Bowienet Discount On Hunky Dory Tapestry

Hunky Dory looks a scream, Hang it on my wall...

We are pleased to announce a special offer that has been made available to BowieNetters via Kreative Concepts LLC. The above tapestry is a 71" x 54" woven fabric reproduction of the 'Hunky Dory' sleeve. As you all know, the original sleeve was a Brian Ward shot hand-coloured by George Underwood and George has himself fully-endorsed this product.

Here's an excerpt from the Kreative Concepts press release:

Jud Patterson of Kreative Concepts LLC and George Underwood, album cover artist for David Bowie, T-Rex, The Fixx, and Gentle Giant (to name but a few) have collaborated to introduce a full sized tapestry reproduction of Bowie's Hunky Dory album cover. This tapestry, which measures from fringe to fringe a full 54 Inches wide and 71 Inches tall is fully woven, not printed. It will make an incredible piece for your collection, be it for hanging on a wall or for use as an extra cover for your bed.

For each tapestry sold, 10 per cent of the profit will be donated to a worthwhile (and NOT WASTEFUL) cause. Our initial choice is Nino's restaurant in New York City. Nino's has been serving food to the WTC recovery workers absolutely free of charge since the September 11th disaster. They depend upon donations to provide this service.

We feel that 100 per cent of the money we donate will be used appropriately, and though Nino's is now closed, it is still operational in many aspects, and still in need of donations. When we decide to choose another recipient, we will ensure that the money being donated is efficiently used before making the selection.

The models in this photograph are fully grown men and not vertically-
challenged chaps employed to make the tapestry look bigger than it is!

Kreative Concepts LLC has kindly offered a $10:00 discount to BowieNetters who order within the next six weeks using a BowieNet e-mail address. Click on either of the images above to take you to the Hunky Dory Tapestry Order Form, where you can use several different methods to purchase the tapestry. Address any enquiries to BowieHD@KKLLC.com and please remember BowieNet is only publicising this offer for Kreative Concepts LLC, so no e-mails to us please.

Interview With 'vg' Magazine

Image : Frank Ockenfels

And nothing has changed.. And everything has changed..

The interviews David has given in advance of the release of Heathen are starting to appear in the press around the world. BowieNetters, Lilith and Pepijn have very kindly translated this article which appeared in the Norwegian entertainments magazine, 'VG'. Here are a couple of quotes:-

"David Bowie says he has a strong creative urge and that he might write his best music yet in the coming years."

"This is a cliche about me: That I am a chameleon, and that I constantly change. Reality is, in my opinion, that there is a strong thematic thread in everything that I have done for nearly 40 years. Much of it is about spiritual questions. It has been a part of my life to ask questions."

Click here to read the entire translation.

:))

Heathen Media Player Updated

For you...

The 'Heathen' media player has been updated to include a few groovy new features, not least of all, and exclusively to BowieNet, the whole of the lyrics to 'Heathen'. Click on the interface above to take you there, and keep watching this space for even more updates.

'ziggy Changed My Life'

Image : Total Blam Blam

Ziggy really sang...

In the June 2002 edition of 'Uncut' magazine, Natalie Merchant is asked to describe her 'Pet Sound' - 'A record that changed her life'. You will remember that Natalie was working at Allaire when David and Tony checked it out as a possible recording location (Journal for Tuesday, May 14th 2002). She covered 'Space Oddity' on her 1999 tour and has also covered 'Starman' live. Her version of 'Space Oddity is available on her 1999 'Live' album.

For 'Uncut', she chose 'The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars' and had much to say in support of her choice :-

'Ziggy Stardust' was one of the first albums I actually bought and studied and listened to obsessively. Then I began to judge my friends by whether they liked it or not. I was harsh! I still have a soft spot for it, because it helped me through my adolescence. It gave me something to identify with and define myself by - 'I feel differently to everyone around me. This is an indication that there's something beyond this mentality and this world view. It's like a message from outer space.'

"The androgynous factor was a big part of the appeal, the confusion of gender, not being accepted by society. When you're 15, feeling like you can't fit in, that's a big theme.

Natalie's last single, 'Just Can't Last', recorded at Allaire
Studios, and featuring Matt Chamberlain on drums.

"I liked his voice, and the lyrics. I knew that it was absurdist poetry for the most part, but it was so much more sophisticated than 'Sweet Home Alabama'. I loved the lyrics to 'Moonage Daydream'. And his concepts were good. You could try to penetrate his world - really intriguing and mysterious. He seemed to dwell in the future. 'Hang On To Yourself' sounds like punk.

