Bowie collects Edison Award in Amsterdam 45 years ago

“It’s made out of old fisherman”

On this day in 1974 (13th February), David Bowie attended a press reception at the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam, where Ad Visser (host of Dutch music show Top Pop), presented him with the Edison Award and a certificate for the Most Popular Male Vocalist, with particular recognition given to Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars.

Recalling an earlier trip to London to visit David, Visser poured two glasses of an “old fisherman drink”, Schelvispekel*, to toast David’s win.

Check out a brief excerpt from the conference on YouTube to make sense of today’s ‘lyric quotation’:

* Schelvispekel is a spicy Dutch liqueur produced using brandy and a secret blend of spices. The name translates as 'haddock brine', not a nod to the ingredients, rather that the drink is reminiscent of one early-20th century haddock fishermen would drink to keep them warm on their days at sea.

FOOTNOTE: The Edison Award is an annual Dutch music prize awarded for outstanding achievements in the music industry. It is one of the oldest music awards in the world, having been presented since 1960.

#DavidBowieNL

Clareville Grove Demos box due

“I recall how we lived, On the corner of a bed”

DAVID BOWIE - CLAREVILLE GROVE DEMOS

3 x 7" VINYL SINGLES BOX SET FEATURING PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DAVID BOWIE RECORDINGS

Following the recent Spying Through A Keyhole announcement, Parlophone is set to further commemorate the 50th anniversary of David Bowie’s first hit, Space Oddity, with a 7" vinyl singles box set of six home demos, four of which are previously unreleased recordings. This set further documents the earliest stages of David’s journey and development as an artist and songwriter.

Recorded early in 1969 in David’s flat in Clareville Grove, London, this live to tape demo session features David performing as a duo with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson following the end of the Feathers trio, which featured David’s then girlfriend Hermione Farthingale.

The photography featured on the box front and the print inside, is by Bowie’s then manager, Ken Pitt, and was taken in the Clareville Grove flat that David shared with Hermione. His military haircut was due to the very brief appearance he had in the movie The Virgin Soldiers.

As with the Spying Through A Keyhole vinyl singles box set, the design of each single label is presented to reflect the way David sent many of his demos to publishers and record companies, featuring his own handwritten song titles on EMIDISC acetate labels. The singles themselves are all mono and play at 45 rpm.

CLAREVILLE GROVE DEMOS (3 X 7” SINGLE BOX SET)

DAVID BOWIE (WITH JOHN ‘HUTCH’ HUTCHINSON)

3 x 7" SET TRACKLISTING

Single 1

Side A

Space Oddity

Now featuring the final lyrics, this version of the demo first appeared on the long deleted Space Oddity 40th Anniversary 2 CD release, and is now making its debut on vinyl. It predates the 2nd February Morgan Studios recording that featured in the Love You Till Tuesday television film.

Side B

Lover To The Dawn

This song aimed at a former lover would eventually morph into Cygnet Committee recorded for the David Bowie (aka Space Oddity) album later in the year.

Single 2

Side A

Ching-a-Ling

Previously recorded in October 1968 by the trio Turquoise featuring David, Hermione and Tony Hill (who became Feathers when Hutch replaced Hill). David and Hutch continued to perform the song as a duo following Hermione’s departure.

Side B

An Occasional Dream

Slightly different lyrically to the later album version, this version of the demo also first appeared on the deleted Space Oddity 40th Anniversary release.

Single 3

Side A

Let Me Sleep Beside You

A studio version was first recorded in September 1967 but remained unreleased until The World Of David Bowie album in 1970. The song was later recorded in session for the BBC in October 1969 and was a song David clearly believed in, recording it once more for the unreleased Toy album 30 years later. That version finally saw the light of day on the Nothing Has Changed 3 CD set in 2014.

Side B

Life Is A Circus

A cover of an obscure song written by Roger Bunn recorded by vocal/instrumental quartet Djinn. Vocals are shared Simon and Garfunkel style by David and Hutch.

