[ ]   [ ]   [ ]                        [ ]      [ ]   [ ]
Billy Idol — Flesh For Fantasy
Album: Rebel Yell
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2158









Released: 1983
Length: 4:32
Plays (last 30 days): 0
There's a change in pace
Of fantasy and taste
Do you like good music
Do you like to dance
Oh yeah
Hangin' out for a body shop at night
Ain't it strange what we do to feel alright
Oh yeah
So when will you call
I am experienced oh yeah

Face to face
And back to back
You see and feel
My sex attack
Sing it, flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want flesh, flesh for fantasy

It's after midnight
Are you feeling alright
Oh yeah
Turn out the light babe
Are you someone else tonight
Neighbor to neighbor, door to door
Don't ask questions
There's time for it all, oh yeah

Face to face
And back to back
You see and feel
My sex attack
Sing it, flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want flesh, flesh for fantasy

I sing for culture
Father loves his son
Mothers, daughters too
It's an old, old story
Cries the new world too

Flesh, flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want, flesh, flesh for fantasy
We want, flesh, flesh for fantasy
You cry, flesh, flesh for fantasy

Let's go down, let's go down
Let's go down, let's go down
Let's go down, let's go down

Do you like good music
Do you like to dance
It's nearly mornin'
You want to risk a chance
Neighbor to neighbor
Door to door

Enjoy the crime
You do your time
Never been nothin' before
Comments (131)add comment
Idol and Stevens! killer
Always reminded me of a song by Simple Minds from New Gold Dreams - with a different singer
He's as casual as can be, or what's it what I'm understanding:"Rash, rash for ./."?
 timmus wrote:

Heard the opening drum beat and was expecting Exile's "Kiss You All Over".  Would be something to hear that one on RP.



yes! i'd love that!

but, i'm enjoying hearing this one again for the first time in ages, too.
Natural segue: the Fixx! BillG: contemplate this!!
 noe.architecte169 wrote:

Love him since I am 15 years old. His personality and the sound of Steve Steven. Very good cocktail 




oh yea very   good lead guitar,, cant get  "white wedding"  video out of my head from mtv days...lol
Heard the opening drum beat and was expecting Exile's "Kiss You All Over".  Would be something to hear that one on RP.
 geege wrote:

damn good memories of dancin' in smokey bars, filled with leather & hairspray.




And Capezio shoes!
damn good memories of dancin' in smokey bars, filled with leather & hairspray.
Yes, '83 in Boulder was wild, and we sure enjoyed it! Billy Idol was a regular kick in the ears on the airwaves, and it was a year of adventure and rebelliousness! We were tubing the raging snowmelt rapids of untamed Boulder Creek (before the city safety-engineered the strategic series of terraced pools)... We had the shroomiest Indian Peaks ascents and camped at the feet of many glaciers... There was 4th of July skiing at A-Basin... There was always and everywhere decent weed, there were some hash hot-knives, and even some Mr. Natural. There was beer and whiskey and tequila and no one can remember much about the Three for One Fridays at The Walrus except we had a great time wading through peanut shells... Thanks, RP, for keeping it all a-juggle in such fine synaptic flux, world without end, amen.
The boss of 1983-1984
Yeah, baby! Fun Summer of '83 primo sing-along stuff! Me and Kevin and Kurt and Jeff were Living the Vacation here in Boulder, hiking, biking, getting baked daily, hitting Liquor Mart, tubing The Creek, climbing rocks, oh and I guess we worked some when we had to, but it was all well above Standard Orbit, Captain...
Love him since I am 15 years old. His personality and the sound of Steve Steven. Very good cocktail 
 gurke wrote:

and Steve Stevens is lifting lead and rhythm guitar play to a fantastic level... 



and bass
When this came out, it was overplayed on the radio, and I didn't like it! Now I  LIKE IT! It sounds so much better in FLAC w/ K701 studio phones, a great amp & DAC!
 vandal wrote:

Back in the 80s, I had a buddy, who had a friend, who's mondegreen was:

"Fresh! Fresh fish from the sea." 




LOL! 
love RP and love Billy since more than 30 years, music is just something create an emotion ! Please don't give a judgement, just appreciate...or not ! 
We are all different and our tastes too...
 BCarn wrote:

6.6? Seriously? This damn near defined the 80's. 


Pssssst, hey listen....no one really cares how you rate this.
Back in the 80s, I had a buddy, who had a friend, who's mondegreen was:

"Fresh! Fresh fish from the sea." 
yeah!
and Steve Stevens is lifting lead and rhythm guitar play to a fantastic level... 
from the times when men were allowed to be sexy  good studio work and composition too
Oh, those were the days. Art school, hot rock and roll chicks, nothing to worry about but having fun, and killin it in school!

