failed. He got his first success when he performed his songs with striking costumes, weird hair-styles and a life performance many people didn't saw before. He created Ziggy Stardust perfectly in the high-times of glam. These were the days he turned into an influencer like the hipsters say today. I don't have to tell you about the great things he gave us the last 40 years but these songs from the glam era are still over the top.
Suzi Quatro and The Sweet were the heroes beside of T. Rex of my very young days when I took my first steps into music. They were almost everything what we now call glam more than 50 years ago. Of course it is not the music I listen now but they built the basis of everything that came afterwards. Maybe it is a sentimental journey back to the days when everything was easy and everything was possible and we didn't thought about the future days to come.
If we are talking about glam-rock and the bands that stamped this genre we should talk about a band that made the difference in these times. Roxy Music were the band that showed us a new kind of music. After times when the blues-rock bands of the late 60's slowly vanished in the mist of history and before the days punk turned everything upside-down Brian Eno and Bryan Ferry showed up with something we never heard before. Dressed in crazy outfits and suits they brought us a different kind of rock. If only a few got into their music because this weird outfit Roxy Music could name this a success. Their songs were very arty of course but still in the tradition of pure rock and they opened my ears to a very different view of music. Probably they are the link between old fashioned music and the sound of the future. Eno and Ferry went different musical roads in their future careers but in the early 70's almost nobody could beat them.
Glam rock was connected to a lot of bands that were at the top of the charts but there were more that are forgotten now. One of them were Cockney Rebel a band from London and they had their big times in the early 70's when glam had it best times. They were famous for their sharp outfit but their music was more than simple chart songs. Cockney Rebel were one of the first bands that tried to combine classic songwriting with symphonic sounds. Listening to their songs almost 50 years later I have to admit that Steve Harley was far ahead of his times.
A few days ago some songs from decades ago shuffled up from my mobile phone on my way to work that I didn't listened for a very long time. Songs by Gary Glitter and T.Rex that brought me back to my very young days. Songs that brought back memories when life was easy and I didn't thought about future. It made me thought about all the songs from the early 70's that lead me into music and made the base to explore music from the past and the future and I decided to feature these songs/artists in a new series. Glam was a very British phenomenon in the early 70's. Many were bored of the arty and heavy bands and looked out for something new. Then some bands appeared on the scene that were different, especially the way they used to act in new styles and gambling with non gender attitudes manifesting itself in outrageous clothes, makeup, hairstyles, and platform-soled boots.Glam is most noted for its sexual and gender ambiguity and representations of androgyny, beside extensive use of theatrics.. But the greatest gift they gave me that they brought back simple and native music. I was well informed by the music of the 60's by older friends but the first music that was close to me was Glam. I remember when I first saw Marc Bolan on TV I was speechless. New saw an artist before that was that kind of different to all other artists. He played just in front of his band with his curly hair and glitter in his face. From this time on I was addicted to music. And probably Glam prepared the way to punk.