Musicians

David Bowie – vocals, guitar and Stylophone

John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson – vocals and guitar

Photography by Ken Pitt © Ken Pitt

Further details and release date to follow.

#BowieCGD

Pin Ups picture disc for RSD 2019

“Singing old songs he loved”

Parlophone will be issuing David Bowie’s 1973 album of cover versions as a picture disc for Record Store Day 2019 on Saturday, 13th April.

When originally released, 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. This same image is used for Side 1 of the picture disc.

Originally, the back cover and insert featured Mick Rock photographs and Side 2 of the picture disc uses one of his artworks which utilised images from that session.

The picture disc includes a reproduction of the insert, and the back cover is as the original with the following note from Bowie:

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These songs are among my favourites from the '64–67' period of London.

Most of the groups were playing the Ricky-Tick (was it a 'y' or an 'i'?) - Scene club circuit (Marquee, eel pie island la-la)

Some are still with us. Pretty Things, Them, Yardbirds, Syd's Pink Floyd, Mojos, Who, Easybeats, Merseys, Kinks.

Love-on ya!

Bowie x

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David Bowie Pin Ups RSD 2019 picture disc

Released via Parlophone on 13th April.

Cat #: DB69736P

UPC: 0190295511289

Side 1

01 - Rosalyn (Duncan/Farley)

02 - Here Comes the Night (Berns)

03 - I Wish You Would (Arnold)

04 - See Emily Play (Barrett)

05 - Everything's Alright (Crouch/Konrad/Stavely/Stuart)

06 - I Can't Explain (Townshend)

Side 2

01 - Friday On My Mind (Young/Vanda)

02 - Sorrow (Feldman/Goldstein/Gottehrer)

03 - Don't Bring Me Down (Dee)

04 - Shapes of Things (Samwell-Smith/McCarty/Relf)

05 - Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere (Daltrey/Townshend)

06 - Where Have All the Good Times Gone? (Davies)

Originally released on RCA on 19th October 1973

Produced by David Bowie and Ken Scott

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

Original Pin Ups 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

#BowieRSD #RSD2019 #BowieVinyl #BowiePinUps

Space Oddity filmed fifty years ago today

“You’ve really made the grade”

On Sunday, 2nd February 1969, David Bowie entered Morgan Studios in London’s Willesden to record the soundtrack version of Space Oddity for the proposed television special and promotional vehicle, Love You Till Tuesday.

Four days later and fifty years ago today, the Space Oddity segment was filmed for the special and it was clear from this first ‘public’ outing of the song that David Bowie had composed something extraordinary.

Here’s Ken Pitt (David’s manager at the time), from his book Bowie The Pitt Report:

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The next day, February 6, proved to be an important landmark in David’s career for it was then that he was filmed performing the new song Space Oddity.

That this was an unusually clever song was apparent from the first hearing, but it was only during the course of the day’s shooting that its wide appeal became evident. During the break for lunch, freed from the silence imposed on them on the set, people were laughing, chattering and singing about the unconventional hero Major Tom. When David came through a doorway someone said “Well, if it isn’t Major Tom.“

After lunch he walked onto the set and rehearsed the final scene where the astronaut, resigned to his chosen fate, is caressed by two seductive sirens, played by Samantha Bond and the production assistant Suzanne Mercer. Admiration was now coupled with envy, perhaps two important ingredients for the hit that had so long eluded us.

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The Love You Till Tuesday film was not broadcast at the time and the Space Oddity segment didn’t surface for another six years, when the BBC showed it on TOTPs to accompany the reissue of the song that topped the charts in 1975. But that’s a whole other story.

The original Love You Till Tuesday film was finally released on video in 1984 and on DVD in 2005.

Watch the original Space Oddity segment here.

#SpaceOddity50

STAK release date and pre-order links

“...spying through a keyhole from the other room...”

