40th Anniversary Breaking Glass live EP is #1

“Baby, I’ve seen, Breaking Glass in the chart again...”

Of course, the irony is that when the Breaking Glass Live EP was originally released on 17th November 1978, it stalled at #54 on the Official UK Singles Chart. It was a glitch, the next single, Boys Keep Swinging, went Top 10.

So, thanks to all of you for ensuring that the poor performance wasn’t repeated forty years later, the EP has entered the UK’s Official Vinyl Singles Chart at #1 this evening.

If you bought this new version, did you open it yet? Have you played it? Aside from the fact that this is a 4-track as opposed to the original 3-track, which EP do you prefer?

Our montage shows the original 1978 trade press advert and both sides of the current UK #1 vinyl single.

#DBBG40  #BowieVinyl  #BowieOCC 

Black Friday savings in Bowie Official Store

“Friday On My Mind”

Save 20% on apparel, accessories and more. Discount automatically applied on checkout.

Bowie Official Store

Sale ends at 11:59 pm ET on November 25th. Offer excludes media and items printed on demand.

FOOTNOTE: The image used in our graphic was taken fifteen years ago today by Total Blam Blam, at the second of two shows at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Both shows were recorded and released on the A Reality Tour DVD.

#BowieStore 

Mark Plati talks Glastonbury 2000

“Oh man I need TV”

Have you been tuning into Bowie TV on the Official David Bowie YouTube channel? Some great interview snippets being posted on there. (Eleven episodes so far)

The most recent post has Mark Plati talking about the preparation for and anticipation of Glastonbury 2000, and how Bowie’s enthusiasm meant he literally sang himself voiceless at one of the New York warm up shows.

Our image shows Plati and Bowie in rehearsal in June 2000, along with a shot from the back of the Glastonbury stage, where they are pictured with Gail Ann Dorsey delighting the Glastonbury audience, as captured in the upcoming Glastonbury DVD.

Check out Bowie TV here.

#BowieTV

David Bowie is... virtual mobile app due 8th January 2019

“Welcome to virtual reality”

As we reported back in July, David Bowie is, the record-breaking exhibition that drew over 2 million visitors across 12 cities (the most visited touring exhibition in the history of the V&A), has been granted digital immortality in the shape of the David Bowie is Augmented Reality mobile app, which will be available in iOS and Android.

Keep reading for the full press release.

#DBisVirtual

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DAVID BOWIE is… VIRTUAL

RECORD-BREAKING EXHIBITION COMES TO DIGITAL/INTERACTIVE LIFE

MOBILE APP TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 8, 2019

Groundbreaking Collaboration Between David Bowie Archive and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. davidbowieisreal.com

David Bowie is, the record-breaking exhibition that drew over 2 million visitors across 12 cities - the most visited touring exhibition in the history of the V&A - has been granted digital immortality. David

Bowie is , curated by Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh, was the first exhibition of its kind and has set the standard for others to follow. The visual richness of this show and visionary nature of Bowie and his music made this a must for virtual reality.

Beginning on January 8, 2019 (which would have been Bowie’s 72nd birthday), the David Bowie is Augmented Reality mobile app will be available in iOS and Android — granting access to the show’s hundreds of costumes, videos, handwritten lyrics, original works of art and more to the tens of millions of Bowie fans unable to visit the exhibition before it shuttered permanently on July 15, 2018.

This virtual reality adaption of David Bowie is will enable the visitor to spend as long as desired on individual items and jump to others.

The David Bowie is AR mobile app is the first release resulting from a collaboration between the David Bowie Archive and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., who hosted the exhibition in Tokyo in 2017. The New York-based studio Planeta is designing and developing the AR/VR interpretations of the original museum experience at the V&A. The AR adaptation, a first of its kind, mirrors the physical

exhibition through a sequence of audio-visual spaces through which the works and artifacts of Bowie’s life can be explored. 3D renderings preserve and present his costumes and treasured objects such as

musical scores, storyboards, handwritten lyrics, and even diary entries all in 360-degree detail, enabling intimate “behind the glass” access rivaling that of the visitors to the original exhibit, and enhanced by an immersive audio experience featuring Bowie’s music and narration, best experienced with headphones.

Additionally, the David Bowie is mobile app will feature dozens of items not featured in the original exhibition - including some entirely new and exclusive to this AR version. Like the David Bowie is touring exhibition, the AR and VR versions will be offered in seven different languages. The AR mobile app is the first phase of this innovative initiative, with the VR format scheduled for later release.