Okay Billy, you do you.
 xcranky_yankee wrote:

guilty pleasure - I always want to get up and dance with this album




Yup. Always has to get turned up, here! 9 from me.
guilty pleasure - I always want to get up and dance with this album
Putting the year this was released is redundant. It has 1983 ALL over it.
Say what you want about Bill. But. the background and production is complex , well done, full of beat and sound
 ziggytrix wrote:
Love, love, love the guitar in this! It's so distinctive.
 
Yep.  Steve Stevens has a great sound.
 h8rhater wrote:

I'm guessing Bill likes the song or it wouldn't be on here.  Thus making it RP material. 

Haters gonna hate but I like the change up.  I like good music.  I like to dance.
 
"Bill is chuckling" constitutes "hate" to you? Wow.
 jmddj wrote:
got a lot of airplay on MTV- but in my mind, Rebel Yell was a better song.  
 
I was partial to a bit of White Wedding - it seemed to have an unpleasant but compelling undertone.


 memoryboxer wrote:
@jonrah - 80's in TO: on Yonge - Klub Domino or Nuts & Bolts (aka Sluts & Dolts); off Yonge - Lizard Club, Diamond, Copa; way off Yonge (Queen W) - Boom Boom Room, Big Bop, Limelight. The El Mocambo was/is on Spadina and was never a dance club for music like this...but did host live music as diverse as Sparks and the Stones in the 80s.
 
The Rolling Stones played the El Mocambo in 1977 and recorded the set for their Love You Live album.  The show included an appearance by Muddy Waters (El Mocambo was a blues club).  However, they did not play the date as The Rolling Stones.  The did it as The Cockroaches and were the opening act for April Wine.
If you haven't air guitared to this, I recommend it. 
This is pure The Fixx. 
 Tomasni wrote:
7 -> 5  Only Decent  
 
You are too generous.
Bye Bye Billy.
yeah. 
Great to hear this song again.  Love the guitar.. Rock on 80's
Oh boy! This is giving me a flashback to the 80's and college days. Loved this track, especially that guitar. Thanks, Bill! RP rules!
 memoryboxer wrote:
@jonrah - 80's in TO: on Yonge - Klub Domino or Nuts & Bolts (aka Sluts & Dolts); off Yonge - Lizard Club, Diamond, Copa; way off Yonge (Queen W) - Boom Boom Room, Big Bop, Limelight. The El Mocambo was/is on Spadina and was never a dance club for music like this...but did host live music as diverse as Sparks and the Stones in the 80s.
 
The Elmo was not a dance club. You sat and watched, and maybe got up to dance between the seats, when you were moved to and not to advertise your lithe form on a dance floor to get a ride home that night. Plus everyone lived close to the Elmo, or you didn't go (in the winter? Are you kidding?). That was in the winters; all bets were off in the summer with the black girls, especially during Caribana. Remember? TO
 BCarn wrote:

Pssssst, hey listen....no one really cares how you rate this.
 
Yes; no.
 BCarn wrote:
6.6? Seriously? This damn near defined the 80's. 
 
'zackly.
 Tomasni wrote:
7 -> 5  Only Decent  
 
Pssssst, hey listen....no one really cares how you rate this.
@jonrah - 80's in TO: on Yonge - Klub Domino or Nuts & Bolts (aka Sluts & Dolts); off Yonge - Lizard Club, Diamond, Copa; way off Yonge (Queen W) - Boom Boom Room, Big Bop, Limelight. The El Mocambo was/is on Spadina and was never a dance club for music like this...but did host live music as diverse as Sparks and the Stones in the 80s.
Oh, the Eighties... 
 johnrah wrote:
This always reminds me of certain clubs in the '80s. Big sound and big fun. Especially that club just off Younge St. in Toronto. Who remembers.
 
El Macambo?
Loved the 80s and this song reminds me of summer camp in England when I was stealing kisses from 18 year old girls as a 16 year old :).
This always reminds me of certain clubs in the '80s. Big sound and big fun. Especially that club just off Younge St. in Toronto. Who remembers.
smoothness, darkness, erotic - a killer song

a seldom examples when eigthies-production-style resulted in a unique but timeless soundsignature
Billy hosts a fantastic show on Sirius with incredible stories and reflections from a total bad-ass...
Just saw Billy Idol with Steve Stevens earlier this month in San Francisco. Still sounding great, tells some fantastic stories. Go see him if you have a chance. My son (who's 14) recorded most of the show here: 
https://youtu.be/-fFbiWiYEYg

7 -> 5  Only Decent  
Nice to hear a BI song that's not one of the three they only ever play on the radio.
I always found Steve Stevens' guitar work interesting but otherwise . . . meh.
I miss my Billy Idol record wall clock {#Frown}
6.6? Seriously? This damn near defined the 80's. 
Love, love, love the guitar in this! It's so distinctive.
 Proclivities wrote:

Yes, bergamot oranges specifically.  Billy's a big fan of the Earl Grey tea blend.

