David Bowie

5,000 downloads within first hours of September 11 launch

Two different versions of the song also to be unveiled exclusively onofficial David Bowie website, the first on September 18, the other onSeptember 25, both at 11:00 PM EST

Bowie impostor conference on Compuserve a huge success, but who is the realDavid Bowie?

“I often plunge myself into the deep end of asituation just to see whathappens,” said DAVID BOWIE to his fans on the night of September 11. It’s aquote that summed up the extraordinary Internet event which tookplace at the singer’s official web site,http//:www.davidbowie.com.

That’s where BOWIE–in an unprecedented move–exclusively released his newlyrecorded song “Telling Lies” on the net. This hybrid of rock and undergrounddance rhythms remixed by A Guy Called Gerald isn’t available in any store ordistributed to any radio station in North America. In the first four days ofits Internet release, there were more than 46,000 downloads of thetrack–over 10,000 per day–which means the website’s server is running at over 300,000 hits per day for the last sevendays.

Two completely different versions of the song (the first is the “Feelgood”jungle mix by David Bowie and Mark Plati, while the second was mixed by danceguru Adam F.) will also be made available to fans exclusively via theInternet on September 18 and September 25 respectively, both at 11:00 pm ET.

This Wednesday’s release will also premier Progressive Network’s new 3.0Real Audio player, which means the sound quality of the streamed audio willbe superior to anything heard so far. All three versions will be availablein this new, improved format and also Macromedia’s Shockwave Audio, plus adownloadable CD-Quality stereo file. (Note: “Telling Lies” will be releasedcommerically on vinyl and CD in the U.K. by RCA in November and BMGEntertainment International will also make it commerically available to allits other territories later this year.)

For the September 11 launch, BOWIE was joined at a secret New York Citylocation by two imposters: BOWIE guitarist Reeves Gabrels and Patrick Briggs,outrageous frontman for Psychotica, the BOWIE-influenced group who werefeatured on the main stage of this summer’s Lollapalooza tour.

The unique online conference was picked up by TV news across the country.

It featured the three DAVID BOWIEs, two in disguise (and both telling lies). The conference was simultaneously held in CompuServe’s Convention Center andon the World Wide Web. Each disguised and silhouetted “BOWIE” answeredquestions from the fans and those users in the Convention Center voted forwhom they believed to be the real BOWIE.

Here’s a sample question (the real DAVID BOWIE will be revealed at the endof this press release): “What are the contents of your wallet now?”

DAVID #1: “Because I’m an Englishman, I don’t have a wallet. I just have a room key.”

DAVID #2: “American Express, platinum card, three condoms and two hundreddollars.”

DAVID #3: “Passport, a driver’s license and no money.”

Another question: “What is the reason you chose to do these four ballroomshows?”–an inquiry about BOWIE’s recent sold-out East Coast weekend shows,which he scheduled for fun while recording his new album in New York forrelease through Virgin Records America in early ’97, titled Earthlings.

DAVID #1: “‘Cause they’re all within driving distance of New York so wecan drive back and get into the studio.”

DAVID #2: “Well, I’ve always liked ballrooms. I’ve always liked FredAstaire. I figured this is one way to see those places I always wanted tosee as a child.”

DAVID #3: “Well, I quite like the intimacy of a small room as most artistsdo.”

The answers were often hilarious, the results usually unpredictable. Eventhough the real DAVID BOWIE told the truth in every answer, fans actuallyplaced him last in their vote behind their first (Briggs) and second(Gabrels) choices. True lies indeed!

At the end of the guessing-game interview, the lights were switched on andthe real BOWIE then took questions about everything from the different mixesof “Telling Lies” (the singer revealed that yet another– a fourth–mix mightbe included on the forthcoming album Earthlings), to the secret behind, asone fan asked, his “longevity in a business that burns up talent so quickly. Replied BOWIE: “Strong willpower and a good pair of socks.”

Internet users on the World Wide Web who wanted something more than justreading text, asking questions and seeing the event’s live transcript coulddownload enhanced CU-SeeMe software and witness the audiovisuals of the eventin color. This works like standard teleconferencing equipment except that itruns over the Internet and works even at modem speeds of 28.8. The entireevent is now being rebroadcast 24-hours-a-day on CompuServe’s BOWIE pages(http://www.compuserve.com/bowie).Like demand for BOWIE’s new track,accesses for the conference have maintained the same high levels, even fivedays after the original September 11 launch.

Note: As for the identities of the three DAVID BOWIEs, they are as follows:the real DAVID BOWIE (#1), Reeves Gabrels (#2), and Patrick Briggs (#3).

Extraordinary cyberconference to be held on CompuServe September 11at 10PM EST.

August 26, 1996 — In an unprecedented move, DAVID BOWIE andVirgin Records willbe releasing his recently recorded song “Telling Lies” exclusively on theInternet through the official David Bowie web site,http://www.davidbowie.com, beginning Wednesday, September 11 at 10 PM(Eastern).

