Leather, leather everywhere...
The signed leather jacket from The Hunger TV show that David Bowie contributed to support the completion of the recording studio at
See our previous news stories for more information about this and IMA and keep an eye on their auction page for more great items.(04.04.2008 NEWS: BOWIE DONATES HUNGER JACKET TO IMA EBAY AUCTION + 04.08.2008 NEWS: SIGNED BOWIE HUNGER JACKET BIDDING AT $1,324.00 USD)
Let's dance, to the song they're playin' on the radio...
David Bowie's astonishingly successful world-wide #1 album, Let's Dance, was released through EMI on Friday April 14 1983, twenty five years ago today, which was almost ten years to the day since the release of 1973's Aladdin Sane. (04.13.2008 NEWS: ALADDIN SANE IS THIRTY FIVE TODAY)
Let's Dance was almost as shocking in it's departure from what had gone before as any of the previous Bowie albums, except this time the whole planet wanted a piece of the action.
While this release divided fans that had been with Bowie for more than ten years already, it attracted a far larger audience than that which had enjoyed his music in the preceding years.
Let's Dance also spawned three huge hit singles in Let's Dance (#1 on both sides of the Atlantic), China Girl and Modern Love. Without You was the fourth single in some territories, but it didn't enjoy the kind of sales of the previous three hits.
Such was the success of the album and attendant world tour, The Serious Moonlight Tour, that Bowie ended up as the cover feature for Time magazine in July 1983.
You can read the whole feature on the TIME website by clicking on the image above where you can also buy a print of the cover.
With the success of Let's Dance, David Bowie ultimately created a monster every bit as big as Ziggy Stardust and its chains were just as hard to throw off.
Here's David in an interview for GQ, in January 1997: "The three or four years that followed 'Let's Dance' were for me particularly tough about re-evaluating what I wanted. I thought, 'Who are these people? They kind of look like a Phil Collins audience.' Suddenly, I had all these people for whom the songs on the radio--'China Girl', 'Modern Love' and 'Let's Dance'--had become my oeuvre. That was all they knew of me, and it was MOR [middle of the road] enough that it encouraged this enormous audience. And I started thinking, What kind of music would they like? I was bastardising who and what I am and didn't know how to break out of it."
Well, break out of it he did, and the cavalry came in the shape of Tin Machine, but that's a whole other story.
All you've got to do is win...
Rather than post all the info every week, which would get a little tedious over ten weeks, check out last weeks news item for the low-down on this contest if you're not already familiar with it. (04.06.2008 NEWS: THE GREAT REX RAY GIVE-AWAY STARTS TODAY)
But, before we announce our first winner, here's a footnote to last week's news item from
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I would like to clarify something regarding the Berkeley print. The poster wasn't so much 'withdrawn' as never sanctioned and printed by Bill Graham Presents. I'd designed and proposed the poster to BGP but they didn't want to produce it because they'd done a poster for Bowie when he'd performed there just a few months prior to this show. Budget cuts, lack of interest - for whatever reason they decided not to print a poster. Any poster. I liked the design so much I had 150 copies printed at my own expense (gasp!) and gave them to friends and bnetters at the show and kept a small stack for myself.
The misspelling of Berkeley was my own stupid mistake and really had nothing to do with the poster being withdrawn or not printed. BGP was, and remains, unaware that I printed the poster myself - although, they probably figured it out when it appeared in a small retrospective of my BGP posters at the Design Wing of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art last year. But by that time I'd stopped working for them entirely.
The second piece is a test piece, never produced in any form other than a few artist proofs. Thanks Blammo! and FU! - Rexer
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No, thank you Rexer and KUNG!
OK, on to the winner of #10/10 of the untrimmed 20" x 14" (508mm x 355mm) hand-numbered Berkeley print, customised by Rex in the Reality style and signed by both Rex Ray and David Bowie in 2006.
And the winner is: bvr
Well done bvr, please send your real name and address to me and we'll have your prize to you in some sturdy packaging pronto.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of being the second winner and getting your hands on #9/10 of the Berkeley prints, is contact me here before midnight NY time on Saturday the 19th.
Usual BowieNet rules apply: Only one entry per BowieNet account per week, and please remember you must enter using your BowieNet e-mail or at least supply your BowieNet user name. If you do neither of these things you won't be eligible to enter.
The second winner will be announced next Sunday the 20th and the contest for the third artwork will commence at the same time.
BowieNet members can view larger versions of both of the above
Who will love Aladdin Sane...
Thirty five years ago today, on Friday April 13 1973, David Bowie's timeless classic, Aladdin Sane, was unleashed on an unsuspecting public. That cliché is overused, but I can honestly say that I was genuinely taken aback by the life-size Aladdin Sane cut out in the window of Diamond Stylus, my local record shop.
