Nuts available for streaming now*

“What would you rather be doing?”

While it’s the 6th of February for the majority as we post this, a bunch of hungry early birds are flying into the morning of the 7th. The latter can now feast on the fat worm that is Nuts, the fifth and penultimate instalment of the IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks.

Again, for those of you who can access BBC Radio 6 Music, you can hear an exclusive first play of Nuts shortly, over on the Mary Anne Hobbs show.

The photograph in today's graphic, with no small measure of attitude, was taken in NY in 1996 by ALBERT WATSON.

Keep reading for the full press release.

*Available now if it’s the 7th where you are.

#BowieIIAW

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DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? STREAMING EP OF UNRELEASED & RARE MATERIAL

’NUTS’ (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) AVAILABLE NOW

THE FIFTH OF SIX TRACKS TO BE RELEASED OVER SIX WEEKS

‘NUTS’ (previously unreleased) is to be made available by Parlophone Records for streaming today as the penultimate release of DAVID BOWIE’s IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks being released once a week.

The unreleased semi instrumental ’NUTS’ was jointly written by David, Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati. It was recorded during the final Earthling sessions in November 1996, the same session during which ‘The Last Thing You Should Do’ was written and recorded.

Both songs were being recorded as bonus tracks but then, at the last minute David swapped out ‘I Can’t Read’ (released as track two from this streaming E.P. on 17th January) with ‘The Last Thing You Should Do’. However, ’NUTS' has remained unreleased until today.

'NUTS’ Features Bowie on vocals, Reeves Gabrels on guitars & Mark Plati playing keyboards and programming. It was produced by David Bowie, co-produced by Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati and was recorded and Mixed by Mark Plati at Looking Glass Studios, NYC

The last track from the EP will be announced next week with a final extra surprise.

VIVE LE ROCK! 12-page Bowie and punk cover feature

“And I looked and frowned and the monster was me”

The current edition of VIVE LE ROCK! magazine (issue 70), has a 12-page cover feature on how David Bowie paved the way for punk rock.

It’s another superb Bowie piece by Kris Needs, who is more than qualified to comment, having rubbed shoulders with the midwife at both the birth of Ziggy Stardust and punk rock. Here’s a short excerpt from a much longer piece…

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“Bowie was something else, continuing to exert a strange fascination that towered above anyone else. Still reinventing rock in his own image, most recently he’d been flying as the ice-cold, coke-deranged Thin White Duke from ‘Station To Station’: last of his '70s masks and still unlike anything else at the time.

Those who’d grown up with Bowie considered him just about the only high-profile UK artist in the first half of the ‘70s treading a dangerously unpredictable path, making visionary new music, always different from the pack. It was life-affirming to have a cool superstar who opened so many doors and habitually trampled social taboos, fixated on what he was doing next with a method actor’s zeal, rather than recycling past glories; the past, present and, most importantly, future all rolled into one.

Punk came more like a natural progression than sudden impact for those who’d experienced Bowie’s rapid evolution in real time during those grey years between psychedelic ‘60s revolutions and ‘76’s burgeoning tsunami, bringing Mott The Hoople, Lou Reed and lggy Pop with him. By 1973, Bowie had already cleared the runway for glam with short, sharp songs, noisy guitars and outrageous wardrobes, providing the perfect antidote to progressive rock excess and earnest singer-songwriters while sky-sailing over the pub-rock barrelling in through the saloon doors as a rootsy alternative to stadium prog-on-ice.

Although presented as glam packages on the surface, ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars’, ‘Aladdin Sane’ and ‘Diamond Dogs’ corralled rock ‘n’ roll’s original primal wildness, French chanson, avant jazz and classic Tin Pan Alley songwriting into vehicles heralding an other-worldly future where encrusted social taboos had been chucked out of the window with the nearest TV set. Pop and rock had been remade and remodelled by Bowie when the next generation started making its own noise.”

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VIVE LE ROCK! is on shelves now.

#ViveLeRockBowie

First Bowie Mirabelle cover is fifty today

“Eight new pence to have a go”

Fifty years ago today, David Bowie was featured on the cover of the UK’s Mirabelle magazine.

