Five Years Box - Album 7: Aladdin Sane

“He's outrageous, he screams and he bawls”

As we previously mentioned, the biggest hit single taken from Aladdin Sane was The Jean Genie which peaked at #2 on the UK singles chart in January 1973.

Mick Rock filmed and directed the rousing accompanying promo video for the track in San Francisco in October 1972.

Intercut with live footage from the Winterland Audiorium and scenes of DB with a cavorting Cyrinda Foxe outside the aptly named Mars Hotel, the film also featured footage of Bowie miming to the track in a hired studio with The Spiders From Mars.

You can watch the video here, and listen to Aladdin Sane on Spotify. 

#FiveYearsBox  #AladdinSane  #TheJeanGenie

Scary Monsters is thirty five

“He opened strange doors that we'd never close again”

David Bowie’s Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) was released on September 12th 1980.

This Bowie/Visconti-produced classic entered the UK album chart at #1 while the #1 single which preceded it, Ashes To Ashes, was still in the UK Top Ten.

If you need reminding of just how well this album has stood the test of time and still sounds fresh and exciting to this day, go listen to Scary Monsters now.

#DavidBowie #ScaryMonsters35

Five Years Box - Album 7: Aladdin Sane

“Passionate bright young things...”

Just a fortnight to go until the worldwide release of the David Bowie (Five Years 1969 – 1973) box set on September 25th.

For the rest of this week we’re focusing on the penultimate studio album in the box, Aladdin Sane.

Preceded by The Jean Genie and Drive-In Saturday singles (both narrowly missing the top spot: #2 and #3 respectively), Aladdin Sane was released in April 1973.

The clamour for anything bearing David Bowie’s name at this point, ensured that the album entered the UK album chart at #1 on the strength of pre-orders alone.

Listen to this classic Bowie album here on Spotify.

#FiveYearsBox  #DavidBowie  #AladdinSane

Shooting For Stardust opens in LA

“The Stardust trail leading back to you”

Following a private view and the launch of TASCHEN’s beautiful volume of Mick Rock’s photographs, The Rise of David Bowie: 1972-1973, this evening, the accompanying exhibition, Shooting For Stardust, opens to the general public tomorrow at the TASCHEN Gallery in Los Angeles.

Check out the TASCHEN Publishing FB page here.

Visit the TASCHEN site for further details and order links for the book.

#‎ShootingForStardust ‪ #‎TASCHENgallery  #MickRockBowie

Five Years Box - Album 6: Ziggy Motion Picture

“Not only is it the last show of the tour...”

Last week we had a brief look at David Bowie’s final Ziggy show at Hammersmith Odeon on July 3rd, 1973, and the record of the event which was Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars - The Motion Picture.

We linked to Bowie’s mesmerising solo performance of My Death, and now you can check out more from the show via the David Bowie YouTube channel.

You can also listen to the soundtrack here.

#FiveYearsBox  #DavidBowie  #ZiggyStardust  #ZiggyStardustMoPi

Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under film at BFI

“Screening along in South London“

Details of the 59th 2015 BFI London Film Festival have been announced and Ed Gibbs and Rubika Shah’s Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under, will be showing as part of Sound Mirrors: Nine diverse short films all on a musical theme.

There will be two screenings of the film...

Saturday 10 October 2015 21:00 - BFI Southbank, NFT2 - On sale: 17-09-2015 10:00 am

Monday 12 October 2015 20:45 - Ritzy Cinema, Screen 2, Brixton - On sale: 17-09-2015 10:00 am

See the Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under Facebook page, for further info.

#LetsDanceBowieDownUnder #LetsDance #BowieDownUnder

Happy 24th Birthday Tin Machine II

“I'm a man with a beat in my pocket...“

Released on September 2 1991 in the UK and Europe (September 3 in the US), Tin Machine II was the second studio album from the Bowie-fronted band, Tin Machine.

Despite reaching #23 on the Official UK Album Chart, history has not been kind to this album. Indeed, it came last in a poll we conducted in 2013 of Bowie’s 27 studio albums. (The first Tin Machine album took the #26 spot!)

However, if you’re not familiar with this release and have been put off by its bad press, you really need to track it down and make up your own mind.

It's packed with Bowie/Gabrels-penned gems and deserves a place in your collection.

Tin Machine II is out of print and aside from a few tracks on the Sound + Vision box set there aren’t many places to taste it.

We’ll leave you with the tracklisting to help you with your detective work.

Tin Machine II

(All songs written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels except where noted)

01 - Baby Universal – 3:18

02 - One Shot – 5:11

03 - You Belong in Rock 'n' Roll – 4:07

04 - If There Is Something (Bryan Ferry) – 4:45

05 - Amlapura – 3:46

06 - Betty Wrong – 3:48

07 - You Can't Talk – 3:09

08 - Stateside (Bowie, Hunt Sales) – 5:38

09 - Shopping for Girls – 3:44

10 - A Big Hurt (Bowie) – 3:40

11 - Sorry (H. Sales) – 3:29

12 - Goodbye Mr. Ed (Bowie, H. Sales, Tony Sales) – 3:24

13 - Hammerhead (hidden track) (Bowie, H. Sales) – 0:57

The two covers shown here are the original European edition and the censored US version.