The cut out was of the silver-bodied centre piece which graced the inner gatefold of the album, and it remains one of the most striking images in rock music ever. Proud and androgynous, Bowie was otherworldly and aloof and your mother really didn't like him very much at all. After all, his direct influence surely meant the end of the family line.
I remember well the kid with the cash at school brought the album in on the Friday lunchtime, and we all giggled in disbelief at the word "wanking" on the lyric inner.
As a 12-year-old I couldn't yet afford to buy Bowie LPs on the day of release, and instead borrowed the album from the best friend of my eldest brother.
He knew how big a fan I already was and let me keep the fan club application (which I filled in but never sent off...still have it somewhere) on the proviso that I looked after the record properly and that I would be playing it on decent equipment. "Yes" I replied. It was a Dansette with an auto-changer...well, it's all relative and I thought it was a good machine at the time.
Musically the album remains one of my favourites, capturing brilliantly, and for the last time, all of The Spiders at their razor-sharp, tour-toughened best.
As for the songs...well, obviously we were already familiar with the anthemic The Jean Genie (the first song I ever danced to at a disco) and did anything ever sound like it was created on another planet more so than Drive-In Saturday? Not that the weird synth noises, swirling saxophones and eerie Mellotron strings did anything to hamper the song's chart success. It had been released as a single the week before the album and it eventually peaked at #3 a few weeks later.
And you could tell it all came so naturally to Bowie...He was obviously born on Mars and didn't have to try so desperately hard like all the others.
It was also the first album to feature Mike Garson...and how good did he sound on tracks like Time and the title track. A
nyway, I could go on and on and on, but I recommend you just get the album out and give it another spin...at Max Vol obviously.
Trivia buffs may want to know that the press advert above was from an American magazine. RCA in the US obviously felt that the punning title had to be driven home for those that hadn't already grasped it.
And it was stalking time for the Moonboys...
BowieNet's very own Karen Dawson (Spaceface) has provided us with an interview she recently conducted with director Duncan Jones regarding his full-length directorial debut, Moon.
The interview was done for
Anyway, here's the whole thing for your reading pleasure...
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Sneak Preview
Duncan Jones, director of 'MOON', one of the hottest films for release in 2009, talks exclusively to Collective about his role and his career to date. The ?intelligent science fiction thriller? stars the incredibly talented Sam Rockwell (Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy and Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind).
Q: You studied philosophy at college and then turned to film making as a career. What drew you to directing?
A: I've always had an over-active imagination. I think it goes with the territory of growing up as an only child. When I was a kid I used to shoot little one-stop animation films with my dad?s help, but as I grew up I moved on to other things. You know, sport, girls... stuff that gets in the way. As I got older, I couldn?t work out what I wanted to do with my life. Philosophy seemed to be a non-committal way of staying in academia, without setting off on any particular career path. I think my dad could tell I was having a hard time finding a passion in life. He suggested I join him on a couple of film shoots he was performing in, and thanks to him and the director he was working with at the time, Tony Scott, I rediscovered my passion for film. That happened about 10 or 11 years ago. From that point on, film making and directing was all consuming. It has been ever since.
Q: Your London-based film company, Liberty Films, also makes commercials. You directed the acclaimed and controversial 2006 ?fighting lesbians? French Connection ad. Did you welcome the controversy, as French Connection UK probably did?
A: It?s a weird one that. That commercial was designed to be controversial. I know it?s silly, but it was incredibly effective in its juvenile way. For me, it was just loads of fun to shoot! The stuntwomen were great fun to work with, and I think we made something that looked bloody lovely, so job done! As a director, it was also a hell of a way to make an entrance on the advertising scene and got me noticed.
Q: You wrote the libretto for that ad. Have you done any writing for your current project, Moon?
A: Hahaha... Absolutely not! There's only one musician in the family, and it's not me!
Q: There is very little information available about Moon so far, other than that it is set on a moon base in the near future and the central character is an astronaut (played by Sam Rockwell), who is somehow stranded on the Moon for three years. We know it is an original story written by Nathan Parker, and you?ve said previously "Think some sci-fi classic from the 70s that somehow was over-looked and has only now been unearthed." What more can you tell us?
A: I don?t want to say too much just yet... But, I wrote the original treatment for the film with a very specific goal; I wanted the audience to be completely unaware that we were a little British Film. That went for the look of it, the effects we used, the cast we had attached. Everything! What we designed was a self-contained world. A story that takes place on the Moon, both on the surface itself and in a moon base on the satellite?s far side. Visually it?s sparse, but gorgeous. The cast is tiny by design, revolving around Sam Rockwell, but includes people I really love like Matt Berry, Benedict Wong, and the extremely gorgeous Dominque McElligott and Kaya Scodelario.
