Order Now! That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit: Phil Ochs's Search for Self
In the 1960s many folk music enthusiasts saw political troubadour Phil Ochs as second only to Bob Dylan in terms of topical songwriting. But in reality Phil was the person everyone thought Bob Dylan was. It was Phil who wrote the soundtrack of the 1960s Antiwar Movement with such songs as “I Ain’t Marching Anymore,” “Draft Dodger Rag,” “The War Is Over,” and “White Boots Marchin’ in a Yellow Land.” It was Phil who participated in countless antiwar rallies and benefits at the expense of his own music career. Yet Phil and his legacy have faded over the decades. When he is remembered, his life and his story are often overshadowed by his alleged bipolar disorder, his alcoholism, and his suicide on April 7, 1976 at the young age of 35.
That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit, offers a fresh examination and reconsideration of Phil Ochs. Rather than present a straightaway biography, it focuses on exploring who Phil saw and understood himself to be. That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit digs deep into Phil's personality and identity to reveal the story that Phil would share if he was still alive. In telling Phil's own story, That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit provides insights into how his search for self drove all aspects of his life including his important contributions to the music and politics of the 1960s. It unlocks the door to many important themes that ran throughout and shaped his life, a life that ultimately was about Phil's search for self. Through Phil's story of his search for who he was, the reader comes to understand the impact of his early child development with a distant mother; the safety and comfort he found taking refuge throughout his life in darkened movie theaters and with his heroes of the Silver Screen; how his own need to be and be seen as heroic influenced his songwriting and political activism; and how being unsuccessful in his search ultimately led to his suicide.
That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit is the perfect book for Phil Ochs fans, enthusiasts of the 1960s folk music scene, and general readers of folk music and music biographies.
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Praise for That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit
“I was a close friend of Phil's and loved his songs. This book both introduced me to Phil as a person and brilliantly got at his songs.” Josh Dunson-Author of Freedom in the Air: Song Movements of the Sixties
“In That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit you will hear the true voice of Phil Ochs, the inner voice that drove his life, his music and his career. From Phil's dysfunctional family to his competition with Dylan to his love for America, Bowers masterfully analyzes the forces behind the music and the man and provides new insights and understanding. A unique and compelling read.” Ron Cooke-Folk DJ on KTAL 101.5 FM and regular contributor to FolkWorks magazine
"This is a must read for any Phil Ochs or Folk music fan. Extremely well researched, That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit: Phil Ochs’ s Search for Self provides new and insightful perspectives to Phil's life and lyrics, and accordingly an even greater appreciation for Phil Ochs. Thank you Jim Bowers for keeping Phil Ochs and his work as a prominent influence for all of us." Scott Wachter-Phil Ochs Fan and Enthusiast
That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit's First 5 Star Review
5 out of 5 stars
PROFILE OF A HERO
As the first major biography of topical songwriter Phil Ochs (1940-1976) to appear in 25 years, the publication of “That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit” represents an exciting milestone in our understanding and appreciation of this once-influential musician.
Ochs was by far the most prominent political folk singer/protest singer of the Vietnam War era – and, without question, his songs were instrumental in helping to catalyze popular opposition to the war – a war now just about universally condemned as a terrible and wasteful, public policy error.
But Jim Bowers’s book goes well beyond Ochs’s political role by taking a psycho-historical approach to biography. Bowers takes a close look at Ochs’s difficult childhood, his youthful hero worship of movie icon John Wayne, and Ochs’s emerging desire to play his own heroic role --- as singer/songwriter -- in helping to rescue his beloved America from such plagues as war, racism, injustice, and inequality.
Bowers particularly excels in his deep dive into Ochs's relationship with Bob Dylan, spending plenty of time walking us through the smoky clubs and coffee houses of 1960s Greenwich Village as a means of exploring their intriguing, frenemy-style connection. Ochs strongly admired Dylan's artistry and popularity -- and craved to equal or even exceed Dylan in impact, success, and critical acclaim. But, frustratingly, this dream that would forever remain far beyond Ochs’s reach.
The book also explores Ochs’s precipitous comedown in the aftermath of his vanguard activism at the Chicago 1968 Democratic convention, with its police riot and with the party’s nomination of a pro-war candidate.
And, as reflected in the title, the book looks closely at Ochs's desperate and grandiose attempt to personally rescue America by reinventing himself within the figure of a hybrid, musical Che Guevara/Elvis Presley persona – clothing himself in a gold suit modelled on Elvis's. As Elvis/Che, he would offer audiences a new style of song. Through these songs, Ochs aspired to fulfill his aspiration to heroically unite and save his country -- and he’d do it by broadening his music’s appeal to working-class listeners. Well, his vision had failed in Chicago, and, alas, his vision failed in the gold lamé suit, too. Battling alcoholism, mental illness, and professional disappointment, Ochs soon suffered a steady psychological decline that culminated in his suicide in 1976 at age 35.
Phil Ochs will forever stand tall in the annals of American folk music for his uncanny capacity to articulate the tragic nature of America's Vietnam disaster within a protest song format that both educated and motivated the listener.
With some exceptions, the relative fame he once enjoyed has substantially faded. Fortunately, Ochs’s sister, Sonny Ochs, has been instrumental in organizing “Phil Ochs Song Nights” around the country in recent decades, where contemporary artists bring his music back to life. There are also two active Phil Ochs affinity groups on Facebook.
Aiming to re-energize and inject renewed interest in the Ochs legacy, Bowers has reminded activists, of all stripes, of the value and power of artistic expression as an effective tool for positive change. By helping to bring Phil Ochs more fully back into the public spotlight, Bowers has performed a valuable public service. Nearly a half-century after his death, Ochs lands on his feet, with his heroism intact.
Jim Bowers has reminded us that Phil Ochs stands as a role model for us all. (Steve Vitoff-Phil Ochs enthusiast, originally posted December 15, 2023 on Barnes & Noble)
Table of Content
Preface
Chapter 1: “What’s Left When I’m Gone Is the Songs”
Chapter 2: “My Whole Life Has Been a Dream”
Chapter 3: “Would You Like Someone to Share Your Misery?”
Chapter 4: “I Remember Movies as a Kid”
Chapter 5: “Buckley Is the Only Cat That’s Really Together”
Chapter 6: “Woody Wrote ‘This Land Is Your Land.’ I Wrote ‘Power and Glory’”
Chapter 7: “I Always Loved Dylan”
Chapter 8: “Am I a Complete Phony as He Thinks—Is That True?”
Chapter 9: “America…Has Lost Sight of Its Own Identity”
Chapter 10: “I Was Hurt”
Chapter 11: “I Decided to Do Just What I Wanted to Do”
Chapter 12: “My Concerts Ought to be Called ‘Elvis Presley Meets Che Guevara’”
Chapter 13: “I Turn Myself on With the Birth of a Song”
Chapter 14: “People Love Dead People the Most”
Acknowledgements
References
About the author
Jim Bowers is a retired professor of Political Science & Legal Studies. He also is a political analyst and former city-wide elected official in the middle-sized city in which he resides. Over his 34-year career, Jim has written or edited a number of books on topics ranging from mayoral leadership to political campaigns to abortion & constitutional theory. That Man in the Gold Lamé Suit is his first book about music. Jim’s teaching career included a diverse collection of courses, one of which was “Music & Politics.” Having recorded three CDs of his original music, Jim also is a singer/songwriter, and he brings that sensitivity to telling Phil’s story of his search for self.