aswad are a touring band, they have had lots of hits. the early anti—apartheid things, i believe that abc did a documentary 50 years at glastonbury and aswad played there at least three times. they were always conscious about the state of the world, about writing and supporting the downtrodden and the environment. it is and supporting the downtrodden and the environment.— the environment. it is so interesting _ the environment. it is so interesting you - the environment. it is so interesting you mention | the environment. it is so - interesting you mention those the environment. it is so _ interesting you mention those causes that were important and that the band has been vocal about. what about the cultural impact of the band itself? such a huge part in the musical history of this country now. absolutely, they were the first major band to be signed to a huge label, island records, chris blackwell, and in the days when aswad were signed to island records, reggae came one—way from jamaica, they didn't really take anything else that was re

.# jem aswad is the deputy music editor at variety and also a self—confessed david bowie fan — hejoinsgs, why are the lyrics to this song so important?— so important? this is a song that really — so important? this is a song that really made _ so important? this is a song that really made him - so important? this is a song that really made him into i so important? this is a song that really made him into a l that really made him into a superstar, killian britain. if you read any number of david bowie biographies you can find a galaxy of future movie stars from the 80s saw top of the pops that day, i think it was 6 july 1972 and said "it changed my life. boy george, echoing the money men, the pet shop boys, joy division, they all saw that performance and said it completely changed them. a lot of them saw him on that that year. so people call it the summer of ziggy stardust, the summer of ziggy stardust, the summer of 1972. so i feel like the lyrics represent the beginning of that, represent the cornerstone of something that really did change a lot of people's lives.— that really did cha

earlier, i spoke tojem aswad, the deputy music editor at variety, and also a david bowie fan.tar, particularly in britain. if you read any number of bowie biographies, you can find a galaxy of future music stars from the �*80s, saw top of the pops that day, i think it was 6july1972, and said "it changed my life." boy george, ian mcculloch from echo and the bunnymen, the guys from pet shop boys, they guys from joy division, they all saw that performance and said that it completely changed them. a lot of them saw him on that that year. so people call it the summer of ziggy stardust, the summer of 1972. so i feel like the lyrics represent the beginning of that, and represent the cornerstone of something that really did change a lot of people's lives. and what was it for you that changed your life from david bowie, what was it that drew you towards him? initially, i was ten years old, and there used to be these late—night television shows here in the states that had rock bands on them. i saw the new york dolls, i saw sly and the family stone and all these groups, and they aired th