"The production's amazing on the record. It's bold and powerful, and the sequencing of the songs is impeccable - the way 'Five Years' segues into 'Soul Love'. Its one of the most impeccable pop records ever made. It went into the pot with everything else I was influenced by. My favourite tracks are 'Five Years' and 'Starman', which I used to cover.

"I still put it on from time to time and I buy new copies if I want to hear it when I'm travelling, or give it to younger musicians who ask me what they should listen to. I've bought five or six copies so far."

You can read more about Natalie's third studio album 'Motherland', here.

:))

More Heathen Listening Parties And Stuff

TV, still undecided, at the Virgin Megastore just the other day.

Hey, that's far out so you heard him 2!

You may be wondering why, when I used the above picture of Tony Visconti listening to 'Heathen' a couple of days ago, I claimed it was at Tower Records in Union Square? Anyone worth their salt knows full well it was at the Virgin Megastore. Even I know that, and I'm a European! Admittedly I only know because several thousand of you e-mailed me with news of my blunder, but now I know there ain't no Tower in Union Square.

I do apologise for any distress my locational error may have caused, but needless to say, I received the information from a 'higher source'...ie, David bloody Bowie! Still, only a fool would rely on a Rock God for accurate geographical information, and that is why the details below were checked by a panel of non-celebrities.

This is the latest bunch of 'Heathen' related events, starting as early as tomorrow!

Italy - June 1st
A local fan club is holding a 'Heathen' listening event at the Fnac store in Milan, via torino June 1st from 16.30 pm until 20.00 pm.

Holland - June 3rd
International David Bowie fanclub 'The Voyeur', in co-operation with Sony Music Holland and Plato Leiden, are holding a 'Heathen' listening session on Monday June 3rd, from 15:00 until 17:00 hours at Plato Leiden, Vrouwensteeg 4-6, Leiden, The Netherlands. The first 100 fans pre-ordering the limited 2CD edition of Heathen (with extra bonus disc) will receive the very limited pink vinyl 'Slow Burn' single, of which there are apparently only 1,000 copies!

France - June 6th
OUI FM Paris rock radio are organising their own party for their VIP listeners on June 6th at Bus Palladuim Paris club. There will be lots of give-aways ie posters/vinyl/CDs etc.

Chicago, USA - June 10th
Come out to Fuel on June 10th and listen to 'Heathen' with other Bowie fans, win Bowie prizes, and purchase it at midnight to receive a free 2x3 David Bowie 'Heathen' poster and a month trial membership to BowieNet. Fuel is situated at 3724 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL (near Wrigley Field) and the event commences at 9:00pm. Go here to check out the full details in the 'Heathen' news dated 05.29.2002.

Sweden - June 17th
There will be a 'Heathen' Party in Stockholm, June 17 at The Tivolli. Again with give-aways.

Check Out The Heathen Media Player Now

For you...

Just over a week ahead of the release of 'Heathen', BowieNet is proud to launch the 'Heathen' media player with groovy features such as snippets of all of the songs on 'Heathen', and the facility to e-mail a 'Heathen' e-card to a friend where they can listen to the radio edit of 'Slow Burn'.

You can also purchase 'Heathen' from the media player, including limited edition versions of the CD and a vinyl version of the album. Click on the interface above to take you there, and keep watching this space for updates.

Totp Winners Notified Today

Just reply, you've not changed your mind...

The winners of the TOTP contest we posted a couple of days back (05/29/02 NEWS: WIN ONE OF 50 PLACES AT SECRET TOTP RECORDING!) have now been notified and should RSVP ASAP!

Once we've had a response from you, you will receive all the location and venue details you need. Well done you very lucky things!

Roseland, It's All Sold Out!

You're face to face, With The Man Who Sold Roseland...

Unfortunately for those BowieNetters still contemplating buying Roseland tickets so that they might be in with a chance for the "meet 'n greet" contest we posted yesterday...the show has now sold out. If however you have tickets and you haven't entered yet, click on the image above to be in with a chance. Good luck.

Another Chance To Meet David Bowie At Roseland!

An ever-resourceful Blammo is caught red-handed attempting
to slip a third Bowie clone into the Roseland 2000 meet 'n greet!

He'd like to come and meet us...

It is with enormous pleasure that we announce a chance for more BowieNetters to "meet 'n greet" with David Bowie after the members show at Roseland in June.

Above is a picture of just a few of those fans that managed to get backstage for the "meet 'n greet" with David last time. This shot isn't really a true record of the event though, as it doesn't include any of those fans off camera who had either fainted or peed their knickers! Or in the case of Rednik, both.

