The late, great David Bowie released one of his most iconic seminal tracks, ‘Rebel Rebel’, 42 years ago today on 15th February 1974.
The song is known as being one of Bowie’s last forays into the glam rock style he emulated – and pioneered – through his character Ziggy Stardust, and was originally written for an aborted Stardust musical in 1973. ‘Rebel Rebel’ is also known for its gender-bending lyrics (“got your mother in a whirl, she’s not sure if you’re a boy or a girl”) and its instantly recognizable guitar riff.
‘Rebel Rebel’ appeared on Bowie’s eighth studio album, Diamond Dogs – a concept album that was released on 24th May 1973. The story merged the two worlds of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Bowie’s own vision of a post-apocalyptic world. The album was recorded and released shortly after Bowie’s ‘retirement’ of his Stardust character, in which he introduced a new persona in the form of Halloween Jack.
Remind yourselves of ‘Rebel Rebel’ in the video below.
