I used to work for a sweat-shop like magazine publishing company in NYC. A man named JIm worked along side me in the Art Dept. and his two great musical loves were Iggy and Bruce. We listened to music all day long. I had heard the Stooges before but they didn't fully click with me until I met Jim at work in '92.
I was hooked. We decided one day on a lark to send Iggy a package. I do not remember what address we used or how we got it. We mailed him black and white promo shot that was hanging around the office and a 6 inch thick package of the magazines we worked on. We highlighted all the mistakes made within our magazines such as misspellings on the cover. We ridiculed ourselves and wished him luck inenjoying the crap we were paid to create. (This included sci-fi, rap, wrestling, female body building, horror, car racing and a dozen other niche magazines.) We also asked him to sign the glossy and included two personal letters with two self addressed stamped envelopes.
We waited. And waited. Months go by and we forget the whole thing. At the time I was engaged and by now my wedding day had come. The very morning of my wedding the letter arrived. It was a very short hand written note with the included glossy. I do not remember what he wrote because the note was addressed to Jim. The letters were switched. I put the note in my pocket and carried it to my wedding. When Jim arrived to my wedding we were both smiling holding each others letters. I immediately opened mine and it read: "Funhouse got me fired." with a poorly drawn hand flipping me the bird and signed Iggy Pop. His letter was a response to my letter which only contained the words, "Funhouse is my favorite album."
(We later confirmed the handwriting against writings found on some of his albums and other soources.)
So the moment I kissed my wife in front of family and friends I held in my tuxedo breast pocket a hand written personal letter from Iggy Pop giving me the middle finger. And to this day the letter is embedded within my wedding photo album falling chronologically next to the moment I became a married man.
As much fun and mayhem I have experienced at his shows, this is my favorite Iggy story.
I can not exaggerate the love I have for this man's music. Nothing else sounds like it. Nothing else equals it in its pure energy.
Great post Tom. Iggy however did reach top 20 once with Candy.
Tom Watson
· 2 years ago
Slappy, that's one hell of a wedding day tale...didn't remember about Candy. You know he made his big money on Bowie's China Girl hit...
Slappy
· 2 years ago
Yep. And I think Iggy repaid the favor (so to speak) with Lust For Life.
Iggy must now make a pretty penny off of commercials. I hear his music all the time on TV. Well edited of course.
Why Tom do you call it a myth that there would be no Clash/Pistols etc without Iggy? Certainly Iggy was playing a new kind of music that inspired many, including the Ramones, Dolls and Pistols. And without Iggy, Ziggy Stardust would have NEVER been born. Much of punk and glam can be directly traced back to Iggy. Rock and roll would have been born without Elvis but it probably would have had a different sound. Why is this a myth?
There are some artists who it is hard to exaggerate their influence. Iggy Pop is one of them I believe. James Brown, Black Sabbath, Beatles come to mind too.
And another thought: Funhouse may be my all time favorite album cover. I've known people who had owned the album (vinyl I'm talking) for years and never saw the double image because they never happened to hold it wrong side up. And once you know its there, you can't believe you ever missed it.
Tom Watson
· 2 years ago
The only reason I say myth, per se, is because of the idea of Iggy as the singular force behind it all - in reality, he was part of something larger; certainly in terms of coming out of the Detroit scene in any case. He synthesized and reinvented, took rock to some different places. But I think the direct tracing back to the single kernel of Iggy Pop is mythical...
Paddy
· 2 years ago
Killer review!! My ex-husband hung with Iggy and his crowd back in the day in Detroit/AA. He's a huge fan & got me into him- Now I have a GREAT present for his b-day (April 18th) and to celebrate Iggys' (April 21st).
My favorite Iggy story? Saw him at the Cameo Theatre in Miami Beach (my first time live) around '84. RIVETING. Just so feral & electric!!! I hadn't gotten it until then, but man, it was something. I had my hand up when he came by (like MANY of the ladies- hey, we've seen the pic of him naked!), so he slaps it, laughs, bend down and makes kissy faces at me. OH MY.
Killer, just killer.
Sylvester fung
· 2 years ago
I saw Iggy about 10 years ago at the American Legion Hall in Los Angeles, and it is still, hands down, the loudest concert I have ever seen, before or since.
