It surprises me that 'Be My Wife' didn't really get anywhere as a single, because to me it's the one track on Low that stands out as obvious single. It easily made my ballot. No question, no hesitation.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:50 (twelve years ago) link
wow, be my wife video is so perfectly suited to the song, which I'm pretty sure made it into my top twenty. love love love it
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:50 (twelve years ago) link
I feel like I knew The Man Who Sold the World before Nirvana rehabilitated it, but I could be kidding myself. Impossible to tell - unless I could somehow get hold of every Radio 1 playlist from the late 70s to the late 80s.
― ledge, Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:52 (twelve years ago) link
I saw Lulu do this live at 7am on breakfast tv maybe four years ago. It's just not right, live musical performances at that hour.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:52 (twelve years ago) link
I knew the song/album well prior to Unplugged, and the first time I heard Nirvana's cover was in a Taco Bell. I immediately knew who/what it was, but it seemed insanely incongruous; I thought, "How am I hearing this song in this place?"
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:54 (twelve years ago) link
that's it for early bowie outside of life on mars, right?
― iatee, Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:56 (twelve years ago) link
early meaning pre-ziggy
I feel like I knew The Man Who Sold the World before Nirvana rehabilitated it, but I could be kidding myself
Ha, I know what you mean! But I'm p. sure that I recognised it tho when I watched Nirvana Unplugged.
― Feebs K-Tel (NickB), Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:56 (twelve years ago) link
I never knew about the easter eggs either! Huge thanks.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 15:57 (twelve years ago) link
Really hope "Velvet Goldmine" places up there. I love that song, esp. the spooky-ooky backing vocals.
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:05 (twelve years ago) link
Did anybody else vote for Black Country Rock or Janine? Those are my two favorite early Bowie songs.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:06 (twelve years ago) link
Glad this song placed high. Love the multi-tracked, wordless vocals on the outro. Just a cool-sounding song.
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:07 (twelve years ago) link
― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel),
This. He looks downright miserable, perfect for the lyrics.
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
was Velvet Goldmine a known track pre the Ryko reissues? i know that Sweet Head was utterly unknown until the Rykos.
― piscesx, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:09 (twelve years ago) link
11. "Oh! You Pretty Things" (from Hunky Dory) - 630 points/30 votes/0 first-place votes
Album: http://youtu.be/wIXGDQtQJaMOld Grey Whistle Test: http://youtu.be/bnXZ3R3OWpg
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:10 (twelve years ago) link
My #2
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:11 (twelve years ago) link
Classic.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:11 (twelve years ago) link
hmmm where is Speed of Life?
― top 100 comedy facepalms of all time (loves laboured breathing), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:11 (twelve years ago) link
(or did it already place and I just am not thinking right?)
― top 100 comedy facepalms of all time (loves laboured breathing), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:12 (twelve years ago) link
I voted for Black Country Rock.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:13 (twelve years ago) link
Three in a row for me, has me wondering if every song left will be on my ballot. Great song, classic indeed. Wonder why a song like this got no play on classic rock radio when I was a kid? Seems like it fits with a lot of other stuff that got play (such a huge chorus too!, made for the radio).
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:16 (twelve years ago) link
Referring to "Oh! You Pretty Things" of course.
Velvet Goldmine a b-side? wikicheck, yes, eventually, to the 75 rerelease of Space Oddity. So full-on fans would likely know, casual listeners likely not.
― woof, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:17 (twelve years ago) link
It was on the Ryko Ziggy though too, which was the first exposure many people had to that album.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:21 (twelve years ago) link
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:13 (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Feebs K-Tel (NickB), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:21 (twelve years ago) link
Does Classic Rock Radio go in for high campery?
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:23 (twelve years ago) link
"Changes" still gets played a ton, as do the Ziggy singles.
