“My Way”: The Baby Daddy of “Mars” and more

Did you know that Bowie wrote English lyrics for a song that’d later become My Way? The tune was from the French song Comme d'habitude. It was composed by Jacques Revaux and released in 1967 by French singer Claude François.

Legend goes that Paul Anka heard the song on the radio during a French holiday and decided to secure the song’s rights. Anka would write English lyrics, based loosely on the original and a conversation Anka had with Frank Sinatra over dinner. During dinner Sinatra would claim that he was planning to leave show business. That night, Anka wrote the lyrics with Sinatra in mind and made subtle changes to the original’s melody. Anka brought it to Sinatra who released the song in 1969. It was an international smash.

Bowie heard the Sinatra song, recognizing it as the tune he worked on. He’d composed Life on Mars as revenge, borrowing some of the song’s structure.

Hear the story here:

When the Tragically Cool (& Others) Get Popped: Pt 1

First, The Tragically Cool:

Presenting a tribute to those whose mug shots were worthy of a Ralph Lauren ad and a shout out to the style and elegance that never abandoned them – even in what might be, for most, one of life’s most dire humiliations.

The First Place All-Time Hall of Fame Award: Who could top David Bowie in his Station to Station, Man Who Fell to Earth period? Never will you see a ice-colder, more I’m Rick James, bitch! look coming from a mug shot on anyone – certainly not from Rick James. 

The arrest was in a downtown Rochester, NY hotel following a performance. Along with Iggy Pop and another person, all were charged with marijuana possession. Two months later the charges were dismissed and Bowie and Rochester would never meet again.

The always fine Jane Fonda in her wife-of-Congressman-Tom Hayden activist days. Also from the same period she won the academy award for Klute: She worked the Shag (the name of her hair style) like no one else.

Beiber just knowing that he’s The Beeb – with rock-hard abs, a porn star’s package (noted in those poolside paparazzi pics), all while crashing Lambos for fun – and has an Armani army of attorneys at his disposal who’ll get him released long before he reaches the hold, shows himself to be completely unperturbed – jolly even. 

In 2014 at 20, the Beebs admitted to police that he was blazed with a prescription drug chaser. Justin was able to avoid jail time but only after a plea agreement to take an anger management course and make a $50,000 charitable donation, in addition to paying court-ordered fines. Three years later, a contrite Beiber walked back from his sparkly pimp mugshot and admitted a desire to never go through that ordeal again. He also posted a couple of decidedly less pimp pics to his Instagram. (See below.)

Steve McQueen, the star of such films as The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape takes the bravado one step further: Flashing peace and figuring as long as he’s buzzed, the party ain’t over. In 1972 McQueen was brought in for drunk driving while in Anchorage, AK. Once released, he left town and charges were filed in absentia. 

If you’ve ever seen Bullit, you’ll know that if they caught him, it’s only because he let them. 

Frank Sinatra: Ol’ Blue Eyes showing the piercing stare and a wig of hair thick enough stay put during a Jersey squall. Also, he reveals why the flaps of the bobbysoxers’ may’ve gotten moist back in the day: The pic was taken while Frankie was still toiling in the obscure clubs of New Jersey mob land. He had just begun singing on New York radio that year but was still unknown nationwide.

Even at this early stage, the 1938 charges against him were worthy of an idol: Sinatra was arrested twice that year for “Seduction” and “Adultery.” Apparently the crooner had banged a broad “of good repute” by letting her think he might marry her: Such a devil.

In the cad department though, a few years later Blue Eyes would pay a doctor $40,000 (a good sum in those days) to “bribe to doctors in New Jersey in order to escape the draft.” It worked. He was declared 4-F “because of a perforated eardrum and chronic mastoiditis and that his mental condition was one of mental instability.” Also:

During the psychiatric interview, the patient stated that he was “neurotic, afraid to be in crowds, afraid to go in the elevator, makes him feel that he would want to run when surrounded by people. He had comatic ideas and headaches and has been very nervous for four or five years. Wakens tired in the A.M., is run down and undernourished. The examining psychiatrist concluded that this selectee suffered from psychoneurosis and was not acceptable material from the psychiatric viewpoint.”

