Month: December 2013

“Is it nice in your snowstorm? Three’s in your brain…”

Here’s a bit of seasonal fun to wave off 2013 with.

When Bowie fan numerologists (yes, there are many of them) saw that the release date for David Bowie’s The Next Day was the third month of 2013, they knew the signs looked promising.

As we’ve mentioned previously, years with a three in them have been good for David Bowie releases in the UK.

He has had #1 albums (vinyl versions of which play at 33 1/3) in every year with a three in it since he started releasing long players, except for 2003 when Reality reached…you guessed it, #3.

Here’s the breakdown from his first #1 album in 1973 to his most recent in 2013…

1973 – Aladdin Sane #1 and Pin Ups #1

1983 – Let’s Dance #1

1993 – Black Tie White Noise #1

2003 – Reality #3

2013 – The Next Day #1

It follows that singles released in those years might fare well too and certainly his most successful years for UK single sales were 1973 and 1983, scoring three top fives in each year.

In 1973, Bowie had three top five singles that all reached #3. They were: Drive-In Saturday (his third UK top five hit and the third track on Aladdin Sane), Life On Mars? and Sorrow.

In the third month of 1983 he had his third solo UK #1 with Let’s Dance, which was the third track from the album of the same name. Let’s Dance was the first of three top five singles that year, China Girl and Modern Love both reached #2.

And if you’re wondering if anything of note happened in the previous years with threes in that Bowie lived through…

in 1953 Robert A. Heinlein published his science fiction novel, Starman Jones, about a boy who wants to go to the stars. Eleven years later in 1964 the young David Jones himself released his first single, Liza Jane. Coincidentally, Heinlein published a book the previous year (1952) titled The Rolling Stones. Eleven years later The Rolling Stones released their first single, Come On.

The teenage David Jones first ever studio recording session was 1963.

For the record, Bowie was born in 1947. 1 + 9 + 4 + 7 = 21 and  2 + 1 = 3.

2013 is his 66th year. 6 + 6 = 12 and 1 + 2 = 3.

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

To celebrate that first #1 album in 1973, we’re going to be running a contest to win a very special collectable marking the last date of the Aladdin Sane UK tour, which took place on July 3rd, 1973.

We’ll be setting three questions over three days starting on January 3rd.

“Elvis is English”

Listeners to the 6 Music special, This Is Radio Clash, were pleasantly surprised to hear a previously unbroadcast message from Elvis Presley imitating David Bowie today.

The message was sandwiched between Wink Martindale’s Deck Of Cards and Anthony Boy by Chuck Berry.

The show kicked off with David Bowie’s own The Laughing Gnome, which set the tone for vari-speed messages peppered throughout the show from Clash Manager, Bernard “Bernie” Rhodes.

The programme concluded with the seasonal favourite, Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy by David Bowie and Bing Crsoby.

if you missed This Is Radio Clash you can check it out shortly via the BBC iPlayer here.

Meanwhile, check out the Bowie/Presley message in full here.

David Bowie is pictured here with Paul Simonon of The Clash backstage at New York’s Shea Stadium when the band opened for The Who on October 12th 1982.

UPDATE: For those of you that can’t access the audio, here’s the text of the message to be read in a rather convincing Elvis voice:

Hello everybody, this is David Bowie making a telephone call from the US of A. At this time of the year I can’t help but remember my British-ness and all the jolly British folk, so here’s to you and have yourselves a Merry little Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you very much.

To complete the effect, one should perform the impersonation of Bowie’s take on Elvis over Johann Strauss Sr’s Radetzky March, Op. 228 on an Apple Mac so that the distinctive Mac volume control sound is audible on fade out.

Wishing you a Happy Holiday and a Jolly New Year – David Bowie 2013

“You look like a Rolling Stone”

Can’t elaborate any further than the headline really, suffice to say, this handsome Bowie special is available physically and digitally now.

Scroll to view the content page, albeit in French.

“A big surprise, right between the eyes”

The January 3, 2014, issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine has a great appreciation of David Bowie and The Next Day written by Nine Inch Nails frontman, Trent Reznor.

The unheralded arrival of the album clearly left an impression on Trent, as evidenced in this edited version of the closing paragraphs of the piece.

