Sound And Vision 45 released this day in 1977

“Don’t you wonder sometimes”

Originally a #3 UK hit for Bowie in 1977 when it was released as the first single from the classic ‘Low’ album, Sound And Vision was unusual in that the lead vocal didn’t appear until half way through the song.

It was also unusual in that it didn’t precede the album release and considering these facts and the fact that RCA barely promoted the single in the UK, it’s surprising it did so well on the chart there.

Produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, the song also featured a guest vocal from Mary Hopkin, Visconti’s then wife.

Sound And Vision has been covered many times, most recently by Beck whose epic performance of it was broadcast yesterday for the Lincoln Motor Company‘s Hello Again campaign.

If you’ve not heard the Bowie version recently, go give it a listen for its thirty sixth birthday here.

Say ‘Hello Again’ to Bowie and Beck shortly

“Waiting for the gift of Sound And Vision”

We told you about this one last week, but here’s a brief reminder to tune in today to the Lincoln Motor Company‘s Hello Again campaign.

As we mentioned previously, Beck has done his thing to David Bowie's Sound And Vision and the fruits of that ambitious project can be heard and viewed at 5:00pm EST/10:00pm GMT here.  

Meanwhile you can see some shorts that have been posted on the Hello Again site while you’re waiting.

If you still have time to kill after that, why not have a listen to Beck’s Record Club project, where he covers the work of other musicians.

Bowie in Berlin exhibition ends Wednesday

“Well, I might stretch it till Wednesday”

We told you about this exhibition in Bologna, Italy, back in December of last year.

It was originally due to close on January 17th, but public demand ensured the show an extra month.

The David Bowie picture accompanying this item is just one of Philippe Auliac’s incredible shots of The Thin White Duke in Paris in 1976.

Philippe’s images are being shown alongside those of Brian Duffy, Sheila Rock, Ian Dickson and Terry O’ Neill, among others.

‘DAVID BOWIE - BERLINO - A new career in a new town’, now runs through to February 13th 2013 and you can read more about it on ONO ARTE CONTEMPORANEA and on their Facebook page.

Georgia Fields plays Ziggy Stardust Down Under

“I Demand A Better Future”

What’s not to like about dwelling Down Under when it means as a consequence you live permanently in the future!?

The upshot of that is that Australians get to celebrate the start of the first David Bowie ‘Ziggy Stardust UK tour’ at the Toby Jug, Tolworth, Surrey, on February 10th, 1972, before the majority of Bowie fans, Up Over.

Though the January 29th show at Borough Assembly Hall in Aylesbury is generally considered to be the first ever Ziggy Stardust show, the Toby Jug show was the official start of the tour.

The good people of Melbourne have chosen to mark the event with a gig by Georgia Fields and her take on the ‘Ziggy Stardust’ album.

Georgia is a big deal down in that part of the world, so it’s very cool that she’s agreed to play such an intimate show.

Sadly for those who might have attended, but this is the first they’ve heard of it, the show is SOLD OUT!

Nevertheless, the excellent BowieDownUnder website will hopefully have some footage to share with us, like they have for Julia Stone’s reworking of the ‘Let’s Dance’ album from back in January.

The Next Day release dates round-up

“Sony wants to turn the world”

This is how the worldwide release dates for ‘The Next Day’ stand right now.

March 8
Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland
March 11
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, UK, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Latin America (ex-Mexico), Asia (ex-Japan), New Zealand
March 12
USA/Canada, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Italy, Poland
March 13
Japan (Includes fourth bonus track: God Bless The Girl)
March 15
Australia

‘The Next Day’ is available as:
14-track standard download and CD
17-track deluxe download and CD (includes 3 bonus tracks)
17-track double vinyl album (includes 3 bonus tracks)
18-track Blu-Spec CD2 in Japan only (includes 4 bonus tracks)

‘The Next Day’ tracklisting

01. The Next Day
02. Dirty Boys
03. The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
04. Love Is Lost
05. Where Are We Now?
06. Valentine’s Day
07. If You Can See Me
08. I'd Rather Be High
09. Boss of Me
10. Dancing Out In Space
11. How Does the Grass Grow?
12. (You Will) Set the World On Fire
13. You Feel So Lonely You Could Die
14. Heat

Bonus tracks:
15. So She
16. Plan
17. I'll Take You There
18. God Bless The Girl (Japan only)

http://www.davidbowie.com/the-next-day

Drive-In Saturday is next RSD Bowie exclusive

“It's a crash course for the ravers”

You're probably aware that the next Record Store Day falls on Saturday 20th April 2013.

