With Just A Hint Of Mayhem

Music reviews, gig reviews, fun trivia and extra added random stuff!

“Poor little greenie” December 22, 2011

Filed under: News — justwilliam1959 @ 10:47 pm
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OK this is the third and final post about the missing footage of David Bowie doing “The Jean Genie” on Top of the Pops in 1973.  Click here and here to see the earlier posts. The reason for this last post is that the video has now thankfully found its way onto YouTube. You can see it below.

This whole episode brought back one memory about the similarity between Bowie’s “Jean Genie” and the Sweet’s “Blockbuster“, in particular the riff. The latter made it to the top of the chart whilst “Jean Genie”, which only made number two, was still in the top ten. The Sweet‘s single, which was written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman was released shortly after the Bowie song. As a teenager and a big Bowie fan I could never bring myself to like “Blockbuster” but I have mellowed with age and I’m ok with it now, although I obviously prefer “Jean Genie” to “Blockbuster”.

Nicky Chinn has said that all the writers, including Bowie, were convinced that the whole thing was a coincidence. However Chinn has mentioned a  conversation with Bowie about the coincidence.  He said Bowie “looked at me completely deadpan and said ‘Cunt!’ And then he got up and gave me a hug and said, ‘Congratulations’.

Anyway now you can enjoy that clip (along with the Sweet and an old clip of Bowie doing “The Jean Genie” on the US TV Special ‘The 1980 Floor Show’ recorded in 1973 which regular readers will have seen before) and I promise I won’t post about it again………probably!

 

“New York’s a go-go and everything tastes nice” December 21, 2011

Filed under: News — justwilliam1959 @ 9:52 pm
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Regular readers and Bowie fans who have found their way here by accident will know that footage of Mr Bowie performing “The Jean Genie” on Top Of The Pops in 1973 has recently been unearthed. I posted about it on December 13th, just click here to read that one.

Anyway, first reports said that the BBC would air the film on BBC4 next year. Then last week some news reports suggested that it would be shown today at 19.30 UK time on BBC4. Then on Monday it was confirmed that it would be included in the Top Of The Pops 2 Christmas special broadcast at 19.30 on BBC2 earlier today.

I’m pleased to say that the song appeared reasonably early in the 90 minute show and it was superb. It was recorded live in the BBC studios on January 3rd 1973 and broadcast the following day. Bowie was backed by the Spiders; Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey, Trevor Bolder and the late great Mick Ronson. Bowie wore something far less loud than you might expect for the period; a very glam era jacket and trousers combo. Ronson had the jump suit and Bolder had those amazingly ridiculous sideburns. Mr Bowie also showed his prowess on the harmonica, even throwing in a short burst from a Beatles tune. Was it “Love Me Do“. It’s amazing that this is almost 39 years to the day that the single entered the UK charts. It went on to become his biggest hit up to that point when it peaked at number 2.

Bowie was sporting the classic Ziggy cut, the only time a slightly mullet style has ever been cool in my opinion. Was this the last TV appearance by the Spiders? Does anyone know? Bear in mind that this was just a few months away from the famous Hammersmith Odeon gig ‘retired’ and broke up the band. I’d love to hear what you thought of the clip and hopefully if you’re not in the UK you won’t have too long to wait. In the meantime click here to hear an interview with cameraman John Henshall (apologies for saying that he was retired in my earlier post about this story, apparently he isn’t) on BBC Radio Oxford and the audio of “The Jean Genie” from that show.

 

“Talking ’bout Monroe and walking on Snow White” December 13, 2011

Filed under: News — justwilliam1959 @ 9:35 pm
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You may have heard recently that two of the 108 lost Doctor Who episodes have now been discovered, featuring William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton respectively. Well did you know that a former TV cameraman from Oxfordshire has discovered a very rare clip of David Bowie performing “The Jean Genie” on the BBCs Top Of The Pops?

John Henshall was the cameraman when Bowie and the Spiders recorded the clip on January 3rd 1973. It was broadcast the following day and hasn’t been seen since. Henshall had kept a copy because he had used a number of new techniques and some new equipment during the shoot. Notably the fish eye lens. Click here to read the story on the BBC.

The film will now be shown in full on BBC4 next year. Along with many other Bowie fans I am a little excited by this news. Enjoy this clip of the song taken from the 1973 US TV Special ‘The 1980 Floor Show’ while you wait for that elusive Top Of The Pops footage to air next year.