Apparently, the above had been secret until 1980 when it was released under a Freedom of Information Act request.

Phil Spector, legendary music producer, impresario, shitty husband, and gun enthusiast is currently serving 19-year term for the murder of his live-in girlfriend. At 74 in 2013, he looked rather unintimidated considering his likelihood of ever seeing the outside again.

Nicki Minaj, another weapons enthusiast, was arrested in 2003 for criminal possession of a strap (with intent to use). At the time she was 20, known as Onika Maraj, and working as a Red Lobster waitress in Queens. You’ll find no sweat on her concealer-free brow.

John Belushi, brows totally on fleek: 

And, The Others:

I was once detained and issued a two tickets for trespassing and an open container. I’d to sit on the curb with my hands on my head until the police arrived (all of this in front of my girlfriend at the time). I wasn’t yet 21 so it all could’ve been much worse. Still, I’ve never actually been sent to jail. Gawd no: I’ll straight up admit, I’d wet myself like a poodle pup in pen with pitbulls and cry bitch tears. I would. So, the look of fear and humiliation on the faces below, I totally get. Just note that the fear on the faces below only serves to make the faces above appear all the more heroic.

Not moving like Jagger: Sir Mick Jagger, as seen in his famous arrest of 1967. According to the band, a party at Keith Richards’ country estate had been tipped off to the police by The News of the World for possible drug activity. Jagger was suing the paper for slander at the time. Among the guests were Marianne Faithfull and George and Patti Boyd Harrison. 

Waiting until the Harrisons had left, the police would enter the house and arrest both Richards and Jagger. The two would be issued harsh sentences but the charges would later be overturned.

Here, apparent repeat offender and future Axl Rose was 18 in the top photo, and probably not much older – but a li’l harder – below. At top, his face looks like it may’ve serious doubts about turning 19. Welcome to the Jungle, Rosebud.

Dale Bozzio from Missing Persons: Just for some context, this is what Dale used to look like;

Earlier in her career she did some, er, modeling if you’re interested. In any event, despite her early promise she appears to have ended up somewhere else entirely. Most recently, Ms Bozzio was still touring with some version of a “Missing Persons,” so it seems as if she’s mostly functional. However, her recent run-in with the law might seem to indicate otherwise. Not knowing her full story, I don’t want to play the possibility of any substance or mental health issues for yucks.Still, she appears to have gone full cat lady: Bozzio tried to rescue sick and feral cats from the woods of New Hampshire, but she evidently didn't take very good care of them. Two of the cats were found dead and 12 were put down after being neglected while Bozzio toured with the band last fall. Later, a judge found her guilty of one count of cruelty to animals and sentenced her to 90 days in jail and 250 hours of community service. She was also ordered to pay a $2700 euthanization bill.

Another repeat offender, Jim Morrison, and arguably one of the history’s great faces: • Top: Morrison looking as cold-blooded as a Lizard King in 1963 – this would’ve made him 20 and two years away the formation of The Doors. The charges against the rambunctious lad, made in his hometown of Tallahasee, FL were petty larceny, disturbing the peace, resisting arrest, and public drunkenness at a football game. After making fun of the footballers, Jimbo stole an umbrella and helmet from a squad car’s open window. The charges were later dropped for a small fine. I’m sure his Rear Admiral father was not amused. • Middle: Morrison’s infamous New Haven arrest for an expletive-laced tirade issued from the stage against the police who’d just maced him in the face while waiting backstage. The claim was he was trying to incite a riot.• Bottom: On the occasion of his even more infamous Miami arrest in which it was thought he’d exposed himself, in a Dionysian frenzy, to the audience. (According to what I’ve read, the general consensus is that he probably didn’t. Iggy Pop, OTOH, brings his glory all out in this video, probably around 1979-80, and while the result is impressive, the law – and YouTube, so far – was uninterested.) After the Miami arrest, the now bearded, paunchy, and dazed Morrison would find himself dead within a year.