He appeared as an uncredited model with a caption inside which read: “OUR COVER – Super Red Riding Outfit from Kensington Market”, and that wasn’t even a description of his outfit.

Of course, Mirabelle had kicked of the new decade with a full-page colour back cover of our man at the start of January. They also thought enough of him to go with a double-page spread at the start of March.

This began a relationship that culminated in a few more front covers for the magazine and a two-year weekly column called: Bowie – My World…but that’s a whole other story.

This fifty year old mag still turns up occasionally, but you’re unlikely to pick it up for the original cover price of eight pence.

FOOTNOTE: The Twiggy and Justin mentioned on the cover nearly helped Bowie onto the cover of Vogue almost four years later. But instead the image was used for the cover of the Bowie Pin Ups LP sleeve instead…But that’s another whole other story.

#BowieMirabelle  #BowieMagazineCover

Marc Riley Baby Universal ’97 exclusive

“Now he's running for the love of speed”

For those of you who can access BBC Radio 6 Music this evening, you can hear an exclusive first play of Baby Universal ’97 on Marc Riley’s show.

He’ll be playing the track in the first hour of his show which kicks off at 19:00 UK time.

Mr Riley is pictured backstage with David Bowie at the Manchester Academy on 23rd, July, 1997.

See previous post for more information regarding Baby Universal ’97.

#BowieIIAW 

Baby Universal ’97 available for streaming now*

“Hallo humans nothing starts tomorrow”

While it’s the 30th of January for most as we post this, some parts of the planet are dipping a toe into the 31st already. The latter can now listen to Baby Universal ’97, the fourth instalment of the IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks.

The photograph in today's graphic was taken in NY in 1996 by ALBERT WATSON.

Keep reading for the full press release.

*Available now if it’s the 31st where you are.

#BowieIIAW 

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DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? STREAMING EP OF UNRELEASED & RARE MATERIAL

’BABY UNIVERSAL ‘97’ (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) AVAILABLE NOW

FOURTH OF SIX TRACKS TO BE RELEASED OVER SIX WEEKS

’BABY UNIVERSAL ’97’ is now available for streaming as the fourth of six tracks making up DAVID BOWIE’s IS IT ANY WONDER? EP (Parlophone) of unreleased and rare tracks being released once a week.

With lyrics by David and music co-written by David and Reeves Gabrels, ‘Baby Universal’ was initially recorded by Tin Machine for Tin Machine II. Released as the band’s penultimate single in October 1991, it was performed during the final Tin Machine US television appearance on Saturday Night Live.

‘Baby Universal’ was regularly performed on Bowie’s  ‘Outside Summer  Festivals Tour’ in 1996. The version now being released as ’BABY UNIVERSAL ’97’ was re-recorded for the Earthling album, originally intended to be sequenced between ‘I’m Afraid Of Americans’ and ‘Law (Earthlings On Fire)’. The song was ultimately removed from the final album master, but David was very fond of this version and before the track was dropped was quoted as saying: “I thought ‘Baby Universal’ was a really good song and I don’t think it got heard. I didn’t really want that to happen to it, so I put it on this album… I think this version is very good.”.

’BABY UNIVERSAL ’97’ is produced by David Bowie, co-produced by Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati. It was recorded at Looking Glass Studios and mixed by Mark Plati at Right Track Recording, both in New York. The track features Gail Ann Dorsey on bass and vocals, Mike Garson on piano/keyboards, Mark Plati on programming/keyboards, Zachary Alford on drums and Reeves Gabrels on guitar, synths and vocals.

DAVID BOWIE ’BABY UNIVERSAL ‘97’ IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM NOW ON PARLOPHONE

Alan Yentob’s Cracked Actor film is 45 today

“I'm just the space cadet...he's the commander”

And another five years passes. Were you watching on that night 45 years ago? More here.

#CrackedActor

Stay ’97 available for streaming now*

“This time tomorrow I’ll know what to do”

As most of the world still has to endure 23rd of January, some lucky people from the future are already enjoying the 24th. They can now listen to Stay ’97, the third instalment of the IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks.

MICHAEL BENABIB took the photograph of David in NY in 1997 used for today's graphic.