This extra chance is offered only to BowieNetters who have purchased tickets for the Members show on June 11th. The lucky winners will be able to take a guest with them to this incredible event. Click on the image above to enter your name into the black fedora to have your chance to meet David Bowie.

Cowboy Pictures To Release A Restored And Remixed 30th Anniversary Version Of The Classic, Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars

Legendary cinematic collaboration between David Bowie and D.A. Pennebaker to open New York on July 10.

New York, NY May 29, 2002 - Cowboy Pictures today announced the theatrical re-release of ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS, featuring David Bowie. The release boasts the most visually and aurally stunning prints of the film ever made, featuring Dolby 5.1 surround sound mixed by Tony Visconti, and extensive film restoration by Pennebaker. The film will open July 10th at the Film Forum in New York City, followed by a national rollout this summer and fall.

Legendary filmmaker and music documentarian D.A. Pennebaker (Don't Look Back, Monterey Pop, The War Room), captured David Bowie's final live performance as Ziggy Stardust at the Hammersmith Odeon in London in 1973, filming Bowie both performing and back stage .

"Being able to remix classic concert films in Dolby 5.1 surround sound is one of the very few recent technical innovations that can truly transform the cinematic experience for audiences," said Cowboy President John Vanco. "One could even argue that this new ZIGGY has been improved so much that it is now closer to the original live concert than to the original concert film."

Co-founded by John Vanco and Noah Cowan, Cowboy Pictures is a New York-based specialized film distributor that handles foreign films, documentaries and American independent features. Among many others, Cowboy released Aviva Kempner's all-American documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, Jem Cohen and Pete Sillen's Benjamin Smoke and David Gordon Green's George Washington, Lucrecia Martel's La Cienaga and Catherine Breillat's Fat Girl. They currently have George Butler's The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition, Academy Award nominee Promises, Chris Smith's Home Movie and Shohei Imamura's Warm Water Under a Red Bridge in release.

Win One Of 50 Places At Secret Totp Recording!

And the tracks are on TV...

Many of you reading this outside of the UK are probably a bit fed up with us always going on about how Top Of The Pops is a national institution over here. Well frankly, I make no apologies for that...because it is! You all know how valuable the show has been in terms of important Bowie footage, even if the BBC did wipe his 1969 performance of 'Space Oddity' on the show!

But thankfully many other priceless gems remain in the BBC vaults, from the life-changing 1972 performance of 'Starman' (view a snippet of it here) via classic appearances on the show such as 'Heroes' in 1977 and Tin Machine's hilarious performance of 'You Belong In Rock 'N Roll' in 1991, right up to the TOTP2 Bowie special in 1999 that included 'Thursday's Child' and 'The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell' recorded especially for the show in New York.

Well now New York have struck lucky again as David records a few songs for the programme this coming Sunday June 2nd at a very secret location. The songs will be broadcast at a later date on the regular UK TOTP, but fifty lucky BowieNetters will be there this Sunday to witness the performance first-hand, and they may even get on TV themselves!

Entrance to the ticket draw is not difficult, simply click on the image above to take you there. Winners will be notified of the time and venue on the strict understanding that they forward the information to nobody. So if you really are a blabbermouth and you can't help yourself, or you can't actually be in New York this Sunday, then please don't enter! Good luck to the rest of you.

Emi Music Releases Best Of Bowie

BEST OF BOWIE
EMI Records
Cat no: 539 8222 / 539 8232

EMI are proud to release the Best Of Bowie on 21st October 2002. A double CD, the Best Of is the first time all of David Bowie's greatest hits and best loved songs have been available together. An authoritative collection for fans old and new, the Best Of is a natural successor and complement to earlier Greatest Hits compilations which only featured tracks from 1969 -'74, and 1974 -'79, reinforcing his status as the cultural catalyst for the 70's just as the Beatles were to the 60's.

Upon compiling a tracklist for global release, it became quickly apparent however, there were localised discrepancies in what constituted a definitive Best Of collection. As a consequence, and in a remarkable initiative, each territory was able to compile it's own unique tracklisting. As a result, there will be 16 bespoke albums, not all of them doubles, and not including the UK version. Tracklisting details will be announced shortly, please check www.davidbowie.com

A Best Of Bowie DVD will be released on 4th November featuring videos, rare tv appearances and previously unseen footage.

The Best Of Bowie is a career encompassing helicopter ride over one of the most prolific and perennially avant-garde artists of our times.

