Blog Archives
FlinterFile: David Bowie- Heroes
David Bowie moved to Germany in 1977, to record the album Heroes. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Lou Reed- Satellite Of Love
Lou Reed wrote this song already in 1970. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: David Bowie- Changes
This song started as a parody of a nightclub song. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Chris Montez- Let’s Dance
The sixties saw a great deal of dances which were popular. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Linda Lewis- Class/Style
In 1984, Linda Lewis released her disco record Class/Style (I’ve Got It). As a small girl, she performed with her father, which led to her first small roles. She played in the movie A Hard Day’s Night. In the seventies, she released several songs, and sung in the background for artists like David Bowie and Cat Stevens. The albums she made in the seventies selled the best, but this disco song only was a minor hit in the Netherlands. Enjoy
Linda Lewis- Class/Style (I’ve Got It)
David Bowie
A man who can do everything. A man who changed his style everytime before the world changed. A man who changed the world. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Nick Lowe- (I Love The Sound Of) Breaking Glass
In 1978, Nick Lowe went on with teasing David Bowie. After an EP called Bowi (which lacked the ‘e’, since Bowie released the album Low, lacking an ‘e’ of Nick’s surname), he recorded a parody from the Bowie song Breaking Glass. It started as a vague idea of Lowe, who had a sort of tune. Together with his session musicians he made the track in the studio. Two of the musicians who shared in the royalties were Steve Goulding and Andy Bodnar, who played for Graham Parker And The Rumour, whose records Nick Lowe produced. The song was released as first single on Radar Records (Lowe’s album was the first album from Radar Records). It made a number 7 hit in the UK. Enjoy
Nick Lowe- (I Love The Sound Of) Breaking Glass
Song of the day: David Bowie- Ziggy Stardust
In 1972, David Bowie released the album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. The name, especially the surname Stardust, was inspired by the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. The song is about the person Ziggy Stardust (who was ‘played’ by David Bowie for a year), who is destroyed by his fame. The looks of Ziggy were inspired by two books, namely A Clockwork Orange and Wild Boys. It’s considered as one of the best songs of all time, though it never charted! Enjoy
David Bowie- Ziggy Stardust
Song of the day: Amii Stewart- Knock On Wood
A disco song which wasn’t a disco song when it was written. Not that it is strange, because quite some disco songs were no disco songs in their origin. Knock on Wood was written by Eddie Floyd in 1966, and recorded by its writer. It peaked at number 28 in the US. David Bowie then recorded the song, on a live album, in 1974, and made a single out of it. This would do number 10 in the UK. The biggest hit, however, would come in 1979, when Amii Stewart changed the music into disco, making it a number one hit in the US. Her version would be succeeded by several other covers, none of which were successful. Enjoy
Amii Stewart- Knock On Wood
Song of the day: Lou Reed- Walk On The Wild Side
As I read the paper today, I came across a column about the song Happy, which was in the news because of some people in Iran dancing to the song. The writer of the piece made a reference to several songs which were “happy” or describing the feeling of happiness. One of them was Perfect Day by Lou Reed, which was sung in such a mood that you would like to hang yourself, as the writer stated. The great thing about the song is that it is the B-side of his other big hit, Walk On The Wild Side. And that is an interesting song. David Bowie produced the song and it actually was about all sorts of taboos. Why would I choose this song as song of the day? Because it has a great saxophone solo in the end of the song, which I would have preferred in the middle, but okay. Enjoy
Lou Reed- Walk On The Wild Side
Nile Rodgers
For the people who’ve read this blog longer, or who have read a lot of posts, this choice is not a big surprise. They already know I’m a very BIG fan of disco. And this man has influenced disco a lot. Actually, he did not make a lot of solo work, but I have not yet heard it. However, he was the brain behind lots of good disco acts. The man formed the group Chic, who are good!, he was the brain behind Sister Sledge, and later he was responsible as a producer for The Reflex (Duran Duran), Like A Virgin (Madonna), Let’s Dance (David Bowie) and that were just some of the records.
Nile Rodgers showed us in 2013 that he was never really away, by showing up for “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. Again, he had a big hit. And for 2014, he played on “Calling All Hearts”. This man changed the music in a very positive way, and therefore he definitively deserves a place in the Chris Hall Of Fame!
Song of the day: David Bowie- Golden Years
Well, we get to the most intruiging person of the music business by far! I find him strange, but his music is different, and I like that about him. He dares to be different. It’s not strange that there is a whole exhibition about him in the V&A (or has it ended?). I hope that, when it comes to the Netherlands in a few years, I can visit it. I missed my chance at the V&A, so I have reason to have a drive to go there. Until then, I have to do it with his CD’s (bought The Next Day this week) and with the song of the day! Enjoy:
David Bowie- Golden Years
Song of the day: Chic- Le Freak
Man! Ever since the album Random Access Memories from Daft Punk was released, I heard the name Nile Rodgers everywhere. He played on a track on the album, produced the hits of Sister Sledge, he made music for David Bowie, he played on some other new hit, and of course he was in Chic! What a man can do in a life…
And what did I hear yesterday? The nominations for the Rock ‘n Roll Hall Of Fame are known: Nirvana, Yes, Kiss and…. Chic!
My preference? I really wouldn’t know. They are all great bands, but okay, Chic. I like disco…
Chic- Le Freak
Music Documentary 5: About David Bowie
It has been a while since I published the last music documentary here. There were two problems: firstly it was much too nice weather to sit inside watching the TV, secondly there was a problem with the programmes broadcasted. As far as I could see there were no music documentaries on in the summer, but luckily the season has started again.
Last week I saw a documentary about one of the most intruiging people in the music world: David Bowie. It’s not only his music which is superb, it’s his image, too. Seeing this documentary completed my vision of him as a person who changed his image, but there was more: I was able to place the music from the collector album we have in different periods, and doing this I got a good picture of how he developed his style.
There is one problem: I could not find a link to the documentary in English, no link at all, actually.
Maybe you find it somewhere, it’s called David Bowie: Five Years, a documentary from 2013. If you have a link, share it with us!
Song of the day: David Bowie & Mick Jagger- Dancing In The Street
Hello everyone,
Here’s the new song of the day. We will go on with dancing, but not on the ceiling…
Let’s go outside, onto the streets.
We’ll be dancing with Mick Jagger and David Bowie, with Dancing In The Street.
Tomorrow we will continue dancing!
Song of the day: David Bowie- Where Are We Now / Pink- Just Give Me A Reason
Hello everyone,
Today it’s friday: superfriday! Two new songs, and both of the artists are quite famous.
The first one is back from being away: David Bowie! From the famous song Space Oddity (Ground control to Major Tom…) and Ziggy Stardust.
The single was released on 8 January, his birthday. He became 66, and a new CD is coming up!
Until then, we have to be happy with his new song: Where Are We Now?
And the second song of the day is made by a woman who became famous in the last years.
She has the name of a colour… it’s Pink!
Together with the singer of Fun (We are young), Nate Ruess she recorded the song Just Give Me A Reason.
Next week two other new songs, and tomorrow a new an old song…
The FlinterFiles 