#TM2

Bowie tribute show at Hard Rock Sydney

“You will be like your dreams tonight”

If you’re down under on Wednesday evening, you may want to join a bunch of fun-loving Sydneysiders for a Bowie tribute show at the Hard Rock Café. Here follows the blurb.

On September 2, School of Rock Graduate School perform the amazing songs of David Bowie.

From the psychedelic Ziggy Stardust to the pop era of the 80's, Bowie's music has inspired and lifted the spirits of his fans.

School of Rock is proud to present this awesome tribute to Bowie's music and are pumped to be playing at the Hard Rock Cafe in Sydney.

Tickets are $35 and this includes DINNER and the SHOW so come on down into downtown and make an awesome night of it.

Find out more vis the FB event page.

FOOTNOTE: You may be wondering why today’s lyric quotation mentions tonight, when the show is on Wednesday. Well, Sydneysiders live in the future and it’s already Wednesday there!

#BowieTribute

Limited Groninger vinyl quantities revealed

“Drink to the health of the store at Groninger”

Tickets for the V&A’s DAVID BOWIE is at the Groninger Museum, Groningen in the Netherlands, have now gone on general sale and first day sales were brisk.

Of course, the lure of being able to pick up more collectable Bowie vinyl won’t have hampered those ticket sales.

As we told you previously, a limited edition pressing of the Man Of Words/Man Of Music album on blue vinyl, alongside classic versions of Amsterdam and My Death as a limited edition orange vinyl 7" single, will be available to visitors to the exhibition.

The records are being released via Parlophone on the day of the opening on December 11th, 2015. They are exclusive to DAVID BOWIE is at the Groninger Museum and many of you have asked how many of each will be up for grabs.

Well, we’re pleased to be able to tell you that a healthy quantity of 1,500 copies of each are being pressed.

#BOWIEisNL

Apologies to Mort Shuman for the crude appropriation of his English lyrics for Amsterdam, to provide today’s lyric quotation.

Eight-page cover feature in Dutch LFL mag

“I got a lust for life, Oh a lust for life”

David Bowie graces the cover of yet another publication this week, with the issue of Dutch magazine, Lust For Life.

The 8-page article focuses mainly on the David Bowie (Five Years 1969 – 1973) box set.

But there’s also a spread about Lazarus with the show’s director, Ivo van Hove, and elsewhere in the mag there's an interview with Andreas Blühm, director of the Groninger Museum, next stop for the David Bowie is touring exhibition. 

#LustForLifeNL 

Five Years Box - Album 6: Ziggy Motion Picture

“For in front of that door, there is...Me!, Me!, Me!”

Like last week’s album, Live Santa Monica ’72, David Bowie’s final Ziggy show at Hammersmith Odeon on July 3rd, 1973, was also one of the more popular live Bowie bootlegs before it was picked up officially.

But unlike Live Santa Monica ’72 (which took thirty six years to eventually be released by EMI), Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars - The Motion Picture Soundtrack, was first issued ten years after the event in tandem with the film in 1983.

Speaking of the film, check out this moving performance of My Death over on the David Bowie YouTube channel now.

You can also listen to the soundtrack here.

#FiveYearsBox  #DavidBowie  #ZiggyStardust  # ZiggyStardustMoPi

Two-nighter Canadian Bowie tribute

“One more, weekend, of lights and evening faces”

There's a clue in the image here and the headline, but here's a bit from the blurb...

Look out all you rock ‘n’ rollers! St. John’s is once again celebrating the five-decade long legendary career of one of the greatest minds in modern music; DAVID BOWIE!! TWICE!! TWO NIGHTS!!

It was sold-out to capacity and one of the biggest nights of downtown St. John's music in 2014, and it’s bound to be the biggest night of 2015! That’s right, we’re doing TWO nights in a row, bringing you the BEST talent St. John’s has to offer to perform songs by the thin white duke! Friday, August 28th AND Saturday, August 29th at The Rockhouse Ongeorge!!

Check out the FB event page if you’re appetite has been whetted.

#BowieTribute

Classic Rock Germany Eight-page cover feature

“Ich, Ich bin dann König”

Classic Rock Germany @Classic Rock Deutschland has published an 8-page cover feature focusing on the David Bowie (Five Years 1969 – 1973) box set.

Aside from the feature there’s also a 10/10 review of the box set.

Check out their FB page for more and if that tempts you further you can go here to purchase it online.

UNCUT awards Five Years box 9/10

“Then we were Ziggy’s band”

Another big thumbs up for the David Bowie (Five Years 1969 – 1973) box set in the new issue of UNCUT.

There's a nine out of ten review of the release by Bud Scoppa, not to mention a rather tasty double page picture spread of the boy Ziggy and his gang in a short piece about the box contents by Michael Bonner.

The October issue of UNCUT is available in all the usual formats and places now.