Aerosmith’s and American Idol’s Steven Tyler at 19 looking like Shit’s gonna get serious when my dad finds out. The lips appearing not to have reached their full efflorescence as of yet. 

In high school Tyler played drums in various bands before composing Dream On in 1969. He’d meet Joe Perry and with Brad Whitford they’d form Aerosmith a year later. Tyler would be 22.

Here, Kurt Cobain at 19, but the troubled pubescent Kurt would’ve previously been popped for spray painting God is gay and ain't got no how watchamacallit on various cars in Aberdeen, WA. This shot below was for the occasion of a trespassing charge – police found him climbing on the roof of an abandoned warehouse. (Who hasn’t done that?) In 1986 he would’ve been 16 and already living on his own.

Dennis Hopper (1936-2010) used to live around the corner from me. My wife and our two kids were crossing at the corner of his street when he, possibly channeling his huffing psycho character from Blue Velvet, wasn’t about to slow his Jaguar down for no punk ass, non-celebrity family. I felt the wind of his Michelins on my heels. We all of us stared him down. He didn’t look back.

Hopper’s brush with the law came in 1975 and the story goes that after winning some LSD in a poker game, he walked outside and shot a .357 magnum into a tree because he thought it was a grizzly bear. In a turn of Hollywood kismet, Hopper ended up in the same jail where Jack Nicholson’s introductory scene was filmed for Easy Rider.

The History of Bowie's Head in a GIF

Art by Helen Green; From Nerdcore.

Bowie Outtakes from 1977

Two instrumental tracks left in the can from David Bowie and Brian Eno ca. 1977, from the fertile Low/Heros period.

They sound amazingly fresh. Listen:






From Dangerous Minds

The Old Guard of the New Wave

So, how're they wearing the old age? Some graceful, some not: Some head shaving, some face lifting, and lotsa dye.

Gary Numan:

Lene Lovich:

Cocteau Twins:

See the lot of 'em at djrioblog.

Grayhead Does Good Dept: David Bowie's Deranged (Unreleased Version)

His head wasn't all that gray quite yet, he was a mere 48, still, most rock stars are in full wither at such a point. Bowie, for his part, was reinventing himself yet again. As a cat who began playing in bands in the early '60s, finding new relevance in the '90s as something more than a curious relic is no small accomplishment. Some critics were less than enthusiastic (Rolling Stone gave it 3 out of 5 stars), but as is often the case, time has proved them wrong.

I'm Deranged was another collaboration with Brian Eno (cowriter) and jazz pianist Mike Garson. It's a good one.



In 2013, with head considerably grayer, Bowie released yet another: The Next Day. Ever wanted to see Gary Oldman as a Catholic priest punch a homeless beggar? Plus, as is it our mission at Jelly Roll to bring you the finest in explicit music videos, here's one with unclothed breasts, splattering stigmata, and trenchant religious satire: What else could you want?



He also did another one for the album with Tilden Swinton.

Bowie at 17

David Bowie's flair for grabbing attention goes way back apparently. The confidence of the future avant-androgyne was already firmly installed by his tender teenage. Here he his in 1964 gamely defending long hairs from persecution. The host for the establishment, as the older generation was called at the time, decided ridicule was the most appropriate response when he predictably asks teen Bowie: "Are you surprised?" (Like those who blame rape on the provocatively dressed victims.) If more men went around wearing non-traditional hairstyles what would be next? Man make-up, red mullets, and strappy platforms? The horrors.... 



Thanks to Art Chantry for the heads up.

I Got You Babe

From a time when our planet just had more:

Bowie at the peak of his hair and Marianne's voice newly ravaged.