Song:Virginia Plain
Album:Street Life: 20 Great Hits
Though Virginia Plain was not Roxy Music's biggest hit or most memorable song, it was their first single and a top five hit in England. So the song was important in establishing them. Roxy Music started when art school student Bryan Ferry auditioned to replace Greg Lake as lead singer of King Crimson. He didn't get the job but Pete Sinfield and Robert Fripp liked Ferry enough to help him. Ferry's art school experiences were a big influence on Roxy Music. Ferry placed an ad looking for a keyboard player. Andy Mackay played sax but he had a synthesizer and a friend who knew how to play it. That was Brian Eno. Add guitarist Roger Bunn and drummer Dexter Lloyd and Roxy Music started to play gigs. Lloyd and Bunn left and were replaced by Paul Thompson and former The Nice guitarist David O'List. But they didn't get along and Phil Manzanera replaced O'List for an audition for EG Management. Apparently O'List didn't show up and Manzanera replaced him on the spot. Pete Sinfield produced the 1972 debut album Roxy Music. They signed with Island Records. Virginia Plain was not on the album. It was recorded afterwards and then Roxy Music performed Virginia Plain on the popular TV show Top of the Pops. Their appearance caused such a sensation that Virginia Plain reached #4 on the British Singles chart. Island added Virginia Plain to subsequent pressings of Roxy Music and it was also on the album when Reprise released it in the US. Soon after Eno was replaced by Curved Air keyboard player Eddie Jobson. And along with Manzanera, Jobson was a key contributor to classic Roxy Music albums like Stranded and Country Life. Of course Country Life had topless girls on the album cover which got them plenty of attention. Love Is The Drug was Roxy Music's only US top 40 hit so that is probably their most memorable song. This budget comp has all their hits. Roxy Music disbanded in 1976. Ferry recorded a couple of solo albums. They reunited for the 1978 album Manifesto minus Jobson who had started the band U.K. Paul Carrack replaced him. Thompson left in 1980. The later Roxy Music albums are not considered to be as good as earlier albums. They split up for good in 1982. They have reunited occasionally. Attempts to record new music didn't work out. Manzanera says the music wasn't good enough and he won't release it. Roxy Music was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Here's Roxy Music performing Virginia Plain on Top of the Pops 1972. Sorry it cuts off at the end. Bryan Ferry posted this video on Youtube. All copies are like this.
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