David Bowie

Keep an eye out for the new Mitsubishi commercial – it includes the opening drum riff from “Lust for Life” written by Iggy Pop and David.

Reeves and Robert Smith of The Cure, along with Cure bandmate Jason Cooper have formed a side project band – COGASM (CO for Cooper, GA for Gabrels, SM for Smith). COGASM have their first soundtrack offering, called “A Sign From God” included in the new feature film called ‘Orgazmo’. The film is written and directed by ‘South Park’ co-creator Trey Parker. BowieNet will post Reeves’ thoughts about the song and working with Robert Smith in the upcoming weeks. The audio clip of the new song will be posted on BowieNet. Also look out for the video of Reeves on stage with The Cure……
David in London last week filming acceptance of MuchMusic Award. [ click to view video clip! ]

A CHAT — with DAVID BOWIE for members of BowieNet will occur on September 30th at 9:30pm EST. More details are forthcoming.

DAVID BOWIE — soon to start work on a new album for release in 1999 — made an impressive showing in a major poll in the U.K., “The Virgin Top 1,000 Albums Of All Time.” The results of this newly published poll–based on 200,000 votes cast in pop polls over the past 30 years–found BOWIE and the Beatles as the only artists in the Top 20 with more than one album. BOWIE is also the only solo artist in the Top 20 with more than one entry, for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars (#11) and Hunky Dory (#16). In addition, BOWIE is also the highest ranking solo artist on the chart (with Ziggy at #11). Meanwhile, BOWIE continues to make his presence on music and pop culture with his new music. His video for “I’m Afraid of Americans”–a track from his Earthling album that was reconstructed by Nine Inch Nails for his remix EP, “I’m Afraid of Americans”–has received two nominations: “Best Male Video” by MTV and “Best International Video” by Canada’s Much Music (the only category in which a non-Canadian can be nominated), where the video is competing against LL Cool J’s “Phenomenon,” Madonna’s “Ray of Light,” The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Ava Adore” and The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.”

First Time Fully-Protected, Time-Released Content Used To Help Build ISP Subscriber Base

CHICAGO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — HyperLOCK Technologies, Inc. (www.hyperlock.com) today announced a strategic development agreement with UltraStar Internet Services, LLC, the management company of David Bowie’s new Internet service, BowieNet (www.davidbowie.com). Under the agreement, UltraStar will take advantage of HyperLOCK’s HyperCD® encryption technology to securely distribute exclusive David Bowie audio and video tracks via the Internet to new subscribers of BowieNet, which launched into cyberspace this week.This relationship represents a number of firsts for both companies. For example, BowieNet is the first Internet service provider to use exclusive time-released video and audio content as an incentive to drive subscribers to its site and increase enrollment. For HyperLOCK, the BowieNet HyperCD is the first commercial release of both a Microsoft® DirectX®- and an Apple® QuickTime 3.0®-enabled HyperCD.”We are excited about working with UltraStar to help build a subscriber base for BowieNet,” said Ken Park, vice president of new media development for HyperLOCK. “We’ve always seen HyperLOCK’s technology as a perfect compliment to an ISP enrollment disk, whether it be to deliver high-quality, exclusive content, enhanced e-commerce transactions or targeted video advertising. Our relationship with UltraStar represents a major paradigm shift in the concept of music distribution via the Web.”As part of a special enrollment program, new subscribers will receive a BowieNet HyperCD. The CD-ROM will contain the customized browser as well as two encrypted classic live David Bowie 50th Birthday video tracks never before released to the public, as well as an exclusive, time-released Bowie audio track, called “Fun.”

