Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" | ||||
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Single by David Bowie | ||||
from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | ||||
B-side | "Quicksand" | |||
Released | 11 April 1974[1] | |||
Recorded | 4 February 1972 | |||
Studio | Trident, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:57 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Songwriter(s) | David Bowie | |||
Producer(s) |
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David Bowie singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio | ||||
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" (2012 Remaster) on YouTube |
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally released as the closing track on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars on 16 June 1972. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded it with his backing band the Spiders from Mars – comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. It detailed Ziggy's final collapse like an old, washed-up rock star and, as such, was also the closing number of the Ziggy Stardust live show. In April 1974 RCA issued it as a single.
Music and lyrics
Bowie saw the song in terms of the French chanson tradition,[2] while biographer David Buckley has described both "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and the album's opening track "Five Years" as "more like avant-garde show songs than actual rock songs".[3] Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine similarly found it to have "a grand sense of staged drama previously unheard of in rock & roll".[4]
Although Bowie has suggested
In 2003 Bowie described the James Brown songs 'Try Me' and 'Lost Someone' as "loose inspiration" for the song.[6]
Bowie's handwritten lyrics for the song were included in the David Bowie Is travelling exhibit from 2013 to 2018, and were put up for auction by the owner, who had been gifted the lyrics by Bowie, in late 2023.[7]
Release and aftermath
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide", recorded on 4 February 1972,[8] was one of the last songs recorded for Ziggy Stardust, along with "Suffragette City" and "Starman" which was soon after issued as a single. As the final song on the album and climax to the Ziggy Stardust live shows throughout 1972–73, it soon became a slogan, appearing on many fans' jackets.[9]
In April 1974 RCA, impatient for new material and having already rush-released "Rebel Rebel" from the Diamond Dogs sessions, arbitrarily picked the song for single release. Two years old, and already in the possession of most Bowie fans through Ziggy Stardust, its release has been labelled simply a "dosh-catching exercise".[10] It stalled at No. 22 in the UK charts – Bowie's first RCA single to miss the British Top 20 since "Changes" in January 1972.
Live versions
Bowie played the song on the
Other releases
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" was released as a picture disc in the RCA Life Time picture disc set, and has appeared on a variety of compilation albums, including The Best of David Bowie (Japan 1974), The Best of Bowie (1980), The Singles Collection (1993), The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974 (1997), and The Platinum Collection (2006).
Track listing
All tracks written by David Bowie.[18]
- "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" – 2:57
- "Quicksand" – 5:03
Personnel
According to Chris O'Leary:[19]
- David Bowie – lead vocal, 12-string acoustic guitar
- Mick Ronson – lead and rhythm guitars, ARP synthesiser, backing vocal, string arrangement
- Trevor Bolder – bass guitar
- Mick Woodmansey – drums
- Unknown musicians – two trumpets, two trombones, two tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, eight violins, four violas, two cellos, two double basses
Technical
- Ken Scott – producer
- David Bowie – producer
Charts
Chart (1974) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[20] | 39 |
French Singles Chart[citation needed] | 30 |
Ireland (IRMA)[21] | 12 |
22 |
References
- ^ Clerc 2021, p. 153.
- ^ a b Pegg 2000, pp. 174–175.
- ^ Buckley 1999, p. 141.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 March 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Dave. ""Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" – David Bowie". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ "David Bowie's Favorite Albums". Vanity Fair. 20 November 2003.
- ^ "Bowie's handwritten lyrics could sell at auction for £100,000". 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
- ^ Cann 2010, p. 242.
- ^ Carr & Murray 1981, p. 48.
- ^ Buckley 1999, p. 244.
- ^ "Episode 49: Death & Taxes". Theme Time Radio Hour Archive. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bowie at the Beeb: The Best of the BBC Radio Sessions 68–72 – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ Thornton, Anthony (1 July 2008). "David Bowie – 'Live: Santa Monica '72' review". NME. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ Joe, Viglione. "Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ Buckley 1999, p. 191.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "David Live – David Bowie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- ^ O'Leary, Chris (2012). "Did Bowie really retire his oldies?". Retrieved 31 August 2017.
- ^ "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" (Single liner notes). David Bowie. UK: RCA Victor. 1974. LPBO 5021.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ O'Leary 2015, chap. 5.
- ^ "David Bowie – Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rock 'N' Roll Suicide". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "David Bowie: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
Sources
- Buckley, David (1999). Strange Fascination – David Bowie: The Definitive Story. ISBN 978-1-85227-784-0.
- Cann, Kevin (2010). Any Day Now – David Bowie: The London Years: 1947–1974. Adelita. ISBN 978-0-95520-177-6.
- ISBN 978-0-38077-966-6.
- Clerc, Benoît (2021). David Bowie All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. New York City: ISBN 978-0-7624-7471-4.
- O'Leary, Chris (2015). Rebel Rebel: All the Songs of David Bowie from '64 to '76. Winchester: ISBN 978-1-78099-244-0.
- Pegg, Nicholas (2000). The Complete David Bowie. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. ISBN 1-903111-14-5.
External links
- "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" on YouTube