Gary Oldman narrates David Bowie is mobile app

“We had a friend, a talking man”

Gary Oldman, the legendary British Oscar, Golden Globe and three time Bafta-winning actor is to provide the narration for the new David Bowie is mobile app. (davidbowieisreal.com)

Oldman and Bowie first met in the late 80’s and having both been born and bred in South London found they had a great deal in common. Gary once remarked “I see him less as 'David Bowie’ and more as Dave from Brixton and I'm Gary from New Cross.”

Gary had this to say regarding the app: “This brings the amazing David Bowie is exhibition to a wider audience. It’s great that his fans get to experience it. It was a privilege to be involved.”.

The app will be available from January 8th priced £7.99.

Our montage shows Gary Oldman recording the narration for David Bowie is. Picture by Hideo Oida.

Keep reading for the full press release.

#DBisVirtual

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DAVID BOWIE is… VIRTUAL

GARY OLDMAN, OSCAR, GOLDEN GLOBE & BAFTA WINNING ACTOR TO PROVIDE NARRATION FOR GROUNDBREAKING MOBILE APP

RECORD-BREAKING EXHIBITION COMES TO DIGITAL/INTERACTIVE LIFE

MOBILE APP TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 8, 2019

Ground-breaking Collaboration Between David Bowie Archive and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.

davidbowieisreal.com

Gary Oldman, the legendary British Oscar, Golden Globe and three time Bafta-winning actor is to provide the narration for the new David Bowie is mobile app.

Gary Oldman: “This brings the amazing David Bowie is exhibition to a wider audience. It’s great that his fans get to experience it. It was a privilege to be involved”

The app is based on 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.

Oldman and Bowie first met in the late 80’s and having both been born and bred in South London found they had a great deal in common. Gary once remarked “I see him less as 'David Bowie’ and more as Dave from Brixton and I'm Gary from New Cross.”

Their friendship led to memorable collaborations with them appearing together in Julian Schnabel’s film ‘Basquiat’ as well as Gary’s spectacular performance as a priest in the controversial video for the Bowie song 'The Next Day'.

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 artefacts 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 rivalling 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. The app will be available from January 8th priced £7.99.

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

A Happy New Year with a smile from DB

“When you see a famous smile”

Welcome to 2019, the year that marks fifty years since Bowie’s first hit, Space Oddity...but more of that later.

Following on from last year’s theme, here’s another previously unpublished picture of David Bowie by Total Blam Blam.

This shot was taken in the dressing room before his appearance on TFI in June 2000 and it seems Blam had a way of getting a smile out of DB, not that that was a hard thing to do. (See last year’s pic for more evidence.)

A Happy New Year to all you BOWIE KOOKS. Stay tuned for an exciting first week of 2019 leading up to January 8th and what would have been David’s 72nd birthday.

#BowieNewYear2019

Bowie’s 45-year-old NYE record breaker

“A trumpet you can blow, And a lunch at Rules…”

We close our 45th anniversary celebrations of 1973 today with a look back at New Year’s Eve, 1973. Today’s pictures (by Michael Putland), were taken at an RCA Records luncheon at the prestigious Rules restaurant in London’s Covent Garden, to mark Bowie’s extraordinary performance on the UK album charts.

With the publication of the ‘The Bowie five-star constellation’ advert (bottom right) in September, it was clear that RCA were more than happy with the way things were going. Here’s the wording from that advert:

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The Bowie five-star constellation

Unbelievable but a fact - David Bowie takes five places in the Top Fifty album charts for ten whole weeks - a musical achievement unique in our time.

And now, the man who made Space Oddity, The Man Who Sold The World, Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars and Aladdin Sane is putting a new album into orbit. It’s called PIN-UPS and will be released in mid-October.

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Things got even crazier with the release of Pin Ups on October 19th. The album entered the chart at #1 on November 3rd. Here are the positions taken from that week’s chart:

#01 Pin Ups

#14 Aladdin Sane

#16 Hunky Dory

#22 Ziggy Stardust

#46 The Man Who Sold The World

#50 Space Oddity

That week, the man who released his debut RCA album just two years previously, had six albums in the Top Fifty. As far as we are aware, that’s a feat that hasn't been equalled by a living artist since.

At one point, Bowie also had five albums in the Top Fifty for nineteen consecutive weeks.

The plaque in the framed album presentation was inscribed thus:

“Awarded to David Bowie for outstanding musical achievements. From your friends at RCA.“

At the New Year's Eve presentation, David apparently rose from the head of a long table in an upstairs room to thank everyone:

“I don’t know what to say, I feel like a rock ‘n’ roll star. At least it keeps the kids on the streets. Thanks to everyone who bought or were given the albums.”

