If ever there was a genre of music concerned more with surface over substance then it's Glam. Preposterously over
dressed and defiantly fun, glam was the sound of true pop in the UK in the early 70's. The influences early glam
rockers stole from were the showmanship of rock'n'roll's pioneers, the camp extremities of UK end-of-pier entertainers
and the disposable nature inherent in bubble gum pop from the USA.
Year Zero for glam was England, 1971. A glittered up Marc Bolan flounced through a historic Top Of The Pops and
by the turn of the next year acts such as Gary Glitter, Mud and Roxy Music were all over the charts. True glam
rock of that time was UK based and only released up to the mid-70s, when the trend died. However this is where
differences of opinion begin. Undeniably Bowie and Queen are part of glam rock's heyday - Ziggy and Freddie are
perhaps the campest, most dramatic icons ever - but to place them only in that genre would be foolish. Both careers
spread way beyond then. T-Rex and Roxy Music however, had their most successful periods during glam and are often
defined just by those hits. It's easiest to say that glam was the 'feeling' of the time; while some acts stand
and fall as glam stars (Sweet, Gary Glitter), others (Sparks, Cozy Powell) were swept alongside in a trail of glitter.
So what then of the other hair-sprayed, lip-lined glam explosion from the USA? No true glam fan accepts New York Dolls
as central to 70's glam but they were certainly around at the time. Their rawer, filthier look and sound owes more to
The Stooges and The Stones than to T-Rex. But we place them here and so include the rest of the bands who were central to
the period of glam rock's truest revival. That of Hair Metal, Poodle Rock, the Pop-Metal trend from the 1980s. Take the
image and wardrobe ideals of Kiss, mix the pop sensibilities of glam singles bands like Slade, add the androgyny
of Bowie and Bolan and you have the classic recipe for glam metal. Whether it's American acts like Motley Crue and
Poison or European based groups such as Dogs D'Amour and Enuff Z Nuff, their glam credentials are undeniable.
Click here the last months arrivals by Glam Rock acts including brand new items
Choose the Glam Rock artist of your choice to Buy Rare, Collectible, Used and Hard to Find Vinyl Albums,
Vinyl records, Rare Singles, Picture Discs, Rare Vinyl, 12" singles, 10" singles, 7" singles, Limited Editions, Promos,
Promotional items, Imports, Memorabilia, Juke-Box singles and new re-issue CD or remastered CD Albums and compilations.
|