Nathan and I batted the script back and forth while we were writing it, and had something we were very proud of, but Moon really got its flavor when I went out to New York to do rehearsals with Sam. He added his own inimitable character to the piece, and I did a lot of rewriting based on improvs he and I came up with. It's a very weird thing. It?s proper sci-fi. It's a thriller, there's action, but it has a huge amount of heart and a very romantic side.
Q: There is a whisper that you will do a brief cameo. Have you filmed it yet? How did it go?
A: There was a planned cameo, but it?s so innocuous and insignificant, I highly doubt anyone beside me will even notice it... that?s if it survives the edit. It?s probably for the best. I?ve never felt comfortable in front of cameras.
Q: You?ve said the sets are incredible. Can you tell us more?
A: Well... let me put it this way... We built a moon base, in its entirety! The idea was to be able to wander about with the camera, and not have to worry about shooting off the edge of a set. The crew basically entered the base through the air lock at the start of the day, escaped for an hour at lunch, but otherwise spent 6 weeks working and living in a moon base! It was incredible. Intense. A bit like I would imagine Big Brother must be, if you are a contestant!
Q: It?s your first feature film as director. How are you enjoying the role?
A: It's the most exhilarating, stressful, frustrating, wonderful experience I have ever had! This is what I am meant to be doing with my life, and I feel so fortunate that I have been able to survive long enough to get this film made. Now I just have to hope I have made something people will want to see, and I can make film number 2.
Q: Have you been inspired by any other directors? What are your own favorite films?
A: There's too many to mention. The BIG one as far as inspirations go is North Shields own, Tony Scott. He gave me a chance to work for him a while back, and re-ignited my love of filmmaking. I'll love him for that till the day I die. As far as directors I respect, the list is huge and eclectic. As long a list as my dad?s would be for musical influences. One director I would mention though is Spike Jonze, who was incredibly cool, taking time to discuss some technical issues with me when I was in production. I love all the stuff he does.
Q: It?s no secret that you have a pretty famous father, David Bowie. Is he looking forward to the film and has he offered you any advice?
A: Yeah.. I think its safe to say he is pretty excited about the film! As for advice? Don't do interviews.
Hey, you can?t listen to your parents ALL the time, can you?
Collective wish Duncan Jones every success with his first feature film. It will show at the Sundance and Berlinale Film Festivals and also reach our multiplexes during 2009.
Karen Dawson 2008
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Many thanks to both Duncan and Karen and to Collective magazine for letting us reproduce this here.
Singing old songs we loved...
Another last-minute reminder in a similar vein to the one below.
Is There Life On Mars? The David Bowie Singalong, is the name given to an event due to take place at
Here's some stuff about it...
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The Cinematheque?s monthly singalongs continue with a rollicking romp though the glittery world of chameleonic pop icon David Bowie! From his folkie beginnings through the flamboyant glam of Ziggy Stardust, the mystic androgyny of Aladdin Sane and the elegance of The Thin White Duke, Bowie constructs and deconstructs his own myths, always interesting and riddled with apocalyptic angst. Although the singalong shows a clear emphasis on 70s Bowie, the 80s make a significant appearance, including selections from the crotch-popping muppet masterpiece LABYRINTH! All lyrics are subtitled onscreen.
TICKETS $8 General / $7 students and seniors / $6 members.
Prepurchase your tickets with a credit card by phoning the Cinematheque office at 925-3454. Your ticket and receipt will be with a will-call list at the door.
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So, if you happen to be in Winnipeg and you're up for a David Bowie singalong like the folx in the pic above, then
Come to the show tonight...
I know there's a disproportionately large contingency of Bowie fans in Massachusetts, USA, no doubt already moving en masse to
But, just in case there are a few dozy stragglers who had forgotten all about tonight's date with too much fun, you still have a good few hours to get on your satin 'n tat and get along in time for the band's appearance at 9:00pm.
Check out
Ziggy really sang...
As we suggested back in February, (02.27.2008 NEWS: LIMITED EDITION SANTA MONICA DUE FOR SUMMER RELEASE) David Bowie - Live Santa Monica ?72 will now be released via EMI Catalogue Marketing on June 30th, 2008.
You can read the press release in the PR section above, but here are the salient points for those that don't like to scroll and click...
David Bowie - Live Santa Monica ?72
Limited Edition CD album ? catalogue number BOWLIVE 201072
Limited edition double LP - catalogue number BOWLIVELP 201072
Digital format ? catalogue number 583 2215
Released June 30th 2008
EMI Catalogue Marketing
EMI Marketing will officially release David Bowie, Live Santa Monica ?72 on June 30. Recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles on October 20th 1972 during the first leg of the Ziggy Stardust US tour. Over the last 36 years this historic recording has only been occasionally available as a bootleg. For many, ownership of this concert was regarded as a true test of being a ?proper Bowie fan?. This powerful, galvanising show allows a more than 70 minute glimpse into the earliest nation-wide live radio exposure granted David and the Spiders.
