Month: February 2009

The song(s) they’re playin’ on the radio…

I’m sure our Dutch members are already familiar with this, but it’s worth a mention here just the same.

Dutch Radio station Radio 2 recently celebrated ten years of their TOP 2000 annual listeners poll with a special all time TOP 2000.

Needless to say, David Bowie featured heavily and here’s the list of Bowie tracks (and related) with their positions in the all time TOP 2000 list according to listeners of the station…

David Bowie – “Heroes” – 112
Lou Reed – Perfect Day – 115
David Bowie – Space Oddity – 156
David Bowie & Queen – Under Pressure – 376
David Bowie & Tina Turner – Tonight (live) – 463
Iggy Pop – Lust For Life – 527
Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side – 533
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust – 715
David Bowie – Let’s Dance – 895
David Bowie – China Girl – 930
David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes – 989
David Bowie & Mick Jagger – Dancing In The Street – 967
David Bowie – Sound And Vision – 1125
David Bowie – Golden Years– 1225
David Bowie – Rebel Rebel – 1247
David Bowie – Life On Mars? – 1261
David Bowie – The Jean Genie – 1390
David Bowie & The Pat Metheny Group – This Is Not America – 1491
David Bowie – Absolute Beginners – 1497
David Bowie – Fame – 1812
Mott The Hoople – All The Young Dudes – 1972 (Which coincidentally reached the same position as the year in which it was released!)

All sorts of merchandise has been made available via the TOP 2000 website, including the Dutch language book above with a two-page Ziggy Stardust spread and a 10 CD box set that has some Bowie content, though I’m not sure what that is specifically.

David Bowie has always had a fiercely loyal following in The Netherlands and this poll is further proof of that. Thanx to BowieNetter 051060 for the pointer.

Too cool to fool…

Feisty Welsh songstress*, Duffy, is the subject of this month’s Soundtrack Of My Life column in the Observer Music Monthly. Here’s what she had to say regarding David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold The World…

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When I fell in love
The Man Who Sold The World, David Bowie (1971)

Here we have the unrequited love stage of my life. We’ve all been there. I couldn’t tell this boy that I loved him because he was involved with someone else, and I can’t tell you who he is because I still see him and he still doesn’t know. I met him in London the other day, in fact. Anyway, this song makes me think of him, and you’re talking to a girl who didn’t even know who David Bowie was until five years ago. Now I’m obsessed with him. This is a great concept for a song, and it has one of the best bass lines of all time.

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This isn’t the first time the young beauty has praised our man. Check out this story too: 04.22.2008 NEWS: ALADDIN SANE UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT IN CLASH MAG

Actor Mat Horne, perhaps more familiar to most as Gavin in Gavin And Stacey, was recently asked: What is the best gig you have ever been to? This was his reply: “David Bowie at Nottingham Rock City, because it was David Bowie in Nottingham Rock City! It was in 1995.”

You can read the whole thing over at TourDates.Co.Uk.

Finally, in an item about taxation not being cool anymore over at www.metro.us, Elliott Kalan had this to say: “President Obama was caught failing to live up to the most important promise of his campaign, that he would always be the coolest guy in America.”

A paragraph later he recognised who that title really belongs to: “Of course, we shouldn?t be too hard on him. Nobody?s perfectly cool all the time except for maybe David Bowie, and he?s technically not a human being.”

Not sure about the caveat at the end there. But, in fairness to Elliott Kalan, Thomas Jerome Newton was a pretty feckin’ cool non human being.

*Sorry Duffy, but DB has had to put up with ever-ch ch ch ch changing chameleon for years, so it’s time you kids got used to a few cliched labels of your own!

Hot tramp, I love you so!

Though the press adverts proclaimed that it was a Valentine’s Day release, Rebel Rebel was actually released thirty five years ago today on the 15th of February, as the 14th fell on a Thursday but singles were issued on a Friday in the UK in 1974.

The release, which had already been put back two weeks, (original printed release date on demo label is Feb 1st) was a slightly edited version of the song from the forthcoming Diamond Dogs album and it was backed with Queen Bitch from Hunky Dory.

An exclusive remixed version which was almost a minute and a half shorter than the regular single mix was released in North America and Mexico in May 1974 backed with Lady Grinning Soul.

This second version was far more urgent than the original, with a backward echo effect on the new la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la backing vocals, castanets and more general excitement all round…more akin to the live version that would be performed shortly on the US Diamond Dogs tour.

At the time, this US version was relatively elusive in the UK and though it’s widely available on various CDs now, it was quite a trophy back then.

Rebel Rebel became David Bowie’s sixth Top Five single in the UK, but similar success in the USA would elude him until the following year.

Stay tuned for a great Rebel Rebel contest shortly.

