Month: February 2017

 

“’Cos we believe in you”

 

David Bowie has won both British Male Solo Artist and Mastercard British Album Of The Year for ★ at the @BRIT Awards 2017 ceremony at London’s O2 Arena this evening.

 

The British Male Solo Artist award was collected by Michael C. Hall after being presented by Zane Lowe. Here’s Michael’s acceptance speech:

 

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“If David Bowie could be here tonight, he probably wouldn’t be here tonight. But since he can’t be here tonight, I’m here tonight on his behalf, on behalf of his family, to accept this testament to a man beholden to nothing but his own boundless imagination and daring, who’s ever expanding artistic vitality, simultaneously soothes us and seers us and astonishes us…maybe he is here tonight, I don’t know.

 

But, I’m honoured to stand before you and acknowledge the potency of his work and if I may too also acknowledge that David’s kindness and generosity and enthusiasm will forever inspire me to be a better man. On his behalf, thank you.”

 

Watch it here.

 

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Towards the end of the evening, Noel Gallagher announced the Mastercard British Album Of The Year, with the following: “And the winner is, the King, David Bowie, Blackstar.” He then introduced “David Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones”.

 

Here’s Duncan’s moving tribute to his father and all of you reading this, The Kooks…

 

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Hi everyone. I lost my dad last year, but I also became a dad. And I was spending a lot of time after getting over the shock of trying to work out, what would I want my son to know about his grandad?

 

And I think it would be the same thing that most of my dad’s fans have taken over the last 50 years. He’s always been there supporting people who think they’re a little bit weird, or a little bit strange, a little bit different, he’s always been there for them.

 

So, this award is for all the Kooks and all the people who make the Kooks. Thanks Brits and thanks to his fans.

 

Watch it here.

 

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FOOTNOTE: Bowie also won the British Male Solo Artist Award in 1984 and went on to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Music award in 1996.

 

He won British Male Solo Artist again in 2014, for which Kate Moss collected the statuette while delivering a particularly memorable message from Bowie. (http://smarturl.it/BNetBRITS2014)

 

Last year, following moving spoken word tributes from singer Annie Lennox and actor Gary Oldman, Oldman accepted the BRITs Icon Award on Bowie’s behalf. Lorde then joined David Bowie’s touring band for an emotionally charged performance of Life On Mars? (http://smarturl.it/BNetBRITS2016)

 

 

#BRITs  #BRITs2017  #BowieBRITs  #Blackstar  #BlackstarAlbum  

 

“Screaming along in South London”

 

Below is an edited excerpt from the press release for a truly impressive landmark of a memorial to David Bowie, which is crowdfunding for the next 28 days here.

 

#ZiggyZag  #BowieBrixton 

 

 

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In a fifty year career David Bowie blazed a trail that brought joy to millions, changing lives and opening minds. Many of us would not be the people we are, were it not for Bowie.

 

When David Bowie died, the world lost an irreplaceable talent. Brixton also lost a son. David Bowie, our Brixton boy.

 

Now the Brixton community is building a permanent memorial in the place of his birth.

 

The Artists, This Ain’t Rock’n’Roll – designers of the Brixton Pound paper currency that features David on the B£10 note – have reimagined the iconic lightning flash from Duffy’s Aladdin Sane LP cover in gravity-defying red and blue-sprayed stainless steel. This is a monumental piece of public art and a spectacular memorial to David Bowie.

 

Just as an otherworldly David Bowie landed in our lives, the memorial (affectionately nicknamed the ZiggyZag), stands embedded in the Brixton pavement – a three storey tall bolt from above. A nine metre missive from another dimension, hurled from afar.

 

Unexplained, yet utterly familiar; a poignant reminder that life does exist beyond the everyday. That music and art and curiosity are vital, positive contributors to our collective existence.