Heathen Gets Thumbs Up From Rolling Stone

"I co-produced it, but should I buy it?" TV deliberates at Union
Square Tower Records...perhaps he should read the reviews
below to help him make that difficult purchase decision!
(This caption is not 100 per cent correct...see 05/31/02 NEWS for amendment)

Hey, that's far out so you heard him too!

Rolling Stone
"A loose theme runs through these songs, covers included: the search for guiding light in godless night. But the real story is Heathen's perfect casting: Bowie playing Bowie, with class." - David Fricke

Music Week
"Bowie's first album for new label Columbia marks a stunning return to form...Most of the tracks sound like a crossbreed of Hunky Dory and Scary Monsters, which will delight his enormous fanbase."

Vanity Fair
"On 'Heathen' David Bowie has made a real David Bowie album - his first collaboration in twenty years with producer Tony Visconti, and by far his best in ages." - Lisa Robinson

As I say, we'll be posting more as we get them, but in the meantime, if you spot any you think we may not have seen, please forward them to me at the usual address. };-)

See 1969 Performance Of Space Oddity, Here, Now!

And the stars look very different today...

About a month ago we broke news of the Bowie career retrospective to be hosted by MTR (04/26/02 NEWS: BOWIE CAREER RETROSPECTIVE AT MTR). You will also have received a reminder of the programme of events in the BowieNet 'Heathen' update e-mail that was sent out last week. If for some reason you didn't, click on the image above to take you to the schedule now.

Anyway, at the time of our original posting, I teased you with the picture below, about which I said very little...almost nothing in fact...actually, nothing whatsoever, except a vague promise that all would be revealed soon. Well now that soon is here!

A twenty two-year-old David Bowie performs 'Space Oddity' at the Ivor
Novello awards ceremony at The Talk Of The Town in November 1969.

The image is taken from a performance of 'Space Oddity' at the Ivor Novello awards ceremony at The Talk Of The Town in London, in November 1969. David was presented the award for the most original song of the year from the Songwriter's Guild of Great Britain. The performance was broadcast around Europe, and was even shown in the US and Australia.

David comes across as a confident young man, no doubt buoyed by the fact that he was mobbed by fans on the way in. Also, one imagines the success of the record itself and the award would have made him feel pretty good about himself. Not to mention how hot he knew he looked in pink bell bottoms!

Keep an eye out too for David's barely concealed laughter as he hears the lead solo, presumably provided by a member of the house band. Now you can watch the whole of this wonderful performance by clicking on one of the shortcuts below...prepare yourself if you've not seen it before though, it's priceless stuff.

Space Oddity low quality

Space Oddity medium quality

Space Oddity high quality

You can expect more goodies like this during the BowieNet/MTR presentation of David Bowie: Sound + Vision, A Career Retrospective.

05/27/02 News: The Heathen Journals - Part 10

Made for a real world...

In today's journal, David talks about the thread that runs through 'Heathen', and what sort of person the 21st century man is. He toys with the possibility of "a full blown major World Tour", and he also explains how he expresses himself through his music and how happy he is with his writing right now...and if he's happy, I hope you're happy too. };-)

Click on the image above to take you to the tenth instalment of The Heathen Journals.

Bowie In June Edition Of Interview Magazine

Detail from one of the shots of DB in the June issue of Interview magazine.
Picture by Markus Klinko & Indrani, with apologies to all for quality of scan.

Is there no reason?

BowieNetter LaLaLinda, very kindly spent most of last night typing up the David Bowie interview with Ingrid Sischy that appears in the current edition of Interview magazine. Obviously due to space limitations, and the fact that it's really not the done thing, we can't reproduce the whole thing here...but here's an excerpt from this compelling interview anyway:

IS: Don't you think the point of art - paintings, music, writing - is that it captures the shape of a certain time? And whenever one looks at it, hears it or reads it, we, the audience, understand something about that time.

DB: It's like this - It's a head-spinning dichotomy - of the lust for life against the finality of everything. It's those two things raging against each other, you know? And that produces these moments that feel like real truth, because when you say, "Isn't it great to be alive...and it's all gonna fuckin' end!" those two points together are like, Ahhhh. That is the entire story, right there. That's it. There's no more to be said. It's like, how do you come to terms with that situation? Is there any comfort factor to be found in there at all? What is the point of all this?

IS: That's right.

DB: And that's kind of what Heathen is. I love this work. I love this life. I'm so greedy not to want to give it up. I just don't want to give it up. It's hard to give it up. This album is about that. And it was this place that helped me do it, I'm telling you. I really felt that I knew what I was as a writer.

