The song became a hit in continental Europe from chart-topping cover versions by the Renegades, Hep Stars and the Shamrocks in Finland, Sweden and France, respectively.

The first show featured Taylor with Dickie Pride, Billy Fury, Joe Brown, Jess Conrad, Little Tony, and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates.

[7] While Taylor was dynamic on stage, his unpredictable personality led to many arguments within the band, who parted company with him in 1961 and changed their name to the Bobbie Clarke Noise.

He dressed up for the sound check in his trademark black leather stage gear, and added a chain around his neck with a Joan of Arc medallion, which he had bought on arrival at Calais.

One version of the story says Taylor gave such an extraordinary performance at the sound check that the organizers decided to put him at the top of the bill for both shows.

[1] These songs included the covers "Sweet Little Sixteen", "C'mon Everybody", "Twenty Flight Rock", "Love Me", "Long Tall Sally", "So Glad You're Mine" "Baby Let's Play House" and "Lovin' Up A Storm".

[1] The Playboys were Joey Greco and Claude Djaoui on guitars, Ralph Di Pietro on bass, and Bobbie Clarke on drums.

[11] After Hallyday was required to do national service in the French Army, Clarke again joined Taylor, as the Bobbie Clarke Noise along with Ralph Danks (guitar), Alain Bugby of the Strangers (bass), Johnny Taylor, ex–lead singer for the Strangers (rhythm guitar), and "Stash de Rola" Prince Stanislas Klossowski de Rola (percussion).

Managed by Jean Claude Camus, the band embarked on a triumphant tour of Spain and then co-topped the bill with the Rolling Stones during the Easter week-end of 1965 at the Olympia in Paris.

[1] Danks left to play guitar with Three Dog Night,[citation needed] and later Tom Jones, Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan.

Stash, a close friend of the Rolling Stones, would later produce the Dirty Strangers album featuring Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood.

He also played with Vince Flaherty and his band the Invincibles, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, and the first incarnation of Deep Purple before forming a group, Bodast, with Steve Howe and Dave Curtis.

On 18 August 2010 BBC Radio 4 broadcast the documentary Ziggy Stardust Came from Isleworth which, in the words of the producer, is a programme that "uncovers the truth about a singer whose wild lifestyle ultimately destroyed him, but in so doing he gave rise to a myth that transcended glam-rock and science fiction".