Month: June 2010

Boy, could he play guitar…

Gibson.com has published a list of seven Bowie sidemen with the title: Heroes: A History of David Bowie?s Amazing Guitarists.

Here’s a bit from the introduction…

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Among his many gifts, David Bowie?s knack for recruiting spectacularly talented guitarists ranks near the top. From Mick Ronson to Robert Fripp to Stevie Ray Vaughan and beyond, Bowie?s six-string sidemen have done some of their best playing while recording and performing on the glam-rock pioneer?s albums. Not surprisingly, Les Pauls have figured prominently in the bulk of those recordings.

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You can view the full list here on the Gibson site, I won’t spoil it completely for you now, but you’ve probably already guessed that the two gentlemen above made the grade.

On the left above is a full-page advert for Framus guitars featuring Earl Slick from the July 2010 issue of Guitarist magazine. The advert bears the catchline: Earl and the Thin White Duke made history from “Station To Station” to “Reality”. Now Slick is backing another Rock ‘n’ Roll legend: Framus.

As you can see from the stunning cover on the right above, the same magazine also has a large Ronno feature described thus: 40 years on from Ronson and Bowie’s historic collaboration, Charles Shaar Murray celebrates this underrated guitar hero PLUS 10 Great Glam Guitarists.

Murray writes affectionately and it’s clear that he’s as big a fan of the Ronson sound as you or I. The article is illustrated with several pictures of Ziggy, Ronno and the other Spiders in full flight.

Thanx to guitar-mental Zardoz for the pointer to Guitarist magazine, which he did actually tell me about last week. Zardoz has a new angle on playing the guitar with his teeth, he takes out his full set of dentures and picks the strings with his sparkling gnashers that way…probably.

One Bowie guitarist that didn’t make it into the Gibson list, even though he deserves to be there in my humble, is one Gerry Leonard who nearly made me choke on my Cornflakes when he popped up on morning TV in some live footage from Suzanne Vega‘s current UK tour. Suzanne has regularly employed Gerry over the years and the current show is a stripped-down affair that features just Vega, Leonard and bassist Michael Visceglia. You can view an audience member’s mobile footage from the Isle of Wight on the official Suzanne Vega site.

Finally, Crowded House gave fellow antipodean, New Zealander Connan Hosford, (of Connan Mockasin) the impossible task of recreating Ronno’s Moonage Daydream solo at a Manchester Apollo show at the end of last month. He was helped along by Johnny Marr, though Connan created the more convincing Ronno sound…albeit a little lost in the mix in a film of the performance on the band’s website.

Crowded House have been playing Moonage Daydream sporadically throughout their tour, including at two out of their three recent Hammersmith Apollo shows in London, and Neil Finn has hinted that the band may yet record a studio version of the 1972 classic.

War made him a soldier…

Another Bowie film finally reaches the Blu-ray format in September, via the safe hands of The Criterion Collection.

Nagisa Oshima‘s harrowing Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is due on September 28th on both DVD and Blu-ray with the following features…

Disc Features

~ New, restored high-definition master (with DTS-HD Master Audio on the Blu-ray edition)
~ The Oshima Gang, an original making-of featurette
~ New video interviews with producer Jeremy Thomas, screenwriter Paul Mayersberg, actor Tom Conti, and actor-composer Ryuichi Sakamoto
~ Hasten Slowly, an hour-long documentary about author and adventurer Laurens van der Post, whose autobiographical novel is the basis for the film
~ Original theatrical trailer
~ PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film writer Chuck Stephens and a 1983 interview with director Nagisa Oshima by Japanese film writer Tadao Sato

For those of you that have never seen the film for one reason or another since its 1983 release, here’s a brief synopsis from the Criterion site…

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In this captivating, exhilaratingly skewed World War II drama from Nagisa Oshima, David Bowie regally embodies the character Celliers, a high-ranking British officer interned by the Japanese as a POW. Music star Ryuichi Sakamoto (who also composed this film?s hypnotic score) plays the camp commander, who becomes obsessed with the mysterious blond major, while Tom Conti is British lieutenant colonel Mr. Lawrence, who tries to bridge the emotional and language divides between his captors and fellow prisoners. Also featuring actor-director Takeshi Kitano in his first dramatic role, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is a multilayered, brutal, at times erotic tale of culture clash that was one of Oshima?s greatest successes.

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I’m presuming that the Blu-ray is Region A, as with Criterion’s TMWFTE Blu-ray, which you should bear in mind if pre-ordering from The Criterion Collection.

