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“But I I I and my heathen heart”
David Bowie’s Heathen album was released on this day in 2002. (June 11 US/June 10 UK)
The advertising campaign utilised the legend: CLASSIC DAVID BOWIE CIRCA 2002.
Remind yourself of just how accurate that statement is here.
“And me I’m on a radio show”
Author, radio presenter and non-stop go-go dancer, Kevin Cann, has been in touch with details of a four hour Bowie Special on Channel Radio today.
The broadcast marks Bowie’s fifty years as a recording artist and we asked Kevin what we can expect from the celebration.
“Realising that we had an important DB commemorative date fast approaching and as George Underwood was very much part of that historical release, I ran the idea of an interview about it all past him a couple of weeks ago. George still has very fond memories of The King Bees and his other early recording work and was happy to do it.
So I spent a pleasant evening with him last week, testing his memory to the full. We covered as much as we could from that time – from David joining The Konrads to the formation of The King Bees, auditioning for Les Conn, writing and recording the single (not an easy day for George as it transpires), TV and live shows and, in detail, the repertoire the Bees performed and material he and David listened to in those formative years.
Channel Radio is also blessed with two ex-Bowie band members as station presenters – Bob Solly and Phil Lancaster. They were more than happy to enter into the celebration and agreed to focus their Saturday shows on their memories of David and their respective bands. Phil does a one hour show, from 2.00pm on Saturday, and Bob from 3.00 till 5.00pm, and this is the first time either of them have agreed to do a focussed show on Davie Jones and The Manish Boys (Bob) and Davie Jones/David Bowie and The Lower Third (Phil). Bob’s also agreed to take calls during the second hour of the show, so if you fancy having a chat with Bob feel free to call the studio on (UK) 01303 874 998.”
Saturday 7th June – channelradio.co.uk celebrate David Bowie’s 50 years in Music – covering the 50th anniversary of the release of Liza Jane with three great shows:
1.00-2.00 pm George Underwood recalls his time as a King Bee…
2.00-3.00 pm Phil Lancaster remembers his mod days with David in The Lower Third…
3.00-5.00 pm Bob Solly (live) recalls the time when Davie Jones joined his group The Manish Boys. (Bob will be taking calls live in the studio from 4.00pm GMT)
Tune in anywhere at: www.channelradio.co.uk
“Und wir sind dann Helden, Für einen tag”
Here’s a bit from the official blurb to hopefully whet your appetite for this special Bowie Day in Berlin which takes place on June 15th…
On the occasion of the Bowie exhibition that runs from 20 May to 10 August 2014 in the Martin-Gropius-Bau, the Berliner Festspiele, in cooperation with ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius and Musicboard Berlin, are organising “One Day for … David Bowie” to explore the glamorous Bowie universe from a Berlin perspective. In an evening gala, ten Berlin bands will pay tribute to Bowie by playing cover versions of his songs, while the crew from Kaffee Burger’s “Ein Hit ist ein Hit” will stage a Bowie show in the afternoon run-up to this event.
The “Day for … David Bowie” begins around lunchtime with a diverse programme of events: after Bowie walking tours around Potsdamer Platz, the Haus der Berliner Festspiele will be enlivened with lectures, film screenings, a fashion show by participants in the school workshop “MGB Impuls²” from the Martin-Gropius-Bau and a video lounge; meanwhile, Rock’n’Roll Kitchen will be concocting Bowie’s favourite culinary dishes in the summer garden. Those who appear as Bowie lookalikes in front of the Haus der Berliner Festspiele can win free tickets to the day’s events. And anyone who uploads a cover version of his or her favourite Bowie song has a chance of being presented during the gala.
It should be noted that you only have a couple of days left if you want to upload your contribution to the Cover your favourite David Bowie song event.
Check out the dedicated Bowie page for a full schedule of the day, ticketing and links to the cover versions so far uploaded. You can also download a pdf of the flyer while you’re there.
“I believe in magic, Angel for life”
Today is the twenty second anniversary of David and Iman’s official church wedding at Saint James Episcopal Church, in Florence, Italy in 1992.
They had already married in a civil ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland on April 24, with just two witnesses present and no guests.
The wedding in Florence was an altogether different affair with an invited guest list of family and friends and hundreds of curious well-wishers outside the church.