They don’t make 'em like that anymore. Here’s to the brilliance of David Bowie and an exciting 2019.

FOOTNOTE: Rules was also the venue for the festive photoshoot that put David on the cover of the December 1969 edition of Fabulous 208.

#BowieCoolYule  #BowieOCC

Bowie’s 45-year-old cool yule message

“In a corner of the morning in the past…”

As we move to the close of our 45th anniversary celebrations of one of Bowie’s most successful years, 1973, here’s how Christmas in Bowie World was marked back then.

The UK album chart was dominated by Bowie during the last quarter of 1973, as were the end of year music press polls.

The image on the left was a record store flyer marking the success of RCA’s Bowie campaign since the release of Hunky Dory two years previously. It featured Terry O’Neill’s iconic shot of Bowie taken at The Marquee for the 1980 Floor Show in October.

The Bowie billboard picture was actually a real thing proudly looking out across London, with the message: “It looks like Christmas love on ya! Bowie”. A version of it was used in a Record Mirror advert at the time too.

A 1973 Christmas card sent to fan club members is reproduced on the right, with the message inside shown below.

So whether you celebrate it or not during the holiday season, have a cool yule either way.

#BowieCoolYule

To Zowie, from Dad

“’Cause if you stay with us you’re gonna be pretty kookie too…”

Duncan Jones (previously Zowie Bowie), has tweeted a wonderfully poignant message, quickly followed by a typically humorous one.

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Duncan Jones ‏@ManMadeMoon - 6:28 AM - 24 Dec 2018

Got a bit emotional while wrapping tonight. Didn’t occur to me till tonight that when i named my daughter Zowie i would eventually be writing “To Zowie, from Dad,” exactly like my dad did for me when i was little. Ghosts of Christmas past.

Duncan Jones ‏@ManMadeMoon - 6:35 AM - 24 Dec 2018

On the other hand, writing Stenton was EASY!  All i was thinking with him was, “bet the little bastard smacks me around the back of the head with this at some point!” 😁❤

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The 'this' to be used as a weapon during some future attack remains unidentified.

Duncan is pictured here as new-born Zowie, with Dad David in 1971.

#DuncanAndRodeneJones  #BabyJones  #BabyJones2  #GranddadJones 

2018 wrapped on Spotify

“Wham Bam Thank You Fans!”

Thank you for a great year on Spotify folks.

It’s apparent that the streaming app is becoming more and more popular each year for Bowie fans with an increase of 57% of followers in 2018.

If all 37,493,480 Bowie fans on Spotify crammed together for a listening party, they’d need a room big enough to accommodate the population of Poland. Not a lot of people know that.

If you’re not already using Spotify, check it out here.

#2018ArtistWrapped  #BowieSpotify

Bowie’s Hong Kong Lennon tribute on this day

“Imagine all the people”

David Bowie’s Serious Moonlight World Tour climaxed with a performance of John Lennon’s Imagine, 35 years ago tonight in Hong Kong on December 8th, 1983.

It was David’s tribute to his friend who had been shot and killed on the same day in New York in 1980.

You can watch a visibly emotional Bowie singing the song to the sell-out audience at Hong Kong Coliseum here.

As you know, photographer Denis O’Regan was along for the ride for every date of the tour, as recorded in the superb Ricochet : David Bowie 1983. (@Bowie1983Book)

Both of the pictures here were taken by Denis in Hong Kong on that very day.

FOOTNOTE: The winners of the Ricochet contest have been contacted and have accepted their prizes.

#BowieLennon  #DavidBowieRicochet

The man who kept the Glastonbury tape rolling

“We could steal time, Just for one day, We can be heroes, for ever and ever”

Worth a mention in case it passed you by is Bowie TV: Episode 10.

In it, Mark Cooper, the BBC’s head of Music TV, talks about how he had to cut the live broadcast of David Bowie's headline slot at Glastonbury short after just three songs...much to the dismay of the viewing public watching at home.

Thankfully he had the good sense to carry on recording regardless of what the BBC were allowed to broadcast, a decision he should be applauded for as we wouldn’t all be able to watch the full set now if he hadn’t.

Bowie TV is on the Official David Bowie YouTube channel.

#BowieTV  #BowieGlasto2000

Denis O’Regan on The One Show

“They pulled in just behind the fridge”*

Denis O’Regan was on BBC One’s The One Show in the UK this evening. He discussed Ricochet and his time spent with David Bowie on the 1983 Serious Moonlight World Tour.

