A pal of Mott the Hoople - she supplied some vocals to "Roll Away the Stone" and also came up with the daft name "Ariel Bender" for the band's new lead guitarist Luther Grosvenor, formerly of Spooky Tooth - so Lynsey D P is tangentially connected to the glam commotion as well as a pervasive participant in the frivolity of UK pop during the first half of the 1970s
Here, she verges into glam terrain with what seems to be her attempt at her very own "Lola" - cross(dress)ed with "Arnold Layne" and ever so slightly anticipating the scenario of Barbara Mason's "Another Man"
The tale of a relationship that founders when she discovers that he... likes wearing women's clothing? Or is just a chronic narcissist, who spends even more time looking in mirrors and caking on make-up than she does (which would really be saying something)
A MOR take on trendy swings-both-ways / ambiguity / camp themes of the day -
"Walk on the Mild Side"
The lyrics:
Could it be? Is it true?
Was it me? Was it you?
Because I thought you were a brother
But you turned out like my mother
And it's getting a drag
I was sure, I was wrong
But before very long
I found that I had kissed a mister
Just as pretty as a sister
And it's getting a drag
Who am I? Who are you?
What am I gonna do?
Most people make up when they break up
But we break up 'cause you make up
And it's getting a drag
Bye bye, don't cry
My, my have I been had
So sad, too bad
It's getting a drag
Jonathan King essayed a few similar moves at this time, coming at it from not so much the MOR as the bubblegum / novelty pop end of things
Lyrics from the object of predation's point of view (ironically)
Now, could this be the only reference to "tinea" in a song lyric?
I wouldn't want to live in his psyche ta very much
An anti-LSD, hipper-to-be-square song in praise of straightness
Parody of psych (but also a faithful cover of a US psych classic by the Hombres)
I've strayed from the lovely (if regrettably, it appears, Tory) Lynsey
Look at the dancers in this little slice of coy sanitized raunch
Is it just me or is the drum crack in this like the snap of a whip?
She went out with one of my favorite movie stars, James Coburn, for many years
I imagining her also dating Formula One racing champions and manly types like that.
For all the ultra-femme image and cooing high-pitched voice, a driven and creatively autonomous music biz stalwart who wrote, arranged, produced, you name it.
Shame about the Tory bit though.
One of her projects was this troupe of Mott backing vocalists (they also supplied the "doot-di-doots" on "Walk on the Wild Side" as it happens)
It got to Number 30.
