David Most Influential : Reactions

This week's NME letters page, Angst, had some reactions to last week's triumph for our hero. In response to a reader's query on vote compilation, they gave this explanation.

How did we compile the list? As we explained, we asked all the bands we interviewed this year (from Craig David and The Spice Girls to Amen and At The Drive In) to name the three acts who were influencing the music that they were making at the time. Then we simply counted them - by hand! Each vote counting the same. It's a remarkable example of democracy in action. No amendments. That's what, as you point out, made it so interesting. It is a unique snapshot of the music that's shaping the songs being made now. The Top 20 is the ultimate choice of the music scene today.

There were also some delighted emails:

It was lovely reading that Sir David was so chuffed with his accolade.

- Jeremy via e-mail.

Thank you so much! David Bowie IS the most amazing artist in the world and has been the most original and innovative man in the universe. Finally he has been recognised......for the praise he deserves. He was fantastic at Glastonbury.

- Kristian via email.

There were quite a few messages of congratulation on our boards, too. Here is a selection :-

YAY!! Sailor, I´m sooooo proud of you, lol...

You really deserve that recognition.. can´t wait to get that NME magazine from the "post-mistress", lol

- Simone

I have been beaming all day...can hardly contain myself. Can't put it into words....except I'm so so proud of him. Totally thrilled.

- Susans

Its about dammned time. Must be frustrating to wait for the catch-up...

- aucourant

You really deserve it David. After all those years of work. The ultimate recognition of the industry. It's something isn't it?

- veronic

spaceface dabs eyes and wrings sailor's hand

Thanks, Spaceface!

Trivia Chat Winners

Congrats to the winners in yesterday's Trivia Chat contest! The theme of the game was John Lennon, being the 20th anniversary of his death. BowieNutters were quick with answers to questions about alternate titles for "Young Americans," the name of the studio where John recorded with David and how David met John in the first place. Prizes include autographed posters, T-shirts and Omikron games.

And the winners are:

Steph
Vivian
Rednik
Stevek
jeanne
piccadilly
lilith
aleczandah
christine.schmidt
jake
(yes, jake!) =8-)

Way to go, guys!!!

Prizes Page Update And Another Competition!!!

The prizes list has been updated, and judging by the enthusiasm contained within your e-mails for each new competition we post, it would seem you're not tiring of them just yet. So I was trying to think of new ways of emptying the vaults when I thought to myself; "Sod it, why not get that lot to think of some competitions?!".

And so, to that end, all you have to do is mail your ideas to me at: MrTotalBlamBlam@AOL.Com with a subject heading of 'Competition Suggestion'. The suggester (UK word) of any idea we use will get to choose something from this list. Lord, how we spoil you! };-)

Total Blam Blam (European Correspondent)

Bowienet Points

The BowieNet Points Contest has been extended until December 31st! This is to adjust the quarterly contest so that it falls on the "true" quarters of the year (i.e. March, June, September and December). Because the adjustment means you have to wait a little longer to win this time, the Grand Prize is now even better, if you can believe that! The grand prize winner now will receive a phone call from David, a free year of BowieNet, a personalized photo PLUS the entire David Bowie catlogue, autographed!

Go to the Points Section for more information! Currently the leaders are as follows:

bianca
calle
riabear
eriekittym
shannon42
seven
christine.schmidt
floidoip
straffer
bsctrumpet
thejade
jake
chriswacey
mikedexter
mbg
pixxlin
glittergrrlluby
boychild365

Good luck, everyone! Only about three more weeks to go!

Bowieart Have A Winner!

David and the judging team have chosen their winner in the Bowieart print competition. A very big round of applause to Sven!!

David had this to say about the winning entry:

A major difficulty with this one is that the three of us have very different needs when it comes to looking at stuff. For my own part I'm sometimes looking for a sense of disorientation attractively presented. Much like my needs in life, actually. In which case, for me (and I'm not alone here thank goodness), Sven wins hands down. It panders ever so slightly to infancy, leans lightly on lampoon and it's a great re-representation...and in jolly nice bright colours too. Have a cigar Sven.

You can read more about the judging, including comments on some of the other submissions, over at Bowieart.

Thanks, Spaceface!

Rolling Stone Highlights

This month's Rolling Stone Magazine features the Rock'n Roll Yearbook, which highlights some of the best moments this year in Rock. Among them, David Bowie's concert at Roseland is listed! No arguments here - a highlight, indeed! Thanks, Blakely!

