GLAM ROCK The Big Three

The triumvirate of T.REX, DAVID BOWIE and ROXY MUSIC are, without question, the three acts who defined the glam rock movement. The things which the big three have in common were the adoption of make-up and flamboyant clothing as part of their image. True this was not entirely new (LITTLE RICHARD for one had been using this gimmick more than a decade earlier), but these artists, and those who followed in their wake, were responsible for a revolution in fashion, style and making androgyny acceptable. Another thing these three had in common, and which makes them stand out from the majority of their peers and imitators, was that they all wrote their own songs and had their own inimitable styles.

It is generally acknowledged that MARC BOLAN single-handedly launched the Glam Rock movement through the simple act of appearing on Top Of The Pops wearing glitter on his face, and almost immediately acts such as Slade, Sweet and Chicory Tip followed suit. Throughout 1971 and 1972 T.REX ruled the British charts with their fresh brand of electric boogie, in fact at one point in '72 one in every 25 records sold in the UK was by T.Rex . The group had emerged from the ashes of TYRANNOSAURUS REX (essentially just Bolan and Steve 'Peregrine' Took), who had scraped a couple of minor chart entries in the late sixties. Took was replaced with bongo playing Mickey Finn, with the band by necessity being expanded to a four-piece (Steve Currie on bass and Bill Legend on drums) once they achieved chart success, and Bolan's wife June is credited with masterminding Bolan's glam image. Their fortunes slowly declined through '73 and '74, though Bolan managed to continue to achieve hits right up until his death. In a lot of people’s eyes Marc’s death in 1977 also marked the death of the glam movement.

Musically DAVID BOWIE had preceded Bolan in dealing with the regular glam theme of outer space when he hit the top 5 with ‘Space Oddity’ in 1969. There was then a gap of several years before Bowie finally returned to the charts in ‘72 with ‘Starman’, during which time T.Rex, and other atcs such as Sweet and Slade, had become chart regulars, as well as bringing the glam look to the nation’s youth through their frequent TV appearances (Bowie had attempted a makeover during this period under the guise of his ARNOLD CORNS project, which was a commercial failure). Bowie took the movement to it’s logical conclusion (reportedly influenced by having seen Warhol's show 'Pork' featuring WAYNE COUNTY - see Glam US style) with the creation of his ‘Ziggy Stardust’ persona. Like Bolan, Bowie's wife Angie played a large part in the creation of his image. Bowie managed to sustain chart success for the next decade by virtue of regularly revising his image. Still going strong today, Bowie was recently voted 29th in the BBC's poll of the top 100 all time Great Britons (with Lennon and McCartney as the only musical personalities voted higher).

The third of the big 3 artists, ROXY MUSIC, appeared on the scene apparently fully formed from nowhere in late ‘72, when single ‘Virginia Plain’ and album ‘Roxy Music’ burst into the charts, although in reality the group had been slogging it around the country for the preceding year (Bryan Ferry had been in a band called GAS BOARD in the late 60's along with part-time Roxy guitarists Graham Simpson and John Porter, and film director Mike Figgis) Their arty image and electronic sound paved the way for groups such as QUEEN and SPARKS to achieve success in their wake, and are notable in that most members of the group managed to produce critically acclaimed solo projects during the groups lifetime (see GOING SOLO). Following disagreements between Ferry and keyboard player Eno, frilly shirted ex-Curved Air violinist Eddie Jobson joined the band in late '73 as his replacement. Following several years apart, the group reformed in '79 with an altogether more laid back musical direction (and scored their only No.1 with 'Jealous Guy'). 2002 saw original members Ferry, Mackay, Manzanera and Thompson back together and touring.