 
Milk into the cup first, or course.
 NoEnzLefttoSplit wrote:
I dunno, every time I hear this I think he is singing about oranges.
 
Yes, bergamot oranges specifically.  Billy's a devotee of the Earl Grey tea blend - so much that he often fantasizes about it.
got a lot of airplay on MTV- but in my mind, Rebel Yell was a better song.  
Whoa. I hit 10 like I was going for BIG BUCKS NO WHAMMIES then I sobered up and remembered the drum track and realized, while my inner teen disagrees, this is a 7 at best. Which is still good enough to dance to naked.
I dunno, every time I hear this I think he is singing about oranges.
Who says "Flesh!!" with more zeal than Billy? This one has range at least. 
I remember Billy on Letterman one night in the 80s when Dave asked Billy about a interview he read something about Billy becoming "born again." Billy turned to Dave with a snarl and sent "no, in fact, I'm back to porn again"
   Imkirok wrote:
Did a lot of dancing to this and other Billy Idol songs back in high school and college.  Give it a 9 for nostalgia.

 
DaidyBoy wrote:

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.  I give it a 2 too.

 
Will62 wrote:

Gave it a 2 for nostalgia

 
Imwithkirok on this one!  Maybe you were there.  Maybe you weren't and you're just trollin'. 

But... there was a moment in time when Billy was HUGE.  It was a fun and nostalgic time for many, just as kirok sez.  I'm going 10.
Very strong memories from this cut and the MTV period that drove it!
 treatment_bound wrote:
SNL Sting as Billy Idol

 
Frank: Billy Idol, what  do you think?
 
Billy:  I think she's great!
 
 Frank:  Check his papers!
 kcar wrote:

Yes this will happen any day now. In a parallel universe that has Donald Trump undergoing gender re-assignment to become the first female President of Mexico. 

 
if only ...and Dr. Hillary does the "snipping"
 Imkirok wrote:
Did a lot of dancing to this and other Billy Idol songs back in high school and college.  Give it a 9 for nostalgia.

  
Will62 wrote:

Gave it a 2 for nostalgia

 
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.  I give it a 2 too.
 ShaunJ wrote:

Remember that opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one {#Cheesygrin}

 
So do you, right? {#Lol} So do you! 
 VH1 wrote:
nThis guy always makes me go LOL when ever I see him. Geez he tried so hard to look hard, and then such smaltzy songs, all dressed in leather! That is the same as having a whip in Pink! LOL

And I always feared that one day his upper lip wouldn't come down again! Remember, when Granny always said "dont makes faces when the clock strikes your face will freeze"! LOL{#Lol}

The only good song this poser ever made was Dancing with myself, after that, it was downhill fast! {#Lol}{#Biggrin}{#Whistle}

 
Remember that opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one {#Cheesygrin}
nThis guy always makes me go LOL when ever I see him. Geez he tried so hard to look hard, and then such smaltzy songs, all dressed in leather! That is the same as having a whip in Pink! LOL

And I always feared that one day his upper lip wouldn't come down again! Remember, when Granny always said "dont makes faces when the clock strikes your face will freeze"! LOL{#Lol}

The only good song this poser ever made was Dancing with myself, after that, it was downhill fast! {#Lol}{#Biggrin}{#Whistle}
SNL Sting as Billy Idol
Bill,  You just keep coming up with gold nuggets.   That's why RP is the best radio station in the multiverse.
 
Although I see this song has been played a few times in the past, this is the first time I've heard this song in probably a decade. Great flashback moment! {#Laughing}
Love it! Flashback, indeed.  One of Billy's best.  Still have the vinyl around here somewhere... Eyes without a Face also {#Cool}
Love the B section.
 kcar wrote:

Yes this will happen any day now. In a parallel universe that has Donald Trump undergoing gender re-assignment to become the first female President of Mexico. 

 
{#Mrgreen}
More true now than the date of this comment. 
 
 Imkirok wrote:
Did a lot of dancing to this and other Billy Idol songs back in high school and college.  Give it a 9 for nostalgia.

 
Gave it a 2 for nostalgia
 hayduke2 wrote:
be great if Billy Idol were the new lead singer for the Decemberists   : )

 
Yes this will happen any day now. In a parallel universe that has Donald Trump undergoing gender re-assignment to become the first female President of Mexico. 
Even without knowing who it is, the chorus pedal pegs this as an '80s tune.
 impediguy wrote:
How can Billy Idol be a rebel with a yell/music so sanitized that it appeals to conventionalists? Mummery.
 
Good point, well made!
Hit PSD and got a tune called Somethin' Else.

