Erm, I just left a website which surprisingly (to me) had Cockney Rebel flagged up as a belated member of the British Glam Rock scene of the early/mid '70s.

I have since showered thoroughly of course, scrubbing my chest abrasively with a house brick to cleanse my soul.

Marc Bolan is credited with starting Glam Rock with 'Hot Love' and of course we had acts such as Slade, The Sweet and Wizard who were full-on glam. Roxy Music? Maybe, for a while at the beginning of their fame? Sparks? The keyboards player's looks alone would rule them out of such a category surely? But Cockney Rebel?

Was there a trend or mixture of trends within which you could include the early Cockney Rebel? Art rock? Rock theatre? Pop (please don't)?

Or was Cockney Rebel, in your opinion, simply a class apart from them all during '73-'74, from Sebastian to Mr. Soft?

Any band around in those days were 'smeared' with being a glam rock band but hold on, let's look at photo's from that era and it becomes clear that a lot of journalists didn't know their arse from their elbow, Rod suffers from being ex glam to this day even though he's more gershwin these days! see! now i'm at it! It must be said in fairness that the outfits were 'different' shall we say? My advice to you Gedken is listen to the lyrics to Mott the hooples 'Saturday Gigs' maybe that will help (a bit). xxx

I think if you were around then and wore make-up, "glam" was a nice easy category for the pigeonholers. Despite the fact that loads of groups wore make-up and sounded nothing like each other. Lots of the "glam"scene had been doing the circuits for years without the make-up.

In the same way as lots of the late 70s' "punks" had been jobbing bands/musicians for years before being lumped in with punk/new wave.

Mick

Hi Phantom,

even Rod Stewart was considered Glam at one time!? Blimey. It will be hanging around with that Elton John that has done that.

Yes Rod's a Gershwin man these days - and Bryan Ferry is now a trad jazz guy. (.... where did it all go wrong? )

I guess maybe you just can't pigeonhole real talent?

Cheers, I checked out 'Saturday Nights'. Chelsea girls sound game!