My two biggest musical loves, in case it has escaped your attention here, somehow, are Simple Minds (obviously!) and David Bowie. My diehard Bowie fandom goes as far back as 1985. My SM fandom is much more recent (2014) but I was, of course, aware of them long before that and was very much a fair weather fan. There wouldn’t have been much of a chance that Simple Minds would feature in a “Fanatical Friday” post prior to 2014.
So, for as far back as my Bowie fandom goes, my Iggy Pop fandom is not as old, for it was exposure to Iggy’s work through exploring all of David’s did I get to dip my toe into Iggy’s stuff.
I could argue that I am bordering on fair weather when it comes to my seeking out of James Newell Osterberg Junior’s back catalogue. Even the way in which I delved into it took some time.
It was through the Australian weekend music programme, Rage, that I first gained exposure to any of Iggy’s output. There would be featured artists nights on the show, where they’d play the video output of certain artists. They regularly had a Bowie night, which I would love as there was such a catalogue of videos they could play. Iggy’s feature night wouldn’t be as extensive, and it may have been tagged on at the end of David’s initially – I’m a little hazy on exact details – but I remember the videos being played. I remember Five Foot One, and remember Loco Mosquito VERY WELL. Iggy is naked in a bath, writhing around and….well, you can imagine what I kept on trying to see if I could spot in the video! Lol. (One only has to think about all the things I’ve said about another Jim and his bathtime escapades and the now “did he or didn’t he?” lyric writing of New Gold Dream in a hotel room in Sweden.)
I was also aware of Blah Blah Blah as it came out shortly after I was getting into David. I remember being intrigued by the video for Shades, as the video seems to be shot at indoor cricket nets and that used to have me scratching my head as to why such a location would be picked for a video shoot. I also remember the video for Cry For Love.
I don’t think it was until around 1990 that I finally started to explore Iggy’s back catalogue more extensively. This was the year the album Brick By Brick came out and I bought myself a copy of it, as I loved the singles that had came from it – Livin’ On The Edge Of The Night and Candy (in which B-52s’ Kate Pierson features on guest duet vocals) and so decided to invest in a copy. I adored it and played it to death! So I delved more. Bought myself used copies of The Idiot, Lust For Life, New Values and Soldier. I also did get a copy of Raw Power but The Stooges output never really won me over as much as Iggy’s solo stuff, especially whenever he collaborated with David (although I know Bowie produced Raw Power – it wasn’t quite the same involvement as he had with Iggy over subsequent years). I also got a copy of Blah Blah Blah.
I delved into other stuff too. I tried Party but don’t remember trying out Zombie Birdhouse at all. I may have tried Instinct – I’m not sure. I did give American Caesar a go, and I really liked the single, Wild America, but didn’t really take to the album. I don’t think I was that keen to explore Naughty Little Doggie after that.
Then there really was a dead period. I don’t remember anything being on the radar for me at all until the release of Post Pop Depression in 2016. I remember there being billboard ads around for that. I don’t think I had any audio exposure to it and didn’t seek it out. The cover for Free looked appealing and again, I remember it being advertised and seeing it being reviewed in various music mags and such, but I didn’t seek it out, either.
It wasn’t until about six weeks ago that I got back into the new material that Iggy is producing, having listened to Every Loser and being really impressed with it on first listen. I have played it several times since and think (though granted, there is quite a bit I haven’t heard in the years between) it’s the best thing he’s done in ages.