Wow...How do you follow that? Intense and moving stuff, isn't it.

If you can't get a copy of Interview right now, LaLaLinda has posted more pictures from the magazine on the MBs, and I wouldn't be surprised if she posts the whole interview up too, if enough people naughtily goad her in to doing it...not that I condone that sort of thing. };-)

Thanx again Linda...Now, what do I owe you for a copy of the mag?

Bowie/moby Special In Entertainment Weekly

The cover of Entertainment Weekly, May 31st, 2002.

We'll spend some time together...

Judging by the MBs and the e-mails I've received over the last couple of days (Thanks Squeakie et al.) many of you are already aware of the current issue of Entertainment Weekly (May 31st, 2002). The magazine has loads of great pictures of DB and Moby together, and a very entertaining interview with the pair.

Here's an excerpt from the piece that concerns the first time Moby ever saw DB live in concert, as mentioned in the news earlier this month (05/01/02 SNIPPET: MOBY: "BOWIE IS UNTOUCHABLE"):

MOBY: You did the coolest thing I've ever seen a musician do on stage. It was at Giants Stadium and it was during ''Young Americans.'' It got to the part where you said, ''Ain't there one damn song that can make me...'' The audience goes crazy. You sing it again. The audience goes nuts. ''Ain't there one damn song that can make me...'' And you fell down onto the stage.

BOWIE: And I just stayed there, right? I remember.

MOBY: You stayed there for about 10 minutes.

BOWIE: I know. I pushed it.

MOBY: For the first minute, everyone was going nuts, but then you didn't get up. You didn't move. People were getting uncomfortable.

EW: What were you doing down there?

BOWIE: Just seeing how far I could take it.

EW: And what was going through your head?

BOWIE: ''Uh, am I going to get bottled for this?''

Moby bites the hand of Thomas Jerome Newton.

We'll hopefully post some exclusive pictures from the Entertainment Weekly shoot over the next week or so, but in the meantime, you can go check out a few more, and part of the interview, by clicking on either of the images above.

Bowie On Letterman Next Month

DB performs 'Dead Man Walking' on Letterman in 1997.

Well, David, what shall I do?

David Bowie is scheduled to make an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman on Monday 10th June. The recording of the programme takes place the day before both the release of 'Heathen' in the US, and the June 11th BowieNet members' show at the Roseland Ballroom.

At the moment it's looking like David will be chatting and performing, but we'll give you more definite details as we get them. Our man is no stranger to Mr Letterman, as this will be his third appearance on the show since 1997.

DB chatting with Letterman on the show for which he
performed 'The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell' in 1999.

There does seem to be a facility to get tickets for the Letterman Show online, but I have no idea how successful this method is. I've given BowieNetters a first go at it anyway, by not posting this story on the free site. I'm sure BowieNet will endeavour to get some tickets for our members, but that's not a promise of any kind, so no cussing on the MBs please. };-)

Bowienetters Get To Choose Heathen Clobber!

Baby doll, Baby doll...

The time has come for BowieNetters to influence the twisty-turny course of fashion once again with a whole bunch of 'Heathen' shirts. There are three types of shirt, the large type T-shirt that are favoured by those that favour large T-shirts, the smaller baby-doll type thang worn by smaller people, and a long-sleeved affair generally found in the wardrobes of people with arms.

It's all very straightforward, simply click on the image above to take you to the BowieNet Heathen T-shirt Poll. There are eleven designs in all and you can inspect all of them a little closer by clicking on each shirt to take you to a bigger version.

Once we've decided on the 'Heathen' garments we want, I'll be struggling into one of the baby-doll T-shirts, which I hope to wear with just a horses tail and knee-high DMs for The New Heathens Night at the Meltdown festival. Sorry to have planted that mental image into the minds of those of you about to lunch!

The Heathen Journals - Part 9

"Sometimes you stumble across a few chords that put you in a reflective place."

I can see it now...

An incredibly moving journal from David today. Read why he didn't like writing the song 'Heathen', and then come back and look at the lyrics below to capture some of what he has expressed in the journal. As ever, click on the image above to take you there.

Total Blam Blam - (BowieNet News Editor)

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Heathen (The Rays)

Steel on the skyline
Sky made of glass
Made for a real world
All things must pass
Oo-o

Waiting for something
Looking for someone
Is there no reason?
Have I stared too long?
Oo-o, Oo-o

You say you'll leave me

And when the sun is low
And the rays high
I can see it now
I can feel it die
Oo-o, Oo-o

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