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New Mick Ronson biography out

posted by davidt on Thursday March 13 2003, @10:30AM
Tingle writes:

Browsing in the book shop recently I saw they have copies of "The Spider with the Platinum Hair", a new 256 page biography of Mick Ronson, written by ‘Weird & Gilly’ and published by IMP (Independent Music Press). There are a couple of pages describing the production of Your Arsenal, making much of the critical acclaim it had (I don’t recall that though) and a paragraph or two about how Bowie thought 'I Know It's Gonna Happen' was a flattering spoof of his own 'Rock'n Roll Suicide'. So the egotist Bowie thought he'd cover Morrissey's song which he believed to be a cover of himself, (if that makes sense). Apparently Morrissey mentioned in an interview that the end of the song does sound like Bowie's song though he says it wasn't consciously taken or borrowed.

The book mentions that Ronson must have played on Your Arsenal although acknowledges that he's not credited. One phrase I read was that in the authors' opinions 'working with Morrissey was the best decision he could have made'.
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  • The end of "rock and roll suicide" and "i know it's going to happen" are very similar. Yet i would have to say that the end of that song from Ziggy stardust the motion picture, was perhaps bowies finest hour. If i had a guitar, and the ability to play it, i would happily allude to many of Bowie's songs, just as morrissey has alluded to Delany, Wilde et al.

    Dictatorhall
    Anonymous -- Thursday March 13 2003, @11:25AM (#55851)
  • Mick played the great main guitar part on Seasick...
    Dirk McNasty -- Friday March 14 2003, @01:25AM (#55901)
    (User #406 Info)
  • Don't remember critical acclaim? Wasn't "Your Arsenal" nominated for a Grammy?
    Spineless Swine <[email protected]> -- Friday March 14 2003, @04:21AM (#55905)
    (User #4968 Info)
    Leave your future behind you.
  • I Know It's Gonna Happen.. and Rock'n'Roll Suicide are not just similar at the end but they are the same! (well, perhaps a different key..)
    Do you think Mick Ronson would not have noticed that??? Whosever idea it was to do that, I feel certain it was intended as a tribute to Bowie and Ronson.
    Not long after the release of Your Arsenal, Bowie and Moz struck up a sort of friendship and Bowie said some very flattering things about Moz (and vice versa).
    Bowie himself said he genuinely liked the song and thus covered it on that somewhat awful Black Tie White Noise Album. Nevertheless, you can be sure that if Bowie covers one of your songs you should be flattered (and receive a fair sum of money!)
    Heh, I remember an interview with Moz after he had listened to Bowie's cover for the first time.
    Bowie asked, "What do ya think?" to which Moz replied, "Ooh, it's grand". (I can just hear him saying that...)
    Osakaglen -- Sunday March 16 2003, @08:12AM (#56007)
    (User #5882 Info)
    "If you ever need self-validation, just meet me in the alley by the railway station..."
  • Other songs that rip off the end of "Rock N Roll Suicide": "Come Together" by Spiritualized, and "Everybody Hurts" by REM - which seems to have been influenced by "I know it's gonna happen someday".
    Anonymous -- Monday March 17 2003, @03:46AM (#56043)

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