David Bowie says:-
"I can tell that I?m totally into being Ziggy by this stage of our touring. It?s no longer an act; I am him. This would be around the tenth American show for us and you can hear that we are all pretty high on ourselves. We train wreck a couple of things, I miss some words and sometimes you wouldn?t know that pianist Mike Garson was onstage with us. But overall I really treasure this bootleg. Mick Ronson is at his blistering best."
CD tracklisting:
01 - Introduction
02 - Hang On To Yourself
03 - Ziggy Stardust
04 - Changes
05 - The Supermen
06 - Life On Mars?
07 - Five Years
08 - Space Oddity
09 - Andy Warhol
10 - My Death
11 - The Width Of A Circle
12 - Queen Bitch
13 - Moonage Daydream
14 - John, I'm Only Dancing
15 - Waiting For The Man
16 - The Jean Genie
17 - Suffragette City
18 - Rock 'N' Roll Suicide
LP tracklisting:
Record 1 Side 1
1 - Introduction
2 - Hang On To Yourself
3 - Ziggy Stardust
4 - Changes
5 - The Supermen
6 - Life On Mars?
7 - Five Years
Record 1 Side 2
1 - Space Oddity
2 - Andy Warhol
3 - My Death
Record 2 Side 1
1 - The Width Of A Circle
2 - Queen Bitch
3 - Moonage Daydream
4 - John, I?m Only Dancing
Record 2 Side 2
1 - Waiting For The Man
2 - The Jean Genie
3 - Suffragette City
4 - Rock ?N? Roll Suicide
The CD will initially be released as a limited edition with special packaging featuring shots taken at the actual gig for the first time.
The double LP set will be a numbered limited edition on 180 gram heavyweight vinyl; a must for collectors.
I'll be doing a feature on the history of this recording before the album's official release in June and obviously we'll be running some sort of lovely contest before that date too.
As I say, you can read even more regarding this release in the PR section above.
In 1972, David Bowie set out on his first US tour. He'd recently introduced the world to his Ziggy Stardust persona with his top 5 album 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' and had completed a hugely successful UK tour. The Santa Monica concert, David?s first live US radio broadcast, was aired live on KMET in L.A. and was immediately a fan bootleg favourite. The set list is compiled primarily from the 'Hunky Dory' and 'Ziggy Stardust' albums and features two covers, Jacques Brel's "My Death" and the Velvet Underground's "Waiting For The Man," alongside the awesome power of ?The Man Who Sold The World? centrepiece "The Width Of A Circle" (this version is a ten and a half minute sonic assault) and an ?Aladdin Sane? previewing "The Jean Genie."
The CD will initially be released as a limited edition with special packaging featuring shots taken at the actual gig for the first time.
Dance with me before their frozen eyes...
We told you about this one last month (03.22.2008 NEWS: LAST SHADOW PUPPETS COVER BOWIE ON DEBUT 7") and since then we've managed to get hold of an mp3 of In The Heat Of The Morning, as performed by
It's a wonderfully energetic and affectionate version, even if it is weird to hear that voice formerly associated only with Arctic Monkeys singing a Sixties Bowie song.
I asked David what he thought of the track and he responded thus: "That's a delight! How lovely. A daymaker.".
Those of you that can't wait until Monday the 14th, when the track is officially released, may want to tune in to
He of ruddy complexion, ginger beard and one good eye (see above) has a World Exclusive first play shortly after 7:00pm UK time.
If you're reading this too late, don't forget the Listen Again feature over at 6 Music where the track will remain for a whole week.
They could do with the money...
With just under six days left to go, the signed leather jacket from The Hunger TV show that David Bowie contributed to support the completion of the recording studio at
If this item has passed you by so far, see the previous news story (04.04.2008 NEWS: BOWIE DONATES HUNGER JACKET TO IMA EBAY AUCTION) or check out the
I should point out that the IMA logo at the top right on the image above, isn't actually on the jacket.
I'm stuck with a valuable collection...
As we said last week, due to the enthusiastic response to last month's piece about French Bowie collector Jean-Charles Gautier, (03.02.2008 NEWS: BOWIE 45 SELLS FOR $3,550 ON EBAY - THE BUYER TALKS) we've decided to try and make a monthly feature which will highlight the collections of BowieNetters from around the globe.
Eventually, each of these features in the news will be expanded to include more about each collector/collection and housed in a special section here on BowieNet.
Today we're looking at just a few bits from the collection of BowieNetter pmfwoods.
I'll start with the images above with the relevant information that Paul supplied for each of the 45s...clockwise from top left:
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1 & 2 - Space Oddity Portugal with promo insert. This is a rare sleeve and early copies came with this lyric insert. There is actually a white label promo which is very rare as 'stock' copies were also used as promos.