HyperLOCK Announces Agreement with UltraStar/BowieNet, page 2When the BowieNet HyperCD is installed and “unlocked” by HyperLOCK’s proprietary encryption technology, subscribers are seamlessly linked to the BowieNet Web site. There, members can instantaneously access audio and video content stored on the CD-ROM. Because they are already at the site, subscribers also can simultaneously browse, download information and make electronic purchases.BowieNet offers its subscribers high-speed Internet access, a customizable home page, a davidbowie.com e-mail address and 5 MB of Web site space. The subscriber also has uncensored access to news groups, chat rooms, online shareware, multi-player gaming and exclusive content from David Bowie. This content includes photos, chats, Bowie’s preferred links, live video feeds from his studio and exclusive access to the Thin White Duke’s private domain. “HyperLOCK’s HyperCD technology allows UltraStar to protect high-quality audio and video from piracy, while providing a way to offer a more exciting multimedia experience to users. With HyperCD, members of our ISP not only have access to these three exclusive David Bowie audio and video tracks, they’re also just one click away from all the unique multimedia goodies we have in store for them on the Bowienet site,” said Ron Roy, project manager at UltraStar. “We expect to work with HyperLOCK on additional Internet promotions in the future.”UltraStar is a management technology partnership that specializes in the arena of Internet services bringing major entertainment, sports and fashion clients to the world in a community-based forum delivered over the Web. A partnership between UltraStar and Concentric Network, Corp. provides the network services to run BowieNet.HyperLOCK’s HyperCD® and HyperDVD(tm) are the world’s first fully encrypted multimedia gateway technologies linking pre-recorded CD-ROM video and audio with real-time information on the Internet. Designed to address the Internet’s chronic bandwidth limitations, HyperLOCK’s technology opens the door for time-released Web programming, enhanced video advertising, QVC®-like electronic commerce, and comprehensive distance learning programs on the Web. HyperLOCK’s unique blend of technologies offer important two-way connectivity advantages for both the end-user and Web developer — providing many of the multimedia, control, security and revenue-generating features today on the Internet, even over a 14.4 dialup connection, that broadband technology might achieve in 25 years.HyperLOCK’s HyperCD and HyperDVD are used by such diverse companies as Apple Computers, Warner Bros. Online, BMG Online, Capital Records, UltraStar, Highway One Media Entertainment, Honeywell, Spiegel, Ameritech, JAMtv and the American Society of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeons. For more information about HyperLOCK Technologies, please contact the company at 847/673-6200 or visit the Web site at (http://www.hyperlock.com.HyperDVD is a trademark of HyperLOCK Technologies, Inc. HyperCD is a registered trademark of HyperLOCK Technologies, Inc.

DAVID BOWIE continues to make his presence strongly felt in the world of music videos, a realm in which he’s known as a true pioneer. His video for “I’m Afraid Of Americans” has received two nominations: “Best Male Video” by MTV and now “Best International Video” by Canada’s Much Music (the only category in which a non-Canadian can be nominated), where the video is competing against LL Cool J’s “Phenomenon,” Madonna’s “Ray Of Light,” The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Ava Adore” and The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony.”

Directed by Dom & Nick (Oasis, Chemical Brothers), the video hauntingly depicts BOWIE as a paranoid Englishman who’s chased through the streets of NYC by a psychotic cab driver played by Trent Reznor. For the “I’m Afraid Of Americans” EP released late last year, Reznor remixed five versions of the song including the version that’s used in the video. The EP has since sold over 100,00 copies in the U.S. alone.

BOWIE and Reznor first worked together in 1995, when Nine Inch Nails toured with BOWIE on his “Outside” trek, which according to the Los Angeles Times, “brought two of the most exciting forces from two different rock generations.” In the same article (both BOWIE and Trent were interviewed on location at the video shoot last fall), writer Elysa Gardner asked, “Why the collaboration?” To which BOWIE quipped, “We’re the two most intelligent people we know. Who else could I give my mixes to? And who else would he work with?” Trent also told the paper that this joint effort was “better than any (video) I’ve ever done with my band.”

Meanwhile, BOWIE’s visionary world continues to evolve as he’s just launched BowieNet–his own Internet service provider to North America. Stayed tuned for further developments…

Here are two exclusive photos of David at work in the studio with Angelo Badalamenti. The track they are working on is “A Foggy Day In London Town” for the album “Red Hot and Rhapsody”. All proceeds will go to AIDS charities. Other contributing artists include Natalie Merchant, Sinead O’Connor, Duncan Sheik and Luscious Jackson. The album will hit the stores on October 6th.

MURRAY HILL, N.J. — Bell Labs is bringing 360 degrees of DavidBowie into full view on the Internet. Users of BowieNet (www.davidbowie.com), the rock star’snewInternet service, will be able to to experience intimate live-actionviewsof Bowie thanks to FullView*, a 360-degree panoramic Webcam designed byBellLabs, the research and development arm of Lucent Technologies. Initial applications call for the camera to be used forin-studio question-and-answer sessions with Bowie, as well as live”you-are-there” rehearsal sessions with Bowie and his band. BowieNet, which launched today, is a joint venturebetweenConcentric Network Corporation and Ultrastar Internet Services and isaccessible to music fans throughout the country. The FullView camera, invented by Vic Nalwa, member of the BellLabsMultimedia Communications Research Laboratory has a single vantage pointand comprises multiple charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras, each aimedat atriangular mirror. The images are recombined through proprietarysoftwareso that the full 360-degree live-action view can be displayed alongwith,say, a 60-degree closeup in any direction the user chooses.

