Month: February 2017

 

“To the seat with the clearest view”

 

Another final chance to hear one of the many excellent BBC Bowie tributes from last month. This time it’s Tris Penna’s fascinating Exploring ‘Life On Mars?’, presented by Martin Kemp and originally broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on January 9th.

 

If you have access to the BBC, you really have to listen to this very well-researched documentary while you still can…and that’s not only for the reveal of the hilarious dialogue at the end of the recording of Life On Mars?

 

Go here within the next eight hours to catch it.

 

We’ll leave you with the blurb from the BBC Radio 2 page.

 

 

#ExploringLifeOnMars  #HunkyDory  #LifeOnMars  #BowieAtTheBBC 

 

 

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Is ‘Life on Mars?’ Bowie’s legacy song – the one he will be most remembered for? We have exclusive access to unheard recordings of Bowie’s original demo and other archive.

 

‘Life on Mars?’ is one of David Bowie’s most astonishing songs, prompting some observers to describe it as Bowie’s own ‘My Way’. The irony is, it very nearly was: in 1968, Bowie wrote an early lyric (A Fool Learns to Love) to French singer Claude Francois’ ‘Comme D’Habitude’ which was rejected – Paul Anka’s lyrics weren’t & the song eventually became Sinatra’s ‘My Way’. Three years later when ‘Life on Mars?’ was released on the Hunky Dory album ‘Inspired by Frankie’ is written in David Bowie’s handwriting on the back cover.

 

We tell the story of how the song came about and we learn what it was like working in the studio with Bowie. Bowie described it as being ‘a young girl’s reaction to the media’; the lyrics best described as being ‘painting-like’, impressionistic. Contemporary singer/songwriter Marc Almond examines the lyrics and uncovers the origins of inspiration for the song. We speak to Sophia Anne Caruso, the 15 year old actor who worked with Bowie on his musical Lazarus and is now singing ‘Life on Mars?’ in the London production.

 

We speak to Bob Grace who was Bowie’s music publisher, record producer Ken Scott, studio engineer Ray Staff, and we hear from Mike Garson, who played the piano in Bowie’s live performances, and he played the song over 200 times live. We also hear from Mick Rock who filmed the video for the song, from singer Dana Gillespie, friend of Bowie – Wendy Kirkby, Music Publisher Geoff Heath, Bowie biographer Kevin Cann & author Nicholas Pegg.

 

Presenter: Martin Kemp, Presenter/Writer & Co-producer: Tris Penna. This is a Sue Clark Production for BBC Radio 2.

 

“I’m lost in streams of sound”

 

~ DAVID BOWIE NO PLAN EP PHYSICAL RELEASE

~ AVAILABLE ON CD – FEBRUARY 24

~ BLACK VINYL 12″ – APRIL 21

~ LIMITED EDITION MADE-TO-ORDER DIE-CUT WHITE VINYL 12″ WITH EXCLUSIVE ARTWORK LITHOGRAPH – MAY 26

 

~ PRE-ORDERS FOR ALL VERSIONS LIVE NOW: http://smarturl.it/DavidBowieNoPlanEP

 

#BowieNoPlan  #BowieNoPlanEP

 

Featuring the three final David Bowie studio recordings made during the sessions for his 28th and final album, ★, the No Plan EP is now being made available as a CD and two special vinyl versions.

 

Previously released as the No Plan digital EP (and before that, available exclusively on the Lazarus Cast Album), the songs: “No Plan,” “Killing A Little Time” and “When I Met You”, along with Cast Album title track “Lazarus”, are now available for pre-order on special physical formats. This follows wishes from fans for CD and vinyl versions after the release of the digital EP.

 

The No Plan EP artwork has been designed by long-time Bowie collaborator Jonathan Barnbrook. Both vinyl configurations of the No Plan EP feature a special laser etching on side B.

 

All formats include the following tracks:

 

1) Lazarus

2) No Plan

3) Killing A Little Time

4) When I Met You

 

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NO PLAN EP CD DUE FEBRUARY 24

 

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NO PLAN EP BLACK VINYL 12″ DUE APRIL 21

 

Heavyweight 180g black vinyl with special laser etching on side B.

 

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NO PLAN EP LIMITED EDITION WHITE VINYL 12″ DUE MAY 26

 

This is an exclusive made-to-order, one-time-run, of a numbered die-cut package featuring heavyweight 180g white vinyl, with special laser etching on side B PLUS 12″x12″ artwork lithograph.

 

Made-to-order means that this vinyl will be produced to satisfy the amount of orders received. Pre-orders will only be taken for a limited time, and though it makes sense to order early, the sleeve will be numbered randomly.

 

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One minute past midnight on January 8th, the day that would have been David Bowie’s 70th birthday, a subtly stunning video for the song “No Plan” surfaced quietly at http://smarturl.it/noplanvideo.  The “No Plan” video has amassed over 2,000,000 views since it’s January 8th premiere.  The “No Plan” clip was directed by Tom Hingston, whose previous collaborations with Bowie include the award-winning visual interpretation of the original version of “Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)” from the Nothing Has Changed compilation. The “No Plan” video features a sparse, compelling narrative that reinforces the hypnotic pull of the ballad hailed by Rolling Stone—who ranked it #4 in their 50 Best Songs of 2016–as “a magnificent coda… one last transmission from the Bowie universe.”