3 - Love You Till Tuesday German picture sleeve. This turns up occasionally and always makes big bucks. I doubt if this ever had a full release as most copies (although not all) have the 'not for sale' sticker and the fact that so few have surfaced suggests a very limited distribution (or perhaps near zero sales!).
4 - Space Oddity original 1969 Greek issue. I have only seen a couple of these up for sale and both trashed. Greek pressings especially from the 60's are difficult to come by and in original company sleeve. Other mega rare non-pic sleeve Space Oddity releases from this period often overlooked, include releases from Turkey, Lebanon, Brazil and South Africa and with pic-sleeve there is a release from Singapore and a Portuguese white label.
5 & 6 - Prettiest Star Italian promo. A particularly rare sleeve and the promo copy is rarely seen, great image.
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As if to reinforce what he says about the rarer issues of the Philips Space Oddity 45, Paul pointed me in the direction of the above South African pressing which just sold on eBay for $2,202.00 USD! The 45s are only a small part of Paul's collection, he also collects early press kits such as the Mercury one for The Man Who Sold The World, above, about which he says this:
"TMWSTW UK press kit. As you can imagine this is pretty rare, probably only issued to 20-30 key industry people. Never seen another on Ebay or elsewhere."
It's astonishing that these things remain in such good condition after all these years, and it's thanks to collectors like Paul that they will remain that way. As you can see from the image above, this particular press folder contained two live shots, press clippings and a personal letter from David dated November 17th 1970.
BowieNet members who want to read the letter can view a larger version I'll leave you with a piece Paul wrote for Record Collector magazine regarding the very first Bowie album and specifically the New Zealand pressing (pictured below).
Please excuse the low quality images, the discoloration is simply shadows as opposed to staining on the sleeve.
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DB?S KIWI DERAM DEBUT
David Bowie?s first venture into the LP format came in April of 1967 as a twelve track, self-titled American release on the newly formed Deram label. Promos were circulated (actually stock copies with covers stamped ?Not for Sale?) and both mono (DE 16003) and stereo (DES 18003) versions were available to the general public. Early copies came with a ?songbook?; a booklet with David?s portrait on the cover, containing the lyrics to his latest batch of songs, a bizarre collection of music hall style ditties with a nod to Anthony Newley and the English theatre. A very desirable package now, but not desirable enough then, to influence sales, the album sold poorly and mint copies with booklet intact are now extremely collectable.
A stereo only Canadian pressing was issued alongside its US cousin and followed the same format and catalogue number. This variation is even more difficult to come by as sales were near non-existent north of the border. It would be five more years and four more albums before Bowie had anything resembling success in North America.
UK fourteen track versions followed in June (mono DML 1007 and Stereo SML 1007 respectively) adding "We are hungry men" and "Maids of Bond street" to the mix and with slightly different artwork. Despite polite reviews from music industry insiders and fellow musicians, sales again went nowhere. As with the US releases mint copies turn up only occasionally and the rarer stereo versions tend to cause some excitement amongst collectors.
The only (other) European release was in Germany (stereo only); where it followed the UK format and catalogue number but is instantly distinguishable by a ?Royal Sound Stereo? logo on the back cover and labels.
Disregarding a Japanese release (DL.44), which did not in fact hit the shops until the height of Ziggy mania in 1973; this was generally considered to be the full international release schedule for Bowie?s Deram debut LP. One of the joys of collecting is surely to unearth an obscure release, previously undocumented by official discographers and known only to those few souls who actually purchased the record on release or have acquired a copy from this source.
Such is the case for a New Zealand Deram release from 1967 (stereo SMLM 1007) coming to light and claiming its place as the rarest of all known formats. This version follows the UK format although the cover picture is considerably darker and the back image is reduced to make room for the copyright warning and, interestingly, both ?His Masters Voice (NZ) Ltd? and Deram script.
The fact is that David Bowie as an artist, and Deram as a label are both considerably collectable in their own right. That this release has remained in obscurity for so long is quite remarkable and testament to its rarity.
It is incredibly difficult to value these releases accurately as prices fluctuate wildly among the more ?common? releases, and the rarer variations turn up so infrequently on the collectors market as to frustrate accurate assessment. As a guide the US/UK standard releases hover between £150-£250 (50% more with booklet or as promo) although a mint mono UK issue recently sold for £511 on Ebay, highlighting the fact that when it comes to collecting, top condition together with reasonable rarity can mean serious returns on investment! The Canadian and German formats can reach £350 and £400 respectively on a good day and should a mint copy of the NZ version become available, expect to write a cheque for £450 or more.
Paul Woods, Sudbury, Suffolk.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanx so much for sharing this with us Paul, it's fascinating stuff.