“FullView is designed for just the kinds of live-event programsthatBowieNet is set to deliver to its customers. BowieNet users can, say,choose what image of Bowie’s band they want to see, and can easilyprogramtheir own viewing angles, storing individual images as they desire ontheirPCs,” said Vic Nalwa. “BowieNet users will experience the kind ofcommunitythat Bowie has created in ways that weren’t previously possible on theInternet. BowieNet will have the only large-scale seamless 360-degreevideoexperience on the Web.” The resolution of FullView is 10 times greater than anycomparable panoramic camera, offering 480 x 3200 pixel (columns x rows)resolution at 15 frames per second. Bell Labs has been granted 3 patentsforFullView. “BowieNet’s mission is to deliver a service thatcombinesDavid Bowie’s artistry with unparalleled technical capabilities, and theFullView camera is a big part of that experience,” said Ron Roy,co-founderof UltraStar and a pioneering Web music producer. “Bell Labs’involvementin BowieNet brings a high level of innovation to what we know will be anentirely new way to see David Bowie.” The FullView camera leverages Bell Labs’ heritage inimageprocessing. The CCD was invented at Bell Labs in 1969 by Willard BoyleandGeorge Smith and led to the invention of the first solid-state TVcamera.The CCD revolutionized the video industry and continues to find newapplications in areas as diverse as medicine, security, and astronomy(http://www.lucent.com/ideas2/discoveries/telescope/docs/ccd1.html). For more information on Bell Labs multimedia, go towww.multimedia.bell-labs.com.

Users wishing to utilize davidbowie.com as their Internet serviceprovider will pay a fee of $19.95/month. For a limited time the firstmonth’s fee will be waived. For those users wishing to remain with theircurrent provider, access to davidbowie.com can be obtained for a monthlyfeeof $5.95. Music fans choosing full Internet service will receive aCD-ROM containing the customized browser along with two classic liveBowieaudio and video tracks never before released to the public. As aspecialbonus, there will be an exclusive encrypted newly recorded audio trackwhichwill unlock via the Internet. UltraStar is a management technology partnership thatspecializes in the arena of Internet services, bringing majorentertainment,sports and fashion clients to the world in a community-based forumdeliveredover the Web. UltraStar’s philosophy is to allow users a personalexperience with their favorite personalities via the Internet. Neverbeforehas there been a gateway where the private and public worlds of famousfigures has been opened with the continued support, input and materialsofeach star. Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J.,designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and privatenetworks,communications systems and software, data networking systems, businesstelephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Labs is theresearchand development arm for the company. For more information on LucentTechnologies, visit the company’s web site at www.lucent.com.

Firstly working on Trent Reznors new disk, then a summer tour with Smashing Pumpkins.( Did you catch Pumpkins bass-Miss wearing Dame Dorsey style devils horns at the Bilbao show in Spain Recently?) Most recently Mike was asked by Marilyn Manson to do the tour duty. They invited him over to talk at their recording studio in LA. It seems Mike walked into the studio green-room to find the band hunched around a tv monitor watching, would you believe, the Ziggy Stardust Farewell Concert.Mike made his apologies and explained that he’s pretty tied up with the Pumpkins at the moment and then an album he’s planning to have produced with Davids help and bid his farewells. Must say, a unique cover of Golden Years from the new Bad Boy. How does David feel about the young-bloods queing to work with his band. “I’m very supportive of their eagerness to soak up every experience they can. When I’m offered an interesting working situation, I generally jump at it. I would expect my friends to do the same. Anyhow, Nin, the Pumpkins and ourselves get on really well. They’re all good people.”

Bowie and Tony Visconti have rekindled their working relationship after a hiatus of over 15 years. They have just completed work on two tracks, each for separate projects. We can reveal that one of the songs is a cover of John Lennon’s ‘Mother’. This is Bowie’s contribution to the John Lennon Tribute album. The basic track was cut in Bermuda with island born Andy Newmark on drums and Reevz Gabrels on guitar. Several instruments were re-recorded and the mix completed in New York. Visconti also contributes some nifty back-up vocals. This will also be the first time that Newmark has worked with Bowie since recording the ‘Young Americans’ album in 1974. The Lennon project is slated for release on Capitol Records in late 1999. Details on the second song are due anytime now.