Background: Mick Ronson remains in the topper-most of my all-time favorite guitarists and arrangers. I’ll save the remaining contenders for another post. This was written as a short appreciation for a guitar monthly.

About: The most enduring image of Mick Ronson has little to do with technique—at least not guitar technique. As David Bowie’s musical director during the glam era, Ronson complemented Bowie’s iconic Ziggy Stardust with his platinum hair and laser-stun guitar. Bowie’s performances during that period climaxed, if you will, with the rock chameleon kneeling before Ronson and performing mock-fellatio on his Les Paul Custom. But Ronson was much more than just a charismatic stage foil. Through five of Bowie’s most essential albums—from 1971’s The Man Who Sold The World to 1973’s Pin-Ups—his work as arranger and Jeff Beck-influenced guitarist brought sophistication and bombast to glam rock. His later production work on seminal albums by Lou Reed, Mott The Hoople and Morrissey, proved his talents weren’t dependent on Bowie’s quixotic muse. Sadly, he died of cancer shortly after producing Morrissey’s best solo disc, 1992’s Your Arsenal.

Gear: Gibson Les Paul Custom, Marshall Major head, Cry-Baby wah-wah, Vox Tonebender

High Times: “Ziggy Stardust,” from Bowie’s 1972 classic, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, features Ronson’s signature sound—thick, mid-rangey chords and biting, melodic lead lines with just enough distortion for sustain. The song also displays Ronson’s ability to orchestrate a song with layered harmony parts.

On Reflection: “David Bowie was supposed to come from another planet, but Mick was the human element. It was a two-pronged attack,” says longtime Ronson collaborator Ian Hunter, recalling his first meeting with the guitarist. “Mick was a great arranger, extremely intuitive. And he always listened before he even attempted to pick up the guitar. You’d go through maybe an hour of like, ‘Jesus, what’s he doing?’ And then all of a sudden it would just start panning out.”

Sudden Impact: “I was drawn to the way he used very saturated gain levels to give the notes a teasing emotional quality,” says former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. “Particularly over the acoustic and string arrangements, it sounds unusual, brutal and beautiful. I’m more interested in musicians who have a grasp of writing and arranging outside of the narrow scope of their prime instrument. Therefore, Mick Ronson’s production skills on Lou Reed’s Transformer seemed to be the force and color behind the wonderfully eclectic songs. Color seems to be the key to Mick Ronson’s playing. And Bowie’s records definitely adopted a different color beyond the Ronson days.”