All you've got to do is win...
I know we've been promising this one for an age, (11.20.07 NEWS: REX RAY BOOK SIGNING IN LA TONIGHT PLUS NEW MINI-SITE) but, due to a whole bunch of feeble excuses, today is the very earliest opportunity we've had to run it.
For most of us, owning any kind of original Rex Ray artwork is a dream beyond our financial means, but over the coming weeks ten lucky BowieNetters will do just that.
First up, the image above is a rare withdrawn
For this reason the print alone is a valuable collectable. However, this version is a limited run of ten untrimmed 20" x 14" (508mm x 355mm) hand-numbered prints, customised by Rex in the Reality style and signed by both Rex Ray and David Bowie in 2006.
We have numbers 2 to 10 to give-away and one copy of the beauty below.
This print is even rarer, being a 19.5" x 13" (495mm x 330mm) artist's proof (AP) of an unpublished portrait of DB by Rex Ray and again signed by them both in 2006. As far as I am aware, there are no more than three or four of these in existence.
I should point out that each of the prints has a very slight crease in one corner due to transit damage, but that's unlikely to show once the print is framed.
I had plotted all sorts of cruel and mischievous tasks to win these, but in the end I felt it was fairer to give everybody an equal chance to win.
So, the plan is that we'll be giving away one print every Sunday, starting next week (13th).
All you have to do to be in with a chance of being that first winner is contact me here before midnight NY time on Saturday the 12th.
We'll start with the nine Berkeley prints in descending numbered order followed by the AP.
After they have been plucked from the week's entries, the winner of each individual print will be announced every Sunday until all ten prizes have gone. If you don't win, you can re-enter each week to give you a total of ten chances.
Usual BowieNet rules apply: Only one entry per BowieNet account per week, and please remember you must enter using your BowieNet e-mail or at least supply your BowieNet user name. If you do neither of these things you won't be eligible to enter.
The first winner will be announced next Sunday the 13th and the contest for the second artwork will commence at the same time.
BowieNet members can view larger versions of both of the above
Uncage the colours...
Due to the enthusiastic response following on from last month's piece about French Bowie collector Jean-Charles Gautier, (03.02.2008 NEWS: BOWIE 45 SELLS FOR $3,550 ON EBAY - THE BUYER TALKS) we've decided to try and make it a monthly feature highlighting the collections of BowieNetters from around the globe.
On the first Monday of each month we will endeavour to bring you details of some of the rarer and more interesting Bowie items collected by fans, kicking off this coming Monday with just a few bits from the collection of BowieNetter pmfwoods.
Paul is a UK collector with some very valuable pieces which I know many of you will appreciate.
Meanwhile, in aforementioned news item from last month, Jean-Charles mentioned a US RCA Station To Station multi-coloured vinyl album which, judging by the e-mails I've received, was previously unknown to the majority of you.
Well, there's a tantalising glimpse of it above to prove its existence, though we don't really want to make the counterfeiters' jobs any easier by supplying the finer details of items such as this.
Don't forget that we're interested in featuring any collection that you think may excite other fans...doesn't have to be financially valuable, just an area of Bowie's career you've collected with a passion.
With my black-jack and jacket...
As promised last month (03.14.2008 NEWS: GAD DONATES A PIECE OF BOWIE HISTORY TO IMA EBAY AUCTION) here are the details of David Bowie's contribution to support the completion of the recording studio at
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To support the completion of the recording studio at The Institute for the Musical Arts, David Bowie contributes an autographed leather jacket from The Hunger television series, which he hosted in the late 1990s.
About the Item Autographed by David Bowie in silver ink on the inside right flap. Approximate size is a Men?s Large. Specific measurements are as follows:
Zipped-front chest; 25 ½ inches About the Donor In the BBC?s 2002 poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, Bowie ranked 29. Throughout his career he has sold an estimated 196 million albums and ranks among the ten best-selling acts in UK pop history. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 39th on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time, noting that he is a musical chameleon and one of the more restless and venturesome classic rock survivors.
In addition to his musical performances, Bowie is an actor and TV host. The donated leather jacket is a promotional item for The Hunger TV series, which Bowie hosted in the late 1990s. He also acted in one of the segments.
The quote is famous, and the expletives will be deleted, but here?s what David Bowie said about Fanny, the band founded by IMA co-founder June Millington and her sister Jean: ?One of the most important female bands in American rock has been buried without a trace: Fanny. They were one of the finest f-ing rock bands of their time. They?re as important as anyone else who?s ever been, ever; it just wasn?t their time. Revivify Fanny. And I will feel that my work is done?
Now that?s some pretty tall praise from one of the world?s most popular and successful artists?for nearly 40 years! David Bowie has great taste in music, and he has great taste in clothes, side musicians, and worthy causes..