 

In January, the No Plan digital EP reached #1 on the iTunes charts of 11 countries including the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Finland and Sweden, and broke the Top 20 in more than 30 territories.

 

In the 12 months since the release of ★, the album has only grown in stature, establishing itself as a critical and commercial high point of David Bowie’s peerless catalogue. Having hit #1 in more than 20 countries (including Bowie’s first #1 in the U.S.), ★ closed out 2016 with five Grammy nominations—Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Recording Package, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical— as well as two Brit Awards nominations – British Male Solo Artist and British Album of the Year (★) – and top honors in critics’ best of 2016 lists including #1 positions in the AV Club, Flavorwire, The Los Angeles Times, MOJO, Newsweek, Now, Paste, Q, The Wire, Uncut and more, #2 spots including the BBC, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, NPR and Rolling Stone, ultimately placing in the year-end lists of more major publications than any album released in 2016.

 

“It’s all I ever wanted”

 

As you are no doubt well aware, Marc Riley has long flown the Bowie flag very high at the BBC over the years. His loyalty was rewarded directly many times via interviews and even a radio session in October 1999 for the show that Marc co-hosted with Mark Radcliffe. The pair also introduced Bowie onstage a couple of times. Marc also had the last ever radio interview with DB.

 

Now Marc has kindly supplied us with his DBDCOTD, and, as one might suspect, it wasn’t an easy choice for a fan raised on a diet of all things Bowie since 1972, as he explains…

 

 

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“My ‘favourite Bowie tune’ in some way mirrors the dilemma I face when asked for my ‘favourite Bowie album’, simply because my opinion changes with the wind. Sometimes it’ll be Station to Station, sometimes it’ll be Somebody Up There Likes Me…or Win… or Time… or… Star…or…

 

You see my problem.

 

When I did  the tribute to David following his passing last January I opened with a song that captured the glory and dark euphoria of the mid-70’s David Bowie. Station To Station. It swaggers like no other and was a good choice for that particular scenario. It’s nigh on 12 minutes long and gave me time to brace myself for what was going to be a very difficult show.

 

One year later and I found myself hosting another tribute to David, this time in the company of the great man that is Geoff MacCormack – aka backing singer, sometime co-writer, and dancer, Warren Peace. On this occasion I decided to go for another Bowie song – or ‘suite’ to be more precise’ that never fails to thrill me. Its genius floors me every single time – often to the  point of tears. (If you find this hard to believe remember John Peel said Teenage Kicks  by The Undertones made him weep like a baby – even though it isn’t sad). I’m talking about Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (reprise) from Diamond Dogs. It’s a nine minute self-contained Rock Opera. So Brilliant.

 

Sat opposite Geoff as the show went live, the moody opening gave way to the magnificence of the song and I then realised I’d made a very bad mistake. As I got deeper and deeper into the evocative masterpiece I welled up at its beauty and very nearly lost it. Very nearly lost it…which in the company of David’s lifelong grieving friend would have been nothing less than unforgivable. Thankfully I just managed to keep it together and Geoff’s brilliant and funny memories kept me afloat for the duration. Thanks Geoff.

 

I remember hearing Jarvis Cocker play just the  opening song of the trilogy on 6 Music and I immediately texted him and told him this simply wasn’t allowed. You either play all 3 songs back to back – or not at all. He replied with an apology and bless him he played the lot some months later.”  Marc Riley – January 2017

 

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Thanks Marc, pretty sure nobody could argue with that choice .

 

For those that missed Marc’s BBC Radio 6 Music show with Geoff (and much more besides, including that hilarious last ever DB radio interview), you have 4 days left to listen if you have access to the BBC.

 

 

#DBDCOTD  #BowieDeepCut  #BowieRiley

 

“Give it to me one more time!”

 

Following on from our reminder that you have a few days left to listen to Marc Riley’s superb BBC Radio 6 Music show with Geoff MacCormack (including Bowie’s last ever radio interview), you only have today to have a final listen to the Mary Anne Hobbs programme, Remembering David Bowie.

 

The three hour show was broadcast back on January 8th and the special guests include poet and novelist Lavinia Greenlaw, who re-visits a poem that she wrote on the day of David’s passing. If you’re reading this after Sunday (Feb 5), here’s a permalink to Lavinia’s poem.

 

There are also interviews with two Bowie collaborators, jazz saxophonist Donny McCaslin, and multiple award-winning graphic designer, Jonathan Barnbrook.

 

If you have access to the BBC, have a listen while you still can.

 

 

#BowieMAH

 

“My, my, the time do fly”

 

David Bowie’s 1997 album Earthling was released in the UK on February 3rd 1997, with the usual worldwide regional variations, note earlier French release date in our graphic.

 

The album produced a run of superb singles (most of them accompanied by some of Bowie’s best ever videos), in the shape of Telling Lies, Little Wonder, Dead Man Walking, I’m Afraid of Americans and Seven Years In Tibet.

 

Produced by David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels and Mark Plati, Earthling reached #6 on the UK album chart and entered the top ten in several other countries.

 

The band personnel for this release was Reeves Gabrels, Mark Plati, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mike Garson and Zachary Alford, with some brilliant and possibly overlooked solos from Gabrels and Garson. (Listen to Looking For Satellites and Battle for Britain (The Letter) respectively)

 

Earthling is a remarkable album that not only stands the test of the last twenty years but still sounds fresh and vital. But don’t take our word for it, check it out here.

 

 

#BowieEarthling  #EarthlingAlbum