HEAVY METAL BUBBLEGUM May be construed as a contradiction in terms.

The first two words suggest an image of brutal chord weals and pounding rhythm, whereas the second unfavourably depicts sickly sweet melodies. Yet the common denominator of both is repetition. The former aims at the gut, and the second at the feet. With the head rolling away in one instance because of a high-decibel blast, andin the second because it fails to function.

However this particular term acts as an invaluable heading for various groups and artists in a necessary post script to last month's in-depth survey of heavy Metal Rock. In fact it is a description of the moulding of two types of music to produce yet another character in the rock circus. Admittedly it's something of a bastardised specimen, which could easily have resulted from the mating of the renowned Bubblegum King Don Kirshner and HM Masters Grand Funk. Metaphorically it is perhaps just that, although Chinn and Chapman meets Suzi Quatro is a far more adequate depiction, The music itself does exist, with that young lady, the Sweet, T. Rex and Gary Glitter being the most prominent exponents. They are neither suitably guttural to be described as Metal, but nor are they excessively twee, Somewhere between the two extremes is a significant, if at first sight blurred, fusion. They all balance there rather precariously, with what appears to be little aspiration to commit themselves either way, and so have created their own genre of rock.

But the existence of this musical sphere is in essence similarto other cross-breeds which have resulted from two or more types of music. The public has seen jazz-rock, blues-rock, classical rock and so on. Yet the most distinctive hybrid must surely be the middle 60s emergence and popularity of Rhythm and Blues. Certain musicians, notably the Animals, came along with their own style of music which was substantially derived from black blues and yet. also contained tremendous commercial potential in the singles market. The Animals string of chart hits, totalling eight between 1964-66, is indeed evidence enough. In the same way that the financial prospects were defined then by certain astute business men so they have been recently. HMB can be seen as an attempt to work out another hit-formula, a basically watered down, or in this instance highly sugared, version of something which has already notched up success with the public en masse. Heavy Metal as it is known today is to a great extent self-indulgent playing, based on riffs and elaborate solos Bands such as Grand Funk, Sabbath, Purple and Uriah Heep are unhesitantly lauded by the new generation of audiences. For whatever reasons is incidental, because now it is an established fanatic cult in popular entertainment, But apart from releases such as "Black Knight'' and "Paranoid'' pure HM has never found regular acceptance in the singles charts. The fundamentals incorporated in the music excessive instrumentation and repetitive riffs have not conformed to the three or four minute 45 And quite often there is rarely any semblance of a melody to provide the necessary hook.

It was inevitable that some whizz kid would eventually combine raunch with bubblegum pop. lay it all down in an immediate impact single. and so break into the charts.

The thinking behind it is obviously commercially orientated. and on an artistic level not particularly commendable in the light of what has been thrust onto the market. But as producer Mickie Most has remarked: "Music is constantly changing. I think that's part of the excitement of the whole thing to be able to understand the public's needs or wants at a particular time... This insight into the public's consciousness by Most has enabled him to have considerable success with his current artist Suzi Quatro. And incidentally it was he who produced the early Animals records. He also signed up the writing' duo of Chinn and Chapman who have created the material for many acts in the HMB field. Although Most may now pat himself on the back for pulling off a hit for Suzi Q after she'd been hanging round London for two years without much luck, we need to go back a little earlier to find the seeds of HMB. And as Miss Q has often been described as a female Marc Bolan, it's a good idea to start with that same gentleman.

Just as HM was eating into a substantial slab of the rock market in 1970, Bolan. then with Tyrannosaurus Rex, was making the transistion from mystical acoustic-folk to electric-rock with some trepidation on the album "Beard Of Stars." And in the same year, but with the abbreviated name of T. Rex, he had a success with "Ride A White Swan." In actual fact the initial hits from Bolan - "Get It On" and "Telegram Sam" - were quite respectable records. Although the simple boogie riffs soon became tedious when repeated throughout his subsequent material.

Bolan however has always vehemently' denied any such similarity between his records, claiming: "Everyone else has revamped "Get it On" and "Telegram Sam'' except T. Rex." But since the middle of 1972. when Rexmania became a regular occurance throughout the concert halls, his musical integrity has diminished in comparison with his earlier work. The results have been rather messy and monotonous records with banal lyrics and a recurrent riff which demands that some part of the anatomy should twitch.

Any part that is. except for the musical discernment cells in the brain. And unfortunately his latest set "Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders Of Tomorrow" fails to be convincing on a musical level. Yet this ever revolving game of musical chairs, Which Most referred to when discussing popular trends. also incorporates an important ingredient of sexuality. Frankly Bolan would appear now to be considerably more concerned with promoting his jam rolly-polly-with-glitter Image, rather than any integrity he may have.

It's quite significant that Gary Glitter', another member of the HMB troupe. carries around a rather unsightly paunch. Whether this has influenced Bolan is arguable, and more important ly, not worth considering. Yet he too bases his act on an uncompromising sexual level, Taunting his audience like a hooker would the wilting man. Glitter's panache in performance however takes him more into the realms of a showbiz attraction. rather than a grotesque figure of HMB. as most of the other artists turn out to be.

