glampunk
Crab On The Rampage
gloompunk; glitter goth: disciple of Rikki Nadir: demonik in disguise, etc.
Posts: 61 
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Post by glampunk on Mar 17, 2008 2:05:35 GMT
Great moments from GLAM: Totally uninformative Pop Star Biogs! There were loads of these, but this is as good an example as any. George Tremlett - The Gary Glitter Story (Futura, 1974) "In January 1973 ... he participated in a Saturday afternoon stunt on aboard the Sloop John B when a black coffin with shooting stars with sequins was lowered into the River Thames by six girls in black leotards and net stockings, accompanied by the disc jockey Alan Freeman dressed in black .... The coffin contained photo's of Paul Raven and his past discs, and was supposed to be a ceremonial burial of the whole Raven image. The coffin at once sunk to the bottom and Gary said: "That's Paul Raven all over - always sunk to the bottom.
Apart from that one incident his career has been handled with taste and style." *ahem* That is the highlight of the book, by the way, a supremely boring account of the one-time Leader's rise to fame. You learn absolutely zilch about Glitter or his groovy band. For example, we're told several times that GG enjoys reading, but there's no elaboration as to what books or mags actually engross him (on reflection, maybe that's no bad thing). At least in the Gary Glitter Annual you get some handy tips on what to do if you meet your idol: don't ask him about his weight, for example, as he is sensitive about it, the big fatty! The Glitterband were great - Angel Face! - and why should they be erased from history just because their frontman is so tragically flawed? Anyway, they were doing that twin drummer thing well before Hex Enduction Hour which surely marks them out as men of genius (and speaking of the Fall, what is Big New Prinz but Rock & Roll Part 2 with spiky lyrics?) Glit fact. One of them used to run a mobile-disco near where I worked during the 'nineties but I don't know if he still does.
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Post by franklinmarsh on Mar 18, 2008 13:25:51 GMT
Wonder if Steve or Justin (or anyone else for that matter) would know anything about George Tremlett? He churned out Slade, Elton and one I actually read about The Who - which as erstwhile reporter Glampunk so rightly says were uninformative - so much so that I think they were wiped from your mind as you actually read them.
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Post by pulphack on Mar 18, 2008 13:51:55 GMT
George Tremlett was a Tory councillor on the GLC back in the 70's, when it was always all-out war between Tory leader Horace Cutler and pre-Ken Labour man Illtyd Harrington (sp?). He was a businessman of some sort, but he did the pop books as a)they sold shitloads in the days when all you had was MM,NME,Sounds, and Record Mirror - and in those pre-Smash Hits days, there was little pure pop coverage (it was the days of prg and serious rock, after all). His credentials were , bizarrely, that he used to be a reporter on (i think) Melody Maker in the sixties.
As an aside, looking at old music papers (as i had to do for research once upon a time) it strikes you that journos were so serious about rock then. none of this being able to like Lieutenant Pigeon and Yes back then (ahem)...
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glampunk
Crab On The Rampage
gloompunk; glitter goth: disciple of Rikki Nadir: demonik in disguise, etc.
Posts: 61
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Post by glampunk on Mar 18, 2008 20:46:21 GMT
My exhaustive researches reveal that Tremlett was responsible for similar over-extended press-releases on Bowie, Slade, 10cc, Lennon, Macca, Rolling Stones, Osmonds, Slik, Alvin Stardust, The Who, Rod Stewart, David Essex, Queen and - bloody hell! give the rain forests a chance, mate! - Sir Cliff "the Christmas no. 1 is my birthright" Richard. To name but some!
This could be the first time in history that a series is so wretched, so utterly lacking in interest, that even I'm not stupid enough to think "wouldn't it be ace if I collected the whole lot?". I mean, I can live without the Queen entry for starters ....
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Post by jkdunham on Mar 18, 2008 22:59:47 GMT
This could be the first time in history that a series is so wretched, so utterly lacking in interest, that even I'm not stupid enough to think "wouldn't it be ace if I collected the whole lot?". Low profile be buggered! I can't resist all this glam stuff... especially now somebody's said the magic word - T. Rex! And how can you resist these top Tremletts, glamdem? I was doing a bit of exhaustive research myself and felt duty bound to share a few covers. Aren't they fab? And you'll notice that they weren't just a British cultural phenomenon - note the German edition of his Slade opus ("Das ist die Story der englischen Rock-Clowns"). I'm hoping that Craig can tell us what 'berühmten' means, as in "Die berühmten Rock-Stars in Wort und Bild". I'm guessing it's a superlative adjective and that they're the 'somethingest' rock stars (in words and pictures?) - all I can think of to fit though is 'Brummiest'. Is there perhaps a German adjective meaning 'of or pertaining to Wolverhampton'? Tremlett was still going at it until relatively recently it seems. He did another Bowie book as late as 1996 (just a few short years after his Gadaffi biography, The Desert Mystic). |
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Mar 19, 2008 2:37:47 GMT
of course. I'm too only happy to oblige My German would astound you. People here consider me virtually fluent. Berühmten means of course 'to bear a famous name'.
But I can no longer pretend. I can hardly croak out beer in german and only manage that because it sounds exactly the same in English.