In donating the jacket to IMA, Bowie said, ?We?d do anything for the girls.?
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This is a very stylish black hip-length, collared, lined leather jacket, with angled besom pockets and an interior chest pocket; acetate lining; no manufacturer?s tag visible; hand written on garment care tag at neck ?Man L?. Stitched/embossed on left sleeve at shoulder ?Telescene / The Hunger.?
Length from top of shoulder at neck seam to hem; 30 inches
Back, measured at yoke: 18 1/2/ inches
Back, measured at center: 25 ½ inches
Sleeve, measured at top of shoulder insertion to sleeve hem: 25 ½ inches
Sleeve, measured from neck seam to sleeve hem: 32 inches
Just a guess, but you probably already know a lot about David Bowie. He first caught the public eye in 1969 with the single Space Oddity. And over the last 40 years, he?s consistently caught the international public eye with history-making recordings and concert tours. A few of the rankings are right off the Bowie page on Wikipedia:
The auction is now live and you can reach it
The aforementioned previous auction of
Speaking of Bowie band members...
Talking 'bout his family...
I know there are many of you reading this that are big fans of Mike Garson's work and have no doubt already taken advantage of the exclusive offer on his site.
Conversations With My Family is Mike's brilliant new CD/DVD, released officially next Tuesday the 8th. But, you can order your copy of a limited pre-release of 500 signed and numbered editions now.
Go
Also, check out
Check out the press release for Conversations With My Family via the BowieNet press release section above.
Mike Garson ? CONVERSATIONS WITH MY FAMILY ? Resonance Records RCD-1004
Release date: April 8, 2008
On April 8th, Conversations with My Family, the auspicious new album from celebrated keyboardist Mike Garson debuts on jazz producer, engineer and entrepreneur George Klabin?s Resonance Records imprint. This collection of original works, some of them dating back 30 years and others written as recently as during the Conversations sessions themselves, heralds Garson?s arrival in the front rank of jazz piano performance and composition.
Based on Garson?s longtime practice of creating music inspired by members of his family, Conversations is both adventurous and accessible, animated by extended sections of improvisation involving Garson, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Gary Novak, enhanced by guest appearances from upcoming Resonance artists that include flutist Lori Bell, violinist Chris Howes, guitarist Andreas Oberg, and trumpeter Claudio Roditi, and adorned with arrangements by Kuno Schmidt.
From the breezy swing, bracing unaccompanied piano intro and spare but illuminating charts of the opener, "The Child Within," to the hushed eloquence of the closing title track, Conversations reveals a depth of artistry only hinted at in Garson?s affiliation for more than 30 years as keyboardist and creative collaborator with rock legend David Bowie.
"Mike has built an enormous following through his work with Bowie," says George Klabin, president and founder of Resonance Records. "But because of that association, Mike has had very little time to focus on bringing his own music to the world, until now. With his extraordinary playing and writing, and with the contributions of Kuno Schmidt and the artists that we?ve gathered for this project, I know we?ve got something special here."
Garson?s unique talents bloom throughout Conversations, but his influences are evident too. Born in New York, he began studying classical piano at age seven, studied in depth with the brilliant iconoclast Lennie Tristano, and absorbed a year?s worth of insight during a six-hour lesson with the great Bill Evans. Throughout his career he combined his studio and touring commitments to Bowie with stints in innovative bands such as Brethren and Free Flight, freelance work with Stan Getz, Thad Jones, Mel Tormé, and other giants, and solo albums dating back to a highly r egarded set of unaccompanied piano, Avant Garson, in 1979.
His range has extended from the standard songbook through experimentation on the fringes of jazz, classical, and unclassifiable cross-genre explorations. And while all of these elements feed into Conversations, the results reach toward informed listeners as well as all who would sense a song in the play of their children, the wisdom of their parents, and the time shared with their loved ones.
"I started writing music for people in my life when I met Susan, my wife," Garson explains. "I was 16 at the time. Then, when our older daughter was born, I wrote ?Jenny?s Waltz.? For our next daughter, I wrote ?Miracle of Love.? And as time passed, I began expanding with ?Longings,? ?Yearnings,? ?The Awe and the Mystery? ? pieces with a more global vision of the family, which I felt could apply to everyone."
After Garson joined the Resonance Records roster, he and Klabin conceived the idea of presenting these compositions together as an album. Because of their diversity, though, Klabin proposed that hey might best be integrated through use of small interludes, which would function as segues. Garson agreed and wrote these brief instrumental moments, each one haunting in its own way and all of them critical in channeling the larger performances into a conceptual flow.
