Tosh's Jukebox - Volume 5 (Glam)

The music created by the songwriters and production team, Michael Chapman and Nicky Chinn, is of a genius level. Tiger Feet by Mud is almost DADA-like in that the lyrics convey the enjoyment of dancing and admiring one’s tiger feet, whatever that means.

“Make a stand for your man, honey, try to can the can

Put your man in the can, honey, get him while you can

Can the can, can the can, if you can, well can the can

—Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn

Little Willy is not my favorite Sweet song, but I think in essence it is the perfect Chinn-Chapman song. This and the others, I believe, are masterful lyric writing. It is not only the words themselves but also the sound of those words, and how they fit into the cocktail that is a song.

How can one take a girl, such as Christina, and she doesn’t know how to rock n’ roll? Another example of perfection as being practiced. It has no importance to this world, but to me, it is the Marcel Proust of song and lyric. Also, having the term “Good Grief” in a song is genius, like. This glam masterpiece was written by the kings of electro-disco, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte.

Alvin Stardust, at one time, was an early 1960s British rock n’ roll singer, Shane Fenton, and disappeared and reappeared a decade later as Stardust. Glam has strong ties with early 50s rock n’ roll.

Beyond Gary Glitter’s tragic life choices, his music, and especially the production of his recordings by Mike Leander, he was truly a showbiz icon and a creator of great music. The minimal beats, the electronic sounds, a guitar here and there, all focused on keeping it simple. He’s not forgotten, but rarely discussed in polite company. He bears the responsibility of his actions. Still, he made some amazing recordings.

It seemed perfectly innocent in the 1970s, but now…still a remarkable record, especially the way it builds up to the chorus. It is almost mathematical in its construction.

And now some updated glam sounds from the 1990s and on…

Suede, at one time, was a combination of 70s glam and Bowie’s vision as filtered through JG Ballard. Here is a band that is aware of pop history, and know how to expand that vision a bit more.

“We Are The Boyz” is the B-side to their great “Party Hard.” It reminds me a bit of Gary Glitter, but even more overproduced. It’s a great and almost forgotten Pulp tune.

This may be debatable, but I feel “I Am The Fly” is very much inspired by the glam recordings of the ‘70s. Artistically bent, yes, but the chorus could have come from the glam band Mud.

Sigue Sigue Sputnik Love “Missile F1-11” is so out there that even David Bowie did a version of this song. Glam in concept and practice, it is the future as we imagined it would be.

The Fall is amazing, and here is their tribute (or is it?) to glam rock, with their version of the genre filtered through Mark E. Smith’s sensibility.