The fourth in a series of David Bowie picture disc releases is scheduled as an exclusive RSD release at participating stores on that day.

As you’ve no doubt started seeing a pattern to these releases, it will be no surprise to learn that Drive-In Saturday is that next disc.

Originally released on April 6th 1973 as the second track from the soon-to-be-released Aladdin Sane album, the single was a #3 hit for Bowie in the UK.

This new release will feature the studio version on the A-side and the performance from January 1973 on Russell Harty Plus Pop as the AA-side.

David Bowie – Drive-In Saturday 40th Anniversary 7” picture disc Record Store Day exclusive

DBDRIVE40 A Drive-In Saturday

DBDRIVE40 AA Drive-In Saturday (Russell Harty Plus Pop version) 

Check both the US and UK sites for your nearest record emporium.

All is Hunky Dory for Boy George on BBC4 album show

“Last night they loved you”

Singer/DJ and all-round diamond dog geezer, Boy George (@BoyGeorge), was joined by Grace Dent and David Hepworth for the second episode of Danny Baker’s Great Album Showdown on BBC4 last night.

With the previous evening’s category being Rock, the question posed by last night’s instalment was: “what makes a great pop album?”

As we mentioned before the show was broadcast, with Boy George as a guest there was always going to be just as healthy a dose of Bowie as there had been in the first episode. The Boy didn’t disappoint.

He mentioned Bowie at every turn, along with references to other great music that he found because of Bowie, such as Lou reed and Bob Dylan.

Hunky Dory was the first of three LPs he chose for the ‘Wall Of Sound’ that each of the three guests have to select albums for from their own collections.

The third and final instalment this evening has Baker and his three guests exploring the essential elements of a great R&B album. Could they make it a Bowie hat trick by discussing Young Americans?

Tune in to BBC4 at 9:00 this evening to find out and if you have access to the BBC’s iPlayer, you still have eleven days left to view the previous episodes.

David Bowie 1965! vinyl EP gets RSD release too

“You’re playing with the spider who possess the sky”

You may remember the Drive-In Saturday 40th Anniversary 7” exclusive Record Store Day picture disc that we mentioned yesterday…we certainly hope you do!

Well, we‘re going to tell you about a second such Bowie RSD exclusive release today too.

The reason we’ve left it till now is because the record won’t be available in either the US or Canada, so we thought it best to leave it till the majority of those folk are asleep before we mentioned it!

The David Bowie 1965! EP is a 4-track 7” which collects together both of the singles Bowie released in 1965, with The Manish Boys and The Lower Third respectively.

If the release seems at all familiar, that may be because it’s been available since 2007 as a digital release. The EP was also released in the same 4-track vinyl format in 1979.

Or it may just be that you clearly remember 1965 when both the original 45s were issued. Either way, here are the details for this particular release:

David Bowie 1965! EP 7” Record Store Day exclusive 

7” black vinyl (World excluding US & Canada)

 

A

1. The Manish Boys – I Pity The Fool

2. The Manish Boys – Take My Tip

AA

1. Davy Jones & The Lower Third – You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving

2. Davy Jones & The Lower Third – Baby Loves That Way

FOOTNOTE: If you’re wondering where today’s lyric quotation comes from, you may be comforted to learn that it’s from Take My Tip, the first of Bowie’s compositions that he ever released. Good to see that spider theme started so early.