Looks like you’ve been there too…

In our recent poll regarding the record label you’d most like to see on your chest or on your wall, you may remember that Rebel Rebel was the clear winner. (04.11.2010 NEWS: BOWIE 45 POLL RESULTS AND SIGNED REBEL REBEL WINNER)

We had previously reported on Morgan Howell‘s artworks over on supersizeart.com, (02.22.2010 NEWS: GREAT BIG BOWIE 45 PLUS WIN SIGNED REBEL REBEL CARD & 03.02.2010 NEWS: GREAT BIG BOWIE 45 NOW IN CORRECT RCA BAG) and when Morgan saw the results of our poll he produced the painting above especially for BowieNet members.

It’s based on the American single version of Rebel Rebel. I’ve seen the 27″ square beauty in the flesh and it’s pretty impressive. That’s the painted label above and the original ultra-rare “Remixed in New York” 7″ 45 label below…of which only one copy is known to exist at the moment. Go on, prove me wrong! 😉

Normally the prints that Morgan sells of each original artwork retail at £375, but he is offering this one to BowieNetters for £325. Here’s the spec…

Limited Edition Supersize Print of Painted Single
~ Printed canvas sleeve, fixed inner disc with printed label
~ Complete with chrome wall mount fitting
~ Strictly limited to just 30 numbered copies
~ Signed and numbered by Morgan Howell
~ Size: 68cm (27″) square

Follow this link to the BowieNet discount page

I am the blood in the corner of your eye…

If you’re thinking of attending Michael Clark‘s penultimate show at The Barbican on Friday evening (June 11), you may want to relive 1976 by nipping along to Cinema 1 in the interval for Buñuel and Dali‘s surrealist masterpiece, Un Chien Andalou…not sure of the timing will work though, so best to check that out first.

It’s showing with L’Age d’Or, as it often does, and I personally haven’t seen it on the big screen since Monday May 3rd, 1976, at Wembley Empire Pool, when it was used as the introduction to David Bowie’s 1976 World Tour shows.

The most famous image from the film was even utilised for the front of the August 1976 David Bowie Fan Club newsletter and I’m sure I don’t need to go in to detail of what’s about to happen.

Un Chien Andalou + L’âge d’or (15)
20:45 / An evening of collaborations between Buñuel and Dali.
Friday 11 June 2010 at 20:45
Cinema One

“Got me a movie, I want you to know, slicing up eyeballs…”

Fill your heart with love today…

BowieNetter DumDumBoy has kindly sent in his impressions of two Bowie-related events recommended on these pages. Over to DumDumBoy himself…

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COMPARISONS ARE POINTLESS – Taylor Mac at The Soho Theatre, Thursday June 3rd.

Even the start time of 9.30pm means that anticipation is heightened that little bit more. The Soho Theatre is a tin of packed sardines. Taylor’s entrance is wonderfully understated – a simple stroll from off-stage as we all slide slightly to the right to accommodate the last few ticket holders.

The look is a little Noh Theatre, a soupçon of Aladdin and a lot high camp – Ziggy’s outfits look like business suits by comparison (whoops, there I go making a comparison) The auburn Ethel Merman wig is worn back on the forehead in that nonchalant manner of a man confident in drag.

Like the NYC show the set list is essentially Ziggy in track order. And it’s an absolute blast! Taylor’s in-between-song banter is both funny and moving (including a couple of lovely email trails he recounts)

You want highlights? Well the Starman/Tiptoe Through The Tulips segway makes frightening sense! And Taylor tickling the ivories himself to perform Stephin Merritt’s ‘Asleep and Dreaming’ (ok not DB but, hell, everyone should own this track)

But the finale of Taylor with ukulele performing “Heroes” tops it all! Complete with frail audience backing vocal responses during the ‘By the Wall’ section.

Like the Michael Clark show – hearing Bowie this intimate, this dramatic only reminds one once again why he is simply the finest rock star alive.

DumDumBoy

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For those of you wondering about DumDumBoy’s COMPARISONS ARE POINTLESS headline, the show was entitled Comparison Is Violence as we mentioned in our original piece. (05.31.2010 NEWS: TAYLOR MAC’S ZIGGY/TINY TIM SHOW HITS LONDON)

I think the point that Taylor Mac was making was that comparisons are very often made in a negative way, if not as a complete put down, and he used some great examples of his theory on the night I attended.