We posted the press release for Spying Through A Keyhole (STAK) on what would have been David Bowie’s 72nd birthday, with the promise to follow up with the release date and pre-order links. So here they are:

DAVID BOWIE - SPYING THROUGH A KEYHOLE (DEMOS AND UNRELEASED SONGS) * 4 x 7" vinyl box set

RELEASED ON PARLOPHONE 5th APRIL 2019

Single 1

Side 1

Mother Grey (demo)

Side 2

In The Heat Of The Morning (demo)

Single 2

Side 1

Goodbye 3d (Threepenny) Joe (demo)

Side 2

Love All Around (demo)

Single 3

Side 1

London Bye, Ta-Ta (demo)

Side 2

Angel Angel Grubby Face (demo version 1)

Single 4

Side 1

1.Angel Angel Grubby Face (demo version 2)

2. Space Oddity (demo excerpt)

Side 2

Space Oddity (demo) with John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson

The photography that adorns the box front and the print inside is by Ray Stevenson and was taken in Tony Visconti’s flat in the summer of 1968.

Each single label is designed to reflect the way David presented many of his demos to publishers and record companies, featuring his own handwritten song titles and originally cut on EMIDISC acetates. The singles themselves are all mono and play at 45 rpm.

The Official David Bowie Store has a limited T-shirt and box set bundle:

US Webstore

EU Webstore

Go here for more details regarding the set.

*Although this will be the first physical release of these tracks, Parlophone did make them available on streaming services for a limited period only in December.

#BowieSTAK

Will Starman return in time for transmission?

“Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Lift Off”

The latest Radio Times (dated 2nd-8th February), has a five-page Bowie cover feature in celebration of Francis Whately’s David Bowie: Finding Fame. (Was David Bowie: The First Five Years)

Here’s an edited excerpt with exciting news from the piece...

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Francis Whately is nervously excited. While he sweats, an incredibly rare piece of TV footage is being slowly “baked” – the moisture tentatively extracted from a degraded recording containing a performance by David Bowie not seen in nearly 50 years. The footage in question reveals Ziggy Stardust’s “birth” on TV, a moment in broadcast and music history long considered lost. “For fans, it is something of a Holy Grail,” says Whately.

It was broadcast on 15 June 1972, on an ITV children’s pop show called Lift Off with Ayshea, but was wiped from the official archives and has long been regarded as missing presumed extinct. Then, a few months ago, professional “tape diggers” found a fragile recording of it made by the owner off his TV.

“It would fall apart if we played it, so it’s had to be very carefully restored,” says Whately. “It will be a real coup if it comes off.”

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Well, even if Starman isn't ready in time for broadcast, you can rest assured that the content of David Bowie: Finding Fame will still leave you feeling satisfied.

Aside from other promised surprises, here are a few of the contributors...

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Kristina Amadeus - Bowie’s close cousin from south London and New York resident in the early 1970s: Whately has encouraged Kristina to talk for the first time on camera about the restlessly creative boy she knew back then.

Hermione Farthingale - all singing all dancing girlfriend: Whately says it “took months” to persuade the deeply private Farthingale to finally talk to him.

Phil Lancaster - Drummer in the Lower Third: “We talked about books – we loved Jack Kerouac – and had the same sense of humour.”

Geoff MacCormack - Lifelong friend and photographer: “David’s dad bought him lots of records, and we both loved a [1957 doo-wop] song called I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. When David released his 2013 album The Next Day, I sent him an email saying, “Lovely album, well done, young man,” or something equally silly. And he replied, all those years later: “It’s not I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent, but it’s something!”.”

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Due to the down to the wire edits and Starman baking times, it's possible that the advertised broadcast date and time could change. We'll update you here as soon as we have the final confirmed details.

Read more about David Bowie: Finding Fame here.

The Radio Times is out now.

#BowieTheFirstFiveYears #DavidBowieFindingFame

Duncan Jones’ MOON is ten today

“You are my moon, you are my son” *

Crikey, already ten years since MOON received its first showing. Here’s a piece reflecting that fact from our good friend, Unkle Rupert.

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MOON Celebrates 10th Anniversary - by @Unklerupert

It’s 10 years to the day that Duncan Jones’ debut feature MOON premiered at the Sundance Festival in Utah screening at the Eccles Theatre in Park City on Friday 23rd January 2009.

