“He just wanted to be a star”: David Bowie on why Marc Bolan never understood glam-rock
No genre movement is created on a whim. Even though many artists have tried to get their own brand of music off the ground or invent another style all on their own, that only comes when millions of people follow the same path to become one of the biggest movements in rock history. Although David Bowie could have justifiably claimed to have been one of the founders of glam rock, he felt that one particular icon of the movement never fit well with the rest of the industry giants.
Granted, it’s not like Bowie exactly nailed it on the first try, either. After he shed his skin at trying to be the next court jester-style singer of rock and roll, hearing him as ‘Major Tom’ on ‘Space Oddity’ at least gave him proper footing compared to the other psychedelic acts coming out of the late 1960s.
Even though artists like The Beatles were the biggest names in the world, Bowie had his eye firmly set on where he could take the glamorous side of music. And by the time he unveiled Ziggy Stardust on the album of the same name, people had started hanging up their traditional bluesy wears and traded them in for platform boots, glitter, and as much lipstick and eyeshadow they could get their hands on.
But the androgynous features weren’t simply an aesthetic. Bowie was looking to subvert whatever preconceived ideas anyone had for a rock frontman, and that meant taking the crux of what someone like Mick Jagger had done and flipping it on its head. Bowie played up that rockstar beautifully, but the true icon didn’t come until Marc Bolan reared his head.
Despite still playing the same kind of bluesy riffs that made the late 1960s so exciting, Bolan was a completely different animal. From the way he strutted across the stage to his unique approach to singing, every part of him radiated glam rock, especially with his different outfits and his guitar slung as low as he could possibly get it.
Even though Bolan played up his rock star moves to a tee, Bowie wasn’t sure if he ever understood the artistic meaning behind everything, saying, “Only the ones who had the stance of it being some kind of breakdown between high and low art – there were only a few of us. David Johannson was very good, he was part of a Warhol crowd, and he knew exactly what they were doing. I’m not sure Marc [Bolan] ever did – he just wanted to be a rock ‘n’ roll star.”
Still, the moves that Bolan had made him an instant star and a glorified model for what rockstars should be. Despite being far more interested in rock and roll, the first few notes of ‘Bang a Gong’ or even his silhouette on the cover of Electric Warrior is as recognisable to any casual rock fan as looking at a silhouette of Michael Jordan is to basketball fans.
And considering how much influence Bowie had over rock and roll as a whole, Bolan deserves credit for helping kickstart the glam movements to follow, being a precursor to everyone from Def Leppard to Poison. Inventor of glam metal might not be a title that anyone necessarily wants to inherit, but looking at Bolan’s way of working a crowd, no one could deny the sheer star power on display.
