The London Boys
B-side of Rubber Band, 1966
The most sophisticated of all Bowie’s early recordings, this frank portrait of a 17-yearold’s attraction – like a moth to a flame – to the capital’s burgeoning mod scene and its strutting peacock ‘faces’ was first recorded back in 1965.
Alive favourite with a compelling lyric, it was originally passed over for release after producer Tony Hatch raised concerns about its references to drugs (specifically pills). Redolent of The Kinks, but with the bite of kitchen-sink drama, The London Boys nearly saw its verses repurposed as linking passages between Pin Ups’ tracks in 1973, but was ultimately revisited for 2021’s Toy.
Space Oddity
Single, 1969
TONY IOMMI, Black Sabbath “It’s such a timeless song. The concept is brilliant, and it was put together in an exceptional manner. Once you heard that song, it stuck in your head for days.”
JOEY TEMPEST, Europe “This was one of the first singles I ever bought and it had a great impact on me. The lyrics for The Final Countdown were sort of lifted from Space Oddity – the idea of the song, anyway. I love most of Bowie’s catalogue, but for me Space Oddity stands out as a little different. The arrangement and the producing are both so inspiring – the way the guitar comes in. As a songwriter and a lyricist, it really fuelled my inspiration.”
JIM LEA, Slade “I first heard Space Oddity while I was sitting in Slade’s band van parked outside Dave Hill’s house, waiting for him to finish preening himself. It was a slightly fuzzy reception on Radio Luxembourg, I think, as we’d made an aerial out of an old coat hanger. When the song came on, Don [Powell, Slade drummer ] said: ‘Listen to this. I think it sounds like the Bee Gees.’ Which it did at the time. It had such an impact on me, but Bowie disappeared after that.
“The second time I heard anything by him was on [radio DJ] Annie Nightingale. We were picking Nod
[Holder] up this time, and by this time we were starting to become successful. Annie was reviewing new single releases on a show on Radio 1 called What’s New, and she played this song called Changes. She was saying how pleased she was that David Bowie was emerging as an artist. As soon as I heard her say his name I got really excited, and of course, the record was just fantastic.
“I think his golden era was the Ziggy Stardust days. We shared the same tour promoter, Mel Bush. I was friends with Mel, and I went to see Bowie twice in the Spiders From Mars days. David asked me to go backstage both times because he wanted to meet me, but seeing how he was on stage, I found it a bit disconcerting. Slade were really hot by then, with number one records, so I used to make excuses not to go backstage, saying things like, ‘I’ve just got back from America. I’m very tired.’
“I met him at Olympic Studios in 1973 when I was writing part of Everyday. I looked around, and there was a clown standing in the doorway. I didn’t really want to look at him, but then he said: ‘You’ll be Jim Lea of Slade, won’t you?’ I look around, and this guy had an Ecky Thump-type hat on, big shirt and great big baggy trousers on – like MC Hammer –all in the same material. I said: ‘Yeah.’ He said: ‘I’m David Bowie.’ I said: ‘I know you are.’ “He then asked me if I fancied a cup of coffee. I told him: ‘No, I’ve got to write a song and it’s got to be done now.’ He said: ‘I write songs too, and I have a cup of coffee, so come on, let’s go and have a cup of coffee.’
ALAMY
“Bowie was quite some distance away, never once stepping over the threshold of the doorway, so he knew something was up. He then said: ‘Look, you came to see me play a couple of times and I asked Mel Bush for you to come backstage. I really wanted to meet you. Come on, let’s go and have a cup of coffee. I think we’ll get on.’ I said: ‘No, I’ve got to go.’ As I was walking off, Bowie cupped his hands and shouted: ‘Mel told me what you were like!’
“I never saw him again after that. But that’s what I was like back then – I wasn’t bothered about meeting famous people.”
DON DOKKEN, Dokken “The word ‘oddity’ is appropriate. What an unexpected song. Quite honestly, the first time I heard it, I didn’t understand it at all. It took me by surprise that it became such a huge hit, but now, of course, I get it. I needed to open up my mind. It’s a work of genius. Bowie was a genius. I especially love the early stuff – Diamond Dogs – but his catalogue is pretty much flawless, even that last record he made [2016’s Blackstar].”
TOM JOHNSTON, The Doobie Brothers “It was very different for the time, and such a unique song. Nobody has ever done