In attendance were cast and crew including; Writer / Director - Duncan Jones, Producers - Trudie Styler & Stuart Fenegan, Star - Sam Rockwell, Writer - Nathan Parker, and special guests Sting and Duncan’s proud father - David Bowie.

MOON was very well received by film critics in attendance, here’s a sample of those first reactions.

“Not only does it look wonderful, but Sam Rockwell is flawless yet again.” - Alex Billington - First Showing

“Moon is yet another impressive work of independent science fiction. In which we have a young director with an ambitious vision, a perfectly cast lead and the creativity to bring it to life without having to work on a Michael Bay-sized budget.” - Neil Miller - Film School Rejects

“I’m convinced that Moon is at the beginning of a new renaissance of indie sci-fi feature films which will challenge Hollywood’s big budget computer generated spectacles.” - Peter Sciretta - Film

MOON continued to garner high praise from the film community and wider film going audiences around the World as further festival screenings occurred and upon general release starting in the US on the 10th July 2009, it also picked up many award nominations and awards including a BAFTA for Duncan Jones for Outstanding Debut by a British Director. Over the last 10 years MOON has become a much loved Sci-fi classic with regular screenings still occurring around the World and of course through home release on DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming services. High praise has come from all quarters, but none more so than from one of Duncan’s Directorial heroes, Terry Gilliam, during a Little White Lies interview published in April 2011

“I think MOON is a really brilliant example of contemporary Sci-fi because it has a message, it has strong visuals but it also has a proper science-fiction core. It’s the closest thing to a modern-day 2001 I have seen.”

This day though, this was the day that MOON received its premiere. A premiere attended by a first time feature Director, and his proud Father. Happy 10th Anniversary, MOON x

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If you’ve yet to see MOON for some insane reason, it’s probably best to correct that situation, pronto.

*Yes, we know it’s sun, not son. But that wouldn’t have really worked.

#MOONfilm #ManMadeMOON

Japanese Loving the Alien CD box and CROSSBEAT special

“You can't say no to the beauty from the East” *

For those of you who collect such things, the Japanese version of the David Bowie: Loving the Alien (1983-1988) CD box set, was released last month (12th December).

Extras include a 148-page book containing Japanese language notes and interviews from the LTA book with English/Japanese lyrics thrown in. There’s also a 24-page booklet of 1983 Japanese press conference pictures and Serious Moonlight live shots by Masashi Kuwamoto.

The folks at CROSSBEAT in Japan were very quick off the mark when they published a 1983-1988 special in celebration of the box set last month too.

Fourth in the series, It's a thorough look at the releases of the period, including the films Bowie starred in, with the usual wealth of pictorial content and Bowie interviews we’ve come to expect from their series of Parlophone box set specials, albeit in Japanese.

The magazine also focuses on all of the other 2018 Bowie releases, right up to Glastonbury 2000.

If you’ve been bitten by the Bowie collecting bug, stay tuned for another instalment in our occasional Bowie Collector series tomorrow.

* Sorry

#BowieJapan #LTAbox #BowieCollector

Thankyou for voting Bowie Best Entertainer

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

No doubt you all know that David Bowie was voted the winner of the Entertainment category of BBC TWO’s ICONS poll yesterday.

Many thanks to everybody who voted for our man, it’s really very much appreciated.

David Bowie joins Alan Turing (Scientists), Ernest Shackleton (Explorers) Nelson Mandela (Leaders) and three other category winners (yet to be decided), for a place in the final on Tuesday 5th February at 9:00pm on BBC Two.

Find everything you need to know about the poll and how to vote in the final, here.

FOOTNOTE: Today’s lyric quotation was triggered by the BBC’s Bowie tagline: “David Bowie’s cutting-edge music gave the world the sound of the future, today.”

(Main image by TotalBlamBlam@DavidBowie.com)

#BBCIcons

David Bowie: January 8th 1947 - January 10th 2016

#BowieForever

DAVID BOWIE is… Virtual launched today

“Welcome to reality...”