 

Five streets away from Bowie’s Stansfield Road birthplace, and situated next to Jimmy C’s internationally famous Aladdin Sane mural – smack-bang-opposite Brixton tube – the memorial will be the first thing most visitors see when they come to Brixton.

 

Standing across the road from the equally famous Electric Avenue, the memorial will be a defining part of this most iconic neighbourhood.

 

Like the man himself, Brixton is an enigmatic flame attracting all manner of moths. Rooted in the grand traditions of music hall and theatre, both are emblematic of seismic post-war societal shifts. At once completely out-there and utterly down-to-earth.

 

The memorial is crowdfunding now at http://smarturl.it/ZiggyZagCrowdfunder – there are great exclusive rewards to be had.

 

This Ain’t Rock’n’Roll’s (http://smarturl.it/ThisAintRockNRoll) Charlie Waterhouse says “This is a wonderful opportunity for the international David Bowie community to come together to deliver a heartfelt thank you. A thank you to a man who changed our lives – and changed the world. A thank you not from government, nor from industry, but from us. The people. The fans. Us ordinary weirdos who were never quite the same again after meeting the Thin White Duke.”

 

 

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“The return of The Thin White Duke”

 

Bowie releases continue to dominate the UK’s Official Vinyl Charts with the news today that Sound And Vision is straight in at #1 on the Official Vinyl Singles Chart and the Official Vinyl Album Chart has five new Bowie entries in the Top 20.

 

Official Vinyl Albums Chart

 

NEW #3 – STATION TO STATION – PARLOPHONE

NEW #4 – DIAMOND DOGS – PARLOPHONE

NEW #5 – YOUNG AMERICANS – PARLOPHONE

NEW #8 – LIVE NASSAU COLISEUM ’76 – PARLOPHONE

NEW #12 – DAVID LIVE – PARLOPHONE

#13 – LEGACY – PARLOPHONE

#21 – ★ – RCA

 

As you can see, both Legacy and ★are both still doing very well too.

 

Check out the full current Official Vinyl Album Chart here: http://smarturl.it/OCCVinylLPsFeb17

 

Diamond Dogs – https://parlopho.ne/dbowieddlp

David Live (2005 mix) – https://parlopho.ne/dbowielivelp

Young Americans – https://parlopho.ne/dbowieyalp

Station To Station – https://parlopho.ne/dbowiesslp

Live Nassau Coliseum ’76 – https://parlopho.ne/dbowienasslp

 

#WCIBNBox  #WCIBNBreakouts  #WhoCanIBeNowBox  #BowieVinyl  #BowieOCC

 

“Sounds of laughter, shades of life are ringing through my open ears…”

 

David Bowie’s ★ album was given the Music Producers Guild (MPG) UK Album of the Year Award, at a ceremony for the 9th MPG Awards event at Grosvenor House, in London’s Park Lane this evening (Thursday 16th). The accolade was awarded to David Bowie and Tony Visconti.

 

Tony collected the gong, as he also did for MPG International Producer of the Year Award (sponsored by British Grove Studios). And to think he was only there to collect the MPG Outstanding Contribution to UK Music Award (sponsored by PPLUK).

 

Tom Elmhirst won the MPG Mix Engineer of the Year Award (sponsored by Solid State Logic). Tom mixed ★ with Tony.

 

Go here to watch a rather humbled Mr Visconti on being presented with that well-deserved Outstanding Contribution to UK Music Award, courtesy of PPL.

 

Congratulations to Tony and Tom and to all involved with the making of ★

 

 

#BowieBlackstar  #Blackstar  #BowieVisconti  #MPGAwards  #MPGAwards2017  #MusicProducersGuild

 

“So send me a letter”

 

The multi award-winning designer and Luton fan, Jonathan Barnbrook, has designed a beautiful set of Bowie stamps for the Most Serene Republic of San Marino (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino).