For more information davidbowieisreal.com

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Notes to editors for touring exhibition

David Bowie is was on show at the V&A from 23 March – 11 August 2013

About David Bowie Is

The exhibition explores the broad range of Bowie’s collaborations with artists and designers in the fields of fashion, sound, graphics, theater, art, and film. On display are more than 60 stage costumes including Ziggy Stardust bodysuits (1972) designed by Freddie Burretti, Kansai Yamamoto’s flamboyant creations for the Aladdin Sane tour (1973), and the Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the EART HL I NG album cover (1997). Also on show is photography by Brian Duffy, Terry O’Neill, and Masayoshi Sukita; album sleeve artwork by Guy Peellaert and Edward Bell; cover proofs by Barnbrook for the album The Next Day (2013); visual excerpts from films and live performances including The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976); music videos such as Life on Mars? (1973), "Heroes" (1977), Boys Keep Swinging (1979), Ashes to Ashes (1980), Let’s Dance (1983) and Blackstar (2015); and set designs created for the Diamond Dogs tour (1974).

Alongside these are more personal items such as never-before-shown storyboards, handwritten setlists and lyrics as well as some of Bowie’s own sketches, musical scores, and diary entries, revealing the evolution of his creative ideas.

The 1980 Floor Show Broadcast 45 years ago today

“Beware the savage jaw”

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the broadcast of David Bowie’s The 1980 Floor Show, which was used as both a promotional tool for Pin Ups and to further break into the American market.

It would be Bowie’s last performance as the Ziggy Stardust persona with The Spiders From Mars, though drummer Woody Woodmansey was no longer a part of the band line up. 

The 1980 Floor Show was a lavish stage production filmed over three days at The Marquee Club in London’s Soho, in front of members of Bowie’s fan club, exclusively for the American NBC TV late night show, The Midnight Special.

The show was heavily advertised in the US press in the run up to the broadcast but has never been shown outside of the US or officially released. Only one track, Space Oddity, has ever received an official DVD release and though many fans have found their own way of finding the complete show, most still hanker after a full official release.

Meanwhile, don't forget the Pin Ups Radio Show on Spotify with exclusive recollections from Bowie made in 1973.  

The current issue of Record Collector (December 2018) celebrates 1973, and among other Bowie-related bits, has a great piece by Kris Needs regarding his close encounters with Ziggy, including witnessing the taping of The 1980 Floor Show.

#BowiePinUps  #1980FloorShow

Let’s Dance String Version and Demo Edit out now

“Let's face the music and dance”

DAVID BOWIE ‘LET’S DANCE’ NILE RODGERS STRING VERSION AND DEMO

DIGITAL ONLY SINGLE AVAILABLE NOW ON ALL STREAMING / DOWNLOAD SERVICES & HIGH RESOLUTION 96/24

LET’S DANCE - NILE RODGERS' STRING VERSION (Radio Edit)

LET’S DANCE - DEMO (Radio Edit)

Thirty-six years after he originally recorded the track LET’S DANCE Nile Rodgers has produced a very special orchestrated version which is featured on the newly released album 80’s SYMPHONIC.

Speaking about this new version Nile commented “My work with David Bowie and specifically “Let’s Dance” is sacrosanct to me so when I was asked to add orchestration to the original recording I approached it with extreme trepidation. In fact my only concern was to protect David’s artistic vision and integrity. In the end I’m very grateful that we did this, as I believe anyone who loves the original will be excited by it. I’m certain David would approve from above”.

Also featured on the digital single is an alternate version of the original demo which was recorded on the 19th December, 1982 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. This version features a spoken intro from Bowie joking that if Nile or the band make any mistakes he’ll fine them just like James Brown would do to his band.

1. LET’S DANCE (Nile Rodgers’ String Version) (Radio Edit) (4.10)

(David Bowie)

Originally produced by David Bowie and Nile Rodgers

Original recording engineered by Bob Clearmountain for Fast Forward Productions.

Nile Rodgers’ String Version: Orchestrated, arranged and produced by Nile Rodgers

Associate Producer: Russell Graham

Engineered By Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios.

Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent

2. LET’S DANCE (Demo) (Radio Edit) (4.30)

(David Bowie)

Produced by David Bowie and Nile Rodgers

Arranged by David Bowie and Nile Rodgers

Mixed by Nile Rodgers and Russell Graham at Le Crib Studios, November 2017

Recorded on 19th December, 1982 at Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland by David Richards

Mastered by Ray Staff at AIR Studios with thanks to Cicely Balston

LET’S DANCE is available now on Parlophone

80’s SYMPHONIC is available now on Warner Music/Rhino Entertainment

#BowieLetsDance

The Next Day blue vinyl for unicef charity

“Give my children sunny smiles…”

Unicef announced today that it is releasing 50 special, limited edition blue vinyls of 17 cult, classic and contemporary albums to raise funds and awareness for the Children's Emergency Fund. The albums will be made available via a prize draw.

One of the records is David Bowie’s #1 album, The Next Day. There are dozens of chances to win the limited edition specially pressed blue vinyl and each one will be adorned with an edition sticker as well as a holographic Unicef Blue Vinyl sticker on the cover.

All money raised from the sale of Unicef Blue Vinyl albums will go to Unicef UK’s Children’s Emergency Fund. The Children’s Emergency Fund helps Unicef deliver life-saving food, clean water, health care and education for children, as well as protection from violence and abuse. 100% of proceeds from Unicef Blue Vinyl will go to Unicef UK’s Children’s Emergency Fund.

Your entry can help Unicef keep children safe, whenever and wherever an emergency hits. For every 10 entries purchased in the prize draw, you will receive one bonus entry for free. The prize draw closes on Monday 10th December 2018 at 22:00 (GMT).

Go here to enter the prize draw and read more about unicef and the blue vinyl campaign:

#UnicefBlueVinyl  #BowieVinyl 

The Buddha Of Suburbia is 25

“Elvis is English”

Much has been written about The Buddha Of Suburbia since its release in the UK twenty five years ago today. One of Bowie’s own favourite works, this ‘soundtrack’ album seems to have flown under the radar for far too long.

Though loved by a loyal core of Bowie fans, The Buddha Of Suburbia is generally underappreciated, as summed up in this closing paragraph from a recent 25th celebration by Julian Marszalek for The Quietus:

“Even after 25 years, The Buddha Of Suburbia is a strange anomaly in David Bowie’s back catalogue. Both ignored and misunderstood upon its release, the album’s re-emergence in 2007 was met once again with very little fanfare and it remains the album that so few Bowie fans have heard of, let alone listened to. As such, The Buddha Of Suburbia is an album ripe for discovery, not least as it contains an approach and execution that not only captures the best of Bowie’s past but also kick starts his future. And in 1993 and for almost 10 years afterwards, The Buddha Of Suburbia really was David Bowie’s best album since Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps). It’s time that was acknowledged.”

Read the full piece here.

If you’ve not heard The Buddha Of Suburbia, here’s what you’ve been missing out on for the past quarter of a century.

#BuddhaOfSuburbia

Ricochet contest coming Monday

“The world is on a corner waiting”

The more affordable version of Denis O’Regan’s Ricochet is out now and to mark the fact we’ll be launching the contest to win the full deluxe gigantic Ricochet : David Bowie 1983 on Monday.

Meanwhile have a poke around here.

#DavidBowieRicochet

Glastonbury 2000 on BBC FOUR tonight

“Waiting for the gift of sound AND vision”

A quick reminder, BBC FOUR in the UK will air an hour preview of 10 of the full 21 song greatest hits set from the forthcoming DAVID BOWIE ‘GLASTONBURY 2000 DVD this evening.

BOWIE AT GLASTONBURY 2000 PREVIEW

Friday 26th October 2018

BBC FOUR 22:55

Parlophone Records in association with BBC Studios and Glastonbury Festivals Ltd. releases DAVID BOWIE ‘GLASTONBURY 2000’ on 2CD/DVD, 3LP, 2CD and standard and high resolution digital formats on 30th November, 2018.

Go here for the press release and full tracklisting.

#BowieGlasto2000

Thanks for making Loving the Alien a success

“Wham Bam Thank You Fans!”

Here are a few of the Top 30 positions that the David Bowie: Loving the Alien (1983-1988) box set attained in its first week of release.

UK

#19 (Official Albums Chart Top 100)

#4 (Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40)

US

#20 (LP Chart)

#22 (Internet Albums)

#28 (Top Rock Albums)

Canada

#6 (LP Vinyl Albums)

#9 (Alternative Albums)

Belgium: #26

Germany: #18

Italy: #8 (vinyl chart)

Thanks so much to all of you that purchased it for making it such a success.