Keep reading for the full press release.

*Available now if it’s the 24th where you are.

#BowieIIAW 

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DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? STREAMING EP OF UNRELEASED & RARE MATERIAL

’STAY ‘97’ (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) AVAILABLE FRIDAY 24TH JANUARY THE THIRD OF SIX TRACKS TO BE RELEASED OVER SIX WEEKS

Parlophone Records is proud to announce ’STAY ’97' the third instalment of DAVID BOWIE’s IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks being released once a week.

’STAY’ originally appeared on the ’Station To Station’ album in 1976 and was released as a single in North America and Japan in August of that year.

The previously unreleased 1997 re-recording of ‘STAY' began at The Factory in the Dublin Docklands during the pre-Earthling tour rehearsals while David, Mark Plati and Reeves Gabrels were preparing the backing/sequencer tracks before the rest of the band arrived, and the rehearsals started in earnest.

David wanted to ‘update' some of his live show staples so they would sit well sonically with the Outside/Earthling material. The recording was completed later, potentially for use as a ‘B-side’, and mixed at Right Track Recording studios, New York in May/June 1997.

’STAY ‘97’ is produced by David Bowie, co-produced by Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, and mixed by Mark Plati.  The track features Gail Ann Dorsey on bass and vocals, Mike Garson on piano/keyboards, Mark Plati on programming/keyboards, Zachary Alford on drums and Reeves Gabrels on guitar/synths 

DAVID BOWIE ’STAY ’97’ IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM FRIDAY 24TH JANUARY ON PARLOPHONE

Lazarus NL wins in Annual Musical Awards Gala

“It’s Valentine’s Day”

Dutch fan, Jacqueline Pruijsen, has kindly been in touch with the wonderful news that @lazarusnl has won Best Big Musical at the prestigious Annual Musical Awards Gala in the Netherlands.

Three other awards were also collected:

Best Male Leading Role: Pieter Embrechts (Valentine)

Best Director: Ivo van Hove

Best Design: Jan Versweyveld

Congratulations to all involved for making Lazarus a continued success.

#LazarusNL  #LazarusMusical

Are you on the map - got your tote?

“Hey man, well she's a tote bag blam blam”

The exclusive Space Oddity tote bags are starting to ship to everyone who was lucky enough to share a picture of their silver or gold vinyl copy of the new 2019 Tony Visconti mix.

Keep an eye out for it if you’ve plotted your spot and don't forget you can still add yourself to the map if you have a silver or gold vinyl copy and want a bag too.

📍 spaceoddity.davidbowie.com/

#SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019  #SpaceOddity2019TVmix

I Can’t Read ’97 available for streaming now*

“Can I reach tomorrow?”

As the 16th turns to the 17th around the globe, the second instalment of the IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks is available now.

Keep reading for the full press release.

*Available now if it’s the 17th where you are.

#BowieIIAW 

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DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? STREAMING EP OF UNRELEASED & RARE MATERIAL

’I CAN’T READ ’97'’ (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) AVAILABLE NOW

THE SECOND OF SIX TRACKS TO BE RELEASED OVER SIX WEEKS

Parlophone Records is proud to unveil ‘I CAN’T READ ‘97’, the second instalment of DAVID BOWIE’s IS IT ANY WONDER? EP of six unreleased and rare tracks being released once a week.

‘I CAN’T READ’ originally appeared on Tin Machine’s eponymous debut album in 1989, and was a staple in the band’s live set. In the autumn of 1996, during the mixing stages for Earthling, David re-recorded the track – which, at one stage, appeared on a mastered version of the album.

While the song’s second incarnation, ‘I CAN’T READ ‘97’, was David’s preferred solo version (the version available today), it was ultimately cut from Earthling and replaced at the last minute with ‘The Last Thing You Should Do’.

An alternative version, featuring minor chords and a darker sound for the chorus, was recorded for Ang Lee’s film The Ice Storm. The full length version appeared on a single in 1998, while an edit featured on the film’s soundtrack album in 1997, both released by VelVel Records.

