Shoot it up, shoot it up, shoot it up…
I doubt that headline and lyric quote mean anything to many of you, but the details for the next David Bowie single release, New Killer Star, have been made available exclusively to BowieNet, and all will now become apparent.
The press release for the single won’t be released to the media until Monday/Tuesday, but here it follows in its entirety, along with a couple of quotes from the writer of one of David’s most intriguing and unexpected cover versions to date:
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DAVID BOWIE?S NEW SINGLE – ?NEW KILLER STAR? – LIMITED EDITION DVD ONLY SINGLE – RELEASED 29TH SEPTEMBER 2003
Hot on the heels of the announcement of his 26th studio album ?REALITY? and his ground breaking interactive live cinema event on September 8th, DAVID BOWIE has announced the details of the first single from ?REALITY? entitled ?NEW KILLER STAR?.
The pile-driving rhythm of ?NEW KILLER STAR? is the opening track of ?REALITY? and sets the tone for the mostly up-tempo feel of the album which Bowie himself has said ?Was built to play live?.
As with all things Bowie, the formatting of ?NEW KILLER STAR? is not exactly the norm and is a twist on the conventional wisdom of what a single is.
The single package itself will only appear as a limited edition DVD featuring the stunning video for the lead track as well as a very surprising cover version of ?Love Missile F-111?, originally recorded by 80?s cult heroes, Sigue Sigue Sputnik.
The highly individual video for ?NEW KILLER STAR? was directed by the Los Angeles based film-maker Brumby Boylston. The video itself is based on the concept of early 70?s lenticular postcards that reveal a different image depending on the angle at which it is viewed.
The DVD also features a four minute short film incorporating exclusive interview and performance footage of David performing and talking about tracks from ?REALITY
The album is released just prior to Bowie beginning his highly anticipated sold out European tour, which will commence on October 7th in Copenhagen and comes to a close in Glasgow on November 28th.
New Killer Star DVD Only Single Tracklisting
01 New Killer Star Video
02 Love Missile F1-11 (Audio Only)
03 Reality EPK Video
New Killer Star is released on Iso/Columbia Records September 29th – Reality is released on Iso/Columbia Records September 15th.
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Tony James, Martin Degville and Neal X of Sigue
Sigue Sputnik, shortly before Martin’s departure.
Well apart from the great news that the NKS video will be available on this format, as will the full Reality EPK, (part of which members of BowieNet have already seen on the Reality Jukebox) it’s also wonderful to hear that DB has chosen to cover Sigue Sigue Sputnik‘s 1986 #3 hit, Love Missile F1-11.
Anybody who knows anything about the band will know what huge Bowie fans they are, (that much must be apparent from their look alone) and indeed, they even released their own version of Rebel Rebel back in the Eighties too. I spoke to Tony James, (the mastermind behind the much misunderstood phenomenon that was Sigue Sigue Sputnik) on the phone this afternoon.
Here’s a bit of what he said on hearing the news that David Bowie had recorded one of his songs: “That’s really something, thanks for the GOOD news… the bastard sons of Ziggy get to hang with their creator.”
I also asked Tony how he first got into the music of David Bowie: “Well as a young kid learning guitar, still at school, I went to see Ziggy at the Polytechnic of Central London (May 12th 1972) …and my life changed. Wow, that’s what I wanted to be!!! Ziggy Stardust was on the turntable forever, and GIRLS had the record too – so now I get it – I saw the future….!!”
And how appropriate that Ziggy should be the inspiration for what was possibly the most fabricated rock ‘n’ roll band of all time. Unfortunately, after that initial flush of success, and very healthy sales of the first album, the public didn’t stay with the band, and Sigue Sigue Sputnik have remained pretty much a cult act to this day.
The recent (yesterday!) departure of the band’s lead singer, Martin Degville, hasn’t scuppered plans for the band’s upcoming UK tour (to promote their next album, UltraReal) which kicks off on Sunday 31st August at Nottingham Rock City. I asked Tony how Martin’s departure might affect the band: “Well, if you know any superstars who just learnt the words to F1-11 and would like to help out..!”
Well David, if you’re reading this, I have a plus one to the Sputnik gig at the Camden Underworld on September 6th.