But with the limited range of material that he has so far managed to offer, he certainly needs a stage act to elevate him Out of the norm. A characteristic which is decidedly apparent in T. Rex, Sweet and Quatro. Even though Mike Leander, a notable pop composer of some years standing, is Glitter's co-writer, they failed, perhaps deliberately, to mesh the basics of HM and bubblegum.

Instead with "Rock And Roll Parts 1 and 2" in '72 they stripped the Metal bare of it's rudimentary percussive impetus and surround it with the primaeval chants and yelps of the title line over and over and over again What they have virtually achieved was an aural riff with the same endearing simplicity of one of Funk's bass riffs, and then propelled it through the short span of a single. The result was a voice motif which an audience could participate in. And although it is not a musical trait of any real significance, it was unique. Banal, but new. Glitter's recorded mating calls, "Do You Wanna Touch Me" and "Leader Of The Gang", followed the same principal. Few peoples' intelects were taxed, and as Mr G the fashion boutique refugee has frequently observed, it's all good fun.

It's also interesting aside that his success was later reflected in the fact that during the same week of October 1973, Barry Blue, Springfield Revival, and the Goodies all released singles with exactly the same kind of backing track Glitter used. Of course he's since brought contrast into his production line of singles with "Remember Me This Way." Quite frankly I'd rather not. Other people however have been able to muster up enough conviction in this area of music to justify its existence.

Nicky Chinn has expounded the virtues of his work in the following terms: "Bubblegum turns the kids on," he said, "It's the sort of music you can use some imagination with. We've gotta write music that rocks, and when you're into that you've gotta be ultra-commercial if you want to be successful." And ultra-commercial and successful he and his partner certainly are, with a string of best sellers for three performers (Sweet, Quatro, and Mud) and multi-million sales-figures all told. Since 1973 they've contributed greatly to HMB. With Sweet they'd already established an image for the band two years earlier with the synthetic pap of "Funny Funny." Which was followed by such records as "Co Co" and "Little Willy": in otherwords, all basically the same safe pop formula. Yet Sweet decided a new, more significant aura for themselves was required. As Brian Connolly explained: "There's nothing worse than being a frustrated musician," So Chinn and Chapman came up with "Blockbuster," A riff number based on the Nashville Teens "Tobacco Road," or equally derivitive of the Yardbirds "l'm A Man." And commenting on what is basically the predictability of the public's askew taste, Chapman said: "It's a good thing to revive riffs from the past because you know kids like it.',

But even though a safe bet according to their own ideology, it still caused the duo some consternation at first. Perhaps made even more acute by the coincidence of an almost indentical riff appearing in Bowie's "Jean Genie." But another hit formula series was created, and subsequently along came "Heliraiser.' and "Ballroom Blitz."

While Sweet search for integrity in their music, for this purpose releasing an album basically of their own material at the end of April, Suzi Q was looking for a hit after paying her dues first in Detroit rock 'n' roll bands, and then in England as Mickie Most's protege'. "Can The Can" materialised, and has since been repeated twice again, but with new sets of lyrics and slight alterations for "48 Crash" and "Daytona Demon."

"We get a lot of criticism from people saying we're getting money for old rope,'' Chinn has said, "but it's not easy to write plastic songs." Not even if they retain the original mould? I would have thought that was the good business sense behind any form of manutacturing industry.

Perhaps Miss Q, in her Wicked Wanda leathers, displays a kind of sexual raunch to put the music over, rather like Sweet and Glitter do as well. But at least she's had the HM upbringing of the Motor-City, and no doubt influences of the MC5 show in her work. And although Mud are utilising the well-proven Chinnichap formula for "The Cat Crept In," they don't transmit the same kind of dynamic energy Miss Q does.

The future of Heavy Metal Bubblegum though is rather dismal when you consider what already exists in this area. There seems to be very little of anything particularly worihwhile, and there are no real indications that a substantial music will proliferate in the future.

Sadly the commercial mindedness of it all severely limits any creative abilities which may be there because too many of the artists, producers and composers wish to play it safe. In fact an interesting parallel is with the heydays of the group boom in the '60s, when the be-all and end-all of the business was to have a hit single, and then hopefully a triumphant follow up.

The same applies now, with both Sweet and Glitter hanging on to a successful formula until the ground is firmly established under their feet. Similarly the Kinks in the '60s followed "You Really Got Me" with an uptempo change for the same rift on "All Day And All Of The Night." But isn't "Got Me" credited as being the first Heavy Metal Single? Surely the coincidence is singularly significant, and as it's where this adventure started, and it seems a good place to finish. Sleep on it.

Tony Stewart.

Webmasters note:

I`d love to hear Mr Stewarts opinion of Glam today.. I bet he defends it over stuff that will never be hip again .. Yes, Genesis etc.. anyway, as the man said "Bubblegum turns the kids on" ..I`m glad I was one of those kids.. and I *was* turned on.. Kids today? pah, they don`t even admit to being kids..

later!

-Steve