‘I CAN’T READ ‘97’ written by David Bowie & Reeves Gabrels is produced by David Bowie, co-produced by Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, and mixed by Mark Plati. The track was recorded and mixed at Right Track Recording in New York and features Gail Ann Dorsey on bass and vocals, Mike Garson on piano, and Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals.

DAVID BOWIE ‘I CAN’T READ’97’ IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM NOW ON PARLOPHONE

R.I.P Bob Solly

Kevin Cann has been in touch with the sad news that Manish Boy, Bob Solly (bottom right in montage, next to Davie Jones), has passed away at the age of 75. Over to Kevin.

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I’m very sad to have to tell you that following a short illness Robert Solly, better known as ex-Manish Boy founder member Bob Solly, passed away in London in the early hours of Tuesday morning, January 7th. He was 75.

Following his years with Maidstone based band The Manish Boys (which famously included around a year with David Bowie fronting the band), Bob continued working as a songwriter with writing partner Paul Rodriguez, mainly working for producer Shel Talmy. After moving away from the music business he became a very successful designer and architect and spent many years criss-crossing the world while overseeing numerous prestigious commercial property developments.

After settling back in the UK he focussed firmly on his real passion in life, collecting; mainly many thousands of records, though his spare rooms quickly filled with, among other things, a huge first-editions library, items on crime and other rare British social memorabilia and collections of photographs. After many years of serious International record collecting and record dealing it was thought that Bob’s vinyl collection alone was second only in size to that of the BBC’s.

His knowledge of post war British and American popular music was renown and in the late 90’s he became a regular, highly regarded contributor to Record Collector magazine, also writing Record Collector’s incisive 2005 book, ‘100 Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Records’. In 2009 he began regular radio broadcasts with Channel Radio in Kent, his eclectic weekly show relying solely on vinyl singles chosen from his vast collection. Over the many hundreds of hours broadcasting he never played any single track more than once.

Bob is survived by his second wife, Susan.

Bob Solly (Robert Leslie Solly), musician, designer and writer, born 4 August 1944; died 7 January 2020

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

#BowieForever

Parlophone to issue unreleased Bowie tracks

“We spoke of was and when”

It’s likely that some of you have been expecting something on what would have been David Bowie’s 73rd birthday, after announcements on 8th January for the past couple of years. Indeed, if the calendar has clicked over to that date where you are, then you have possibly already found something.

Now it’s 8th January in the country of his birth, here’s that announcement…

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DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? – STREAMING EP OF UNRELEASED & RARE MATERIAL

‘THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD’ (CHANGESNOWBOWIE VERSION) FIRST OF SIX TRACKS TO BE RELEASED OVER SIX WEEKS

CHANGESNOWBOWIE LIMITED EDITION NINE TRACK LP/CD OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MATERIAL TO BE ISSUED FOR RECORD STORE DAY 18th APRIL, 2020

8th January 2020 London

Parlophone Records is proud to announce DAVID BOWIE IS IT ANY WONDER? a six track EP of unreleased and rare tracks to be released over six weeks.

The first of these is a previously unreleased version of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’, released today as a streaming-only 1 track digital single in celebration of both David’s birthday and the 50th anniversary of the writing and recording of this classic. Five more songs will be released on a weekly basis from 17th January.

’THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD’ (CHANGESNOWBOWIE VERSION) is taken from the 9-track session ChangesNowBowie, recorded for radio and broadcast by the BBC on David’s 50th birthday on 8th January, 1997.

The broadcast featured an interview with David by Mary Anne Hobbs interspersed with specially recorded birthday messages and questions from the likes of Scott Walker, Damon Albarn, Bono, Robert Smith and many more.

This mostly acoustic session was a stripped back affair featuring some of David’s favourites of his own compositions and was produced by Bowie himself, Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati.

CHANGESNOWBOWIE was recorded and mixed at Looking Glass Studios in New York in November 1996 during rehearsals for David’s 50th birthday concert at Madison Square Garden. Gail Ann Dorsey (bass, vocals), Reeves Gabrels (guitars) and Mark Plati (keyboards and programming) accompanied David on the recording.

CHANGESNOWBOWIE will be released in limited quantities on LP and CD for Record Store Day on 18th April, 2020. The cover art for the album will features a portrait of David by renowned photographer Albert Watson, taken in New York in 1996. (See montage for cover)

More details about the album will be announced shortly.

