Strand

Strand may refer to:

Places

British Isles

Europe

Roxy Music

Roxy Music were an English rock group formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. Alongside Ferry, the other longtime members were Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone and oboe) and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion). Other former members include Brian Eno (synthesizer and "treatments"), Eddie Jobson (synthesiser and violin), and John Gustafson (bass). Although the band took a break from group activities in 1976 and again in 1983, they reunited for a concert tour in 2001, and toured together intermittently between that time and their break-up in 2011. Ferry frequently enlisted members of Roxy Music as session musicians for his solo releases.

Roxy Music attained popular and critical success in Europe and Australia during the 1970s and early 1980s, beginning with their debut album, Roxy Music (1972). The band were highly influential as leading proponents of the more experimental, musically sophisticated element of glam, as well as a significant influence on early English punk music. They also provided a model for many new wave acts and the experimental electronic groups of the early 1980s. The group are distinguished by their visual and musical sophistication and their preoccupation with style and glamour. Ferry and co-founding member Eno have also had influential solo careers, the latter becoming one of the most significant record producers and collaborators of the late 20th century. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Roxy Music No. 98 on its "The Immortals – 100 The Greatest Artists of All Time" list.

Do the Strand

"Do the Strand" is the first song from English rock band Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. In contrast to the songs from Roxy Music's eponymous debut album, this song starts suddenly without any instrumental fanfare.

As with the rest of the album, the song was recorded at Command Studios, at 201 Piccadilly, London.

Lyrics

The song tries to convince the listener to dance "The Strand", which takes its name from Film noir advertisement for Strand cigarettes. The lyrics include, as is typical for early Roxy Music, references to notable art, including The Sphinx, the Mona Lisa, Lolita and Picasso's Guernica.

The song gives no instructions on how The Strand should be danced. Simon Puxley, writing in 1973, suggested that the dance was "indefinable" and best thought of as "where it's at, whatever turns you on. The buzz, the action, the centre, the quintessence, the energy."

Single

"Do the Strand" was released as a single in 1973 in some countries, although but not the UK. That same year, however, the band performed the song on the UK television music show The Old Grey Whistle Test. It was released as a single in the UK in 1978 to promote Roxy Music's Greatest Hits album, but it failed to chart. Despite this, the song remains one of the most popular amongst the band's fans, especially at live concerts.