Random? I don't think so! 
How can Billy Idol be a rebel with a yell/music so sanitized that it appeals to conventionalists? Mummery.
Trying to be ironic?  This is pretty bad...
 
THANK YOU!  {#Cool}
I see many other commenters here don't approve, but I've always liked this one, and I'm SO glad RP chose to play this instead of one of the many expected Idol songs that have been played into the grave! (Dancing with Myself, Rebel Yell, and the unlistenable Mony Mony).
Gen-X in the Flesh! {#Evil}
throwback!
 
{#Frustrated}
I call this noise-ic. A curio from the 1980s but barely a real song. 
 
 sirdroseph wrote:
I would imagine that this is the only Billy Idol selection here, should have been Eyes Without a Face.

 
There are several more of his numbers here, including "Eyes Without A Face".  I'm not sure how often they're played though.
 sirdroseph wrote:
I would imagine that this is the only Billy Idol selection here, should have been Eyes Without a Face.

 
Catch My Fall

Evil Eye

Eyes Without A Face

Flesh For Fantasy

Lady Do or Die

Plastic Jesus

Rebel Yell

White Wedding


Did a lot of dancing to this and other Billy Idol songs back in high school and college.  Give it a 9 for nostalgia.
{#Hearteyes}
I would imagine that this is the only Billy Idol selection here, should have been Eyes Without a Face.
 Biscobret wrote:
when it started up, I wanted to be a hater - then I forgot that I wanted to hate while I was reading the comments, and I realized how much a part of me this song actually is...  5 —> 7

 
Nicely done.  Kudos to giving the dark-side a rest.
lower-case godlike    (c'mon man,  Billy Idol is cool funny funk and is great in this dopey movie : )
The Wedding Singer film poster.jpg

This is my favorite smooth jazz toon next to Bobby Caldwell's "What you Won't Do for Love."
 hayduke2 wrote:
be great if Billy Idol were the new lead singer for the Decemberists   : )

 
killer guitar lick by Mr. Stevens {#Bananajam}
be great if Billy Idol were the new lead singer for the Decemberists   : )
Billy Idol? Here? Really? Wasn't I dreaming ? {#Sleep}
 silby wrote:
not RP material in my opinion.  first!

 
your opinion on the matter evidently has little to do with reality
Ok Bill,  

Relax, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, would work real well after this.
The 80's were good to me,,, so I don't mind this so much.
Whatever happened to Billy Idol?

I remember listening to Generation X in high school, when he was a bit less polished and produced. 
 gjr wrote:
hey - lets hear some gaja-goo-goo.....or whatever the hell their name was.   im too lazy to google it

 
LMGTFY:

https://bit.ly/1s4Jcsk

enjoy! 
 afrixluvguy wrote:
Long since I've heard this Englishman. Had to look to be sure. Reminds me of 'Miami Vice'.
 
I'm sure all of us who watched "Miami Vice" back then knew that someday our middle-aged selves would cringe at the memory. 

I was going to ask why the recent movie didn't take, but then I saw this side-by-side:

Side by side pics of Don Johnson and Colin Farrell as Sonny Crockett

Colin should have stayed "In Bruges." Maybe there are parts of our culture that never want to grow up.
Guilty pleasure .
when it started up, I wanted to be a hater - then I forgot that I wanted to hate while I was reading the comments, and I realized how much a part of me this song actually is...  5 --> 7
very relevent, this was the transition between punk and new romantic, the hair lip was a fashion accessory.    
Everybody in my mushrooming multitude of churches be dancing buck ass naked all across the holy moly world like bowlegged gypsy muleskinners and B.F. Skinner...  we love this splendiferous song...  love this album...  love sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll...

this song is good for the ears and other fleshy parts of the body...  amen... 

Trying hard not to do my best Billy Idol snarl at work and yelling out FLESH!!! while punching the air with my fist.  Ahh, good times.
 Ballzak wrote:
Oh to be thirteen again....
     thinking that this was the SHIT.

 

 
16 for me! 
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Somewhere Bill is chuckling quietly.

 
Given the theme of the last few songs, I might think he is actually asleep at the wheel!

West Indian Girl — Dream
Gregory Isaacs — Night Nurse
Billy Idol — Flesh For Fantasy 
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Somewhere Bill is chuckling quietly.

 
Which "Bill" are you talking about?
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Somewhere Bill is chuckling quietly.

 
I'm guessing Bill likes the song or it wouldn't be on here.  Thus making it RP material. 

Haters gonna hate but I like the change up.  I like good music.  I like to dance.
Long since I've heard this Englishman. Had to look to be sure. Reminds me of 'Miami Vice'.
Bringing me back to 8th grade.
Billy Idol is not my idol
Somewhere Bill is chuckling quietly.