DAVID BOWIE 'THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD' (CHANGESNOWBOWIE) IS AVAILABLE NOW ON PARLOPHONE

DAVID BOWIE CHANGESNOWBOWIE RELEASED ON PARLOPHONE ON 18TH APRIL, 2020 FOR RECORD STORE DAY

#BowieIIAW  #CHANGESNOWBOWIE

Bowie exits the 70s with Kenny Everett

“I think my spaceship knows which way to go”

David Bowie • Space Oddity • Will Kenny Everett Make It To 1980? Show • 31 December 1979

You're no doubt already familiar with this broadcast, but now Nacho Videos has enhanced and extended it and given it a bit of a polish to further enhance your viewing experience.

Directed for the show by Bowie’s video director of the time, David Mallet, the action takes place in a high-ceilinged padded cell and an exploding kitchen with an unflappable nurse.

Speaking to Angus MacKinnon in the NME in 1980, Bowie said:

“That came about because (David) Mallet wanted me to do something for his show and he wanted Space Oddity. I agreed as long as I could do it again without all its trappings and do it strictly with three instruments. Having played it with just an acoustic guitar onstage early on, I was always surprised as how powerful it was just as a song, without all the strings and synthesizers. In fact the video side of it was secondary; I really wanted to do it as a three-piece song.”

Both scenes were recreated for the May 1980 filming of Ashes To Ashes, the continuity experts among you will notice the very obvious differences.

So, ten years after it was originally a hit, Major Tom also had the last word of the 70s for Bowie. Another 40 years on and the impact of this version is just as powerful.

Read Nacho's notes with more detail regarding the recording of both the sound and vision, along with the complete video, here.

#SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019  #NachoBowie  #NachosVideos 

And single of the year goes to Space Oddity

“You’ve really made the grade”

Fifty years ago this week, Disc magazine’s long-time Bowie champion, Penny Valentine, made Space Oddity her record of the year in the Christmas 1969 issue of the weekly music mag. (Cover date December 27, 1969)

“Best commercial pop single of the year? Well without a shadow of a doubt that honour goes to David Bowie and “Space Oddity” — no matter what came before or after. It stood head and shoulders above the bunch. And it gritted its teeth and fought for three months to prove it.”

Penny had been praising the pre-success Bowie over the years and in fact she was responsible for David’s first ever cover feature/interview which we told you about recently. Her love of Space Oddity only cemented her belief that Bowie would amount to something special.

She had also previously praised the record upon its release:

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David Bowie Space Oddity single review by Penny Valentine, Disc and Music Echo. (Published July 10, 1969. Cover date July 12, 1969)

David Bowie – an amazing sound!

I have a bet on in the office that this is going to be a huge hit – and knock everyone senseless. There are disbelievers among us! David Bowie has always been talented but had a nasty knack of sounding like Tony Newley. Good records came from him but nothing to actually make you fall over. This does though. In fact I listened spellbound throughout, panting to know the outcome of poor Major Tom and his trip into the outer hemisphere. Apart from that – and some really clever lyrics – the sound is amazing. Mr. Bowie sounds like the Bee Gees on their best record – "New York Mining Disaster" – and has managed to arrange the backing to sound like a cross between the Moody Blues, Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. It's obviously going to do well in America, which is nice. OUT TOMORROW

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So thanks for the support, Penny, and for seeing the value of David Bowie a long time before most.

Sadly, Penny died aged 59 on 9th January 2003, but not before she saw her predictions come true. Here’s the concluding paragraph from that first ever cover feature/interview:

““Space Oddity” is the first tenuous link in a long chain that will make David Bowie one of the biggest assets, and one of the most important people British music has produced in a long long time.”

#SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019  #PennyValentine 

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays and thanks for the love throughout 2019.

#BowieForever  #PeaceOnEarth

Bowie and Bing with strings

“It's a pretty thing, isn’t it?”

Last month (22nd November), Decca records released Bing At Christmas - Bing Crosby With The London Symphony Orchestra. On the collection is a newly orchestrated version of the David Bowie and Bing Crosby duet of Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy.

