Heddon Street is a little U-shaped street that connects at both ends to Regent Street in London, just up the road from Man In The Moon Passageway. It is a tiny street with not many businesses. An infamous furrier was once located there, but moved out sometime in the 1980s. There is no use Googling it, because the only K. West that exists today is a hotel & spa in W14, Kensington, London.
What made this furrier infamous? An album cover, of course. K. West is unwittingly one of the best-known unknown businesses in history. Also in Heddon Street is a phonebox, known as a phonebooth in the United States, that is the most famous phonebox in London, because of the same album cover.
Although only reaching #75 on the Hot 100 in Billboard's United States charts upon release in 1972, there is nary a human in Western Civilization over the age of 25 who is not familiar with "The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars," by David Bowie.
Ziggy Stardust is alleged to be a conglomeration of many characters Bowie encountered during his career, most notably, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, whose big breakthrough was an unfortunate appearance on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in the late 1960s. Bowie has since paid tribute to Ledge by recording "I Took A Ride (On A Space Shuttle)" as "I Took A Ride On A Gemini Spacecraft" on his Heathen record. The song "Lady Stardust" is alleged to be about Marc Bolan, lead singer of T.Rex, and the first of that new breed of English rockers to wear make-up and androgynous clothes.
The album is a masterpiece, and its cover is just as famous!
Teenage Wildlife has the most concise discography entry.
The Ziggy Stardust Companion is likely the most comprehensive website devoted to this remarkable LP.
Everyone should have their picture taken in the phonebox! At the Ziggy Stardust Companion is a page of different people doing just that. Included is a photo of a group trying to "set the record for most [people] in the Heddon Street phone box at one time"!
Can you find me?
Dick Mac Recommends:
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust
David Bowie
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