Eight to go, and the penultimate Bowie track for me on TIMJ. The next Bowie you hear after this will be the last ever Jam by yours truly (but not by choice, as we are all saying). No song analysis stolen from the internet today.
For those of you who may recall previous ramblings by me about a "Polish wanderer" I knew, and fell for, back in 1973 (OK, not a "wanderer" as such, but the Bowie parallel is quite apt if you consider the track from his "Space Oddity" album, "Janine"), this will sound like old hat. As far as romanticised recollections of my youth go, though, this is at the pinnacle. Who knows if I found, and lost, my 'first true love' in that year? I will never know.
I met her when I travelled with my mate Andy to visit his relatives in Essex, and she was a schoolfriend of his cousin. Her name was Janina (or Yana, as she preferred), and she lived deep in the wilds of the county (a village girl, with a strict and true Polish father, and a cigarillo-smoking English mother). This immediately presented a problem, as I lived exactly 156 miles away, did not drive a car, and railway/bus services still suffered from the "Beeching effect".
Nevertheless, I did the journey several times, through London and including several stops on overground/underground rail, and having to be picked up by her dad in his car from the nearest rail stop to her village.
She was two years younger and about to leave senior school in '73, bound for college (or maybe university even, who knows?), and we spent many hours listening to Bowie's "brand new" breakthrough album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (alone if at all possible, while her parents and brother were out). Many tracks are still bitter/sweet evocative of that time in my life, the most emotionally-charged being "Soul Love" (I have Jammed it several times over the years).
The next most memorable track, and one that would definitely have stood the glare of the singles chart, had they thought of releasing it as such, I now Jam for you today. Eventually, the fates conspired to end our fairly brief time together - her father (quite formally, as if in interview!) asked me about my prospects (I was someone in fairly menial work at the time), and got the impression that I was not "partner material" for his daughter, in his eyes.
Fair enough, he was probably right, but, to be honest, a 'serious' relationship of any kind had not crossed my mind at that time. It did, however, spell the death knell for our pairing, coupled as it was with her impending further education prospects and the sheer distance between our locations. I'll never forget her though. (You may have noticed this!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Stardust
@hsmagnet I doubt it very much indeed. My rose-coloured memories of our relationship need not necessarily match how she saw it at the time. Perhaps I was just another one of many friends she made between leaving school and settling down. That's the "I will never know" part of my story, really. I did locate her on Facebook about five years ago, but never tried to message her, and never would. Let it be, as the Beatles once said. No stalker, me.
@Sid_Bonkers No way!! My wife would not appreciate it, and I would not do that anyway. As I say, rose-coloured memories, and they are never as rosey as we remember them (in my experience). Who is this Willie Holloughby? ;)
I love the song, and the fact that you have all of these youthful memories and emotional ties to it. Weird how music cuts straight through like that. I cannot quite get my head around this being your penultimate Bowie Jam, though. My final Jam will have to be a Bowie, methinks, but choosing one is giving me no end of grief! *buries head in sand*
@hsmagnet@adamstardust Thanks, HSM and Adam (and to all the others who appreciated my anecdote). For me (and probably millions of others), 'historical' songs very much are linked to memories such as these, but especially when there is an emotional tie, such as there was with Yana. @Fullam I found a very different "mix" for a famous concert number by Bowie - not the usual edit-down associated with it. The content of the song is also quite apt for a "final" Jam. Wait and see, say no more!
