I'll give you television...
James Newell Osterberg, aka
No self-respecting Bowie fan should be unaware of the work of Iggy Pop. But, for the novices among you, here's a brief and very condensed history lesson:
The pair's professional association commenced in 1972 when David mixed Iggy and the Stooges' Raw Power album. (Still the best mix, IMHO)
Their friendship continued through the years with Iggy becoming The Thin White Duke's travelling companion during the Station To Station tour, after which they both moved to Berlin and collaborated on two classic Iggy Pop albums, The Idiot and Lust For Life. Though Iggy's name was on the cover, to my mind these groundbreaking records were just as much David Bowie albums as Iggy Pop.
Between the recording of the The Idiot and Lust For Life, and indeed between the recording of his own Low and "Heroes" LPs, David, with no fanfare, went on the road with Iggy to play keyboards and sing backing vocals on The Idiot Tour. Some of the shows were recorded for the live album, TV Eye...and the rhythm section of Tony and Hunt Sales would go on to become half of Tin Machine.
DB was to work with Iggy once again on the latter's 1986 LP, Blah, Blah, Blah...A more commercial affair than The Idiot or Lust For Life, and containing Iggy's biggest UK hit to date, Real Wild Child.
As I'm sure everyone is aware, David recorded his own versions of many of Iggy's songs during the 80s, earning Iggy a taste of his first real money from the proceeds of the 1983 world-wide smash, the Bowie/Pop composition, China Girl, from Let's Dance.
David also recorded many other Iggy Pop related songs (most of which were Bowie/Pop compositions anyway), such as: the Sister Midnight backing track for Red Money on Lodger - Don't Look Down, Tonight, Neighbourhood Threat, Tumble And Twirl and Dancing With The Big Boys on Tonight, and Bang Bang on Never Let Me Down.
DB has performed live versions of Sister Midnight (1976 and 2004) and Lust For Life ...and then there are the songs he co-wrote but didn't record his own versions of, such as Play It Safe and many of the songs on the three studio albums they recorded together.
As I write, I keep thinking of more, but that's a start for those of you not already familiar. Of course, Iggy has had an incredible career outside of his work with David, and it was the first couple of Stooges albums that first alerted young Mr Jones to the incredible music of Iggy Pop.
If tonight's South Bank Show is anywhere near as good as The Velvet Underground documentary produced by the programme a few years back, you're in for a real treat.
* The shot I've used above is of Iggy and David fresh from six dates of the UK leg of The Idiot tour on their way to continue the tour in Canada. Though you wouldn't know it from David's expression, this flight was to be the first time he had flown in years. On the pair's arrival in New York, David said to journalist Lisa Robinson: "I flew for the first time in five or six years. I think the aeroplane is really a wonderful invention." He's a one.