Imitation, The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME

Being 'The Most Influential Artist Of All Time', imitation is the cross that David Bowie must bear. The particular example above dates back two years now, but I thought that while we were on the subject of Bowie album cover pastiches, (see yesterday's El Ves story) now was a good time to dig it out. The picture is a detail from the back cover of an album called 'What Kind Of Country Is This?' by the group, Those Magnificent Men, who are three boys and a girl that play a type of country music that isn't really aimed at me. Actually most country isn't really aimed at me.

Nevertheless, the sleeve is a pretty good spoof of the reverse of Ziggy Stardust, (click on the image for the whole thing) from the hand-tinted green of the clothing down to the typeface and those immortal words: TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME. Unfortunately, the listening experience, even with my dial at eleven, is not quite as thrilling as Ziggy Stardust. Good luck to them anyway.

Sony wants to turn the world...

It would seem that it's not only little known country bands that understand the visual power of the Ziggy Stardust sleeve. A campaign that Sony are currently running reached an exciting peak recently, when the image above appeared as a half-page advert in The Sunday Times. The campaign's slogan, Get Closer To The Music, is literally illustrated with a driver's-eye view from the interior of a car that has chanced upon the cover shoot from the front of Ziggy. A great idea, brilliantly executed. Thanks to Spaceface for the scan.

Total Blam Blam (European Correspondent)

Derek Does Hedwig

One of our founder members, Derek Donovan, has written a rather good review for The Kansas City Star, of the David Bowie sponsored play Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which is playing at The Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City. Go here for the theatre's page about the production.

He says :

"Hedwig" resolutely belongs on a theater stage, with its serious meditation on human identity, freedom and the search for completeness.

The music is an updated take on the high times of glam rock, drawing heavily on the sound and mystique of what Hedwig calls the "crypto-homo rockers" Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and especially David Bowie.

True to its protagonist, "Hedwig" is honest and uncompromising beneath its thick layers of rouge and glitter eye shadow.

Go here to read the full review.

The multitalented Mr Donovan has a website, Love Among Puppets, where you can listen to his music and read more about the man who was given a special creativity award from David for going "above and beyond" with his entry to the Bowienet What's Really Happening lyric writing contest.

Go and check out this great LAP track Come Back Starman.

Thanks, Spaceface!

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Here are the remaining three segments of Emmanouil's interview with Gail Ann Dorsey! Thanks again to Emmanouil "the Troll" for this excellent interview!

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Thanks, Emmanouil!

Elves Lives...(in Mexico, Possibly)

Who'll love a lad from Spain?

El Ves, the Mexican Elvis Presley, and lover of Capricorns (those born on January 8th particularly), has a new album aimed at the Christmas market released on Alan McGee's new Poptones label this week. But, as charming as the release is, the mad Mexican's previous Poptones' album, 'Pure Aztec Gold', is possibly of more interest to you people. Go here for more.

Total Blam Blam (European Correspondent)

Bowieart Print Competition

Take a look over at Bowieart, and you will see that David and the other judges have chosen some of their favourite submissions. You are invited to send in your comments on their choices, and the best of these will be published at Bowieart.

The winner, who will have his or her art work made into a limited edition print, will be announced next week.

Go and check them out!

Thanks, Spaceface!

Gail Ann Dorsey Interview

BowieNutter Emmanouil, who is the Program Director for WRGM (George Washington University Radio) had the privilege of interviewing our dear Gail Ann Dorsey on his radio show last month. He has been kind enough to share this interview with us - way to go, Troll! Here are the first three parts, more to follow tomorrow:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Thanks, Emmanouil!

First Monday Of The Month...time For Guess The Lyric!

I'm the space invader...you're squawking like a pink monkey bird...

Well, perhaps this one wasn't quite as easy as I thought, it's always easier when you know...he crassly stated. Lots of wrong answers early on prompted me to post another clue, which seemed to do the trick. Perhaps Space Invaders (the popular arcade game of the early Eighties) wasn't quite as popular outside of the UK. The idea was that you would recognise the clever clue above as a screen grab from the game. The invaders themselves were Bowie heads. The dates in the scores were 1972 and 2002, the release of 'Ziggy Stardust', and the thirty-year celebration date of Ziggy, the album the song 'Moonage Daydream' came from.

The second clue (click on the picture above if you really want to see it again) was a comic reference to 'pink monkey bird'. Again the term 'bird' may have been a little too colloquial, but this clue certainly translated into an influx of correct answers. One of those correct answers was sent to me by the technological wonder that is The Random Selector.

As this is the last competition before Christmas, changescat@davidbowie.com (Catharine Chen) gets to choose the prize of her choice, from this list. Your choice will be winging its way to you as soon as you have furnished me with your real world address Catharine.

