Magical Musical Moments – September 1987
November 12th, 2009
(Look At Him Spaz) He’s A Zombie Spaz – David Bowie
It has been suggested that towards the end of the eighties David Bowie struggled to keep up with the rest of the musical world. After suffering bad sales as a result of The Smiths stealing all the teenagers and students, the Pixies scooping up the twenty and thirtysomethings and Daniel O’Donnell continuing his assault on the over fifties, David was left wondering what to do next. It was only a matter of time though before some magical happened.
The legend goes that David and David Byrne from Talking Heads were sat having a coffee in a New York deli. David (Bryne) felt a little too warm and so decided t o take his over-sized red jumper off. Unfortunately though he was having trouble getting it over his noggin and thus a struggle ensued. As David (Byrne) wiggled and shook like sex on fire David (Bowie) pointed at the chaos and shouted, “Look at him spaz! He’s a blondie spaz!” Byrne at this point going through his blonde hair / pinstripe suit / green socks phase.
Knowing that there was a song lying dormant in there waiting to be left out David (Bowie) left David (Byrne) and ran to his recording studio down the road, hidden by a giant owl. Byrne suffered massive head trauma and didn’t get out of the jumper for the next seven years.
Bowie harnessed the spirit of the eighties: Synths! Changing the lyrics ever so slightly to also coincide with the 132nd anniversary of Halloween the single ‘(Look At Him Spaz) He’s A Zombie Spaz’ was released on 17th October to a fanfare of praise and adoration from not only his dedicated fans but from the hardcore journalista massive. It remained at number one for three weeks and funded at least twelve of his holidays the following year.
The song has been cast aside; given how popular Bowie was in the seventies it rarely gets any radio airplay and is his least favourite of all, even favouring that awful duet with Mick Jagger over it. With such insightful lyrics such as, “Watch him go, he’s ready to flow, he’ll knock you down with a whip of his gown,” and, “Jigging along like this catchy song, you know you been beat when you come up and meet…”.
One day ‘Zombie Spaz’ will be popular again. For now it remains a guilty pleasure and a hidden gem.
Entry Filed under: Delicious,Great,Ian,Look at this,Tragic
8 Comments
1. Kevil | November 12th, 2009 at 11:53
The Zombie Spaz will go down in history. You haven’t even mentioned the dance craze or the memorabilia…
2. Ian "Mac Mac Mac Mac" McIver | November 12th, 2009 at 14:40
It’s hard to emulate just how popular the dance craze was. It wasn’t like of Thriller proportions but it was amazing.
You should upload the vids of the kids with the didz.
3. Kevil | November 17th, 2009 at 16:40
I would love to… however they were all lost in the great fire of ’94
4. Ian "Mac Mac Mac Mac" McIver | November 18th, 2009 at 09:45
Not the Betamax! Surely!
5. Kevil | November 18th, 2009 at 10:34
All of them. Gone. It’s tragic really.
6. Ian "Mac Mac Mac Mac" McIver | November 18th, 2009 at 14:52
The reel to reel? The 8 track? The hand-written manuscripts?
7. Kevil | November 19th, 2009 at 15:43
All went up in smoke mate. There is rumured to be a copy left in Bowies loft, but we’re not on first name terms anymore. Not after… well you know that story.
8. Ian | November 23rd, 2009 at 23:46
I do. That is a shame. I was hoping to show Reuben to inspire the next level of ingrates, I mean children.
I will have to get out my wax crayons and do my best to remember what I can remember.