Don't forget you can listen to the whole of the David Bowie: Loving the Alien (1983-1988) box set on Spotify, or if you would rather own the physical thing, go here.

#LTAbox

More Moonlight in Japan

“Under the moonlight, this serious moonlight”

The 1983 Serious Moonlight tour reconvened 35 years ago for four dates at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo, as part of the ten day Japanese tour.

Here’s another Denis O’Regan shot of David in Japan from Ricochet : David Bowie 1983, ahead of our contest to win the @Bowie1983book and much more.

#DavidBowieRicochet  #SeriousMoonlightJapan

Serious Moonlight in Japan, day two

“...come to the show tonight...”

As we mentioned yesterday, the 1983 Serious Moonlight tour reconvened 35 years ago for four dates at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo, as part of a ten-date stint in Japan.

The ticket in today’s montage is from the concert that took place on this date in 1983. One of the five books in Ricochet reproduces the tickets from every single show on the tour. It’s a completist’s dream!

Don’t forget Denis O’Regan has promised a very generous Ricochet : David Bowie 1983 contest to commence very soon.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for more details and have a look at the different permutations of the book in the Bowie Store for a limited period, including a much cheaper version without the prints that still includes the exclusive red vinyl 12” and everything else in the set, other than the prints.

#DavidBowieRicochet  #SeriousMoonlightJapan

Ricochet contest coming very soon

“Down in space it's always 1983”

After four months of solid touring and following a month off the road, the 1983 Serious Moonlight tour reconvened 35 years ago on this day at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

To mark the fact, Denis O’Regan has suggested an amazing contest to win a very generous Ricochet : David Bowie 1983 package.

Stay tuned for more details and have a dig around in readiness for what’s to come, here.

#DavidBowieRicochet

Pin Ups album is 45 today

“Singing old songs he loved”

Pin Ups, David Bowie’s album of 60s cover versions, was released 45 years ago today, and was possibly the last great glam rock album of all time. (Discuss)

Either way, it still sounds amazing and if you’ve not heard it in a while, reacquaint yourself with it on Spotify now.

The David Bowie/Ken Scott produced album was preceded by the only single from Pin Ups, Sorrow, which reached #3 on the UK chart. Pin Ups itself entered the UK album chart at #1 on the strength of pre-orders alone.

Joining Bowie on the sleeve for Justin de Villeneuve’s extraordinary photograph with Bowie is Twiggy, name-checked earlier the same year on Aladdin Sane for Drive-In Saturday: “She’d sigh like Twig the Wonder Kid”.

The photo session was shot in Paris for Vogue magazine, but at Bowie's request was used for the album instead. The back cover and insert featured Mick Rock photographs.

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Pin Ups

Produced: David Bowie/Ken Scott

Released: Friday 19 October 1973

Charted: Saturday 3 November 1973 @ #1 

Musicians:

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, tenor and alto saxophone, harmonica, arrangements, backing vocals, Moog synthesiser

Mick Ronson – guitar, piano, vocals, arrangements

Trevor Bolder – bass guitar

Aynsley Dunbar – drums

Mike Garson – piano, organ, harpsichord, electric piano

Ken Fordham – baritone saxophone

G.A. MacCormack – backing vocals

Design:

Justin de Villeneuve - front cover photograph

Twiggy - Twig the Wonderkid on front cover

Pierre Laroche - front cover makeup masks for Twig and Bowie

Mick Rock - back cover photography/design

Ray Campbell - front cover lettering

#BowiePinUps

Glastonbury 2000 on BBC FOUR setlist spoiler

“Waiting for the gift of sound AND vision...”

BBC FOUR will have an hour preview of 10 of the full 21 song greatest hits set from the forthcoming DAVID BOWIE ‘GLASTONBURY 2000 DVD in a little over a week.

Documenting Bowie’s legendary Sunday night headline performance on 25th June at the most famous festival on Earth, only 37 minutes of the original show have been broadcast previously. So look away now if you want the songs that will be shown on 26th October to remain a surprise:

BOWIE AT GLASTONBURY 2000 PREVIEW

Friday 26th October 2018

BBC FOUR 22:55

Wild Is The Wind

China Girl

Changes

Life On Mars?