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:23 (twelve years ago) link
Re: OYPT: love the casual way he sings lines like "All the nightmares came today/And it looks as though they're here to stay" (which then leads into the knees-up singalonga chorus)
― ledge, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:24 (twelve years ago) link
was the opening track on an RCA 80s Bowies compilation called Rare, which also featured the fantastic Helden.
the fact i traded my copy for something else a few years later haunts me to this day
― mark e, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:25 (twelve years ago) link
the 4 biggest Bowie staples on US classic rock radio: Under Pressure, Fame, Space Oddity and Changes
― some dude, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:26 (twelve years ago) link
Growing up, I heard Ziggy much more than Changes on classic rock radio. Under Pressure was too current to be classic rock.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:28 (twelve years ago) link
well yeah i'm going off recent stats. i'm sure if i had more complete stats there'd be several ziggy songs in the top 10 bowie songs
― some dude, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:29 (twelve years ago) link
"All The Young Dudes" got a ton of play, doesn't seem like a whole other world away from that. "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" obviously got played a bunch. Not much high camp, but still, I NEVER heard this song until I heard the album proper, and it just seems like a song that would have fit the format of a bunch of stations from my youth.
Seems like a proto-"Changes" sonically, and the lyrics wouldn't have kept it off the air. I guess Bowie just had too many other hits to make room for a song like this. "Heroes" didn't even get much play (might hear it once a year or something), so I guess it isn't surprising, just seems like it could have gotten a spin once in a while. I might have gotten into Bowie earlier if the radio stretched the catalog a bit more.
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:30 (twelve years ago) link
The local "good time oldies" -- as opposed to "classic rock" -- station is one of my presets when I'm out and about, and "Fame," "Let's Dance" and "Under Pressure" are the only things I can recall hearing in the last few years. Heard "Fame" just last week in fact.
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:32 (twelve years ago) link
Okay, that makes sense. Classic Rock radio is a weird beast that rarely evolves.
xposts
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:33 (twelve years ago) link
...and the lyrics wouldn't have kept it off the air.
American stations in the 70s might have been skittish about the "bitch" line.
It's weird how "Who Are You" can have the f-word, The Stones can make a dead man cum and Jackie can give head in "Walk on the Wild Side", but other songs with lyrics less scary can't pass.
― pplains, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:34 (twelve years ago) link
"good time oldies" -- as opposed to "classic rock"
A paper-thin distinction in US radio programming that has always fascinated me. xp to myself
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
They used to play Rebel Rebel and Young Americans all the time on classic rock radio. Station To Station was where they got off the proverbial Bowie bus.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
It surprises me that 'Be My Wife' didn't really get anywhere as a single, because to me it's the one track on Low that stands out as obvious single.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican)
I've always wondered this too. It's such a catchy song, I've no idea why it wasn't as big as Sound & Vision. It was my number one and could be in my top ten songs of all time. That bass line in the chorus is unbeatable.
― Kitchen Person, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
oh shit, I'm late for the next one!
― Carlos Pollomar (WmC), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:36 (twelve years ago) link
TIME FOR THE TOP 10
10. "Rebel Rebel" (from Diamond Dogs) - 638 points/27 votes/0 first-place votes
Album: http://youtu.be/W4SLXaF-lIcLater with Jools Holland, 2002: http://youtu.be/7HyWXftUiWc
The classic rock station I used to work for was the same way:
Young AmericansChangesSpace OddityRebel RebelZiggy StardustSuffragette CityGolden Years
maybe Fame, I can't remember.
― pplains, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:37 (twelve years ago) link
Always remember the "Big Jet Airliner" song (or whatever it's called) by Steve Miller had the word "shit" in it, the Who song being the other big swear-word song I remember as a kid. Rolling Stone's "Bitch" certainly got play, but it always felt like the DJs were slipping one in when they played it.
― grandavis, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:38 (twelve years ago) link
No more radio posts, back to the countdown!
^ read that in Casey Kasem's voice.
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:40 (twelve years ago) link
In related news, happy birthday Gary Numan!
Yaaay Rebel Rebel. I love his trashy voice in this one.
― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:40 (twelve years ago) link
I don't really understand how someone can not like this song, honestly.
― Laura Lucy Lynn (La Lechera), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:41 (twelve years ago) link
What can I say about 'Rebel Rebel'? That guitar riff clearly was some kind of gift from the Gods.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:42 (twelve years ago) link
I love the guitar tone of Rebel Rebel, but one of my friends used to sing "Rubble Rubble" like the Hamburgler (we were 9 or 10) and I've never been able to shake it. Sort of takes the song somewhere else so I've never been able to rate it properly.
― EZ Snappin, Thursday, 8 March 2012 16:42 (twelve years ago) link