“I’m still unravelling the riddle that he presented. I’m still getting new meanings out of the lyrics. What I thought was conservative production now feels forward-thinking. Like any great album, it’s revealed itself to be something that wasn’t what I initially thought. The marketing, too, felt like a breath of fresh air.

Bowie is the most important figure to have inspired me. To a kid growing up in rural Pennsylvania, out of reach of college radio and on the wrong side of the Internet — in isolation — to see this alien creep in, this larger-than-life character who was smart … he’s been a consistent reference point as somebody who is uncompromising. He has found an audience yet challenges that audience and continues moving forward in a fearless way. ”

You can read the full thing here,

And what’s more, the article is accompanied by an uncropped version of the classy Jimmy King shot on this page.

The physical version of The Hollywood Reporter magazine will be available in a couple of weeks.

“One magical moment”

NME has launched a poll that you may wish to take part in. ’David Bowie’s Surprise Return On His 66th Birthday’ is one of the 20 moments vying for your vote.

Currently at #3 with 6.27% of the vote, it seems the Bowie moment definitely impressed NME. Pictured here are the three NME Bowie covers published this year.

Cast your vote here.

12″ – Side A

1 – Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA)    

 

12″ – Side B

1 – I’d Rather Be High (Venetian Mix)    

2 – Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA – Edit)

“The Thames was black, the tower dark”

Director Tom Hingston has spoken to Creative Review regarding the thought processes behind the making of David Bowie’s I’d Rather Be High video.

Here’s a Hingston quotation from the piece.

“We wanted it to feel like a found relic, discovered, as if from another time. In early conversations, Mr Bowie and I discussed exploring archival footage that brought to life another side of war – footage that featured soldiers celebrating; young servicemen and women, in moments of jubilation and euphoria – drinking, dancing and partying…these moments of total euphoria, juxtaposed with extreme violence, serve as a powerful reminder of the futility of war.”

Read the full piece here. 

“He’ll build a glass asylum”

Fans of David Bowie’s 80s work will know well the name of Erdal Kizilcay. The multi-instrumentalist worked on various Bowie projects such as Let’s Dance, Never Let Me Down, Absolute Beginners and Labyrinth during the decade and into the 90s for the Buddha of Suburbia and Outside albums.

Erdal was also a member of the Bowie band on The Glass Spider World Tour of 1987 and the Sound + Vision World Tour in 1990.

Next Tuesday (December 17th), 26 years on from the end of The Glass Spider World Tour, The Glass Spider Band, featuring original tour members Erdal Kizilcay and Richard Cottle, will perform a set of songs from The Glass Spider show at the Under The Bridge venue in London.

Here’s a brief outline of the event from the blurb…

An exclusive evening in celebration of Bowie’s legendary 1987 world tour featuring a Q&A with original tour member Erdal Kizilcay, a screening of the fairytale film Labyrinth and live performances of Bowie’s greatest hits.

See you next Tuesday for what looks to be a fun evening of great music and unabashed rejoicing of an era rarely celebrated.

View the full schedule and purchase tickets here. 

“Who will love Aladdin Sane?”

The Brian Duffy Archive has offered David Bowie.com members a generous discount on the beautiful prints pictured here for the month of December. (Scroll to see more images)

Carry on reading for more details or go straight to the offer page now to enjoy your 30% discount for two prints and 20% for one. 

DAVIDBOWIE.COM ALADDIN SANE SPECIAL XMAS 2013 OFFER

 

The 2013 V&A ‘David Bowie is’ exhibition was an outstanding success and is now on worldwide tour. For those unable to get to the exhibition the Duffy Archive is offering these key iconic images to David Bowie.com members at a special discounted price.

The prints are archival pigment ink (19X19cm) mounted (32x32cm) and embossed with the Duffy Archive estate stamp and the duo make a stunning presentation when featured together.

The prints are from the artists archive and scanned from the original dye transfer print and an original transparency as seen in the exhibition.

 

RRP £125.00 – Special offer price £99.00 inc VAT, UK P&P

Extra special price for double set – £175.00 inc VAT, UK P&P

For international shipping rates please contact us before purchase.

 

Offer expires 31.12.2013