I will sit right down, waiting for the gift of Sound & Vision…

You can glean all the info you’re going to need regarding this event by visiting the Sound & Vision site.

But, to recap, for those of you too busy to check it out, here are some brief details…

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Cancer Research UK Presents – Sound & Vision – Thursday 26th February – Abbey Road Studios – 6:30pm – Hosted by Dermot O’Leary and Whispering Bob Harris.

On February 26th the music industry will come together to help beat cancer at Sound & Vision 2009. Now in its forth year, Sound & Vision is Cancer Research UK?s ever more successful heritage music event.

Leading figures from across the media, creative industries and the City will come to the magical surroundings of Abbey Road Studios to celebrate music, the people who make it and the imagery it inspires.

Featuring live music from acclaimed musicians, including Paul Weller, Paolo Nutini, Lemar and Dianna Jones, and with access to a one off exhibition of stunning music imagery a live auction of music memorabilia and huge media interest, Sound & Vision promises to be a night to remember.

Our Patron for Sound & Vision 2009 is Bob Harris, our Founding Patron is Sir George Martin.

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While I’m not sure if it’s in the actual auction, a shot of David Bowie on stage in Philadelphia during The 1978 World Tour is definitely on display at the event. It’s a large format print signed by the photographer, Alan Messer.

It’s almost as if this particular shot was chosen to upset one of the musical guests. Just look at that leg elevation Mr Paul Weller! };-) (02.09.2009 NEWS: WELLER REVISITS BOWIE 1972 FOR LATEST TOUR ADVERT)

Check out the Watch & Listen section on the Sound & Vision site, wherein you can view a short film about the event with a soundtrack you will be familiar with.

I’ll leave you with Alan Messer’s anecdote regarding his Bowie shot in case you can’ find it on the site.

Remember, that everybody had to wait in line… (But it was well worth the wait!)

The official FRIARS Aylesbury compendium that we told you about last May, (05.07.2008 NEWS: OFFICIAL FRIARS AYLESBURY COMPENDIUM IS LIVE) has now been updated and has some more very interesting new Bowie content.

Bowie’s date at Dunstable Civic Hall on Wednesday June 21st 1972 has now been added on account of it also being a Friars promotion.

Let’s dance, For fear your grace should fall…

White label Let’s Dance 12″ bootleg remixes are ubiquitous on eBay, but at least they generally purport to be nothing other than just that.

Unlike the item above that I’ve had a fair few e-mails about and which claims to be some sort of private pressing by David Bowie…it’s not. Here’s the seller’s description…

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DAVID BOWIE ~ LETS DANCE (IMPERIAL MIX) SAMPLER PRESS

On offer is this ‘Sampler Press’ 12 inch of David Bowies Lets Dance single.

Lets Dance Imperial Remix (For Iman) + To All Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year (From David & Iman)

Condition is EX. Comes with a plain white sleeve. Matrix etch – PP 001
I dont know much about this im afraid. It was in a collection of other records that I purchased.

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I’m presuming it was a whole box that the seller acquired in the “collection of other records” as they’ve sold a few copies so far.

Either way, it’s not legit and certainly was nothing to do with either David or Iman.

So, if you were thinking of splashing out on one of these for your love on Valentine’s Day, don’t waste your cash. A box of Milk Tray always does the trick…works on me.

As for the seller, if you know this person perhaps you could recommend a copy of Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

And I see a child laid slain on the ground…

The current issue of NME (14th February) has a 7 out of 10 review of the War Child “Heroes” album. As you’ve no doubt gathered from the above headline, TVOTR‘s performance of David Bowie’s “Heroes” has been singled out for praise and for those of you that can’t read the small print the relevant bit goes thus….

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But it’s Lily Allen and TV On The Radio who come top of the class…Sitek and co have the thankless task of covering “Heroes” itself, but with spacey beats and almost balladeering vocals they recapture the spirit of the original without sounding anything like it.

Like all covers albums, the temptation to dig out the originals is not far away, but there’s enough electricity pulsing around these versions to not only justify a charitable contribution but also make it a worthy addition to your record collection.

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As we’ve mentioned previously, the album will be released in the UK by Parlophone and internationally by EMI on February 16th. While the U.S. version will be released on February 24th by Astralwerks. The Canadian version is will be released by Quebecor Records on March 3rd.

You can hear the whole album for one week only on the “Heroes” myspace page.

Watch that man…

Ahead of the movie’s release next month, a book of portraits from Watchmen by Clay Enos is available now through Titan Books. Here’s some blurb…

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As the official photographer on the set of “Watchmen”, Clay Enos was there at every stage of production as director Zack Snyder filmed the adaptation of the legendary graphic novel. As well as his day-to-day duties making sure there was a visual record of the production, Enos also made time to work on a very special project: a collection of black-and-white portraits of every character in the film, and every crew member in the production.