Ziggy Stardust 40th anniversary contest winners

“All you’ve got to do is win”

A couple of weeks back we posted a contest to win ten copies of the 40th Anniversary Vinyl/DVD Edition of Ziggy Stardust, along with an A4 print of Mr Stardust himself, pictured here.

The competition was in celebration of the fact that ZS40 came in at #2 in the Top 10 biggest selling vinyl albums of 2012 in the UK.

And so without further ado, the first ten people out of the bipperty bopperty hat who correctly selected the answer, Ray Staff, are listed below.

Addy Lynn  

Adrian Rose  

Alex Offord   

Carol Monks   

Katherine Iveson   

Meritxell Rosell   

Rachel Carey   

Steve Livesley  

Thomas Gallagher

Yigal Landey  

Well done you lucky people, we will be contacting you directly to arrange delivery of your package.

David Bowie is praised on BBC4 album show

“Just about the best you can hear”

David Bowie was the subject of much praise on the first instalment of Danny Baker’s Great Album Showdown on BBC4 this evening.

Genius record producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur) chose Ziggy Stardust as one of the albums that each of the three guests have to select from their own collections.

Explaining that the 1972 classic was the first LP he ever bought, he then went on to describe the record as life-changing. Street also pointed out that the musicians he has worked with over the years have a love of Bowie’s music in common.

Baker was in agreement with Street’s ‘life-changing’ theory when he suggested of Ziggy Stardust: “It seems absurd in these days to talk about an LP that could culturally change everything. But it did.“

Bowie was also mentioned favourably when the chat turned to Hunky Dory and when Street unveiled the third of his three albums, Lou Reed's Bowie-produced Transformer.

This was the first of three shows and tomorrow’s broadcast looks to being even more Bowie-heavy, bearing in mind that Boy George is one of the guests.

The other guests joining Baker and Street this evening were Jeremy Clarkson and writer Kate Mossman, who certainly knows her stuff.

You can view the whole thing on the BBC iPlayer now, or on the BBC4 site.

Finally, check a very informative preview of the show on the BBC’s Art and Culture site, wherein Danny Baker relates a wonderful anecdote about how the young Ziggy was so near, yet so far for the schoolboy Baker.

The second of three instalments is on BBC4 tomorrow (Wednesday) at 21:00.

Luella Bartley on Bowie in March Vogue

“Became the special man”

The latest Vogue is on the shelves and it includes a lovely piece by Designer Luella Bartley entitled The Prettiest Star.

Here’s the introduction:

Designer Luella Bartley returns to fashion to celebrate the legendary music icon David Bowie. As the Victoria and Albert Museum gets ready to pay homage to the musician with a dedicated exhibition, Bartley explores his legacy, his influence and why he remains king.

Here's an excerpt from the piece:

“He changed my life.” That quote could be attributed to hordes of famous musicians, fashion designers, artists, writers, accountants, florists and politicians for whom Bowie has been the conduit for a huge cultural, musical, sexual and aesthetic release. And it’s sincere: he did change their lives. He brought individuality to the masses. Call him what you will – teacher, prophet, rebel, inspirator, star man – he’s simply part of the furniture round at our house, like a benign spiritual presence that prods you into creative action, reminding you to be different. And if you think I'm obsessive, you should meet my husband.

The March edition of Vogue is available now (#MarchVogue) as both the traditional bulky hard copy magazine and in the storage-friendly iPad format.

Schapiro selects Bowie for cover of legendary photographs

“Watching them come and go”

The brilliant Steve Schapiro has recently published a book of his photographs from across the years entitled Then and Now.

Here's publisher Hatje Cantz‘s blurb regarding the collection:

Master photographer Steve Schapiro unlocks his archive, allowing a look behind the scenes. More than fifty years’ worth of pictures. Robert Kennedy was the most imposing politician he ever met. And Johnny Depp is incredibly photogenic. Steve Schapiro ought to know, because he has actually photographed them all: his expressive portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Barbara Streisand, Marlon Brando, David Bowie, Jodie Foster, and Robert de Niro are part of our collective visual memory.