20 Comments (since 9 Sep 2015)
leejohnson
Eight to go, and the penultimate Bowie track for me on TIMJ. The next Bowie you hear after this will be the last ever Jam by yours truly (but not by choice, as we are all saying). No song analysis stolen from the internet today.
leejohnson
For those of you who may recall previous ramblings by me about a "Polish wanderer" I knew, and fell for, back in 1973 (OK, not a "wanderer" as such, but the Bowie parallel is quite apt if you consider the track from his "Space Oddity" album, "Janine"), this will sound like old hat. As far as romanticised recollections of my youth go, though, this is at the pinnacle. Who knows if I found, and lost, my 'first true love' in that year? I will never know.
leejohnson
I met her when I travelled with my mate Andy to visit his relatives in Essex, and she was a schoolfriend of his cousin. Her name was Janina (or Yana, as she preferred), and she lived deep in the wilds of the county (a village girl, with a strict and true Polish father, and a cigarillo-smoking English mother). This immediately presented a problem, as I lived exactly 156 miles away, did not drive a car, and railway/bus services still suffered from the "Beeching effect".
leejohnson
Nevertheless, I did the journey several times, through London and including several stops on overground/underground rail, and having to be picked up by her dad in his car from the nearest rail stop to her village.
leejohnson
She was two years younger and about to leave senior school in '73, bound for college (or maybe university even, who knows?), and we spent many hours listening to Bowie's "brand new" breakthrough album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (alone if at all possible, while her parents and brother were out). Many tracks are still bitter/sweet evocative of that time in my life, the most emotionally-charged being "Soul Love" (I have Jammed it several times over the years).
leejohnson
The next most memorable track, and one that would definitely have stood the glare of the singles chart, had they thought of releasing it as such, I now Jam for you today. Eventually, the fates conspired to end our fairly brief time together - her father (quite formally, as if in interview!) asked me about my prospects (I was someone in fairly menial work at the time), and got the impression that I was not "partner material" for his daughter, in his eyes.
leejohnson
Fair enough, he was probably right, but, to be honest, a 'serious' relationship of any kind had not crossed my mind at that time. It did, however, spell the death knell for our pairing, coupled as it was with her impending further education prospects and the sheer distance between our locations. I'll never forget her though. (You may have noticed this!) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Stardust
ErnieBilko
Nice song nice story...
hsmagnet
and she still dreams of the boy from far away who came to listen to Bowie with her ...
christineb
So good!....
MotherFist
Love love love
leejohnson
@hsmagnet I doubt it very much indeed. My rose-coloured memories of our relationship need not necessarily match how she saw it at the time. Perhaps I was just another one of many friends she made between leaving school and settling down. That's the "I will never know" part of my story, really. I did locate her on Facebook about five years ago, but never tried to message her, and never would. Let it be, as the Beatles once said. No stalker, me.
Sid_Bonkers
Great jam and heart on sleeve moment, have you considered asking if Holly Willoughby of "Surprise Surprise" can help reunite the pair of you again?
leejohnson
@Sid_Bonkers No way!! My wife would not appreciate it, and I would not do that anyway. As I say, rose-coloured memories, and they are never as rosey as we remember them (in my experience). Who is this Willie Holloughby? ;)
Fullam
I love the song, and the fact that you have all of these youthful memories and emotional ties to it. Weird how music cuts straight through like that. I cannot quite get my head around this being your penultimate Bowie Jam, though. My final Jam will have to be a Bowie, methinks, but choosing one is giving me no end of grief! *buries head in sand*
hsmagnet
@leejohnson you are the pragmatist, aren't you!
adamstardust
This was the song that stood out most to me the first time I listened to Ziggy Stardust. It was also great reading the memories you associate with it!
leejohnson
@hsmagnet @adamstardust Thanks, HSM and Adam (and to all the others who appreciated my anecdote). For me (and probably millions of others), 'historical' songs very much are linked to memories such as these, but especially when there is an emotional tie, such as there was with Yana. @Fullam I found a very different "mix" for a famous concert number by Bowie - not the usual edit-down associated with it. The content of the song is also quite apt for a "final" Jam. Wait and see, say no more!
hsmagnet
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--UYReVep3Bk/TkkgmNU7KmI/AAAAAAAAJyM/n11_Ca_Gkzw/s1600/wink+wink+say+no+more+be+a+goodddog+monty+python.jpg
leejohnson
@hsmagnet :D