Dandy could easily have been a disaster writing about a complicated relationship with just about the most famous rock star of the 1970s. Starting out as a song entitled Lady with a different topic Hunter heard about Bowie's passing. The song became Dandy and it practically leaps out at you as the standout track on the LP. His homage to David Bowie who passed away back in January 2016 bears a comparison to Micael Picasso as a tribute song which must be extremely difficult to write. The songwriter is trying to say something profound, personal, and memorable about figures who Ian knows both as a person and a professional. He really is able to pull off both the impact of Bowie, references his songs, and band, while weaving clever lyrics to a catchy melody about a larger than life figure in Technicolor.
Ian has said about Bowie that he was the only musical artist who did anything of note during the 1970s. Hunter picks a perfect image by referring to Lord Fauntleroy who set the fashion of his time just as Bowie did in the '70s. The "Cabaret Voltaire" reference is replete with references since it is a name of a 1970s, band, one of Scotland's most iconic and historic music venues, and at the same time the name of an artistic nightclub in Zürich credited as the birthplace of the Dada movement. All of these references seem particularly apropo considering the cultural impact of Bowie. Piccadilly Circus is associated with people in the UK but there are Bowie connections as well. His first film was screened there in 1967 and Bowie posed on Heddon Street, close to Piccadilly Circus for his iconic Ziggy Stardust album cover. This is a stellar track and an impressive homage to Bowie.
Along the way we are treated to nods to Dylan's Ballad of a Thin Man, references to Bowie's The Prettiest Star, Life on Mars, Heroes, and The Jean Genie. The bridge references Starman and Hunter nails the description of guy who had it all: the swagger, the looks and style, and a way with word craft. Bowie was the "keeper of the flame" for a generation while Ian name checks the Spiders from Mars. It is a clever presentation in that like Michael Picasso he never mentions the name of the artist. Upon first hearing it sounds like an instant classic with a great hook "and then we took the last bus home."
Proper Records released the song as a promo single and Classic Rock immediately placed it on the "Heavy Rotation" chart at #2. Proper also released an exclusive gold vinyl single, limited to 1,000 copies, the hand-numbered disc feature the non-album track Seein' Red as the B-side and was presented in a red and gold picture sleeve.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
If there is any London location which can be justifiably described as THE Ziggy Stardust "shrine" it would have to be Heddon Street where Bowie posed outside #23 for the Front cover and inside a traditional red London phonebox for the Back cover of the Ziggy album. This street has for many Bowie fans the same significance that the Abbey Road zebra-crossing has for Beatles fans.
Heddon Street is a small, quiet U-shaped side-street and alleyway off Regent Street located in the heart of London, close to Piccadilly Circus.
Zürich,
Cabaret Voltaire is one of Scotlands most iconic and historic music venues
Cabaret Voltaire was the name of a short-lived artistic nightclub in Zürich, Switzerland in 1916
Dandy
(Ian Hunter)
Something is happening, Mr Jones
My brother says you're better than the Beatles or the Stones
Saturday night 'n Sunday morning
You turned us into heroes, can you hear the heroes sing?
Dandy, you're the prettiest star
There ain't no life on Mars but we always thought there might be
Dandy, you opened up the door
You left us wanting more, and then we took the last bus home
Who let the genie outta the lamp?
And little Lord Fauntleroy, who let him outta his amp?
Saturday night 'n Sunday morning,
Well Trevor's getting bolder, 'n Woody likes to hit things
Dandy, this world was black 'n' white
You showed us what it's like to live inside a rainbow
Dandy, You thrilled us to the core
You left us wanting more, and then we took the last bus home
You beat up Goliath, you had it all
The voice, the look, the songs that shook
The gift of the gab 'n the gall
Saturday night 'n Sunday morning
When all we had to look forward to was the weekend, you made our lives worth living
Dandy, you're still the prettiest star
There ain't no life on Mars but we always thought there might be
Dandy, you took us to the fair
Cabaret Voltaire - and then we caught the last bus home
Dandy, you know we've waited long enough
They should put a statue up in Piccadilly Circus
Dandy, you blew us all away moutta the drab and the grey
And then we caught the last bus home
Dandy, the keeper of the flame, we won't see your like again
No, Dandy was a one-off
Dandy, look at what you've become
I guess I owe you one, so thanks for the memories
Ian Hunter and The Rant Band CD: "Fingers Crossed"
Sleeve and track listing
Proper Records PRPCD137
Review
Ian's 2016 album Fingers Crossed shows that he's as sharp an observer and incisive commentator as ever. The run of form that started with 2001's Rant shows no sign of abating, with this album being up there with his very best.
Ian hasn't been this good since the 70's, with killer album after killer album. No, I'm not an "I praise everything" type of reviewer - this is the honest truth. At 77 years of age (oh, yes!) Ian shows no sign of slowing down.
Dandy is the standout track, his homage to David Bowie who passed away back in January 2016. See how many Bowie tracks he manages to weave into the lyrics! Clever, very clever.
Mid-tempo rockers such as White House, Bow Street Runners and Stranded In Reality sit alongside slower, more thoughtful songs such as Morpheus and the title track Fingers Crossed.
Ian has always had his feet planted firmly in reality, as on You Can't Live In The Past he notes "You can never go back, those days are gone". On the closing track, the rockabilly Long Time he offers advice to younger wannabes "Be careful what you wish for" as he notes "Take a chance on destiny, you'll never know what you find".
Sheers class. And as essential as ever.
| Dandy | 4:41 | Originally released on Fingers Crossed. |
Posts