Garson pursued this goal in part by utilizing a technique he?d never embraced on any of his previous jazz sessions: He and his rhythm section recorded to a click track. But he had a reason for going outside the rules. "When George and I decided to bring Kuno in to do arrangements based on sounds he?d acquired from the Vienna Symphonic Sample Library, I realized that keeping the tempo steady would make his job easier," Garson says. "When Kuno and I spoke on the phone for the first time, we clicked. It was actually like magic. He is a very good pianist himself and a tremendous orchestrator, so I decided to not interfere with his work at all. Instead, I sent him my charts and let him do his thing. I trusted him completely, and consequently he found the essence of this music on his own."
They do so by following Garson?s example in taking creative risks. Rather than adhere to the usual practice of tailoring arrangements tightly to the structure of the tune, Schmidt reflects on the music more freely, at times creating an impression of almost random placement of figures, motifs, and chords. Yet as the core trio digs into the changes on "The Child Within," for example, Schmidt floats clusters of flute and muted trumpet, or flurries of strings, into the space around the groove, more like whispers of I nvisible muses than mere reflections of what?s being played.
"Kuno is one of the top two or three people in the world for working with orchestral samples," says Klabin. "It?s one thing to have these sounds at your disposal and another to use them creatively, as he proves throughout Conversations."
Conversations with My Family
ranks at the top of any list of recent musical endeavors that set and then achieve high goals. It also heralds Garson?s ascendance as an artist, fully merited and long overdue. More than that, it also provides an auspicious launch for Resonance Records, whose mandate is as ambitious as the work slated to fill its catalog through upcoming releases.
"We?re not just another record label," Klabin sums up. "Our motto is ?Creating Jazz Legacies,? but even more fundamental is the fact that whatever we do, it will be first and foremost about the music. Whether releasing previously unheard music by major artists through our Heirloom Division or introducing young talent that will change the world in their own way, that?s our commitment."
One flash of light but no smoking pistol...
We set this one a couple of weeks back (03.15.2008 NEWS: ASHES TO ASHES SOUNDTRACK OUT MONDAY...WIN IT HERE) when we asked you to identify the five tracks on the above CD that were originally released in the 70s, as opposed to the decade the series was set in, the 1980s.
These were the songs the winners correctly selected:
The Stranglers ? No More Heroes (1977)
The Clash ? I Fought The Law (1977)
Joe Jackson ? It?s Different For Girls (1979)
Flying Lizards ? Money (1979)
Bryan Ferry ? Let?s Stick Together (1976)
And the five BowieNetters that fortune smiles upon today, are:
chris_carry
NavalHero
Steffrox
thebewleybro
unclearthur
If you lot could please send in your names and addresses, we'll have your CDs out to you quicker then you can shake a stick at a brass monkey. Well done.
Series one of Ashes To Ashes will be available on DVD from next month and apparently it won't be too long before we have a second series airing on TV.
Tell the truth, Tell the truth, Tell the truth, We tricked you, We tricked you, We tricked you...
OK, so there wasn't that much truth to yesterday's Will item...DB doesn't go anywhere near a bike in the movie, he wears the clobber he's wearing above, and he doesn't own a big red shopping bag...a small red box at most.
The other story in yesterday's news was actually true, even if it did seem even more ridiculous than the fabric of lies I had spun for Will.
Anyway, here's another pic, taken expertly by Jimmy 'Shirt-Shrinker' King...
Both shots are of David relaxing between takes on the set of Will, which was shooting in Greenwich Village in NY on the 20th of March.
I asked David exactly what he is wearing in the shots, because I know that's the type of thing you lot like to know, and he graciously responded thus:
"Kicks - Fred Perry. Jeans - years-old Helmut Lang. Coat - Nick Hart (for Aquascutum). Chair - Mae West probably."
Well, I guess I have to admit after my attempt at dressing David in yesterday's spoof, he is clearly considerably better at doing it himself.
'Cos Lenin's on sale again...
The May issue of MOJO magazine has the above feature regarding the artist Scott King and an exhibition of his work at Munich's Kunstverein gallery entitled: Marxist Disco! (cancelled).
As you can see above, the show features a bust of Stalin as Aladdin Sane and another of Lenin complete with similar facial adornment from the same glam period of Bowie's glittery past...not to mention Karl Marx as Roy Wood and both Ian Curtis and Cher as Che Guevara.
When asked why he decided on the juxtaposition of totalitarianism and one of rock music's more excessively flamboyant moments, Scott responded thus: "I don't know yet. I had the idea while I was attending a lecture at the Marx Memorial Library in Clerkenwell. While I was listening, I started staring at a bust of Marx and I started to imagine how much more interesting everything might be if it was actually a bust of Roy Wood."
I guess this kind of brings it full circle, as Bowie would often be seen sporting a medal of Lenin's profile at the height of his Ziggy/Aladdin Sane fame in 1973, as evidenced in the picture above...
Marxist Disco! (cancelled) runs until April 13th after which it moves to New York's Bortolami gallery in June.