The album that nearly killed Iggy Pop's career

Iggy Pop : Knocking 'Em Down (In the City)

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In February of 1980 Iggy Pop released Soldier, an album almost as lifeless as the zombie Pop appears to be portraying on the cover. On paper, it should have worked. Iggy recorded the album with former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock, ex-XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews, Steve New, formerly of Rich Kids, and Ivan Kral, Patti Smith's former bass player. A reluctant James Williamson of The Stooges was  hired to produce the album after doing such a fine job writing and producing the songs on New Values. Arista Records wanted a record that would make Iggy a star.

The magic did not happen a second time.  As Paul Trynka writes in Iggy Pop ( Open Up and Bleed), Iggy was unhappy to be recording in Wales. The recordings were leaden. The songs dull. Williamson was bringing a bottle of vodka and a revolver to the sessions. The musicians assumed it was loaded, but nobody ever asked. 

"No on was flying the plane," Andrews told Trynka.

The only highlight of the sessions was the day David Bowie visited, wearing a cape. He sat down in the studio dining room and entertained the band as well as members of Simple Minds who were recording next door. Bowie captivated the room with a story about infamous British gangster John Bindon, his giant cock, and his affair with Princess Margaret. 

On the spot, much to Williamson's chagrin, they decided to record a song about the gangster. Bowie recruited Simple Minds to sing back-up.

 "It was fairly easy to song," recalled their lead singer Jim Kerr to Mojo April 2012. "In his diplomatic way, Bowie said, 'Why don't the people who sing professionally step nearer the microphone, and those who don't step well back? That's how I came to find myself sandwiched between David Bowie and Iggy Pop, singing that song. Astonishing."

All lyrics about the gangster and Princess Margaret were taken out before final mixing. The world has never heard the line "I wish I was Johnny Bindon with the biggest fuckin' dick in London and a private income..."

In fact a lot seemed to be missing when the album was finally released. There were some kind reviews noting a "quirky" sound but Soldier quickly vanished without a trace. 

Barry Andrews had to buy his own copy of the album. He tells Trynka about the first time he heard Soldier:

"I was flattered there were so many of my keyboards on it. Then, quite quickly, I realized it had none of the virtues of a good Iggy Pop record."

He would forever refer to it as "the one that came after the good ones."