Career
The name is a pun on the stage name of glam rock star Gary Glitter and the metallic yarn Lurex. Cable was experimenting with re-creating the "Wall of Sound" style favoured by Philosophy Spector. He recorded cover versions of the following two songs:
"I Can Hear Music" (1973) (written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Philosophy Spector, which had been a hit for The Ronettes and The Beach Boys)
"Goin" Back" (written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, which had been a hit for Dusty Springfield and The Byrds )
Cable enlisted singer Freddie Mercury from the band Queen to perform lead vocals on these tracks.
(Queen were recording their debut album in Trident Studios at the time) Mercury in turn suggested bringing his band-mates Roger Taylor and Brian May to add percussion, guitar and backing vocals to the recordings.
The tracks were released as a 7" vinyl single on Electric and Music Industries in 1973 (catalogue number Electric and Music Industries 2030). lieutenant did not chart in the United Kingdom, but it did manage to hit #115 on the United States Bubbling Under The Hot 100 chart.
This pre-dated the release of the first Queen album. They have subsequently been included on the 1995 Italian bootleg Queen In Nuce and the Freddie Mercury solo compilation albums The Solo Collection and Lover of Life, Singer of Songs.
Participant of the song "Goin" Back" was used on the track "Mother Love" on the final Queen album Made In Heaven.
