The Radio Times Remembers The New Romantics

I’m happy, hope you’re happy too…

Such is the popularity of the new series of the BBC’s Ashes To Ashes (02.03.2008 REMINDER: ASHES TO ASHES STARTS IN THE UK ON THURSDAY) in the UK that the current issue of the Radio Times (9-15 February) has another feature on the programme and the new romantic movement in particular.

It’s a three-page piece that includes recollections from various characters around the scene, and it seems that somebody at the Radio Times knows their Bowie, as they have reproduced the above label taken from a promo 12″ of Space Oddity segueing into Ashes To Ashes that was released as: The Continuing Story Of Major Tom in 1980.

It’s no secret that David Bowie used some of the characters that frequented Steve Strange‘s Blitz night club in both his Ashes To Ashes and Fashion videos. The club was the very epicentre of all things foppish, frilly and fashionable mutating as it did from Bowie Night’s at it’s predecessor, Billy’s.

Midge Ure, (who was about to find success as the second leader of Ultravox) remembers well the evening that DB visited Blitz looking for likely extras to populate aforementioned videos:

“There was a huge flurry of activity one night when David Bowie turned up. You have to imagine all these really cool kids…their make-up melted! Cool flew out the window and they were all running around [hysterical voice]: ‘David Bowie’s here! David Bowie’s here!'”

Ashes To Ashes continues this Thursday at 9:00pm on BBC1, when I’m sure even more of the programme’s cast will join in the lyrical refrain used for today’s lyric quotation.