Besides his work with the stars, Schapiro and his camera accompanied the greatest political and social upheavals of the sixties and seventies. These photographs have also achieved iconic status. This volume includes a selection of photos taken over a period of more than fifty years. In the accompanying essays, Schapiro explains how they were created, describing his experiences in a lively, humorous way. Along with previously unpublished photographs, the book also features new works by the timeless master.

That description is accurate too. It‘s incredible just how many of the images you remember, but probably didn't realise they were Schapiro‘s photographs, when you leaf through this astonishing 240-page hardback.

All that and it has Bowie portraits too, including the cover shot shown here. With that kind of content to draw on, how flattering is that? Go to hatjecantz.de for more. 

Earthling released on this day in 1997

“You little wonder you”

David Bowie released his ‘Earthling’ LP sixteen years ago today reaching #6 on the UK album chart.

The album was preceded by the Top 20 single, Little Wonder, which was accompanied by the incredible Floria Sigismondi-directed video, complete with contributions from Tony Oursler...which brings us right back round to Where Are We Now?.

If you've not listened for a while, go check out ‘Earthling’ now. It‘s a very fine album indeed. 

40th anniversary remaster of Aladdin Sane due in April

“Who will love Aladdin Sane”

Press release: DAVID BOWIE - 40TH ANNIVERSARY REMASTER OF ALADDIN SANE

Formats: CD / Mastered for iTunes digital download / standard digital download

RELEASE DATE: 15th APRIL 2013

Parlophone Label Group are excited to announce the release of a 40th anniversary edition of David Bowie’s groundbreaking Aladdin Sane - the follow up to 1972’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars.

Originally released through RCA Victor on 13th April 1973, Aladdin Sane was David Bowie’s sixth album, co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott.

This was an incredibly busy time for Bowie – Ziggy Stardust had made him a massive star in the UK and he was touring extensively in the US, where most of the album’s songs were written whilst on the road.

Recorded at Trident Studios, London and RCA Studios, New York and Nashville, between 6th October and 24th January 1973, it was be to be the last album that the Spiders’ line-up of Mick Ronson (guitar, piano, backing vocals), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey (drums) would appear on.

It was to feature the debut of one of Bowie’s new collaborators, avant-jazz pianist Mike Garson. In addition to vocals, Bowie himself played guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone on the album.

Described by Bowie as “Ziggy goes to America,” Aladdin Sane saw him create a rockier, more frenetic album than its predecessor, with The Rolling Stones a possible influence on album opener ‘Watch That Man’ and a transgressive cover of their song, ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’.

Elsewhere, Muddy Waters’ influence could be heard in the riff of the UK #2 single, ‘The Jean Genie’ and the “futuristic nostalgia” of ‘Drive-In Saturday’ - which charted at #3 in the UK – was inspired by 1950s doo-wop.

‘Cracked Actor’, possibly David’s most decadent moment, was written after he had toured Hollywood Boulevard, translating the images and environment into raw rock ‘n’ roll.

The addition of Mike Garson and his remarkable talents, infused some of the album’s key tracks, in particular the title track with its dissonant improvisation, the Brechtian cabaret of ‘Time’ and album closer ‘Lady Grinning Soul’ with an edgy, schizophrenic quality.

Pre-orders for the album in the UK were a staggering 100,000 (not seen since the heyday of The Beatles). It was Bowie’s first UK #1 album, and a US Billboard #17 album.

This 40th anniversary edition has been remastered by Ray Staff at London’s AIR Studios. Ray cut the original LP during his time at Trident Studios and has received plaudits for his remastering of the Ziggy Stardust 40th anniversary edition last year.

Aladdin Sane 40th Anniversary Edition tracklisting:

1. Watch That Man

2. Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)

3. Drive-In Saturday

4. Panic In Detroit

5. Cracked Actor

6. Time

7. The Prettiest Star

8. Let's Spend the Night Together

9. The Jean Genie

10. Lady Grinning Soul

The 40th anniversary remaster of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars will also be made available on iTunes as ‘Mastered for iTunes’ on the same date.

www.davidbowie.com

Four Bowie songs in Glam Rock Top 20

“We like dancing and we look divine…”

Next Friday (Feb 8th) Tate Liverpool launches Glam! The Performance of Style and in celebration of that fact The Guardian newspaper in the UK has been glamming it up a bit.