From the lead heroes, including Rorschach, the Comedian, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl and all the other Watchmen, to supporting characters and even extras in the crowd, plus the crew who put the film together, his lens captured them all. With its wealth of exclusive photographs, this stunning book is a unique look into the world of the film.

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One of the photographic portraits in the book is of the two gentlemen above. Though the images are all photographic, I must say they all look incredibly like they were actually drawn in pencil, such is the skill of Clay Enos.

The image of two unnamed “background players” as Bowie and Jagger raises the question: where in the film do they appear? They certainly weren’t in the original comic strip.

Anyway, good to see the attention to detail in the clothing, but am I the only person who thinks the Bowie character looks more like a young Lou Reed than he does David Bowie?

This isn’t the only Bowie reference in Watchmen that isn’t in the original comic. Here’s a bit from an article over at io9.com, entitled: What Is David Bowie Doing In Dr. Manhattan’s Sweet Pad?

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And on top of that is a reference to The Man Who Fell To Earth: the book in the front is Masterpieces in Paint and Poetry directly copied from a book that Thomas Newton produced, but instead McDowell (Alex McDowell, production designer) explained that they stamped it Veidt Enterprises.

The table tennis room in Dr. Manhattan’s apartment was also inspired by The Man Who Fell To Earth, with the outside indoor wallpapering.

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You will remember that Masterpieces in Paint and Poetry was originally stamped with the logo of Newton‘s company logo: World Enterprises. And indeed, the table tennis room in TMWFTE is decorated with wallpaper depicting a forest scene.

Weller, if my love is your love, We’re certain to succeed…

We’ve been running with this one since May last year, (05.14.2008 NEWS: WELLER IS BORN AGAIN BOWIE FREAK & 05.22.2008 NEWS: BOWIE ASKS WELLER FOR HIS HAIRCUT BACK VIA E-MAIL & 06.05.2008 NEWS: WELLER WEARS BOWIE BUTTON FOR TV RECORDING & 08.17.2008 NEWS: WELLER WANTS TO WORK WITH BOWIE & 09.09.2008 NEWS: NOW WELLER POSES AS ALADDIN SANE) and this may be considered the most tenuous of the lot so far. However, why let that get in the way of a good story.

Above left is a 2009 shot of Paul Weller taken from his current Forest Tour advert. And on the right is a Brian Ward photograph of David Bowie from 1972…the same session that was used for the RCA version of The Man Who Sold The World.

I think you’ll agree there are distinct similarities. Weller’s hair seems to be really very Ziggy in this shot and the pose is certainly evocative of many Bowie shots.

Though, it has to be said that Weller’s angle of leg elevation isn’t so impressive…still, he is fifty now and DB was half that in 1972.

Where the books were found by the Golden Ones…

One of the more welcome band reformations of recent years, to these ears at least, has to be the quite brilliant Magazine.

Originally at the epicentre of the UK punk rock explosion, Howard Devoto became the singer of The Buzzcocks, but left the band early in 1977 after releasing just one record with them: the Spiral Scratch EP.

Disillusioned with the limitations of punk rock and inspired by David Bowie’s recently-released Low and Iggy Pop‘s The Idiot, he formed Magazine.

Though perhaps closer to a hybrid of early Roxy Music and the Sex Pistols than Bowie and Iggy’s ‘Berlin’ sound, Magazine were a breath of fresh air when they released their debut album Real Life in 1978, in much the same way that Ultravox were around the same time, pre-Midge.

Four albums later they split sometime in the early 1980s and their current UK tour is the first time the band have played together in over 25 years.

Devoto has been doing interviews ahead of the sold out shows including one with Ian Shuttleworth of The Financial Times. Here’s the bit that may interest you folks…

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One of Devoto?s achievements, I suggest to him, was combining literacy with harder-edged music. Until Magazine came along, ?serious? music fans largely had to content themselves with various bedsit singer-songwriters, and it was pioneering to put that kind of literary awareness in harness with music that rocked.

Devoto disagrees: ?David Bowie rocked! And he did chuck a bit of intellectual baggage around, don?t you think?? Yes, I argue, but he never turned Dostoevsky into a song or had an extract from Proust read over the intro to a song.

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Well, that last point may be true, but Dostoevsky‘s The Idiot was the inspiration for the title of the aforementioned Iggy Pop album and only a fool could fail to recognise the point that Devoto makes about Bowie.

His music has been littered with literary references from Khalil Gibran (in the lyric to the very rocking The Width Of A Circle) via Orwell and Burroughs right up to the works pictured on the inner sleeve of the Heathen album…and many, many points in-between, too many to list here. Anyway, nice to have you back Howard.

Check out Magazine’s official site for tour news and read the full Financial Times interview here.