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Post by Calenture on Mar 19, 2008 9:39:32 GMT
Low profile be buggered! I can't resist all this glam stuff... especially now somebody's said the magic word - T. Rex! Quite partial to T Rex myself. Some T Rex fans should log in more often to check PMs.  |
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Post by jkdunham on Mar 19, 2008 11:44:19 GMT
of course. I'm too only happy to oblige My German would astound you. People here consider me virtually fluent. Berühmten means of course 'to bear a famous name'. But I can no longer pretend. I can hardly croak out beer in german and only manage that because it sounds exactly the same in English. Thanks for looking that up then, Craig. |
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Post by franklinmarsh on Mar 19, 2008 13:15:01 GMT
This thread has everything!
Sir Horace Cutler! Of goatee and Vault-style velvet jacket (and bowtie) fame! Surely the inspiration behind Menace's 'GLC'?
Slik! Featuring Midge Ugh! Who went on to be in The Rich Kids! And to ruin Ultravox.
I bought a second hand Slade single once. Someone had sellotaped a German review to the back of the cover - which ruined my esteem of the band by revealing that Noddy's real name was Neville Holder. What a let down!
Glampunk is Dem's older brother. How else would he know Dem's mum?
I still think the best glam album ever was Adam Ant's Vive Le Rock.
Anyone remember Wrathchild? Or the Glam Metal Detectives?
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Mar 19, 2008 17:49:38 GMT
From what i understand of the German perspective their main heroes are Slade, Bowie and, I hesitate to even croak it out - Smokie. Living next door to Alice being a kind of anthem.
To give them a bit of credit they really love Slade though, and the cooler guys know all the words to things like Far Far Away. I met the guy who sings now for Noddie at a gig in London once and I know German friends of his who run a practice hall in Bochum. The new singer is an excellent musician but of course it would be impossible to replace Neville.
On a lighter note, while touring with an Irish dance show we got billed between a punch and judy show and Smokie. There was my face on a poster stuck between pictures of grim continental puppets and seventies anti heroes. It was the only photograph I had taken during the show but I've no idea where it is now sadly.
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Post by jkdunham on Mar 19, 2008 23:54:52 GMT
From what i understand of the German perspective their main heroes are Slade, Bowie and, I hesitate to even croak it out - Smokie. Living next door to Alice being a kind of anthem. My first evening in Poland c. 1999 I went to the local supermarket to pick up some food and, while I was stood at the checkout, I had a look at the CDs they were selling. Most popular seemed to be The Rubettes Greatest Hits. Smokie's "Living Next Door To Alice" is a bit of an anthem in those parts too. Another time I was watching a Russian music show on cable TV and they were showing a concert, a massive stadium thing. I was trying to work out who it could be... turns out it was Smokie! Apparently they were huge in the former Soviet Union at one time. |
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Post by jkdunham on Mar 20, 2008 0:26:01 GMT
And here's a picture of Wrathchild especially for Franklin... Not sure if this is the classic line-up of Rocky Shades, Lance Rocket, Marc Angel and Eddie Starr on drums (who replaced Brian "Thunderburst" Parry). Glam Metal pioneers from Evesham (the true home of Glam Metal) who covered Gary Glitter's "Alrite With The Boyz". |
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Post by jkdunham on Mar 20, 2008 4:48:56 GMT
This thread has everything! Indeed it has. In fact I've prepared a postcard to be sent to any advanced alien civilisations who are thinking of visiting earth with a view to either colonisation or total destruction. If they opt for total destruction I blame either "Vienna" or the Tories... From left to right, top to bottom; Sir Horace Cutler (real name Noddy) author of The Satanic Bible; The Glam Metal Detectives; Midge Ure in Glen Matlock's Rich Kids and ruining Ultravox; a second-hand Slade single; Adam Ant's Vive Le Rock. I'm sorry I couldn't find a photo of Dem's mum (I'm sure she would've swung things in our favour with the aliens). |
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Post by carolinec on Mar 20, 2008 10:52:51 GMT
From what i understand of the German perspective their main heroes are Slade, Bowie and, I hesitate to even croak it out - Smokie. Living next door to Alice being a kind of anthem. .. Smokie's "Living Next Door To Alice" is a bit of an anthem in those parts too. Funnily enough, it is in this part of the world too - they come from Bradford! I remember seeing them in concert here quite a few years back (my husband's quite a fan - not me, honest!). They kept us waiting over half and hour before they came on stage - no explanation - and then their live performance was really disappointing. That's the last concert hubby ever went to - it put him off as he was expecting them to be so good!  LATER EDIT: Bugger! I've now got "Living Next Door To Alice" on the brain, and I can't get rid of it!  |
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Post by franklinmarsh on Mar 20, 2008 11:12:05 GMT
Mr Dunham - what can I say? Except PM me an e-mail address, please. I have a story for you.
And I would be prepared to swear (*%$&!!!) on a copy of Night Of The Crabs that that was the very Slade single....
I did see bacofoil eejits Wrathchild the once - and met them in the Clarendon pub in Hammersmith in the company of Marionette singer Ray Zell - creator of Pandora Peroxide. They walked it like they talked it - dressing like that even when not playing a gig. Oh, and I had Stakk Attakk on cassette from an Our Price sale.
I can't get that blasted song out of my head now, Caroline! I was a casualty in the Gompie/Smokie and Roy Chubby Brown chart war. (And Living Next Door To Alice was covered by Chron Gen)
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