DAVID BOWIE is… VIRTUAL LAUNCHED TODAY

RECORD-BREAKING EXHIBITION COMES TO DIGITAL/INTERACTIVE LIFE

MOBILE APP AVAILABLE NOW

App Store

Google Play

EXCLUSIVE BOWIE VIDEO AND IMAGES AVAILABLE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME

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

davidbowieisreal.com

The David Bowie is… Augmented Reality app has been made available today (January 8th) on what would have been David Bowie’s 72nd birthday.

Along with narration from the Oscar-winning actor Gary Oldman the app features over 400 items to explore including video and images from the very beginning of his career through to his final album ★.

Exclusive video elements in the app include film from the 1972 performance at the Rainbow Theatre, 1990 Sound & Vision Tour, a Herb Ritts photo shoot in 1989, live performances from the 1974 Diamond Dogs Tour, footage from the experimental Diamond Dogs movie, and rehearsal footage from the 1976 Station to Station Tour.

The app also features items not previously seen outside of the Brooklyn Museum run of the exhibition such as David’s script for Lazarus along with his sketchbook for the ★ video, original lyrics and David’s original drawings for the video concept.

The app is based on the record-breaking exhibition David Bowie is… that drew over 2 million visitors across 12 stops in 11 cities making it the most visited touring exhibition in the history of the V&A. 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.

The David Bowie is Augmented Reality mobile app is 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 is available now price £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

#DBisVirtual

Parlophone set to release rare Bowie tracks

“...spying through a keyhole from the other room...”

On what would have been David Bowie’s 72nd birthday and with 2019 marking 50 years since David Bowie’s first hit, Space Oddity, we are excited to announce that Parlophone is set to release a 7" vinyl singles box set of nine previously unreleased recordings* from the era during which Space Oddity was first conceived.

Keep reading for the full details.

#BowieSTAK

DAVID BOWIE - SPYING THROUGH A KEYHOLE (DEMOS AND UNRELEASED SONGS)

PARLOPHONE SET TO RELEASE 7" VINYL SINGLES BOX SET OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED* DAVID BOWIE RECORDINGS, INCLUDING EARLIEST KNOWN VERSIONS OF SPACE ODDITY.

With 2019 marking 50 years since David Bowie’s first hit, Space Oddity, we are excited to announce that Parlophone is set to release a 7" vinyl singles box set of nine previously unreleased recordings* from the era during which Space Oddity was first conceived.

The title: Spying Through A Keyhole, is a lyric taken from the previously unknown song: Love All Around, and though most of the other titles are known, these versions have never been officially released until late last year (see footnote). Most of the recordings are solo vocal and acoustic home demo performances, unless otherwise stated.

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Mother Grey (demo)

This mid-tempo tale of a fledgling son fleeing the nest features multi-tracked vocals, guitars and harmonica from David.

In The Heat Of The Morning (demo)

A well-known early Bowie song but presented here in demo form with final lyrics.

Goodbye 3d (Threepenny) Joe (demo)

A charming demo from 1968.

Love All Around (demo)

A delightful love song from whence the title of this collection came: “I see a pop tune spying through a keyhole from the other room”.

London Bye, Ta-Ta (demo)

An early demo version of the song with completely different lyrics in a couple of the verses compared to those of the later full band versions.

Angel, Angel, Grubby Face (demo version 1)

The first and only previously known demo of this song.

Angel, Angel, Grubby Face (demo version 2)

A later version of the same song with alternative lyrics.

Space Oddity (demo excerpt)

The lyric and arrangement variations lend weight to the theory that this is possibly the first ever recorded demo of one of Bowie’s most famous songs.

Space Oddity (demo - alternative lyrics) (with Hutch)

Originally conceived as a song for a duo to perform, this is the first known version to feature John ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson again with lyric and arrangement variations.

