A haunting declaration of love wrapped in the guise of glam rock rebellion
There was something undeniably theatrical about the 1970s. The music wasn’t just heard; it was seen, felt, and experienced. And few artists embodied this more than Alvin Stardust. With his slicked-back black hair, sideburns, and head-to-toe black leather, he was the personification of a moody, rock ‘n’ roll rebel. Yet, beneath that stoic, “untouchable” exterior, a vulnerability often peeked through in his songs, none more so than with his 1974 hit, “You You You.” This track, written and produced by the talented Peter Shelley, was a pivotal moment in the Alvin Stardust story. It was his fourth consecutive top 10 hit in the UK, reaching a respectable peak position of number 6 on the Official Singles Chart.
But to truly understand “You You You,” you have to understand the man behind the persona. Alvin Stardust was, of course, the alter ego of Bernard Jewry, a singer who had tasted a modicum of fame in the early 1960s as Shane Fenton. He was a young rock ‘n’ roller who, for a time, had the world at his feet. But as the musical landscape shifted with the arrival of the Beatles and the British Invasion, Shane Fenton‘s star faded. It’s a story so many musicians of that era lived—the fleeting moment of glory, followed by years of trying to find a new place in a world that had moved on.
For Bernard Jewry, this meant a period of working on cruise ships and performing in folk clubs, a far cry from the whirlwind of pop stardom. It wasn’t until Peter Shelley sought him out in 1973 for a song called “My Coo-Ca-Choo” that his fortunes changed. The song was a smash, and with a new image crafted from a blend of Gene Vincent and Lee Marvin, Alvin Stardust was born. This new character was everything Shane Fenton wasn’t: brooding, mysterious, and effortlessly cool. His debut album, aptly titled The Untouchable, reinforced this image.
By the time “You You You” came around, the public was well and truly captivated by this new persona. The song is a masterful piece of glam rock, with its driving beat and soaring, almost desperate, chorus. But listen closely to the lyrics. “You, you, you are all I live for,” he sings, a simple, poignant declaration that cuts through the bravado. It’s a song of singular, all-consuming devotion, a desperate plea for reciprocated love. The raw, emotional honesty of the words, delivered by the “untouchable” Alvin Stardust, created a fascinating juxtaposition. It was as if the mask had slipped for a moment, revealing the vulnerable soul of Bernard Jewry beneath the black leather facade.
For those of us who remember those days, the song evokes a powerful sense of nostalgia. It was a time when pop music felt alive and brimming with personality. “You You You” stands as a testament to that era. It’s a song that proves that even in a genre defined by spectacle and showmanship, a simple, heartfelt love song could still resonate deeply. It’s the sound of a rock ‘n’ roll survivor, a man who found his way back to the spotlight and, in doing so, captured the hearts of a new generation.
Oldies Songs