The Denis O’Regan picture illustrating this piece was taken 35 years ago today while Bowie was in Thailand (during the penultimate stop of the tour), for a show at the Thai Army Sports Stadium

The pale white Singer was a popular make of fridge in Thailand at the time, probably. One thing’s for sure, the lightly tanned singer was very popular in Thailand at the time, as evidenced in the superb Ricochet tour documentary filmed in Southeast Asia.

*For those concerned about the accuracy of today’s lyric quotation, go here.

#DavidBowieRicochet

NME’s review of the ‘perfect Glastonbury Festival evening’

“I gazed a gazely stare at all the thousands here”

Andrew Trendell at NME has written a piece titled: ‘Glastonbury 2000: The night Bowie reclaimed his legend’, with a subdeck of: ‘Imagine the perfect Glastonbury Festival evening. Or just watch this film so you don’t have to.’

Here’s the conclusion to the piece:

“In sitting his newer material alongside the unretired classics with a performance so consummate and a band so accomplished, Bowie reset the dialogue to focus on his vitality, paving the way for his latter work on ‘Heathen’, ‘Reality, ‘The Next Day’ and his perfect curtain call, ‘Blackstar’. He reclaimed his legend, and gave Glastonbury a night for all time.”

Read the full review and watch a great little video of a few Bowie fans being interviewed at the Glastonbury 2000 screening in London last week.

#BowieGlasto2000

ilikeyouroldstuff.com on what made Bowie the best

“Five magical moments”

Dr Ian Chapman over on ilikeyouroldstuff.com has written a piece titled: 5 STELLAR MOMENTS FROM THE GREATEST GLASTONBURY HEADLINER OF ALL TIME.

Here’s the intro to the piece:

“Without doubt David Bowie’s now-iconic Glastonbury 2000 appearance contains stellar moments galore, amounting to a virtual feast-o-rama for fans who have long awaited this very special release. In this essay, I will attempt the difficult feat of zeroing in on just five of these moments. The first of these goes beyond the music, occurring as early as the opening seconds of the performance before David Bowie has so much as uttered a word or sung a note…”

Read the full thing here.

#BowieGlasto2000

Lazarus with Gijs Naber in Amsterdam October 2019

“In the port of Amsterdam, Gijs Naber will sing”

Following our initial announcement of this last year and various franchise versions of Lazarus (including the current Hamburg run and the recently announced Oslo version), Ivo van Hove’s production of David Bowie and Enda Walsh’s Lazarus musical will première on October 13th at DeLaMar Theater in Amsterdam.

Gijs Naber will play the lead part of Thomas Jerome Newton and the 50,000 available tickets go on sale today at 12.00 P.M. (CET) via Eventim.

Keep reading for the full press release.

#LazarusNL  #LazarusMusical 

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Gijs Naber to star in David Bowie's Lazarus

3rd December 2018

Lazarus will première on October 13th at DeLaMar Theater in Amsterdam

Gijs Naber will play the leading part in Lazarus, the David Bowie musical. Naber plays the role of Thomas Newton. Ivo van Hove, who created the show together with Bowie and Enda Walsh in New York, will also direct the Dutch production.

Albert Verlinde, CEO and producer of Stage Entertainment Netherlands: "We are very much looking forward to Lazarus. I have been talking to Ivo van Hove for a couple of years now. Following sold out runs in both New York and London, I’m thrilled that we can now bring the show to Amsterdam. Lazarus is a very special show, one of Bowie's last projects and a musical work of art. It is fantastic news that Ivo van Hove, who created the original show together with Bowie, will also direct the Dutch production. The musical is an unforgettable theatre trip paying tribute to Bowie's genius mind. As the lead part is very demanding, I am extremely proud that Gijs Naber wlll join us in this adventure. He is our dreamed Thomas Newton."

Lazarus will premiere on October 13th 2019 and will play exclusively in DeLaMar Theatre in Amsterdam for a period of three months. The 50,000 available tickets go on sale today at 12.00 P.M. (CET) via Eventim. Other roles will be announced later. More information: www.bowielazarus.nl

Lazarus

Legendary pop star David Bowie died on January 10th 2016. The musical Lazarus was one of his very last projects. Lazarus is a sequel to the book The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis. Bowie himself played the role of Thomas Newton in the film adaptation from 1976, directed by Nicolas Roeg. Thomas Newton also plays a central role in the musical Lazarus, which is a journey featuring legendary Bowie hits such as 'Heroes', 'Absolute Beginners', 'Changes', 'All the Young Dudes', 'This is not America' and of course the title song 'Lazarus', especially written for the musical and later released on Bowie's last album Blackstar.