 

Produced for the 70th anniversary of the birth of David Bowie, here’s the description regarding the 3 stamps from the AASFN page:

 

 

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The philatelic set celebrates the long and eclectic career of David Bowie, famous singer-songwriter and actor, who was born in London on the 8th January 1947. Jonathan Barnbrook, who took care of the graphic art of his last album covers, is the designer of the souvenir sheet and of the first day of issue postmark.

 

The first stamp shows the young Bowie as astronaut Major Tom, one of the many characters embodied by the rock star; above on the right, a black star refers to his last album, “Blackstar”.

 

The second value depicts an interpretation of the “Aladdin Sane” record cover highlighting the instantly recognizable Ziggy Stardust’s flash.

 

The third stamp shows Bowie’s profile picture that was used for both the “Low” album cover and poster of “The Man Who Fell to Earth”, above Bowie in this stamp, a crown refers to his character “The Thin White Duke” and that this issue is a celebration of one of the 20th and 21st century’s most notable creative men.

 

The logo, also created by Barnbrook, represents both Bowie’s name and that it is the 70th anniversary of his birth.

 

Values: souvenir sheet made up of 3 values of €1.60 each

Print run: 30,000 souvenir sheets

Printing: 4 colour offset, a Pantone  and yellow fluorescent invisible ink by Cartor Security Printing

Perforation: 13¼ x 13 Stamp size: 30 x 40 mm

Souvenir sheet size: 140×70 mm

Designer: Jonathan Barnbrook

Photographs: M. Sukita – S. Schapiro

By courtesy of Jones/Tintoretto Entertainment Company LLC

 

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The first day covers will have the special postmark, also designed by Barnbrook.

 

Barnbrook has kindly given us a little extra insight into the thinking behind these philatelic delights…

 

 

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“The colours were chosen to echo the 70s but also to be very modern. The Bowie logo utilises the number 70.

 

The first stamp relates to all of those soviet cosmonaut stamps that captured my imagination from my youth. I thought it would be fun and a fitting tribute to our hero, Major Tom, to have him on one of the stamps.

 

For the second design I played with the level of abstraction of Aladdin Sane, to see how one of the most recognisable record covers in the history of music can be abstracted and still recognisable. This is one of the ‘midway’ points. The Aladdin Sane flash was added on top for graphic dynamism.

 

Finally, the third stamp parodies the history of European stamp design by having the reigning monarch in side profile. Created because of the similar side profile on the cover of Low (which is also one of my favourite Bowie albums), and of course (as the explanatory text says), the monarch comparison is also to do with The Thin White Duke.”

 

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Thanks Jonathan, fantastic work. Go here for more.

 

 

 

#BowieBarnbrook  #BarnbrookBowie  #BowieStamps  #SanMarinoDBstamps

 

“Ladies and gentlemen…and others”

 

Congratulations are due to all involved with the creation of David Bowie’s ★ album, after the news that the release enjoyed a clean sweep at the Grammy Awards tonight, with all five nominations winning the gongs in the following categories…

 

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12. Best Rock Performance

(Accepted by Donny McCaslin)

Blackstar

David Bowie

Track from: Blackstar

Label: ISO/Columbia Records

 

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14. Best Rock Song

(Accepted by the presenters)

Blackstar

David Bowie, songwriter (David Bowie)

Track from: Blackstar

Label: ISO/Columbia Records; Publisher(s): Nipple Music admin. by RZO Music, Inc.

 

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16. Best Alternative Music Album

(Accepted by Donny McCaslin)

Blackstar

David Bowie

Label: ISO/Columbia Records

 

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65. Best Recording Package

(Accepted by Jonathan Barnbrook)

Blackstar

Jonathan Barnbrook, art director (David Bowie)

Label: ISO/Columbia Records

 

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69. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

(Accepted by Kevin Killen and Joe LaPorta)

Blackstar

David Bowie, Tom Elmhirst, Kevin Killen & Tony Visconti, engineers; Joe LaPorta, mastering engineer (David Bowie)

Label: ISO/Columbia Records

 

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Today’s ‘lyric’ quotation was taken from Bowie’s introduction to Aretha Franklin when he presented her with the Grammy for Best R & B Female Vocalist in 1975. (See picture)

 

In a nod to that moment, the same words were used by Jonathan Barnbrook in his introduction when he accepted the Grammy for Best Recording Package this evening.