In celebration of the UK broadcast of Bing Crosby's 1977 Merrie Olde Christmas TV Special (Christmas Eve 1977), on which the duet was first shown (along with "Heroes", see yesterday’s post), Nacho’s Videos has married the new version of the audio to the original footage.

Watch the full thing and read Nacho’s notes regarding the creation of this one here:

FOOTNOTE: Though he has used pretty thing in more than one lyric, today’s Bowie lyric quotation is actually the line Bing says at the end of the duet.

#BowieBing  #PeaceOnEarth #NachoBowie 

"Heroes" on Bing 1977 gets the Nacho treatment

“For ever and ever”

Back in 2016 we posted the then oft overlooked performance of "Heroes" recorded for Bing Crosby's 1977 Merrie Olde Christmas TV Special.

Notable for the wonderfully bizarre, but nevertheless beautiful David Bowie and Bing Crosby duet of Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy, the broadcast also contained aforementioned video of "Heroes".

In the promo film, Bowie sings one of the most heartfelt and emotional performances of "Heroes" he ever delivered. The vocal was sung over a backing track, with some not so subtle phasing and echo effects on his voice that may well have been added after the event.

Looking amazing, he sings close up straight to camera while he also performs several set mime pieces superimposed along with the main performance.

Now Nacho, along with a little help from Particledots on the audio, has produced a new version without Bing's spoken introduction encroaching on the performance. Go here to view it and to read his notes about how the video was made.

The show was filmed in Elstree just outside London in the UK on September 11th, 1977. Originally broadcast in the US by CBS on the 30th of November 1977, the UK had to wait another month to see exactly what the fuss was being reported in the music weeklies, when the show was finally aired there on Christmas Eve 1977.

FOOTNOTE: The shot of a shirtless Bowie was one of several stills taken during this "Heroes" filming session, though he didn't appear like this in the actual broadcast.

#BowieBing  #BowieHeroes  #NachoBowie 

Tony Visconti on revisiting The Wild Eyed Boy

“For the smile stayed on the face, Of the Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud”

After kicking it off, Tony Visconti also closes the current run of Bowie TV: The Space Oddity Series.

In episode six of this series he talks about revisiting David Bowie’s favourite track on Space Oddity for the 2019 remix.

Bowie TV: The Space Oddity Series - All six episodes available to view:

Bowie TV Episode 18: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 1 - Tony Visconti #1

Bowie TV Episode 19: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 2 - John Hutchinson

Bowie TV Episode 20: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 3 - Bob Harris

Bowie TV Episode 21: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 4 - Ken Scott

Bowie TV Episode 22: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 5 - Vernon Dewhurst

Bowie TV Episode 23: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 6 - Tony Visconti #2

See the Conversation Piece book for DB’s second favourite track on Space Oddity.

#BowieTV

Last Bowie interview of the sixties

“So now you could spend the morning talking with me quite amazed”

If not the last feature, this must be the last actual Bowie interview published in the 1960s. It’s a piece by Kate Simpson in the 20th December 1969 issue of British music magazine, Music Now!, and in the interview, the new star spoke on various subjects including success, money and the failure of the hippy ideal.

Kate was clearly a fan and she talked of her conversion after a recent Bowie show in the introduction to the piece:

“Several people I know see David Bowie as a one-hit-wonder. Until recently I shared their doubts as to his future beyond the song-that-made-him-famous, 'Space Oddity.' Then there was his recent concert at London’s Purcell Room. I changed my mind.

His performance was astounding. He had the audience bewitched with his words, his music, his voice, and his professionalism. With simplicity and sincerity he sang his songs. He has his own style, but also great imagination and versatility.”

You can read the full feature in the Conversation Piece book.

The picture used in the article was from a session by David Bebbington. Bowie is wearing the jacket gifted to him by Calvin Mark Lee, which he wore for Top Of The Pops and the session that was used for the original The World Of David Bowie album cover a few months later. We’ve taken the opportunity to remove the colour cast from the photograph so you can see the jacket in its full splendour. 

#BowieBebbington  #BowieCalvinMarkLee  #SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019