1974 Gary Glitter: Always Yours

I've been banging on a fair bit as to the slow metamorphosis of Glam Rock into a more nostalgic 1950's cast and now it's ironic that one of the best examples of what I'm on about comes in the form of Gary Glitter's least fondly remembered hit. The glitter might have faded until only that drum beat remained, but it's less prominent now and over the top of it I can hear snatches of 'Let's Dance', 'Baby I Don't Care', 'At The Hop', 'I Can Help' and a myriad other suggestions of other people's songs.

But in saying that, the reliance of some lumpen rock & roll chops coupled with Gary's shameless vocal mugging make 'Always Yours' more of a pastiche or parody than true homage; it's got more in common with a 'Stars On 45' type megamix than anything truly original. What he ends up with is a song with neither heart nor soul, a song with a forced bonhomie that sounds like a host trying to keep a party alive when the sun is coming up and most of the guests have gone home. Sometimes enthusiasm by itself simply ain't enough.