VivaRoxyMusic.com Forum
A Forum for all Roxy Music fans
 
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:14 pm

All times are UTC




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 9:13 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 8:01 am
Posts: 119
Some thoughts on 'Do the Strand'. At the time Roxy didn't release singles from their albums - in the UK anyway. I remember Eno stating that 'Pyamarama' was a rushed release, pressured by the record company and they should have spent more time on its recording. He also said 'Do the Strand' was the better choice as a single. but wasn't recorded yet.

We know that DTS was eventually released in the UK in 1978 as promotion for the greatest hits album, after Virginia Plain/Pyjamarama re-issue, but unsurprisingly it failed to chart. After all most Roxy fans owned FYP, & if not bought 'Greatest Hits'. The b-side wasn't a rarity either, being 'Editions of You'. I seem to recall 'DTS' was nearly released as a single in 1976 - possibly Island trying to cash in before Roxy moved labels to Polydor? It was even given a catalog number - WIP6308.

Anyway, I always wondered if it would have charted in the UK if released at time of FYP & if so, how high, especially as DTS did make the chart in some European countries, e.g. #23 Holland, #41 Germany & #73 in France.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:43 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2016 7:46 am
Posts: 50
The numbers speak for themselves! A brilliant track, love it, but not a single (bit like Both Ends Burning!)

Too long, too obscure, no recognisable verse/chorus pattern so beloved of the pop charts and an overlong middle 16 twelve bar in G?

No record company was going to gamble on that back in the day!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:30 pm 
Offline

Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:58 pm
Posts: 1029
From an American perspective it seems strange to NOT include a likely single on an album, the point being that the single offers a way to promote the whole album.

I guess that in Britain there was more of a sense of being either a "singles band" (like say 60s era Move with their string of Roy Wood hits) or an "album band" (like maybe Led Zep). That wasn't so much the case in the US as far as I can tell...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:26 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:32 pm
Posts: 331
The do the strand single which was to be released in '76 was the live version from Viva! Roxy Music but would have been released at roughly the same time as Mr. Ferry's EP release so was probably pulled for that reason.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:52 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:21 pm
Posts: 390
I have mentioned before that if Do the Strand had been released as a single in early '73 it would have been welcomed by the masses. I can picture Mud style Tiger Feet dancing.....oh Jesus!!!!

Thank God it wasn't. It meant we could keep them to ourselves, a bit under the radar.

The first 2 singles didn't have choruses, which made them so different, so special, it would have been an epic hit, but musically possibly handcuffs too.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 9:39 pm 
Offline

Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2015 1:20 am
Posts: 425
Location: USA
Mud Style Tiger Feet Dancing...

Ummmmmm..
Can't get it Out of My Head.... :lol:

DCJ...
My Fellow American...

It seems like here in America in that Music Era
Concept albums were the Order of the Day as opposed to single releases, some really great albums were being released then.
Think Led Zepplin -Houses of the Holy,
Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,
The Who, Tommy
The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper
ELO- Eldorado ;
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon..
And of course Bowie's Ziggy Stardust...

All Styles Served Here..


Do The Strandsky :D

Lolita and Guernica
Did the Strand....


Last edited by teresa on Wed Jan 25, 2017 3:34 am, edited 2 times in total.

Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 10:10 pm 
Offline

Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 8:01 am
Posts: 119
wrighta wrote:
The do the strand single which was to be released in '76 was the live version from Viva! Roxy Music but would have been released at roughly the same time as Mr. Ferry's EP release so was probably pulled for that reason.


Interesting point. I always thought it was never confirmed for definite that it was the live version from Viva that was going to be released - just speculated later. The would be catalogue number WIP 6308, was literally the next one after 'Let's Stick Together', (WIP 6307). It does make sense though if it was pulled to avoid being out at the same time as Bryan's solo stuff.

'These Follish Things' was another album track that was allocated a catalog number but had its release pulled for whatever reason.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Do the Strand - The Hit that got away
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 12:56 pm 
Offline

Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:25 pm
Posts: 616
Location: Kempten
I bought DTS/EOY as a single record in 1973 (at the age of 14) because this song and sound was so much different from almost anything else in the pop scene at that time. Soon FYP followed as one of my first LP records ever (after Uriah Heep, Dr. Hook and The Strawbs 8-) ). And DTS is still my favourite Roxy song, 'the' Roxy song. Nice topic, Alan. BTW: At that time I wasn't aware of the fact that they hadn't released it in their home country ...


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 64 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Custom style by Designlike based on Minimal by DEVPPL