First up, author and journalist, Jon Savage, picked his favourite glam tracks for the paper. Among the twenty selections were four Bowie compositions and two other tracks that the young Ziggy had a hand in. 

These are the Bowie and related tracks with Jon's annotations.

2 David Bowie, Queen Bitch December 1971 "There should be some real unabashed prostitution in this business," Bowie told Cream magazine in late 1971. He did his best to make it happen with this Velvet Underground tribute, saturated in homosexuality and Manhattan sleaze. Mick Ronson's guitar slices through everything.

5 Mott The Hoople, All the Young Dudes July 1972 Bowie may have provided the raw material, but Mott gave the definitive performance of this generation-defining song, with its sneering reference to the Beatles and the Stones. The musicians curled and uncurled around Ian Hunter's snarling voice: "Oh is there concrete all around/ Or is it in my head."

6 Lou Reed, Vicious November 1972 Another Bowie production, and another career revival. Vicious begins Reed's second solo album in exactly the way that you would wish, with the poet laureate of Manhattan spitting out the Warhol inspired lyrics – "Vicious: you hit me with a flower" – while Mick Ronson, cutting through everything, embodies the song's threat.

7 David Bowie, The Jean Genie November 1972 Bowie reached back to his 60s R&B days with this one, based on the old I'm a Man riff but updated with Ronson's buzzing guitar, burlesque rhythms, gay double entendres – his by-now patented patch. The band did a fantastic Top of the Pops performance, recently rediscovered.

12 Iggy and the Stooges, Search and Destroy June 1973 Iggy wore silver, the Stooges were produced by David Bowie, the record sounded glam – all treble tones and slicing guitar – but Search and Destroy, like its parent album Raw Power, went much further and deeper than hardly anyone wished in 1973. Three years later, it would find its time.

18 David Bowie, Rebel Rebel US version May 1974 Bowie's goodbye to the youth movement he had helped to form – "You've got your mother in a whirl, she's not sure if you're a boy or a girl" – and his last top 10 hit for 18 months. This US mix has dreamy backwards harmonies, extra percussion and phased guitar.

Read the full list and listen to all the tracks here.

Also in recognition of Glam! The Performance of Style, painter, comedian and TV face, Noel Fielding, dived head first into the glitter to recreate the look of some of his favourite glam rockers for The Guardian's Culture magazine.

Here’s a bit from the interview he did for Culture.

Today, Fielding is dressing up as David Bowie, Brian Eno and German performance artist Ulay as a tribute to a new glam rock exhibition at Tate Liverpool. "I make an all right Bowie," he says, then changes his mind. "Actually, I look more like Cilla Black with that wig. He's got that amazing body… he just ate raw eggs and took cocaine, didn't he? He's so thin, you don't know what he is – sort of male, sort of female. There's something about him that's a bit alien."

You can view the rest of his brave attempts in the Culture gallery.

Zachary Alford on working with Bowie

“I like the beat of your drum”

Drummer Zachary Alford has been speaking with Rolling Stone magazine’s Andy Greene about working with David Bowie for the first time since the late nineties.

Here’s an excerpt.

RS: Do you know any of the songs titles?

ZA: They've changed. The only ones that have remained from my initial days are "The Stars (Are Out Tonight) and . . . is there one called "Ya Ya?"

RS: I don't think so. How many songs total did you work on?

ZA: Twenty-four.

RS: There's only 17 on the album when you count the bonus tracks. Do you think the others will come out eventually? Maybe another album?

ZA: Yeah, I would think so. There's plenty of stuff there. One of the songs we worked on was a leftover from Lodger. I think it was called "Born in a UFO" when we worked on it, but I didn't see that title on the record. Maybe he changed it. I don't know.