It was a hugely uplifting show and DDB is right, as unlikely as it sounds, “Heroes” with ukulele accompaniment was quite emotional, as was Fill Your Heart. It’s the kind of show that leaves you wanting to be nice to everybody and that’s even without any chemical assistance.

Back to you, DDB…

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Michael Clark at The Barbican Monday June 7th.

Saw the show last year and (on my toes of course) headed to the Barbican for this ‘revamp’. Essentially it’s last year’s line-up. The programme titles have altered slightly – not sure why!

Still opens with the fine white noise of Wire and Bruce Gilbert. Still moves onto the VU section (complete with syringe costume)

BUT…and it’s a big but. The BOWIE section now begins with SWEET THING/CANDIDATE/SWEET THING (reprise)! For me still The Sailor’s finest moment (oh that deep baritone-like delivery…and I’d argue JUST as strong on David Live)A really nice piece (including a long metal bar that – almost – alludes to the US set design) Ending with a dramatic “Jump in the river holding hands” moment with two dancers (hand in hand) literally walking off the front of the stage and disappearing from view into the orchestra pit!

The remainder of the show is the same Bowie stuff (complete with ‘Heroes’ video completely overpowering the dancers, although I do love the shrunken leather jackets they wear as a nod to Bowie’s apparel)

Michael does wear a banana costume this time round – don’t remember that from last year!

Rather like the Taylor Mac show – Come Been and Gone’s greatest charm is allowing oneself to be immersed in Bowie’s ouvre at volume. It’s an easy statement to make but, by heck, his music STILL has the power to surprise and move one.

Dum Dum Boy

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Thanx for those DDB, much appreciated…and I’m completely in agreement with your observations too. Hope Taylor Mac doesn’t leave it too long before he returns to these shores.

Well, he’s come, been and gone… (Almost)

We told you about the new run of UK dates for Michael Clark‘s come, been and gone in March and April (03.24.2010 NEWS: TICKETS FOR NEW RUN OF COME, BEEN AND GONE ON SALE NOW & 04.09.2010 NEWS: NEW MICHAEL CLARK DATES FOR UK, AUSTRALIA AND LUXEMBOURG) and if you want to see it (and you really should) you need to try and grab the few remaining tickets now.

Currently in the middle of it’s Barbican re-run, June 3rd to 12th, the final UK performance of come, been and gone is in Brighton on June 15th. There’s then a break following the Brighton date until October shows in Melbourne and November dates in Luxembourg. Go here for more details and booking information.

I had hoped to attend the June 3rd London date but got stuck at Abbey Road listening to the upcoming Deluxe Edition of Station To Station…though I have to admit, it wasn’t a chore! Anyway, more of that shortly.

I will be going back to the Barbican before the end of the London run, but if anybody has seen any recent dates, please send in your review and we’ll publish it here…Are they still using the “Heroes” video?

Meanwhile, check out a short snippet from The Jean Genie on this page and whet your appetite further with this five star review from The Financial Times.

Icon see the clothes you wear…

As we mentioned on Sunday, Iman was at the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York last night to receive the Fashion Icon Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

As you can see from the shot above, her husband of eighteen years accompanied her to the ceremony and they both looked quite stunning, with her in a custom-made, black strapless Giambattista Valli and him in CoSTUME NATIONAL.

The award was presented to Iman by actress Isabella Rossellini and it seems Iman has taken to her new role of icon like a swan to water…Here’s a bit from neoows.com…

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And Iman, there to receive the CFDA?s Fashion Icon award, decided it simply wasn?t her job to be in charge of the trail of black feathers at the bottom of her Giambattista Valli gown. ?I am the icon,? she said. ?They can walk around.?

Iman?s efforts to embody her icon status were among the most delightful moments of the evening. In her speech, she thanked her mom and dad for giving her ?a neck longer than any other girl on any go-see anywhere in the world,? and thanked everyone present ?for the right to finally say to my husband, ?You?re not the only icon in the house.?? Afterward, she told us that David Bowie has started calling her ?icon? and exits every room she?s in backwards, bowing and repeating, ?Icon, Icon, Icon.?

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See WireImage.com for more of Kevin Mazur‘s pictures from last night.

“I know what kind of welcome you’re gonna give to…Jeff Beck!”

David Bowie e-mailed me in the early hours with a brief report from Jeff Beck‘s gig at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York to commemorate what would have been Les Paul‘s 95th Birthday. Here’s what he had to say…

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Just got back from seeing Jeff Beck at the Iridium Club in New York (tribute night to Les Paul) with Imelda May doing all the Mary Ford vocals on songs such as How High The Moon…classic stuff. They also did a blinding version of The Shangri-Las’ Remember (Walkin’ In The Sand) as a bonus.