The Dutch production of Lazarus is produced by Stage Entertainment The Netherlands by arrangement with Robert Fox and Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment and The New York Theatre Workshop.

Gijs Naber

Actor Gijs Naber graduated in 2003 from the Toneelacademie in Maastricht. He played various parts in films such as The Heineken Abduction, Loft, Het Verlangen and Redbad. In 2014, he received a Golden Calf Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Aanmodderfakker. In theatre, he played roles in Woef Side Story and Lang en Gelukkig. For this last part, he received in 2014 a Musical Award for Best Supporting Actor in the category small musical. For his role in the play Death of a Salesman, he won an Arlecchino award. Gijs also played leading roles in television series such as Penoza and Zwarte Tulp.

Gail Ann Dorsey on her Glastonbury task

“Pressure pushing down on me”

Just in case you’ve not been keeping a close eye on Bowie TV, Episode 13 is now live, wherein Gail Ann Dorsey talks about how she felt a little…erm…under pressure to learn her vocal and bass parts for one song in particular at Glastonbury.

But, with DB’s encouragement, Gail learned both parts and performed them brilliantly at the same time. Bet she’s great at the old ’rub your tummy and pat your head’ coordination skill.

Bowie TV is on the Official David Bowie YouTube channel.

#BowieTV  #BowieGlasto2000

David Bowie Glastonbury 2000 is out now

“So I’ve been writing just for you”

For the first time David Bowie's legendary 21-song, greatest hits Glastonbury headline set has been released in its entirety.

Available as 2CD/DVD and 3LP vinyl sets here.

Physical formats feature David’s fascinating diary (originally written for Time Out), with insights into Glastonbury rehearsals and preparations.

#BowieGlasto2000

Alan Edwards recalls Bowie’s Glastonbury triumph

“Rise together, Through these clouds, As on wings”

Spotted the latest instalment of Bowie TV on the Official David Bowie YouTube channel yet?

In Bowie TV: Episode 12, the impossibly handsome PR poet that is Alan Edwards, recalls the vision of “King David” arriving in the mist to conquer Glastonbury with the weapon of well-crafted songs and a performance to be remembered for evermore.

#BowieTV

Ricochet contest ends today

“In the world of today, for tomorrow's man”

Though it’s still the 26th on the other side of the planet, New Zealanders are already firmly in the future where it is almost November 27th.

However, 35 years ago today, the 26th of November 1983, was the day that more than 80,000 of them gathered in Auckland for the last stop of the Australasian leg of The Serious Moonlight Tour. At the time, it was claimed that this was: “the single biggest concert ever in the Southern Hemisphere”.

Read more about this particular show and Bowie’s other ventures down below on the superb @bowiedownunder FB page.

What’s all this got to do with the Denis O’Regan Ricochet contest, you ask? Well, aside from the fact that Denis took that aerial shot of the Auckland crowd, not to mention the other shot of DB in our montage, today is the last day of the contest, which we launched three weeks ago.

Find the contest here on FB.

But please read carefully, as many hopeful ‘entrants’ so far have either neglected to use the required #DavidBowieRicochet hashtag or to follow @Bowie1983Book – If you’re one of those, you are welcome to re-enter including all that is required, for a chance to win your own limited edition Ricochet boxed set (RRP £3,000/$4,000).

#DavidBowieRicochet

Duncan Jones pays tribute to Nicolas Roeg

“Hooked to the silver screen...”

David Bowie’s film director son, Duncan Jones, paid tribute on Twitter today to the visionary Nicolas Roeg.

Roeg’s family broke the news earlier today that the 90-year-old director had died.

Bowie fans will know him best for being the man behind The Man Who Fell To Earth, Bowie’s first leading role proper.

Reflecting on his relationship with Roeg, Bowie had this to say in 1992:

“We got on rather well. I think I was fulfilling what he needed from me for that role. I wasn't disrupting...I wasn't disrupted. In fact, I was very eager to please. And amazingly enough, I was able to carry out everything I was asked to do. I was quite willing to stay up as long as anybody.”

Roeg leaves a remarkable canon of work and you’re in for an absolute treat if you’ve yet to discover it.

We’ll leave you with Duncan’s Tweet:

Duncan @ManMadeMoon 

Just heard another great storyteller, the inimitable Nicolas Roeg left us today. What an incredible body of work he’s left us with! All my love to his family. Thank you for making so many brave choices, & giving this strange little lad in pajamas an ongoing love of filmmaking.

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