Tin Machine never really existed. David Bowie had given those interviews to get the press off his back while his real intentions remained hidden. The idea of some sort of Beatles reunion had secretly enthralled him since their dissolution. He even considered Live Aid the best time for them to reunite, yet his idea failed when George Harrison and Ringo Starr failed to show up. But even his former bandmates were somewhat into the idea; all of them had played on each other's solo albums throughout the 80's, so the idea didn't seem as farfetched as some would think. Obviously the reason that it never happened was that John Lennon was dead, and it wouldn't be the Beatles without him. But what if it didn't have to be? He discussed the idea with Paul McCartney when he could, and they came to an agreement that would benefit everyone.
Until being contacted by Bowie, Harrison and Starr didn't even have music on the brain. Starr had recently recorded with Wings, but that was about it for musical activity up to that point. He was addicted to alcohol moreso than his drums, and it was blindly apparent. He may have been at a low point in his life, but Harrison was at a high point. While his last few albums weren't considered fantastic by any measure, he really didn't care. He spent his waking hours doing other things he loved and being with friends. Jeff Lynne, frontman of the recently broken-up ELO, was one that he spent the most time with, and the idea of making music together was bound to happen eventually. This would coalesce in Harrison's recording of Rudy Clark's "Got My Mind Set on You", produced by Lynne and released on January 12, 1987. This single alone would sell better than his last three albums, something that both embarrassed and fascinated Harrison. He finally thought to himself that there was a place for him in the current music scene after all.
With the other three former Beatles being free of musical obligations in early 1987, Bowie took the opportunity to finally ask the others to reform, not as the Beatles but under another name. This would not be just an excuse for the Beatles to come back, according to him, but to make music that the Beatles couldn't have imagined making even just 6 years ago. With that idea in mind, Harrison invited Jeff Lynne with him to fill a niche that had been missing before. Starr would only be let back in if he kicked his alcohol addiction. Going cold turkey would be tough, but Starr agreed, and with that, the lineup was complete.
When it came time to make music together again, something that came very natural to them at this point, it was decided that they would take the risk of using unorthodox playing and recording styles in an attempt to distance their sound from the Beatles. McCartney and Bowie, in particular, would experiment with writing longer and more experimental songs although still with a contemporary sheen. The classic Beatles sound would end up shining through on a select few tracks however, with the final track, Harrison's "Circles" straight up being a Beatles outtake from 1968. Lynne's two tracks were both outtakes from ELO's final album, Balance of Power, both reworked with a more grandiose sound and without as many synthesizers. Starr's only contribution was "Hard Times", a song he had previously contributed for Wings' Blue Nights. He had hoped that with the other Beatles, the song could be cleaned up and be made better, but the song was left off once again due to time constraints. When basic recording for the album had finished, the group didn't even have a name or any sort of identity yet. Bowie would name the group after one of his tracks, citing the inspiration came from the rut they had all fallen into following the Beatles' dissolution.
On April 21, 1987. The first album, self-titled, by Glass Spider released. While basically unknown to the public at the time, this was their first release with no singles preceding it, it was hyped up massively by Apple Records, with their plastered on every phonebook, billboard and even television commercial. For a band that no one had heard of until the release of their first record, Apple wanted this to succeed. The names of the individuals in the group weren't known either, the album lists everyone who contributed as simply "Glass Spider". This secret barely held for long though. As the listener started to play the first song and the first single released the same day, "Good Times Coming / Feel the Sun", it was noticeably Paul McCartney's voice he heard. Weird that he would release something not under his own name like that. But then he heard George Harrison's voice, and then David Bowie's voice, and soon enough, everyone knew what was happening. They were witnessing a Beatles reunion in real time, and, thankfully in Apple's case, everyone had found out around the same time. It's been said that a local radio station had obtained the single a few hours earlier, and the DJ's reaction could be heard as it was playing. The operation to keep the whole thing a secret had been a success.
As for the album itself, it was well received by both the public and critics, who praised the Beatles for not sounding like the Beatles. Songs like "Good Times Coming" and "'87 and Cry" were considered catchy, and the title track was called "ethereal". There were even Chinese-influenced songs written by Harrison and a protest song against the Catholic Church in "The First Stone". This album seemed to have everything a Beatles fan could want and more, and both the album and the single would reach #1 on their respective charts. Retrospectively, praise for the album has declined, citing massive hype for a Beatles reunion and its dated production for why it hasn't stood the test of time the way prior Beatles albums had. Regardless, Glass Spider was a success, and fans wanted more.
GLASS SPIDER - GLASS SPIDER
Released: 21 April 1987
Genre: Pop rock, art pop
Producer: Glass Spider
Side A
Good Times Coming/Feel the Sun
The Hottest Gong in Town
Time Will Crawl
Secret Lives
The First Stone
Breath Away from Heaven
Pretty Little Head
Sorrow About to Fall
'87 and Cry
Circles
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| Back cover |