For the bride’s entrance, the couple chose a beautiful Bulgarian folk song called Kalimankou Denkou (The Evening Gathering) by Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares (solo: Yanka Roupkina), a Bulgarian female choir.
Bowie composed the other music played during the service, some of which ended up on the Black Tie White Noise album.
Iman wore a white dress designed by Herve Leger for the ceremony and David a suit by Thierry Mugler. They are pictured here after the ceremony.
We’re sure you will want to join us in wishing the couple a very happy 22nd anniversary.
“Well, this little girl is so good to me”
They say it’s not polite to mention a lady’s age, but we’re sure you’ll forgive us in this particular instance.
Congratulations to David Bowie as he celebrates fifty years as a professional recording artist today. For it was on this day, Friday, June 5th 1964, that Vocalion Pop released a 45 with the catalogue number: V.9221.
That record was Bowie’s first ever release: Liza Jane/Louie, Louie Go Home, issued as Davie Jones with The King-Bees. But, despite a handful of positive reviews, the world was not yet ready to embrace the charms of either Davie Jones or Liza Jane.
The single ended up in the bargain bins in 1964, and Bowie’s first manager, Leslie Conn (controversially credited with writing Liza Jane) binned several hundred copies of the 45 to clear a bit of space in his garage!
These days the disc is one of the most sought after Bowie 45s by serious collectors. A couple of demo copies sold on eBay in March of this year for a bit over £2,150 GBP each (approx. $3,600USD).
On that very same day that Liza Jane was issued, an equally valuable creation emerged blinking into a scary, bright new world. One Andrew Barding (occasional contributor to these pages), has kindly written two pieces for us regarding the release of Liza Jane and his relationship with the record. So pull up a comfy chair, stick the track on repeat (http://smarturl.it/LizaJaneSpotify50th) and have a read.
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Liza Jane and the Fourth Estate by Andrew Barding
It might not have matched the global media frenzy that heralded The Next Day – but even for his first humble single release, David was already on top of the press game.
“Liza Jane” by Davie Jones and the King Bees was released fifty years ago today. And while it failed to bother the charts (even a little bit) our 17-year-old hero’s first dip into the world of recorded music caused a minor ripple in the press… if not a full-on splash.
Music weeklies NME, Record Mirror and Record Retailer each ran encouraging reviews of the disc, it was aired by DJs on Radio Luxembourg, and the band got to appear on TV shows such as Ready! Steady! Go! and The Beat Room. David appeared on Juke Box Jury too (the record was a ‘miss’).
David got his picture into local paper The Bromley Times as well, and there was a prestigious slot in the London Evening News for which the budding star has his press-savvy father to thank.
Leslie Thomas (later to achieve fame as the ‘Virgin Soldiers’ author) included a short article about David and group in his column, following an approach from proud but pragmatic dad, John Jones.
Leslie, who sadly passed away last month, recalled how Mr Jones had told him: “My son David is a pop singer. I think he sounds terrible but he must be some good because he’s made a record. Do you think you could give it a mention?”
He did.
So what did the critics of 1964 make of it?
Record Mirror praised the “pounding beat” of a very commercial side indeed. “It’s a good slice of R&B and could make the charts.”
NME were more impressed by the newie from London duo Don and Dewey in their singles round-up for June 5, complaining that both the “shouting-type R&B” of B-side Louie, Louie Go Home and the “forceful shaker” that is Liza Jane “lack melody… but compensate with a terrific beat.”
Anne Nightingale, later a BBC broadcaster but back then cutting her teeth as a journo for the Brighton Evening Argus, described David’s debut as “straight R&B with a strong Cockney inflection.”
And the Record Retailer and Music Industry News gave three stars to the “hard-hitting R&B-styled” recording by a new British group.” The same reviewer confidently predicted that the “excellent sound, surprisingly good for a home-grown group” could easily lead to heavy sales.
Of course, in spite of all this support from the Fourth Estate, those sales never came through. The record was a resounding commercial flop and within a couple of months David had moved onto the next stage of his career, fronting Maidstone outfit The Manish Boys.
Nonetheless, this first release represents a huge milestone for David. It’s also a very good record – even to today’s ears. Connoisseurs of the beat period continually cite it as a cracking example of what we have since come to recognise as the British freakbeat mini-movement.
