Site AdminPosts: 1209Location: UitgeestJoined: 27th Dec, 2006
In his updated book, Nick uses Toy Soldier for the song we used to file under Little Toy Soldier. Nick informed me that he changed this because the official Riot Squad releases label the song as such. I'm not convinced as these releases are notorious for the titles they use -- "Silver Tree Top - School For Boy's", really? Anybody has a clue how to find out the true title of this piece of history?
I have always felt that it was not a coincidence that Little Toy Soldier and The Small Faces' Tin Soldier were from the same year. This is mostly informed guesswork, but we know he was mates with Stave Marriott to the point where he was like a fifth member of the band, and the fact that one includes 'little toy soldier' and the other 'little tin soldier' is interesting if not strictly evidence.
According to the usual sources, Bowie's was recorded first (April vs November) based on the Velvets acetate he received from Pitt in December 1966.
As with Clapton and Layla, Marriott wrote Tin Soldier to woo the girlfriend of another rock star, and it worked. He met her in 66 and maybe wrote the song around that time because he he initially shopped it round before deciding it should be a Small Faces song.
So it's possible that Bowie and Marriott were having a cuppa in Denmark Street in early 1967 and Steve said "I'm in love with Rod's girl, i've written this for her," and sang a few bars. Bowie, ever the magpie, liked the tin soldier metaphor, adapted it and merged it with Venus in Furs.
Whatever the exact writing timeline, it's chronological closeness to Tin Soldier which drops the word 'little' would probably explain why it's recalled as Toy Soldier by the Riot Squad these days.
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ruud
Posted: 2nd Mar 2017, 8:11 am
Site AdminPosts: 1209Location: UitgeestJoined: 27th Dec, 2006
Thanks Christian, that's an interesting theory!
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cm01
Posted: 2nd Mar 2017, 10:05 am
Posts: 868Joined: 9th Nov, 2011
Yes, it 's interesting and would confirm a link too with another bowie song . Diamond dogs intro sounds like a plagia of Tin Soldier intro. it's will be a coincidence that Bowie used a sample of Rod stewart/Face's Album just before that intro .
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b0r0
Posted: 3rd Mar 2017, 9:48 pm
Posts: 267Location: Woodend, Victoria, AustraliaJoined: 6th Mar, 2009
cm01 wrote:
Yes, it 's interesting and would confirm a link too with another bowie song . Diamond dogs intro sounds like a plagia of Tin Soldier intro. it's will be a coincidence that Bowie used a sample of Rod stewart/Face's Album just before that intro .
Didnt Bowie use the crowd noise on DD from a Rod Stewart concert?
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