‘Roxy Music’, the first album by Roxy Music, has turned 50 years old.
‘Roxy Music’ was released on 16 June, 1972.
The line-up in 1972 was Bryan Ferry on piano and vocals, Brian Eno on synthesizer, Andy Mackay on sax, Phil Manzanera on guitar and Paul Thompson on drums. Bass player Graham Simpson was dismissed midway through the recordings.
Album Track Listing
• Re-make/Re-model
• Ladytron
• If There Is Something
• 2HB
• The Bob (Medley)
• Chance Meeting
• Would You Believe?
• Sea Breezes
• Bitters End
Roxy Music came at a time in UK rock history when Bowie had just released ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’ weeks earlier.
Roxy Music made their television debut on ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ for the BBC on 20 June 1972. They performed ‘Ladytron’ off the album.
The rules were still being written in 1972 so when Roxy Music’s record label sent them out on promo for the album Roxy Music recorded and released a new song ‘Virginia Plain’, not on the album as their debut single. That track is still part of Ferry’s live set today.
No singles were released from the first Roxy Music album.
‘Roxy Music’ reached no 10 in the UK and no 49 in Australia. It did not chart in the USA.
Roxy Music have never had any major success in the USA. The ‘Manifesto’ album of 1979 was their highest charting album in America peaking at no 23.
‘Avalon’, the final Roxy Music album in 1982 reached no 1 in Australia and the UK but only no 53 in the USA.