#FiveYearsBox  #DavidBowie  

Friday Music Bowie vinyl release schedule

“You've gotta have a plan, In the world of today”

Back in May we mentioned that Friday Music would be releasing a translucent blue 180g audiophile vinyl pressing of Heathen, to be followed shortly thereafter by a clear vinyl issue of Reality.

Well, now a translucent blue 'hours...' joins the line-up, along with the aforementioned (see previous item) translucent green Earthling, Black Friday/RSD release.

These releases are 180g audiophile single albums in tri-fold sleeves.

Here are the release dates, all of which are 2015:

Heathen (translucent blue) - August 7

Reality (transparent) - September 25

'hours...' (translucent blue) - November 20

Earthling (translucent green) - November 27 (Black Friday/RSD release)

Check out the Friday Music David Bowie store here.

#BowieFridayMusic 

Friday Music to issue Earthling for Black Friday

“I’ve got Friday on my mind”

Friday Music will release their fourth Bowie 180g audiophile coloured vinyl for RSD/Black Friday on November 27th.

Housed in their trademark tri-fold sleeve, Earthling will be pressed on translucent green vinyl.

Originally released in February 1997, the nine-track album was a Top 10 hit in many European countries, also spurning five great singles in the shape of: Telling Lies, Little Wonder, Dead Man Walking, I'm Afraid of Americans and Seven Years In Tibet.

Keep an eye on the RSD site for participating stores in your area.

Four Stars for Five Years box in MOJO

“MOJO the lion, yeah yeah”

Jim Irvin reviews the David Bowie (Five Years 1969 – 1973) box set in the new issue of MOJO (http://smarturl.it/MOJOoct2015), which also has a full page advert for the September 25 release.

The magazine has awarded the set 4 out of 5 stars and we’ll leave you with Mr Irvin’s conclusion to the piece.

“In these five years he was pouring out everything he had, pop music that was funny, sexy, chilling and other things that others weren't attempting. It hasn't all aged well, but that antic spirit – the roll-up, here-you-go-Mrs, arts-lab hooligan with a huge left hemisphere – makes Bowie uniquely himself while being many other things, the creator of a body of work no one else has, or will, ever come close to.”

#FiveYearsBox  #DavidBowie  

Five Years gets Five Stars in Q magazine

“We've got five stars, what a surprise”

In the latest issue of Q magazine, David Quantick has given the David Bowie (Five Years 1969 – 1973) box set top marks.

Here’s an edited excerpt from his review with a bit from both the intro and the conclusion.

The past, in David Bowie's case, is not so much a foreign country as an entire solar system of extraordinary planets...the albums Bowie made were each a genre in themselves, blueprints for a career and as different as Venus from Mercury.

Here they are, 10 albums – including two lives, a double rarities collection and one covers disc – in a boxed set, with a booklet introduced by Ray Davies and a general sense of wonder that this creative outpouring, this insane variety of different ideas, sounds and visions, took place roughly in the same length of time of that, say, Mumford & Sons have managed to hesitantly carve out three albums, one of which is different because it doesn't have banjos on it.

These 10 albums are all brilliant...and it's almost extraordinary to realise that this race to space would actually be exceeded, creatively, by the hyperdrive of the next five years.

And who are we to disagree with that?

Meanwhile, the faint image in the background of our montage was taken of the Warner Music Group building in Burbank, Los Angeles. Hard to get a scale of the Five Years hoarding they are proudly displaying, but you wouldn’t get it through your front door!

#FiveYearsBox  #DavidBowie  

Five Years Box - Album 5: Santa Monica

“And he was alright, the band was altogether”

Following on from last week’s focus on the Ziggy Stardust album, this week we’re looking at, and listening to, the live album that sprang from the first American tour in the autumn/fall of 1972 in support of Ziggy Stardust.

October 20 1972 was the first of two dates at the Civic Auditorium, in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by local station KMET-FM, and quickly became the first and one of the most popular live Bowie bootlegs of all time.

Santa Monica was released officially by EMI thirty six years later in 2008 as Live Santa Monica ’72.

It’s a wonderful snapshot of a slightly nervous but confident Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, with a well-honed Spiders From Mars augmented by brilliant new boy, Mike Garson.

If you’ve not heard it before, you’re in for a real treat.

#FiveYearsBox  #DavidBowie  #ZiggyStardust  #SantaMonica72

You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving is 50 today

“Sometimes I'm so glad, so glad”

Released this day (August 20th) in 1965 was the Davy Jones 45, You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving.

Baby Loves That Way was on the flip and both songs were composed by the young Jones before he Bowied-up for his next release the following year.

Produced by Shel Talmy (who was producing The Who and The Kinks at the time), and backed by The Lower Third, the influence of Townshend and his gang is more than apparent on both sides of this disc.

The 18-year-old mod is pictured here around the time of the release, shadowed by his older brother Ziggy who copped the same hairdo seven years later.

Listen to both the original sides and the 2000 remakes below:

Habit Original

Habit Remake

Baby Original

Baby Remake