Check out the full thing over at RollingStone.com

Beck and Lincoln say ‘Hello Again’ to Bowie

“Everyone Says ‘Hi’, again”

The ever-enigmatic Beck is currently remaking and remodelling David Bowie's Sound And Vision for the Lincoln Motor Company‘s Hello Again campaign.

Originally a #3 UK hit for Bowie in 1977 when it was released as the first single from the classic ‘Low’ album, Sound And Vision in Beck‘s hands might not end up sounding like a carbon copy of the original song. Not that that‘s the intention of course.

On past form alone it‘s apparent that Beck has a unique approach to other people‘s work. Remember his insane remixes for Bowie‘s Survive single or his excellent version of Diamond Dogs which appeared on the ‘Moulin Rouge!’ OST?

So it’s no surprise to learn that he plans a completely new arrangement of Sound And Vision, with an added chorus and extended jam sessions, utilising layer upon layer of musicians performing separate pieces of the song together on stage.

He is working with Chris Milk on a special one-time performance of the song that will experiment with the possibilities of perspective and sound movement, surrounding an audience that will be seated within a circular orchestra of 170 different musicians.

A 360-degree recording of the performance will be broadcast to an online audience, giving them the feeling of actually being there. Viewers will be able to move within the 360º environment and change the direction of the audio in real time.

The Lincoln Motor Company is no stranger to Bowie's music either. In August 2008 a promotional film entitled ‘Lift Off’ was created for the Lincoln MKS. The film employed a specially commissioned cover of David Bowie’s Space Oddity by Chan Marshall, aka Cat Power.

And again less than a year later in March 2009, the band Shiny Toy Guns performed a cover of Peter Schilling’s Major Tom (Coming Home) for a Lincoln MKZ television commercial. It's a tenuous link, but the song was touted as a sequel to Space Oddity. We thought Ashes To Ashes made a better fist of that particular job, frankly.

Beck’s performance of Sound And Vision will be broadcast on Hello-Again.com on February 10th, the day before the 36th anniversary of Bowie’s original single release.

Meanwhile you can watch a teaser with Beck talking about (and working on) Sound And Vision here.

David Bowie is in LOVE

“The latest LOVE is quick and clean, like a well-thumbed magazine”

Issue #9 (The Clean Issue), of LOVE magazine has a twelve page article previewing the upcoming V&A ‘David Bowie is’ exhibition.

The item has eight full-page photographs of some of the Bowie outfits that the V&A curators have selected for inclusion in the show.

Beautifully photographed by Craig McDean, the feature has an excellent accompanying text by Tim Blanks, who writes a ‘highly personal meditation on the way the rock icon came to exercise such a decisive influence on fashion history’.

Pictured here is one such example, a costume designed by Willie Brown that Bowie wore for the 1979 ‘DJ’ video.

The physical edition of LOVE is on the shelves on Monday and if you’re not already acquainted with the magazine, this is the perfect opportunity to get familiar with it.

LOVE is a very stylish publication that looks great on iPad and that version is available now.

We’ll leave you with a quotation from Gucci‘s Frida Giannini regarding our man, taken from Tim Blanks’ article.

There are many looks that at one point or another have been my favourites. I think of him doing his make-up by himself in the mirror or cutting his own clothes and dressing himself. Each and every one of his appearances was a performance in and of itself.

Duncan Jones to direct Warcraft movie

“Secret secrets now you've seen”

We suggested you watch this space earlier today and at last all has been revealed.

In the style of Duncan Jones' tweet about his father's new album back on January 8, we teased thus: “We know something that you're going to know shortly about Duncan Jones‘ new project!”

Go check out the good news in full over at Hollywood Reporter. 

Well done to Duncan and his team and good luck with the new project.

Revised release dates for The Next Day

“Friday On My Mind”

We are currently gathering a full list of release dates for The Next Day but this is how things stand right now.

March 8 Germany

March 11 UK

March 12 USA/Canada

March 15 Australia

As you may have noticed, this means the Australian release date has been put back a week and as things stand Germany will see the album first.

However, international release dates may vary and we will update the information as we have it.