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The Glory of Glam: Part 2: Dressed To Kill

Dressed to Kill

Part 2: Dressed To Kill

The Glory of Glam

BBC Radio 2 - The Glory of Glam, Part 2: Dressed To KillSearch BBC

Gary Kemp highlights the influence of the most successful acts of the glam era.

Gary Kemp highlights the most successful acts of the glam era and discovers why their influence is still being heard in many of today's new bands.

To complement the BBC's My Generation 70s season, another chance to hear Gary Kemp tell the story of glam. 

In part 2: In Dressed To Kill, he highlights the most successful acts of the glam era and discovers why their influence is still being heard in many of today's new bands.

In the summer of 1972, as T-Rex released The Slider and David Bowie released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Roxy Music released their debut self-titled album and began touring their own version of glamorous art-influenced rock'n'roll. With stunning outfits created by designer Antony Price, Roxy became as influential as Marc and David. In fact Roxy Music and The Spiders From Mars shared the bill at several venues in 1972, playing to small audiences who, according to Phil Manzanera, "weren't quite sure what they were seeing, with all that glitz and glam."

Inspired by the chart success that glam artists were achieving, several rock bands who had been carving out solid but unspectacular careers for years, also decided to add satin and sequins to their stage outfits and suddenly the Sweet, Slade, Mud, Wizzard and Alvin Stardust were among those enjoying chart success. Along with 10CC, Sparks, Mott the Hoople, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Queen, Cockney Rebel, and even Suzi Quatro, who enjoyed chart success with the help of a bit of additional glitter. Even major acts like Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones and Elton John dabbled in a bit of sparkly make-up. As Angie Bowie recalls, "thanks to David and Marc they all realised that girls like pretty boys".

First broadcast in 2012.

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