Ashes To Ashes

Rebel Rebel

Golden Years

Little Wonder

Starman

Ziggy Stardust

"Heroes"

Let’s Dance

Parlophone Records in association with BBC Studios and Glastonbury Festivals Ltd. releases DAVID BOWIE ‘GLASTONBURY 2000’ on 2CD/DVD, 3LP, 2CD and standard and high resolution digital formats ON 30TH November, 2018.

Go here for the press release and full tracklisting.

#BowieGlasto2000

David Bowie: Glamour Issue 4

“All the pages that have turned”

Andy Jones and Nick Smart at David Bowie Glamour Fanzine (DBG) have been in touch to give us an exclusive first look at the latest issue of their fine product.

They’re selling very quickly, as usual, so if you haven’t already pre-ordered Issue 4, go here now.

DBG has a new look and is now in the very capable hands of designer Lizzie Capewell, with the cover still being created by the queen of illustration, Helen Green.

The publication boasts exclusive and original content contributed by Bowie fans and collaborators. Contributors to issue 4 include:

Kevin Armstrong

Glenn Gregory

Des Henly

Marshall Jarman

Gerry Leonard

Sean Mayes (From his diaries)

Steve Norman

Marc ‘Thriving’ Riley

Carmine Rojas

George Underwood

Rick Wakeman

As if this wasn’t enough, there are also 2 free prints or 3 if you were an early bird.

*We are duty-bound to point out that David Bowie: Glamour is not an official publication.

#DavidBowieGlamourFanzine

BOWIE KOOKS album poll result on UK National Album Day

“Oh, look out you rock ‘n’ rollers”

It’s National Album Day in the UK today (Saturday, 13th October) and the celebrations started early. You may have seen that Mary Anne Hobbs on BBC 6 Music kicked off proceedings by playing David Bowie’s ★ in full, plus she had a chat with Donny McCaslin, ★ bandleader.

Always ahead of the curve, David Bowie himself possibly foresaw the result of a 12-hour poll of 381 Bowie fans over on BOWIE KOOKS for their favourite Bowie studio album. He predicted it in his son's bedroom in 1972 by holding the Hunky Dory artwork in a moment captured by the magician of rock photography, Mick Rock. But it’s far more likely he didn’t.

In an interview with Chris Roberts in UNCUT in 1999, Bowie himself considered the album to be one of the most important in his career, he said: "Hunky Dory gave me a fabulous groundswell. I guess it provided me, for the first time in my life, with an actual audience – I mean, people actually coming up to me and saying, 'Good album, good songs.' That hadn't happened to me before. It was like, 'Ah, I'm getting it, I'm finding my feet. I'm starting to communicate what I want to do. Now: what is it I want to do?' There was always a double whammy there.".

The other three albums in our montage are there because, a) Mary Anne Hobbs played ★ in full, b) the BBC 6 Music‏ Breakfast Team, chose Station To Station as one of their four all-time favourite albums, and, c) a member of the 15-strong Official Charts‏ team chose Low as their all-time favourite album.

We’ll leave you with the Top 10.

01 - Hunky Dory (68 votes)

02 - Station To Station (56 votes)

03 - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (47 votes)

04 - Low (44 votes)

05 - Diamond Dogs (30 votes)

06 - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (25 votes)

07 - 1. Outside (24 votes)

08 - Aladdin Sane (16 votes)

= 09 - ★ (Blackstar) (10 votes)

= 09 - Heathen (10 votes)

10 - Young Americans (8 votes)

It’s probably no surprise that a group called BOWIE KOOKS would vote for Hunky Dory. See the full poll result over on BOWIE KOOKS

#NationalAlbumDay

Listen to Loving the Alien (1983-1988) on Spotify

“Listen to me”

Experience all of the new David Bowie: Loving the Alien (1983-1988) box set now on Spotify, including the newly-remastered versions of Let’s Dance, Tonight and Never Let Me Down, plus the 2018 edition of Never Let Me Down, including the singles, Zeroes and Beat of Your Drum. You can also hear live albums from 1983 and 1987 and the Dance and Re:Call 4 compilations.

Listen on Spotify now.

#LTAbox

David Bowie Loving The Alien (1983 - 1988) Out Now

“And you'll believe you’re loving the alien”

To celebrate the release of David Bowie Loving The Alien (1983 – 1988), Helen Green has been busy with another of her superb animations. View it on DBFB.

David Bowie Loving The Alien (1983 – 1988) is the fourth in a series of box sets spanning Bowie’s career from 1969. If you’ve not heard about it yet, read the full press release here.

#LTAbox