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Thanks for that David. Sounds like you had a complete blast, as you rock ‘n roll types occasionally say.

That’s Jeff Beck with David last night for those of you not familiar with the Beck visage…I’ll leave you with a shot of Brian Setzer and David from the same event.

Brian must be wondering how Bowie now looks younger than him…perhaps the ex-Stray Cat should have bothered chasing mice around after all. Sorry, couldn’t resist…still got very cool hair though.

Check out Getty Images and Wire Image for more of Larry Busacca‘s great shots.

It happens today…

As we told you back in March, (03.26.2010 NEWS: EMI TO ISSUE SEVEN MORE DAVID BOWIE DIGITAL EPs IN JUNE) EMI continues its series of David Bowie digital re-issues today with the seven EPs above.

Though they are all officially released today (June 7th) they have actually been available since Friday even though you may have had trouble tracking them all down on iTunes.

If you list by release date in iTunes, only the first five EPS above will show as Black Tie White Noise and Real Cool World have been listed with their original physical release dates, not today’s date.

Once you have found them, they do all download OK though I’ve not yet listened for glitches or the like.

I’ll leave you with the tracklisting for all seven digital downloads in case you missed the original item…

David Bowie vs 808 State – Sound And Vision Remix EP
1. Sound And Vision (808 Gift Mix) (3.58)
2. Sound And Vision (808 ‘lectric Blue Remix Instrumental) (4.08)
3. Sound And Vision (David Richards 1991 Remix) (4.40)
4. Sound And Vision (3.03)

Real Cool World
1. Real Cool World (Album Edit) (4:16)
2. Real Cool World (Radio Remix) (4:24)
3. Real Cool World (Cool Dub Thing 1) (7:29)
4. Real Cool World (12″ Club Mix) (5:30)
5. Real Cool World (Cool Dub Overture) (9:12)
6. Real Cool World (Cool Dub Thing 2) (6:56)

Pallas Athena
1. Pallas Athena (Album Version) (4:40)
2. Pallas Athena (Don’t Stop Praying Remix ) (5:38)
3. Pallas Athena (Don’t Stop Praying Remix No. 2) (7.24)
4. Pallas Athena (Gone Midnight mix) (4.20)

Nite Flights
1. Nite Flights (Album Version) (4:37)
2. Nite Flights (Moodswings Back To Basics Remix) (10.01)
3. Nite Flights (Back To Basics Remix – Radio Edit) (4:37)

Jump They Say
1. Jump They Say (Radio Edit) (3:53)
2. Jump They Say (JAE-E Edit) (3:58)
3. Jump They Say (Club Hart Remix) (5:05)
4. Jump They Say (Leftfield Remix) (7:41)
5. Jump They Say (Brothers In Rhythm 12″ Remix) (8:26)

Black Tie White Noise
1. Black Tie White Noise (Radio Edit) (4:10)
2. Black Tie White Noise (Extended Remix) (8:12)
3. Black Tie White Noise (Urban Mix) (4:03)

Miracle Goodnight
1. Miracle Goodnight (Album Version) (4:13)
2. Miracle Goodnight (12″ 2 Chord Philly Mix) (6.22)
3. Miracle Goodnight (Maserati Blunted Dub) (7.40)
4. Miracle Goodnight (Make Believe Mix) (4.30)

Just watch me now…

The Rise Of Ziggy Stardust, (the official 2011 David Bowie calendar) will feature rare and unpublished shots from 1971 and 1972 as Bowie metamorphosed into Ziggy Stardust via the Hunky Dory album cover shoot…not to mention his brief Ancient Egyptian look which lasted for approximately one photo session.

Collectively referred to as The London Sessions, the period also includes the Ziggy Stardust album cover shoot (two photos are included here that weren’t used in the 2009 Heddon Street outtakes calendar) and the remaining Brian Ward Ziggy sessions that took place afterwards.

Though you may have seen some of the images before, you won’t have seen them in such high quality or with the colour balance as it should be, as in the Egyptian shot at top left in the above montage.

The cover of the calendar in the middle of the montage is only a mock-up, and though it will feature the same shot as illustrated, it will be a different design.

The Rise Of Ziggy Stardust will be published by Slow Dazzle and will feature fourteen of Brian Ward’s photographs in total…that’s half of them above.

We’ll give you more details as we get them.