 

Barnbrook also had this to say of Bowie: “He had this very rare quality of getting people to produce their best work, but doing it in a way that was wonderful, charming, a great, great enjoyable ride, and I want to thank him for that.”

 

Speaking about the power and importance of music, Barnbrook offered the following observation: “I’ve seen how important what musicians do for people is. It’s there when you’re born, it’s there when you get married, it’s there when you die at your funeral. So we should celebrate that, absolutely.”

 

You can watch Donny McCaslin’s touching speech, when (along with the ★ band), he accepted the Best Rock Performance gong on behalf of David Bowie, here.

 

In a backstage interview later, Donny spoke of the sheer joy expressed by Bowie during the creation of ★ – That is a joy that will live forever in the grooves of ★

 

 

#59thGrammyAwards  #Grammys2017  #BowieGrammyAwards  #BowieBlackstar  #Blackstar  

 

“But I know you’ll hold your head up high”

 

A very moving message from proud son to his father.

 

 

#DuncanJones  #59thGrammyAwards  #Grammys2017  #BowieGrammyAwards  #BowieBlackstar  #Blackstar  

 

“And I will sing”

 

Originally released on Friday February 11th 1977 in the UK, Sound And Vision became a #3 hit when it was released as the lead single from the  extraordinary Low LP.

 

It was unusual for a single not to precede an album release, and considering this and the fact that RCA didn’t really promote either the album or the single in the UK, it’s surprising Sound And Vision performed so well on the chart.

 

This lack of promotion for Low was probably meant as a bit of a rap across the knuckles for Bowie from RCA. The label was still smarting after Bowie’s stablemate, Lou Reed, delivered Metal Machine Music in 1975. RCA didn’t know what to do with Low, they wanted another Young Americans or Station To Station and their lack of vision was matched by some of the hostile music press reviews of the album.

 

Thankfully, Bowie fans and the record buying public had their ears and minds open and rewarded this artistic bravery by getting Low to #2 on the UK album chart.

 

Sound And Vision itself was a brave release too, in that the lead vocal didn’t appear until half way through the song. Brilliantly produced by Bowie and Tony Visconti, the song features a guest vocal from Mary Visconti (Nee Hopkin), the co-producer’s then wife. It also boasts a backing vocal from Brian Eno and was the first record to enter the UK singles chart featuring his voice, albeit not too obviously. (Eno didn’t sing on the early Roxy Music hits and his solo singles didn’t make the Top 40.)

 

Yesterday saw the release of the limited edition 40th anniversary Sound And Vision picture disc on Parlophone. The A side of this release has a brand new remaster of Sound And Vision, while the AA side sees the first physical release of the 2013 Sony Experia mix of the song, as remixed by Sonjay Prabhakar.

 

 

#BowieSoundAndVision #DBSAV40  #BowieVinyl

 

“Distorted view, see through baby blue”

 

Aside from the formats of the No Plan EP we announced a couple of days ago, (CD and two vinyl 12″ versions) there will now be a clear blue vinyl 12″ produced exclusively for independent record shops.

 

This numbered limited edition (one-run only), also features the laser etching on the B-side of the vinyl. It will be released internationally on April 21st.

 

Here’s a recap of the different configurations of the physical No Plan EP.

 

~ CD – FEBRUARY 24 (available via all usual outlets)

~ BLACK VINYL 12″ – APRIL 21 (available via all usual outlets)

~ LIMITED EDITION NUMBERED CLEAR BLUE VINYL 12″ – APRIL 21 (available exclusively from independent stores)

~ LIMITED EDITION NUMBERED MADE-TO-ORDER DIE-CUT WHITE VINYL 12″ WITH EXCLUSIVE ARTWORK LITHOGRAPH – MAY 26 (Available exclusively here.)

