Month: March 2015

 

“Oh man! Wonder if he’ll ever know“

 

The Creators Project has posted a piece about a wonderful tribute to David Bowie in the shape of a stop-motion animation of Life On Mars?, by French artist and musician, Gladys Hulot, a.k.a. Hyrtis.

The work that has gone into this piece is remarkable and it’s worth exploring the video almost frame by frame, such is the quality of the art.

The visual is accompanied by a haunting instrumental version of the song, also created by Hyrtis, where the vocal melody is played on a saw. Hyrtis told Emerson Rosenthal of The Creators Project:

 

“I made the arrangement with piano and concrete sounds modified with Reason, and played the musical saw on this cover. I have to say that David Bowie is incredibly important for me: he pulls me forward as an artist. I don’t know if he already knows this work.“

 

Well this is a step closer to him finding out about it, Gladys.

Read the full article here.

 

FOOTNOTE: This is not the first time The Creators Project has presented a re-worked version of Life On Mars? See our piece on DavidBowie.com from 2011.

 

“It’s happening now“

 

Don’t know exactly what the format will be here, but our French friend, Jérôme Soligny, has been in touch with details of a TV programme about to air on France 2.

Over to Jérôme…

 

Chevallier and Laspalès are a duet of humourists and one of the most popular acts on the French comic scene since 1981. They are also art connoisseurs and Philippe (Chevallier) is a respected photographer. Régis (Laspalès) is a great admirer of David Bowie and without being an expert he knows a lot about his work. I first met Régis in 2002, when my extended biography of David was reissued for the last time. I remember arriving at a signing session for the book  in Paris and Régis was at the front of the line. We chatted a bit on that day and have become friends since then.

Chevallier and Laspalès invite us regularly to their shows and I send them my records and books. They played my town, Le Havre, earlier this year and they told me they will be the main guests of “Vivement Dimanche”, one of the biggest Sunday TV shows in France (on France 2) hosted by Michel Drucker, in March.

Being “main guest” means you can choose the other guests with Michel. They said they wanted to invite me to talk about “Writing On The Edge” (Editions de la Table Ronde), my book of articles, which had impressed them (!). Rather than being seated on the famous red couch during the show – where personalities and stars sit – and because I’m not a star (I do shine a bit but mostly for my wife and kids), I proposed to the production team of the show to take Régis on a quick tour of the exhibition David Bowie Is. They loved the idea and he was happy that my conferences at la Philharmonie had just been published in a small book (“David Bowie ouvre le chien” – Editions de la Table Ronde) so he could discover their content (Chevallier and Laspalès are currently on a French tour and rarely in Paris – They will be playing the Olympia on April 23,24,25,26).

So that’s what you’re going to see. I have nothing to do with the promotion of the David Bowie Is exhibition in Paris, but I’m quite proud that David, in a way, will be on the show this Sunday. Michel Drucker already invited David Bowie a few times through the years (everybody remembers his famous 1977 interview, see accompanying picture) and I’m sure he’ll be happy to mention the exhibition. Funnily enough, it’s not the first time I have an input regarding Chevallier and Laspalès at “Vivement Dimanche”. The last time they were “main guests”, a few years back, Régis phoned me asking if I thought David Bowie could come and sing on the TV show. I said I didn’t know and they should ask his record company. It didn’t happen so Régis asked if I could think of any replacement act. I proposed AIR as David Bowie likes them and Nicolas and Jean-Benoît did appear on the show.

So, don’t expect me to be on the red couch, where stars and idols belong. I’m just the white-haired dude who guides and talks to his friend in the exhibition. You know what ? That’s more than fine by me.

 

While you’re waiting, check out Michel Drucker interviewing Bowie in October 1977.

 

“I like the T-shirts in Bologna“

 

Back in the first week of March, Italian denim brand GAS announced that it was collaborating with Ono Arte Contemporanea, art gallery of Bologna, Italy, for the “Heroes” exhibition there of Masayoshi Sukita’s David Bowie photographs.

The brand utilised two iconic images from the “Heroes” album cover shoot and has produced a numbered edition of two different T-shirts, limited to 1,000 for each of the two designs.

Barbara Grotto, marketing and communication manager at GAS, commented: “Originality, authenticity, desire for freedom and a speck of rebellion characterise the attitude that music and denim worlds have always shared. It has been an honour being involved and interpreting one of the most influential artists of all times, who innovated most music, showbiz, fashion and style, and continues to be a most important part in our culture.”