David had become a member of the recorded artists club. Within five years (and after another five false starts) his diligence would be rewarded with a bona fide hit in ‘Space Oddity’. In another three, he would become a household name. Or, at least, Ziggy Stardust would.
So let’s raise a slice of cake to Lil’ Liza Jane today. As quinquagenary anniversaries go (and yes I DID have to google that) this is one of the very best.
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Liza and I by Andrew Barding
I was a relative latecomer to the Bowie party and my entry point won’t please David’s record company one bit. It was a live bootleg, the “Thin White Duke” double LP recorded live in 1976 (since officially released), that first pricked up my ears when I heard it in the late 1970s.
That unofficial record had been brought home by my brother-in-law. Listening in, I was quickly captivated by the vocal performance and the powerful sound of that band (yes, even THAT drum solo). It was a dazzling introduction to the music of David Bowie, and it set me off on a mission to seek out the back catalogue.
I was soon snapping up all the secondhand David Bowie albums I could find or afford, racing home on the bus from Exeter’s Catapilla Records to spin them on my father’s stereo. For the record, dad didn’t seem to mind Hunky Dory too much… but he hated Diamond Dogs!
These were great days. And as my interest in ‘all things Bowie’ grew, so I would pick up other bits and pieces of memorabilia as I came across them – magazines, books and so forth.
One such find, a nondescript and cheaply-thrown together paperback biography, had a BIG surprise waiting for me in its pages. This was the first I had heard of Davie Jones and the King Bees, and the first I had heard of Liza Jane. And then I saw that release date…
Oh man! This was amazing new information! Incredibly, I discovered, David Bowie’s very first single was released to the world at the same time as me. We were astral twins, David’s record career and me: both born on Friday June 5, 1964!
Reaction from mates was divided, as expected. Some were impressed. Most seemed baffled. I was chuffed to bits. Among fellow Bowie fans this information became my top trump card: “Oh, so Labyrinth was released on VHS in France on your birthday? Brilliant! What’s that? Bowie played Utrecht on your birthday in 1997, did he?
“Well, I have an anniversary too. Get this…”
Of course, I tried to hunt down an original copy of that rare, rare record and I have seen (and handled) a few original Vocalion pressings over the years. But circumstances and bank balances have sadly never aligned in my favour and I do not own one. At one record fair in Brighton, many years ago, I saw one lucky shopper dig a copy of the super-scarce sheet music out of a crate and gleefully hand over the £1 being asked for it. If only I’d looked a minute or too earlier, that bargain could have been mine…
So as Liza Jane (and I) turn 50, we remain separated from each other. But I’m OK with that. Really, I am.
A collector friend who was lucky enough to snap up a copy before prices soared skyward allows me to visit. It’s only a record, of course, realistically not that different from any of the others in his Bowie UK singles box. But I still derive a strange joy from handling it – something like the pleasure all collectors get out of their prized rarities, but rather more personalised in my case.
I particularly enjoy being able to look over the tiny marks, scratches and little scrapes that these seven inches of plastic have accrued over five decades. Then I think quietly to myself: “We might be exactly the same vintage, old bean… but I think I’m in slightly better nick.”
Andy Barding – Fifty Years Old today – June 5th 2014
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FOOTNOTE: Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed the poster bottom right which was designed by David and alludes to another King Bees gigging around the same time, by listing his own band as THE ORIGINAL KING BEES. Scroll the montage to see the original sheet music and a demo copy of the single.
“Although I wasn’t there, he said I was his friend”
We are very pleased to be able to exclusively announce two further Holy Holy performances of David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold The World album in September.
Tony Visconti, Woody Woodmansey, Glenn Gregory and Steve Norman will now perform the classic Bowie album with Holy Holy and very special guests at two additional dates, on what is shaping up to be a bit of a mini-tour.
The extra shows are at ABC Glasgow, on Saturday 20th September and Shepherd’s Bush Empire, on Monday 22nd September and priority pre-sales start at 9:00am on Wednesday morning (June 4th).