Go here for this month's competition picture that was chosen purely for its very vague Christmas connection.

Total Blam Blam (European Correspondent)

Q:

Q is out of sight and out of sounds...

...It's not actually out of sounds, in that Q has a free CD this month (January 2001) but what other lyric would have worked? OK, OK...That's not an invitation* (Go to end of report on pop-up page). While the CD alone is worth the cover price, (a best of the year affair with the likes of U2, The Dandy Warhols, Badly Drawn Boy, PJ Harvey, Radiohead, Grandaddy and ten others) it is the best of the year section inside the magazine that is of most interest here.

Total Blam Blam (European Correspondent)

(hall Of) Fame

The readers of the monthly publication Alternative Press have voted David Bowie as the first inductee into their "Hall Of Fame" during their year-end Readers Poll Awards. David had the following response:

"I write songs and make records. I love my wife, my children, my family, my friends and those who I work with. I've virtually done everything I've dreamt of doing. On occasion people have said extremely nice things about what I do. And now I get voted into your 'Hall Of Fame'. What an extraordinarily lucky fellow I am. Thank you."

- David Bowie, December 2000

Check out the February 2001 issue (on stands January 4th) for more Readers' Poll results, or log on to www.altpress.com

Radio 1 : Grandaddy And David

Grandaddy talked to Radio 1 before their show at London's Shepherds Bush Empire last week. Jim said David was very vocal in his encouragement at their recent New York gig.

Go here for the snippet.

Thanks, Spaceface!

I'll Huff And I'll Puff...

Just a reminder that BowieNutter Huff will be performing in New York again this weekend, this time at The Sidewalk Cafe on Avenue A. Huff, whose infamous performance at the Bowie Picnic in June has forever immortalized him in the hearts of BowieNutters across the globe, also has some great original material. Come one, come all! Huff's set begins at 9PM on Sunday night, December 3rd. The Sidewalk Cafe is located on Avenue A at 6th Street.

Mojo Lennon Special Limited Edition

...Lennon's on sale again

The MOJO John Lennon special, (that I think we may have already mentioned in these pages?) is the excellent follow-up to the Bob Dylan special, also produced by MOJO, and it is in the shops now. This 148 page silver-embossed beauty is available for £4:99 in a numbered limited edition of 89,000, a tradition possibly started with The Beatles (The White Album) ironically enough, but probably not.

MOJO Lennon features: "Many previously unseen pictures from every part of John's career...Countless new insights from friends, musicians and associates...A who's who of all the important people in John's life. (Including Bowie) ...A track by track guide to every solo Lennon song...40 fans from David Bowie to Paul McCartney, Tina Turner to Liam Gallagher, celebrating their favourite Lennon songs."

The song that David chose in the 'My favourite Lennon' section was 'I Am The Walrus', and this is what he had to say about The Beatles' classic: "I Am The Walrus's 'otherness' was transporting in a way that nothing before it had even approached. A one-way ticket to ride out of Bromley."

Oompa, oompa, stick it up yer jumper!

Total Blam Blam (European Correspondent)

For My Child And Your Child Too

Last week's 'Culture' section of The Sunday Times ran a full page feature about Christmas songs. The story line was that there are some artists who have taken on the challenge of creating a cool Christmas song and succeeded. They cite the 'Its A Cool Cool Christmas' album which Blam wrote about recently, saying "its a fine fine album".

The article opens with a long analysis of David's duet with Bing Crosby, Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy. Mark Edwards had this to say about it:-

The version of Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crosby is actually rather beautiful. There are those among you who found the whole idea ridiculous: Bowie - at the height of his brutal, avant-guarde European phase - standing there, next to Crosby, who was clearly wondering what happened to the days when he could duet with Frank or Nat or Perry.

But for those of you who are able to stand back for a moment from the initial apparent absurdity of the duet, and acknowledge that, once he warms up, Bowie actually gives a rather fine vocal performance, that in fact their voices merge surprisingly well, that the mixture of under-rehearsed lo-fi and slick light entertainment production has its own charm, that, sadly, the line "Peace On Earth - will it be?" always seems to need to be asked, well, you probably agree with Bing's summation; "It's a pretty thing (sic), isn't it?"

Thanks, Spaceface!

Mp3 Bonanza

David Bowie has two songs on MP3's top ten list of most frequently played songs (and they're not the two tracks offered in the current Beeb promotion). The tracks are Ziggy Stardust and Let's Dance, coming in at number 8 and number 2, respectively.