If you’re quick you may bag yourself one of these individually-numbered, future collectables. Go here for more information and buy links.

 

“Never look back, walk tall, act fine“

 

You’re all familiar with the name James Murphy, including via Love Is Lost (Hello Steve Reich Mix by James Murphy for the DFA) and Reflektor, the song Arcade Fire released under the pseudonym The Reflektors, which featured a guest vocal by Bowie.

Due later this month is the eclectic While We’re Young soundtrack compiled by music supervisor George Drakoulias.

Here’s a bit from the blurb…

 

While We’re Young is the new film by writer/director Noah Baumbach (Greenberg, Frances Ah). Starring Ben Stiller, Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfried and Adam Driver, the film tells the story of a middle-aged Manhattan couple whose square life is turned upside down by the appearance of a young hipster couple from Brooklyn.

This bitter-sweet comedy features an eclectic soundtrack compiled by music supervisor George Drakoulias. In addition to the ethereal and hypnotic score by James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) the album includes music by David Bowie, Haim, Paul McCartney, Antonio Vivaldi, A Tribe Called Quest, The Psychedelic Furs and many more.

 

The album kicks off with Murphy’s minimalist treatment of Golden Years, which you can listen to now on Soundcloud.

Golden Years also closes the collection, but right now it’s not clear which version that is.

Anyway, we’ll leave you with the full tracklisting, which includes one of Bowie’s own personal favourites, The Inch Worm by- Danny Kaye.

 

While We’re Young – Various Artists – Track Listing

 

01 – Golden Years – David Bowie

02 – Allegro (concerte for lute, 2 violins and continuo in D, RV. 93) – Antonio Vivaldi

03 – All Night Long (All Night) – Lionel Richie

04 – Buggin’ Out – A Tribe Called Quest

05 – The Ghost In You – The Psychedelic Furs

06 – The Inch Worm – Danny Kaye

07 – Only The Stars Above Welcome Me Home – James Murphy

08 – Falling (Duke Dumont Remix) – Haim

09 – Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor

10 – Andante (from MGM film “The Wild Child”) – Antonio Vivaldi

11 – Waiting For A Girl Like You – Foreigner

12 – Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five – Paul McCartney & Wings

13 – We Used To Dance – James Murphy

14 – Golden Years – David Bowie

 

“Turns out it was just a reflektor“

 

Dutch photographer, music video director and film director, Anton Corbijn, is no doubt familiar to many of you, as his is the name credited with capturing many fine images of David Bowie since 1980.

Anton first posted the rather enigmatic picture of David Bowie in our montage in celebration of Bowie’s birthday back on January 8th.

It was a strange shot that was hard to place. It seemed to be of Bowie circa 1975/76, but something wasn’t quite right. On closer inspection, the eyebrows looked a little odd and that hairline was just plain bizarre.

There was a clue in the picture credit: Anton Corbijn, Masker David Bowie, Montreal, 2013 © Anton Corbijn

It transpires that this was a mask of Bowie created for the rather surreal and quite brilliant Arcade Fire video from 2013, Reflektor.

As you no doubt remember, the James Murphy/Markus Dravs/Arcade Fire-produced track featured a brief guest vocal from Bowie. The video acknowledged Bowie’s presence in the closing scene, when Win Butler could be seen standing with Régine Chassagne, albeit unrecognisable as the band’s singer due to the fact that he was wearing aforementioned Bowie mask.

Anyway, you can have an even closer look at the photograph if you visit Anton Corbijn’s, 1-2-3-4 exhibition, at The Hague Museum of Photography in The Netherlands.

The exhibition runs from this Saturday, March 21 until June 21 2015 and you can read more about it and watch a rather cool video of Anton here.

 

“The song they’re playin’ on the radio”

 

David Bowie’s worldwide smash hit single, Let’s Dance, was released 32 years ago today.­

Considering the previous album, Scary Monsters, Let’s Dance heralded yet another sharp change in direction for Bowie and this single and it’s flipside (a rerecording of Cat People) were perfect tasters for the album of the same name which followed in April.

Aside from the new sound that producer Nile Rodgers brought to the table, albeit very much influenced by the sound of his own band, Chic, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan provided his distinctive signature guitar sound for solos on both sides of the disc.

The massive success of the song was unquestionably helped by Bowie and David Mallet’s iconic video, with its statements against racism and oppression, symbolised neatly by a pair of red shoes.