O2 ABC GLASGOW – SEPTEMBER 20
O2 priority pre sale (Wednesday 9am) http://smarturl.it/HolyHolyGlasgowPre
General sale (Friday 9am) www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/SDH2009
O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE – SEPTEMBER 22
O2 priority pre sale (Wednesday 9am) http://smarturl.it/HolyHolyBushPre
General sale (Friday 9am) www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/IEH2209
Tony Visconti is hoping for a more comfortable time for what will be his second visit to the Scottish city:
“As for Glasgow, I’ve only been there once before – in one room with David, Mick, Woody and Roger the Roadie, and we spent the cold winter’s night sleeping fully dressed with our coats and boots on. The three bar electric heater did f*** all! It will be nice to see the city under more pleasant circumstances”.
And Steve Norman had this to say:
“Being a childhood fan of Bowie and The Spiders From Mars, I know that Woody Woodmansey and Tony Visconti reuniting for the first time in over 40 years is something very special, but I never imagined it would become such a hot ticket. It seems only fitting that they perform together at such an iconic venue as the Shepherds Bush Empire.”
Tony Visconti on bass, and Woody Woodmansey on drums, will be joined by Woody’s stellar supergroup Holy Holy, for these shows including:
Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), vocals
Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet), sax, guitar, percussion and vocals
Erdal Kizilcay (David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Freddie Mercury), keyboards and vocals
James Stevenson (The Cult, Generation X, Scott Walker, Gene Loves Jezebel), guitar
Paul Cuddeford (Ian Hunter, Bob Geldof), guitar
Rod Melvin (Ian Dury, Brian Eno), piano
Malcolm Doherty, 12 string guitar and vocals
Hannah Berridge Ronson, backing vocals and keyboards
Lisa Ronson, backing vocals
Maggi Ronson, backing vocals
The following supports have also been added:
Sheffield – Morgan Visconti
Glasgow – Morgan Visconti
Shepherd’s Bush – Morgan Visconti + Philip Rambow
Morgan Visconti is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and singer as well as a recording engineer and arranger. He released his debut album, Ride, in May – ‘A mix of melodic acoustica and electro-pop with echoes of his early influences…’ – Societe Perrier. Morgan lives in Brooklyn where he has been playing shows and is currently working on releasing a second single from the album.
Philip Rambow (Mick Ronson and Brian Eno collaborator) will be in addition to Morgan at Shepherd’s Bush.
The September 17 London show at The Garage is now SOLD OUT! However, there are some tickets left for September 18 in Sheffield.
Holy Holy will release their debut single, ‘We Are King’, written by Steve Norman, backed by a cover of Holy Holy on 17 September.
See the original news story here, with more from Tony and Woody.
Twitter: @holyholybowie – Facebook: www.facebook.com/holyholybowie
“And she’s hooked to the silver screen”
Spanish actress Elena Anaya has been transformed into David Bowie as he appears in Mick Rock’s iconic 1973 Life On Mars video, for the official spot of the Mostra FIRE!! 2014.
It’s a beautiful short directed by Juanma Carrillo and titled Born Heroes, set to a delightful cover version of Underworld’s Born Slippy.
Here’s the blurb.
Elena Anaya, with the Mostra FIRE!!
Here is the official spot of the Mostra FIRE!! 2014, an artistic production by Juanma Carrillo, in which the extraordinary actress Elena Anaya literally transforms herself into David Bowie, to seduce the camera with her presence and exalt our hero and glam icon, with a delicate, sensual and captivating interpretation. The Goya-winning actress for The Skin I Live In, by Pedro Almodóvar, has just released her latest film Todos están muertos, by Beatriz Sanchis; she wanted to make a break in its promotion to shoot the FIRE!! spot that we now present to the public.
Watch the full thing here.
“When I Live My Deram”
David Bowie released his first album this day in 1967, albeit lacking the fanfare of Sergeant Pepper reportedly released on the same day by The Beatles, though Pepper was actually released a couple of weeks earlier. But that’s for Beatles’ buffs to explain.
Issued on the Decca subsidory, Deram, David Bowie is an album that has been unfairly dismissed over the years, even by Bowie himself on occasion.
This is a disservice that belies the fact that the record contained some classic Bowie recordings, including the likes of There Is A Happy Land, When I Live My Dream and Silly Boy Blue.
If you’ve not delved this far back, go listen to the most complete collection of songs from the period (including Karma Man, Let Me Sleep Beside You, In The Heat Of The Morning and the sublime The London Boys), on the 55-track Deluxe version of the album on Spotify now.