My favourite story of where all the various fandoms tie in nicely is having had a copy of Soldier on CD for years (but had to leave behind in Oz when I moved to the UK), with the strange quirk that the tracklist on my copy erroneously had Play It Safe as “Play It Sale”, was my ignorance at actually linking Simple Minds with the backing vocals on that. I wish I still had my copy of the CD because I’m not convinced my copy even mentioned them at all. It is this reason that, for years I thought Bowie just over dubbed his own voice for the backing vocals. I could hear two voices that sounded like David so I convinced myself he just did a second vocal and put that on top. It wasn’t until very recently and after I had heard about SM being on the track, did I really think about that second voice and realised it was Jim. The “two Bowies” were David himself, and Jim! Kerr, that is. Before we start confusing Jims! Lol. It must have been fun in the studio at Rockfield, David calling out “Jim!” and both Osterberg and Kerr respond to the call. Lol
I haven’t had much desire to see Iggy live over the years. Always been a bit worried the whole thing would be a little too wild for me but I’m wondering if I should now, if the opportunity arises?
Favourite tracks from the selected albums that I love? Well, let’s compile a short list:
The Idiot – Funtime. (Among others.)
Lust For Life – The whole of Side One, plus Success.
New Values – Tell Me A Story, I’m Bored, Five Foot One, The Endless Sea.
Soldier – All of side one, apart from Mr Dynamite – though I am warming to that these days. The first three tracks of side two, plus I Snub You. I particularly love Ambition, Get Up And Get Out and Take Care Of Me. Soft spot for Play It Safe, OBVIOUSLY!
Blah Blah Blah – Shades, Isolation, Cry For Love, and a soft spot for Real Wild Child (Wild One), with the Aussie link and all.
Brick By Brick – Home, I Won’t Crap Out, Candy, Butt Town, The Undefeated, Moonlight Lady, Something Wild, Brick By Brick (one of the best lines in a song, ever, “So get off my dick ‘cause I’m building it brick by brick.”), Livin’ On The Edge Of The Night.
Every Loser – Pretty much all of it, but really love New Atlantis.
I also need to talk about the prejudice I harboured for songs that Iggy and David wrote together and my preference for the Bowie versions. It was pretty solid to begin with because I knew Red Money before I knew Sister Midnight (which was actually co-written with Carlos Alomar, rather than Bowie) and I knew Bowie’s version of China Girl long before Iggy’s (I still prefer Bowie’s). I was also aware of Bowie’s Tonight before Iggy’s original on Lust For Life but I much prefer Iggy’s version. As for Neighborhood Threat, I have a preference for Bowie’s – as unforgiving as that is. Lol. Bang Bang – Bowie covered in Never Let Me Down. It Awas co-written with Ivan Kral and he should have left it alone. BAD DAVID! Don’t Look Down I have mixed feelings about. I like both and think I’d call this one a tie (the co-write was with James Williamson on this one). I probably would call Neighborhood Threat a tie as well, actually. Also, not co-written with Bowie. Geez, David really helped himself to quite a number of Iggy’s songs, the little thieving magpie! Lol.
My appreciation for Iggy’s originals has definitely grown over time. In hindsight, I probably would say China Girl is a tie. Sister Midnight and Red Money both have completely different lyrics other than a sharing of “can you hear me call / can you hear me well / can you hear me at all.” Also, in relation to others covering Iggy’s songs – Simple Minds used to perform Sister Midnight in the early days. In fact, the one I’ve posted here is a composite blend of Sister Midnight AND Red Money, as Jim sings a verse from each version. The other thing I wanted to mention was Grace Jones’ version of Nightclubbing, which I knew of loooong before hearing Iggy’s original. It took me a while to get used to Iggy’s version. It was the drum machine beat that hooked me into Iggy’s version initially.
Maybe if I feel adventurous, I might try giving The Stooges catalogue a look into again. I mean, it is short enough. One day, maybe. One day.
On the odd occasion I listen to Iggy Confidential on BBC Radio 6 Music. As you can imagine he plays quite an eclectic mix of things. Several years back he played La Dusseldorf’s Rheinita and I was moved to tears by it. I had never heard it before this point and I was just overwhelmed by it. I’ll never forget my discovery of it. I really should listen to Iggy’s show more often. It really is an education.
So, I will leave you with this. Thanks for reading. Until next time, happy Friday!
