The Last Gasps of Glitter: A Ferocious, Tongue-in-Cheek Hard Rock Stomp That Signalled Glam’s Glorious, Decadent Demise.
The mid-1970s in the UK were a dramatic, often chaotic landscape where the theatrical excess of Glam Rock was locked in a noisy death rattle, soon to be silenced by the raw fury of Punk. Standing defiantly in the middle of this fray was Wizzard, the flamboyant collective led by the inimitable Roy Wood, formerly of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra. Known for their chaotic stage presence, massive sound, and liberal application of makeup, Wizzard delivered a final, glorious explosion of theatrical rock with the 1975 single, “Rattlesnake Roll.” It is a track that, in retrospect, sounds like a magnificent farewell party to a dying era, full of swagger and noise, even as the walls were closing in.
Key Information: The single “Rattlesnake Roll” was released in the UK in June 1975. While Wizzard had previously scored massive chart hits with anthems like “See My Baby Jive” (UK No. 1) and the perennial Christmas classic “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” (UK No. 4), this particular single marked a noticeable decline in their commercial chart performance. “Rattlesnake Roll” did not chart on the UK Singles Chart, signaling that the public’s appetite for Wizzard’s particular brand of over-the-top rock spectacle was waning. Despite its commercial disappointment, the track remains a beloved and ferocious fan favorite, showcasing the band’s unparalleled musical proficiency, with Roy Wood and company delivering a complex, multi-layered hard rock masterpiece.
The story behind “Rattlesnake Roll” is a dramatic narrative of artistic defiance in the face of commercial reality. Roy Wood was a composer who treated pop music like a vibrant, chaotic orchestra, often employing layers of brass, strings, and the thunder of multiple drums, all while decked out in full, outrageous war paint. By 1975, the public’s ear was simplifying, moving towards the directness of bands like Status Quo or the sophisticated pop of Queen. Wood, however, refused to pare down his vision. “Rattlesnake Roll” is a dense, high-velocity track where a driving, distorted guitar riff is augmented by the unexpected crunch of heavy brass—a glorious clash between a Chuck Berry-esque rock riff and Wood’s signature, kitchen-sink production style. It’s a song that sounds expensive, chaotic, and completely confident in its own absurdity.
The meaning of the song is pure, hedonistic rock-and-roll bravado with a strong element of playful danger. The “Rattlesnake Roll” itself is less a dance and more a state of mind—a frantic, irresistible urge to move, to be reckless, and to engage in the kind of weekend abandon that defined the excesses of the Glam era. The lyrics are delivered with a tongue-in-cheek snarl: “Rattlesnake Roll is comin’ / Gonna break you up tonight!” It’s a shout into the void, a promise of a party so good it might just kill you, an invitation to a final moment of glittering, glorious self-destruction before the harsh light of a new musical era breaks.
For the older reader, “Rattlesnake Roll” is a potent, nostalgic reminder of the sheer, unadulterated fun that Glam Rock represented—a moment when music was loud, visual, and joyfully ridiculous. It evokes the memory of standing in front of the radio, cranking up the volume to hear a song that sounded unlike anything else on the dial, a track that, though a commercial flop, was a spectacular creative success. It stands today as Wizzard’s great, defiant gesture, a final, thunderous salute to the power of the spectacle before the curtains of the 1970s Glam theater closed forever.