You can read more about the cultural impact the video had in an item we highlighted back in 2013, wherein Ed Gibbs speaks with Joelene King, one of the stars of the video, about its importance 30 years on.

 

We’ll leave you with an indicator of the single’s success via this list of some of the peak chart positions held by Let’s Dance back in 1983.

 

Australian Singles Chart – 2

Austrian Singles Chart – 2

Canadian Singles Chart – 1

Dutch Singles Chart – 1

German Singles Chart – 2

Irish Singles Chart – 1

New Zealand Singles Chart – 1

Norwegian Singles Chart – 1

Swedish Singles Chart – 1

Swiss Singles Chart – 1

UK Singles Chart – 1

US Billboard Hot 100 – 1

US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play – 1

 

The album and attendant tour would provide Bowie with a bigger commercial success than he had previously known. But that’s another story. 

 

“Snapping pictures of naked limbs and reptile grins“

 

In celebration of David Bowie is at Philharmonie de Paris (http://smarturl.it/DBisInParis), and the publication of the French language version of Duffy/Bowie – Five Sessions, the Duffy Archive has made a generous offer to users of DavidBowie.com.

If you’ve not yet had a chance to see the remarkable Duffy/Bowie – Five Sessions book by Kevin Cann and Chris Duffy, then this is your chance to get your hands on a signed copy of the English language version along with a selection of Duffy/Bowie prints.

Five Sessions provides fascinating insights into the three album sleeve collaborations for Aladdin Sane (1973), Lodger (1979)  and Scary Monsters (1980). It also features sessions from 1972 and 1975.

This book is filled with wonderful recollections from the people who were present during the making of these iconic Brian Duffy images.

So if you’re looking for something special for the Duffy-loving, Bowie fan friend or family member in your life, or perhaps you would just like to treat yourself, go here and when prompted, enter the password: BOWIENETPARIS (all caps).

 

“The Muziq is outside”

 

You’ve no doubt already seen this, it’s another French publication celebrating the arrival of David Bowie is at Philharmonie de Paris. 

It’s a beautifully designed little thing, jam-packed with features and photos which you can get a flavour of courtesy of photo journalist, Philippe Auliac, who (as you can see from our montage), took some of the very best live shots of Bowie as the Thin White Duke.

Scroll the images to view a random grab of a few of the pages from Muziq #4 (also kindly supplied by Philippe Auliac). Read all about it in French here.

We’ll leave you with a crudely translated summary of what to expect.

 

Muziq #4: David Bowie Special – Contents

 

Introduction: The hundred lives of David Bowie

Exhibition “David Bowie Is”

Bowie and glam-rock (with the participation of Valli and deFoxygen) (Bruno Juffin)

Cracked Actor – Bowie cinema

Boy Could They Play Guitar! – Guitarists David Bowie

Let’s Dance – Bowie in the 1980s

The Next Day – The resurrection of Bowie (Alexis Tain)

Bowie AZ 120 original themes entries

Classic Album: “1. Outside “1995

Germany years “Heroes” (with the participation of Ed Motta and Dylan Howe)

Discography, videography, bibliography

“Ticket to Ride”, the concerts inoubliales: Bus Palladium 1966 Pavillon de Paris 1976 Auteuil 1983 Elysee-Montmartre 1999 Zenith 2002

Imaginary Tops: videos, best-of sixties, live, times, collaborations, 1984-2014

 

MUZIQ n°4/SPÉCIAL DAVID BOWIE is available now.

 

“Hooked to the silver screen”

 

French Bowie know-it-alls and regular all round chaps, Eric Dahan and Jérôme Soligny, cast their collective eye back over David Bowie’s long and distinguished acting career for Sophie Soligny’s film blog: ANOTHER FILM ANOTHER PLANET.

In keeping with the Parisian flavour this page has had recently, the feature is in French, but if you’re not a reader of that particular language, stick it through an online translator to get the gist.

If you see this crude method as an insult and bastardisation of the work of the journalists involved, perhaps you could identify the Bowie films being ignored by Thomas Jerome Newton in our graphic instead.

 

“If we can sparkle he may land tonight”

 

There are 80 screenings of Hamish Hamilton’s superb David Bowie is documentary in France and Switzerland this Thursday, March 12, with encores at the same venues on Monday, June 1.

So if you’re undecided whether to make the trip to Paris for the exhibition proper or not, check out the film first and get a flavour of what amazing Bowie treasures await you in the French capital.

Visit this page to find your nearest participating picture house.