Morrissey on Bowie: "fanatically homosexual" in The Times

[joe frady]

There's a delicious double page cover spread on David Bowie and the 'StationToStation' Redux in todays 'Times' Playlist suppplement. As well as a Cameron Crowe piece wriiten for the liner notes, there are several commendations from famous fans, among them Morrissey ~

" Morrissey on Bowie’s elegant femininity:
When he launched himself on 'Top of the Pops' and 'Lift Off with Ayshea' singing Starman, there was no doubt that this was fanatically homosexual; it was a darker force and it was in Bowie’s eyes, his mouth, his voice, and it was menace and he really didn’t care at all about dislodging people. Bowie had an elegant femininity about him, which suddenly made Bolan seem too short to sit at the table. And that, I’m afraid, was that."

That quote is certainly new to me.
No mention of 'China Girl'

Weller also contributes, emphasising that young Paul was always a right lad, not a poof, but he still liked Bowie The others are Annie Lennox and Tracey Emin.
Apparently, there's additional stuff on-line, but I'm not a Times online subscriber, so I don't know if there's any further Moz-ness.

 

[Clarksville]

I think he looks fantastic in that era.

I was looking at a similar picture of him yesterday and I noticed his fingers were almost as orange as the back of his hair. (I assume from smoking a lot.)

(p111 in October's Mojo.)

 

[Raphael Lambach]

I really prefer don't believe and don't mind about some Morrissey's statements. Sometimes they are thrown only to offend people.It's not necessary, I do believe. And that's why lots of people hate Morrissey, of course they don't know how f***ing special he is, but most of them don't want to.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

What does it mean to be "too short to sit at the table?"

 

[Dave]

Google gives us quotes like, "He was ready to sit at the table like a big boy," and "but he is too short to reach the table from a regular chair."

It means that David Bowie's art had reached maturity.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Thanks Dave.

 

[Media Whore]

Google gives us quotes like, "He was ready to sit at the table like a big boy," and "but he is too short to reach the table from a regular chair."

It means that David Bowie's art had reached maturity.

I read it to mean that Bolan's previous attempts at "gender bending" were spectacularly eclipsed by Bowie leaving Bolan to look like a rashly constructed and amateurish poor man's alternative.

I have trouble believing this is an accurate quote anyway.

 

[cornelius blaze]

 

[DianaDors]

I really prefer don't believe and don't mind about some Morrissey's statements. Sometimes they are thrown only to offend people.It's not necessary, I do believe. And that's why lots of people hate Morrissey, of course they don't know how f***ing special he is, but most of them don't want to.

Are you saying that Morrissey's statement was intended to criticise Bowie...? I don't think so. It's simply a descriptive impression.

 

[Bagpuss]

Didn't Moz say Bowie covering "I know it's gonna..." was 1 of the highlight of M's career? Then it all seemed to go sour during his support slot. Of late Moz referring to him as 'David Showie' (not the wittiest of M's put-downs).

Hope M refers to all this, and much more, in his autobiography. The perfect platform to set the record straight (no pun intended)

 

[justme]

It's not meant to be seen as a critic- it's quite the opposite, I believe.

That impression was what made young Morrissey become such an Obsessed Bowie fan, at the time ( and a suitable replacement for Bolan maybe )

 

[Dave]

I read it to mean that Bolan's previous attempts at "gender bending" were spectacularly eclipsed by Bowie leaving Bolan to look like a rashly constructed and amateurish poor man's alternative.

I have trouble believing this is an accurate quote anyway.

Well you said it much better. I guess the alleged quote was more about Bowie's style and less about his new music. But also, the pictures are from Low-era and the quote is about a performance of Starman, so that's confusing. Whetver the case, no disrespect to Bolan's memory but when David Bowie did Low he eclipsed everyone in his genre, in my opinion. Ziggy was brilliant rock theater and no one has done it better, but it still seemed like an act. With Low I personally saw him as a serious artist, and I still do. So I was making the quote fit what I thought anyway.

Bowie's 'homosexual' period seemed to be behind him at the time those photos were shot but I don't know about the performance of Starman that is actually referred to. Pics don't match text, though.

 

[Raphael Lambach]

Ive watched a Bowie's doc recently called "The Origin of Starman" which tells that, despite a few homossexual relationships, Bowie only made it for getting label deals and other things.
And this doc told that many people got disappointed when they've discovered he was not, exactly, gay.

Of course, most people aren't interested in knowing if Bowie is gay or not, 'cause the main concern is on his work.