The Viscount
· 2 years ago
I have to relate a story my wife likes to tell. Back in the early 80s, before I knew her, she worked in a small record store in a small town in western PA. She and her co-workers were punks and did not much care how much money the owners made - as long as they had fun! When the shop got crowded with bogus people asking after Toto's new record, or if it was getting close to closing time, "Steve" would say, "Time for 'Zombie Birdhouse' " and after a few short minutes the place would be empty...
I remember reading a review of one of his records in the NY Times where they kept referring to him as "Mr. Pop."
DJ Equip
· 9 months ago
Iggy pop is surely amazing. Great review by the way. He puts on a killer show. I caught one of his shows in Athens Greece of all places back in the mid 90's....
wishnew
· 8 months ago
One of my favorite and the review is really complete
Known People
· 8 months ago
I saw iggy and he really impressed me. i don't know what he has but it makes me shiver
phone credit card processing
· 2 months ago
I saw Iggy about 10 years ago at the American Legion Hall in Los Angeles, and it is still, hands down, the loudest concert I have ever seen, before or since.
All Comments
I was hooked. We decided one day on a lark to send Iggy a package. I do not remember what address we used or how we got it. We mailed him black and white promo shot that was hanging around the office and a 6 inch thick package of the magazines we worked on. We highlighted all the mistakes made within our magazines such as misspellings on the cover. We ridiculed ourselves and wished him luck inenjoying the crap we were paid to create. (This included sci-fi, rap, wrestling, female body building, horror, car racing and a dozen other niche magazines.) We also asked him to sign the glossy and included two personal letters with two self addressed stamped envelopes.
We waited. And waited. Months go by and we forget the whole thing. At the time I was engaged and by now my wedding day had come. The very morning of my wedding the letter arrived. It was a very short hand written note with the included glossy. I do not remember what he wrote because the note was addressed to Jim. The letters were switched. I put the note in my pocket and carried it to my wedding. When Jim arrived to my wedding we were both smiling holding each others letters. I immediately opened mine and it read: "Funhouse got me fired." with a poorly drawn hand flipping me the bird and signed Iggy Pop. His letter was a response to my letter which only contained the words, "Funhouse is my favorite album."
(We later confirmed the handwriting against writings found on some of his albums and other soources.)
So the moment I kissed my wife in front of family and friends I held in my tuxedo breast pocket a hand written personal letter from Iggy Pop giving me the middle finger. And to this day the letter is embedded within my wedding photo album falling chronologically next to the moment I became a married man.
As much fun and mayhem I have experienced at his shows, this is my favorite Iggy story.
I can not exaggerate the love I have for this man's music. Nothing else sounds like it. Nothing else equals it in its pure energy.
Great post Tom. Iggy however did reach top 20 once with Candy.
Iggy must now make a pretty penny off of commercials. I hear his music all the time on TV. Well edited of course.
Why Tom do you call it a myth that there would be no Clash/Pistols etc without Iggy? Certainly Iggy was playing a new kind of music that inspired many, including the Ramones, Dolls and Pistols. And without Iggy, Ziggy Stardust would have NEVER been born. Much of punk and glam can be directly traced back to Iggy. Rock and roll would have been born without Elvis but it probably would have had a different sound. Why is this a myth?
There are some artists who it is hard to exaggerate their influence. Iggy Pop is one of them I believe. James Brown, Black Sabbath, Beatles come to mind too.
And another thought: Funhouse may be my all time favorite album cover. I've known people who had owned the album (vinyl I'm talking) for years and never saw the double image because they never happened to hold it wrong side up. And once you know its there, you can't believe you ever missed it.
My favorite Iggy story? Saw him at the Cameo Theatre in Miami Beach (my first time live) around '84. RIVETING. Just so feral & electric!!! I hadn't gotten it until then, but man, it was something. I had my hand up when he came by (like MANY of the ladies- hey, we've seen the pic of him naked!), so he slaps it, laughs, bend down and makes kissy faces at me. OH MY.
Killer, just killer.
I remember reading a review of one of his records in the NY Times where they kept referring to him as "Mr. Pop."