 

Read previous No Plan EP news item, here.

 

And for anybody wondering about today’s lyric quotation.

 

 

#BowieNoPlan  #BowieNoPlanEP  #BowieVinyl

 

 

“It’s the last show that we’ll ever do”

 

CinEvents and MOJO have given us the exclusive reveal of the Ziggy souvenir cover that will only be available to attendees of the March 7th Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars screenings in UK cinemas. Every attendee will receive a copy of the magazine which will fully document the Ziggy-era.

 

This is a special limited edition cover for the April 2017 issue (281) and it is set to be one of the rarest covers ever produced by the award-winning MOJO team. It will not be available in the shops or at screenings outside of the UK on March 7th.

 

In addition to the main attraction, the evening will include a new film produced by MOJO magazine exclusively for these screenings. This film will feature MOJO’s Editor-In-Chief Phil Alexander in conversation with The Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey. Re-living that fateful night in 1973, Woody will provide further insight into what he describes as “the adventure of a lifetime”.

 

Go here to book tickets at your nearest participating cinema.

 

Keep reading for the full press release.

 

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REMINDER: Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars screening at London Eventim Apollo next week

 

There are still February 16th tickets available for the separate screening and live event at the scene of the original concert, London Eventim Apollo (formerly the Hammersmith Odeon), here. – It should be noted that the MOJO Ziggy souvenir cover will not be available and the Woody film will not be screened at this event. Go here for the full February 16th event press release.

 

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#ZiggyStardust  # ZiggyStardustMoPi  #ZiggyHammersmith  #ZSMoPi2017  #SpiderWoodyWoodmansey

 

 

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CinEvents brings Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars back to cinema.

 

The concert film Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars will be broadcast to an international cinema audience on March 7, 2017, in celebration of the life and music of David Bowie, courtesy of recently launched event cinema company, CinEvents. The evening will include a new film produced by MOJO magazine exclusively for this screening.

 

The film will be screened in multiplex and independent cinemas across the UK as well as selected countries across Europe; Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Germany, France and with further details to come.

 

Directed by pioneering rock film-maker D.A. Pennebaker, this documentary and concert film captures Bowie and his band, The Spiders From Mars, performing at London’s Hammersmith Odeon on July 3, 1973. It was at this now-infamous concert that Bowie made a sudden announcement, shocking fans and media alike by stating “it’s the last show we’ll ever do”. Rather than marking his withdrawal from music, his declaration signalled the retirement of the Ziggy Stardust persona, and the end of a hugely influential chapter in Bowie’s own story.

 

In addition to the concert movie, the evening will include a new film produced by MOJO magazine exclusively for these screenings. This film will feature MOJO’s Editor-In-Chief Phil Alexander in conversation with The Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey, whose own acclaimed memoir, My Life With Bowie: Spider From Mars, has just been published by Sidgwick & Jackson. As well as re-living that fateful night in 1973, Woody will provide further insight into what he describes as “the adventure of a lifetime.”

 

CinEvents are working with MOJO magazine – Britain’s biggest-selling music magazine, which Bowie guest edited in 2002 – to further enhance the cinema-going experience. Every attendee will receive a copy of the magazine which will fully document the Ziggy-era, and which will also feature an exclusive David Bowie/Spiders From Mars Collectors’ Cover. This special souvenir cover will not be available in the shops, and is destined to become one of the rarest covers ever produced by the award-winning MOJO team with a retail value of £7.99

 

Tickets will be on sale from 11 January and customers will be able to find their closest participating cinemas via www.ziggystardust-cinevents.com

 

Picturehouse Entertainment is partnering with CinEvents for distribution of this event.