Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

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Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
David Bowie
publication 4th February 1972
length 2:57
Genre (s) Folk rock , psychedelic rock , glam rock
Author (s) David Bowie
Publisher (s) RCA Records
album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Rock 'n' Roll Suicide is a 1972 David Bowie track that appeared on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars , which concludes the album.

The song tells of how the title hero of the album, rock star Ziggy Stardust , finally fails as an older man and because of his sexually promiscuous and drug-ridden life. According to Bowie, Vince Taylor , the front man of a band that was active in the 1950s, is the model for the figure, but is also to be understood as an alter ego . In keeping with the conception of the ascent and decline pattern of a career as laid out in the album , Bowie not only ended the album with Rock 'n' Roll Suicide , but consequently his Ziggy Stardust concerts. On the occasion of his last concert, played on July 3, 1973 at the Odeon Hammersmith under the direction of DA Pennebaker , he surprisingly dissolved his own band afterwards. In April 1974 RCA released the single. The occult song Quicksand , from the previous album Hunky Dory , forms the B-side.

Text and music

Bowie was a lover of the genre of song-like representations, especially chanson, which was rooted in the French culture . Chanson influences can be seen on Rock 'n' Roll Suicide , and avant-garde elements can also be clearly heard. The Bowie critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine even assigned the song to the class of a wonderfully staged stage drama, as it was previously not experienced in rock 'n' roll.

The song begins with harmonic playing on the acoustic guitar and ballad-like vocal accompaniment. Both Bowie's voice and the music (from the onset of the brass sections) increase rapidly to a condensed finale that bears choked-feverish features.

Bowie is referring to Baudelaire as the main source . The opening of the song with the words "Time takes a cigarette ..." is also reminiscent of Machado's poem "Chants Andalous". The same applies to the heated, ostentatious request for information: "Oh no, love, you're not alone", which could have been taken from Jacques Brel's "You're Not Alone" ("Jef") ( Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris ). The importance of Jacques Brel became clear during the Ziggy Stardust live shows, where he covered "My Death" in the spotlight, accompanying himself with an acoustic guitar, for example on the Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture . Bowie also sang "Amsterdam" live on the BBC .

Publication and aftermath

Rock 'n' Roll Suicide was recorded on February 4th, 1972 and was one of the last songs recorded for the album along with "Suffragette City". Both follow one another. Due to the codal position of the song on the live shows, especially the furious climax associated with it, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide quickly became a slogan within the fan base, which was immortalized on many a piece of clothing. In April 1974, RCA picked the song at random from the album and released it as a single, in impatient hope and anticipation of further Bowie productions. Branded as pure greed of the label, the title stayed at number 22 in the UK charts and once again gave Bowie a spot with a single that was not in the "Top 20".

Staffing

Producers:

Musician:

Live versions

  • Bowie played rock 'n' roll Suicide on the BBC show Sounds of the 70s on May 23, 1972. The show was hosted by Bob Harris. The recording was released in 2000 on the album Bowie at the Beeb .
  • On October 20, 1972, a live version aired at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and was found on the Santa Monica '72 and Live Santa Monica '72 albums .
  • A final concert that performed a live version of the song was held on July 3, 1973 at the Odeon Hammersmith . This concert was recorded and published on the Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture , and later on the Sound + Vision box set .
  • In 1974 a version of the song was played that was recorded on the album David Live .
  • In 1990 Bowie played the title again on his Sound + Vision Tour in 1990.

Cover versions

There are cover versions by Aslan, Black Box Recorder , El Vez , John Frusciante , Tony Hadley, Info Riot, Rilo Kiley, Neal Morse , Hazel O'Connor , OK Go and Bonerama , Seu Jorge , Revue Noir, Techno Cowboy, Camille O ' Sullivan , BB Brunes, Gwyneth Herbert and Sean Bonnette.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ David Bowie and the Rise of Ziggy Stardust, BBC 4 documentary
  2. ^ A b Nicholas Pegg, The Complete David Bowie , page 174 f. (2000)
  3. ^ A b David Buckley, Strange Fascination - David Bowie: The Definitive Story , 141 (1999)
  4. ↑ Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in AllMusic
  5. ↑ About Jacques Brel
  6. ^ Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray, Bowie: An Illustrated Record , p. 48 (1981)