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Due to the nature of some of the solo home demos where Bowie accompanied himself on acoustic guitar, the recording quality isn’t always of a usual studio fidelity. This is partly due to David’s enthusiastic strumming hitting the red on a couple of the tracks, along with the limitations of the original recording equipment and tape degradation. However, the historical importance of these songs and the fact that the selections are from an archive of tracks cleared for release by Bowie, overrides this shortcoming.

Spying Through A Keyhole will be limited to a vinyl only release in the spring. However, the recordings may appear in the future on other formats. More details and actual release date to follow from Parlophone.

*FOOTNOTE: Although this will be the first physical release of these tracks, Parlophone did make them available on streaming services for a limited period only in December.

Loving The Alien break-outs due February

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

The five selected stand-alone albums from last year’s David Bowie: Loving the Alien (1983-1988) box set will be issued by Parlophone on 15th February.

The break-outs include the three studio albums, Let’s Dance, Tonight and Never Let Me Down on vinyl LP, CD and various digital formats, plus the two live albums: Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) and Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) on CD and digital formats. In addition, the compilation album, Dance (which features twelve remixes), will be available on standard digital.

Pre-order here, and continue reading for the full breakdown.

#LTABox

David Bowie: Loving the Alien (1983-1988) box set break-outs

Physical

Let's Dance (remaster) 1 LP / 1CD

Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) 2CD

Tonight (remaster) 1 LP / 1CD

Never Let Me Down (remaster) 1 LP / 1CD

Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) 2CD

Digital

Let's Dance (remaster) - Format: 192/24 / 96/24

Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) - Format: 192/24 / 96/24

Never Let Me Down - Format: standard digital Japanese version

Never Let Me Down (2018) - Format: 96/24

Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) - Format: 192/24 / 96/24

Dance - Format: standard digital

Please note: There are no hi-res releases for the remastered versions of ‘Tonight’ and ‘Never Let Me Down’. Also, ‘Dance’ is standard digital only

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LET’S DANCE

Modern Love

China Girl

Let’s Dance

Without You

Ricochet

Criminal World

Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

Shake It

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SERIOUS MOONLIGHT (live ’83)

CD1:

Look Back In Anger

“Heroes”

What In The World

Golden Years

Fashion

Let’s Dance

Breaking Glass

Life On Mars?

Sorrow

Cat People (Putting Out Fire)

China Girl

Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

Rebel Rebel

CD2:

White Light / White Heat

Station To Station

Cracked Actor

Ashes To Ashes

Space Oddity/Band Introduction

Young Americans

Fame

Modern Love

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TONIGHT

Loving The Alien

Don’t Look Down

God Only Knows

Tonight

Neighborhood Threat

Blue Jean

Tumble And Twirl

I Keep Forgettin’

Dancing With The Big Boys

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NEVER LET ME DOWN

Day-In Day-Out

Time Will Crawl

Beat Of Your Drum

Never Let Me Down

Zeroes

Glass Spider

Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)

New York’s In Love

’87 And Cry

Bang Bang

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GLASS SPIDER (live Montreal ’87)

CD 1:

Up The Hill Backwards

Glass Spider

Day-In Day-Out

Bang Bang

Absolute Beginners

Loving The Alien

China Girl

Rebel Rebel

Fashion

Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

All The Mad Men

Never Let Me Down

CD 2:

Big Brother

‘87 And Cry

“Heroes”

Sons Of The Silent Age

Time Will Crawl / Band Introduction

Young Americans

Beat Of Your Drum

The Jean Genie

Let’s Dance

Fame

Time

Blue Jean

Modern Love

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DANCE

1. Shake It (Re-mix aka Long Version)

2. Blue Jean (Extended Dance Mix)

3. Dancing With The Big Boys (Extended Dance Mix)

4. Tonight (Vocal Dance Mix)

5. Don't Look Down (Extended Dance Mix)

6. Loving The Alien (Extended Dub Mix)

7. Tumble And Twirl (Extended Dance Mix)

8. Underground (Extended Dance Mix)

9. Day-In Day-Out (Groucho Mix)

10.Time Will Crawl (Dance Crew Mix)

11.Shining Star (Makin’ My Love) (12” mix)

12.Never Let Me Down (Dub/Acapella)

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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