This song is not a "gay anthem." Bowie, and Mott the Hoople, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Marc Bolan, etc, et al, were Glam rockers. Glam was neither gay nor straight. It was a refutation of sexual stereotypes. The movement said, "It doesn't matter what I look like. I can wear a dress and be a man, or a suit and be a woman. I don't care what you think of me, and I will wear makeup if I want." Glam rock was an offshoot of the rebelious hippie movement, and paved the way for the metal image in the 80s. 80s bands like Poison, Montley Crue, Guns and Roses --- long haired guys, wearing makeup and possessing a general "F.U." attitude towards the establishment. Some of the Glam rockers were bisexual (though certainly not all of them), and that was yet another way of thumbing their noses at the people in charge. Just like the hippies of the previous decade had done pot and acid, and had "free love," in order to piss off their parents. The glam generation kicked it up a notch. They had "free love," as well -- regardless of gender -- and they graduated to harder drugs - more club-type varieties - speed and amyl nitrate amongst them.
Anyway, Bowie sings backup on Mott the Hoople's version of this song (you can clearly hear him singing the main hook, "All the young dudes..." etc...)
I have to agree with others here, who are complimenting Mott the Hoople. It's a shame they were only a one-hit wonder, because so much of their other stuff deserves more credit, too.
This song is not a "gay anthem." Bowie, and Mott the Hoople, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Marc Bolan, etc, et al, were Glam rockers. Glam was neither gay nor straight. It was a refutation of sexual stereotypes. The movement said, "It doesn't matter what I look like. I can wear a dress and be a man, or a suit and be a woman. I don't care what you think of me, and I will wear makeup if I want." Glam rock was an offshoot of the rebelious hippie movement, and paved the way for the metal image in the 80s. 80s bands like Poison, Montley Crue, Guns and Roses --- long haired guys, wearing makeup and possessing a general "F.U." attitude towards the establishment. Some of the Glam rockers were bisexual (though certainly not all of them), and that was yet another way of thumbing their noses at the people in charge. Just like the hippies of the previous decade had done pot and acid, and had "free love," in order to piss off their parents. The glam generation kicked it up a notch. They had "free love," as well -- regardless of gender -- and they graduated to harder drugs - more club-type varieties - speed and amyl nitrate amongst them.
Anyway, Bowie sings backup on Mott the Hoople's version of this song (you can clearly hear him singing the main hook, "All the young dudes..." etc...)
I have to agree with others here, who are complimenting Mott the Hoople. It's a shame they were only a one-hit wonder, because so much of their other stuff deserves more credit, too.