Give It A Spin

That's Entertainment : Roxy Music

This week, we're doing something different.

Instead of me doing the sharing, I am very proud to present to you a wonderful co-worker of mine and a massive Roxy Music fan - Rob.

Rob is a kindred spirit. He's a bloke who loves his music and is a passionate Roxy Music fan. He also loves a chat, often when making a coffee in the staff room, about bands he's seen and heard, and since he's a couple of years old than me, he's attended some really great gigs, clipped plenty of articles out of magazines and seen some great bands over the years, some that he laments didn't make it as big as they should. We swap CDs of tunes we might like and sharing stories and songs, well there's a real buzz and it's something I cherish - to be able to sit and gasbag and escape the workplace humdrum.

Roxy Music were/are a British art rock band, leaning towards sophisticated glam. Visually and musically, they were very 'cool', with their very early works influencing punk rock, whilst also defining a template for New Wave bands that followed them in their wake, and for electronica acts even to this current day. Lead by the suave crooner Bryan Ferry the band also included pioneering producer Brian Eno, guitarist Phil Manzanera, drummer Paul Thompson saxophonist and multi instrumentalist Andy Mackay - all key ingredients in the Roxy Music sound and look. Eno would leave after the second album after differences with Ferry and have a long and varied career as a producer, recording artist and innovator.

Rob says: The group's name [Roxy Music] was partly a homage to the titles of old cinemas and dance halls, and partly a pun on the word 'rock'. Ferry had named the band Roxy originally, but after learning of an American band with the same name he changed the name to Roxy Music (other names considered - Rialto, Locarno, Gaumont & Odeon).

Of particular interest, for red blooded males of the era, the album artwork imitated the visual style of classic "girlie" and fashion magazines. In fact, for their fifth album Siren released in 1975, Rob notes : Bryan [Ferry] saw Jerry Hall modelling in fashion magazines and was so impressed he asked her to pose on the cover of the album. Soon after they were an item. She 19; he 30. Engaged after a few months they never set a date and after two years, Mick Jagger stole Jerry's heart. See…sometimes rock stars don't always get the girl.

With continuous album releases - 8 studio albums in 10 years - and touring. As frontman and vocalist, Bryan Ferry's persona of being the 'epitome of the suave, jaded Euro-sopisticate' [Ferry was a miner's son], soon he Ferry real and rock lives merged - him becoming a bonafide international rock star, fashion and style icon, who had love affairs with numerous glamorous women. By 1976, the band was in hiatus, but they reconvened in 1978 to mixed critical acclaim but much commercial success.

In 1981, Roxy Music recorded Jealous Guy as a tribute to Lennon after his 1980 death. The song topped the UK charts for two weeks in March 1981, ironically becoming the band's only No. 1 single.

I saw them when they played at the Hordern Pavilion on 30/1/81 when they finished with Jealous Guy Rob continues. The concert was amazing because straight from the first song every one in the crowd stood on there plastic chairs for the entire concert swaying and singing . I happened to be on holidays at the time so the following night I went by myself this time to see them again. Every one sat down for this one though.

And so we get to the band's swan song - Avalon. This is the album where I came in. More Than This is an amazing piece of pop music (and the album reclaimed their critics whilst also being a massive seller). To this day, More Than This is exhilarating in every way.

Roxy Music never officially broke up and have toured off and on since 2001. For many years, Bryan Ferry has led a dual life as singer of the band whilst conducting his own solo career to much success. Funnily enough, many of the band members have played on a lot of Bryan's solo work, so whilst not actual band 'recordings', Ferry's solo work certainly has contained many elements that made Roxy Music who they were.

Now I'm not sure if Rob wants this to be known, but he is an avid collector and scrap booker of the band's career. He knows all the names, dates and venues, the hard to find B-sides and can recommend those obscurer tracks tucked in at the backend of Side 2 of an LP. He's helpfully compiled a list of songs he thinks you should at least check out. As someone who loves Virginia Plain, Same Old Scene, Love Is The Drug and More Than This, it's a pleasure to delve in to my collection of remastered CDs and sniff out songs I've skipped or ignored for far too long.

Roxy Music are an important band in the scheme of things. But they're also very listenable. In a time before the internet, exotic overseas travel and affordable fashion, Roxy Music delivered a dream to teens everywhere. For Rob, they're a big fat helix in the DNA of his musical journey. More than this? Nope. There's nothing. Roxy Music are IT!

So from Rob…this week…everyone ROX ON!!!