Not available in any store or distributed to any radio station, fans willbe able to access “Telling Lies” from the official David Bowie web sitevia Progressive Networks’ live streaming RealAudio, Macromedia’s Shockwave,or as a downloadable CD quality stereo file.

To launch “Telling Lies,” Bowie will host an extraordinary cyberconference inCompuserve’s Convention Center and on the web athttp://www.compuserve.com/bowie. The event will feature Bowie, plus twoimposters and a chat whereby users can ask questions, as well as vote onwhich Bowie answer is the real David Bowie answer (the other two will be”telling lies”). Because of the anticipated high demand, the entireevent will be rebroadcast for those users who are unable to attend theinitial launch.

“Telling Lies” was originally recorded in New York and premiered liveat European festivals this summer. With the song, Bowie continues to breaknew musical ground, yet at the same time the song remains unmistakablyand quintessentially Bowie. A distorted vocal haunts a dark, broodingbacking track and deep bassline, with the flanged drum arrangement addingto the overall psychedelic effect. There will be three mixes of “TellingLies” released on the Internet, including Bowie’s “Feelgood” jungle mix,the “Paradox Mix” from A Guy Called Gerald, and the “Adam F” mix.

According to Bowie, “My first working encounter with the Internetwas at the beginning of the ‘Outside’ tour in Boston. It produced agreat response, so I am only happy to take the whole thing to anotherlevel and actually release a song on the Web.”

Nancy Berry, Executive Vice President of Virgin Records, Worldwide,states, “It is only natural that our first Internet release should comefrom an artist as cutting-edge and influential as David Bowie. Virginis always looking for exciting and innovative ways of promoting our artistsand getting music to listeners. So clearly, we’re keen to explore thepotential of the World Wide Web.”

The details of the online conference are as follows: As questionsare asked by those attending, Bowie will answer truthfully, while thetwo imposters will be “telling lies.” Users will then be able to votefor who they think the real David Bowie is after each answer. Users willbe able to email their questions a full week in advance of the event, aswell as ask their questions live. The conference will also featurelive images of Bowie from hisrecent Phoenix Festival performance, plus stillsfrom the film Basquiat(Where Bowie executes his criticallyacclaimed impersonation of Andy Warhol) and other Bowie visuals. “TellingLies” will be released immediately upon conclusion of Bowie’s on-lineconference.

This international Internet event will take place in-between Bowie’smuch-anticipated four east coast sold-out ballroom shows, which he’sscheduled for fun on weekends while continuing to record his next album.

Barry Gutman, Music Wire

On his 1971 album, Hunky Dory, David Bowie sang about theAndy Warhol of the ’60s/early ’70s. And now, in 1996, he plays theAndy Warhol of the ’80s in the new film, Basquiat, which is nowplaying in selected markets across the United States.



From left to right: Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie,Gary Oldman and Dennis Hopper in Julian Schnabel’s BASQUIAT.Photo by Eric Liebowitz.

The film tells the story of young New York painter Jean-MichelBasquiat (well-played by newcomer Jeffrey Wright), a strugglingGraffiti poet and half-hearted “new-wave” rock musician who eventuallyacquired wealth and fame as a painter after coming to the attention of poet/critic Rene Ricard (sensitively portrayed by MichaelWincott). But first, Basquiat experienced a harbinger of what was tocome when he interested Warhol in some quickly knocked-off “junk art.”In this, his first scene in the film, Bowie establishes hischaracterization of Warhol as an enigmatic, prissy whiner whose affectationoften made it hard for others to guage the sincerity of his passion andfriendship.



Dennis Hopper (l) and David Bowie (r) in Julian Schnabel’sBASQUIAT. Photo by Eric Liebowitz.

Bowie is far more visible in the film’s second half, as Warhol councils,collaborates with and, perhaps, exploits the now-hot Basquiat. AlthoughWarhol shows concern for his colleague’s deteriorating health — Basquiateventually died of a heroin overdose — the film raises the question ofwhether Warhol actually betrayed Basquiat by telling anewspaper reporter that he considered the younger artist his “mascot.” This alleged remark — the accuracy of which remained unresolved at thetime of Warhol’s own death, which predated Basquiat’s — ended thefriendship and accelerated Basquiat’s downward spiral, which was alsofueled by the latter’s own, unambiguous selfishness, insensitivity andlack of loyalty to his friends and lover. The mix of subtle affectionand aloofness with which Bowie embodies Warhol underscores the mystery ofthe man’s true character.



Jeffrey Wright as Jean Michel Basquiat (l) and David Bowieas Andy Warhol (r) in Julian Schnabel’s BASQUIAT. Photo by EricLiebowitz.

Bowie’s is not the only rock presence in the film. Courtney Love,infamous leader of Hole and widow of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, has abrief role as a sexual distraction who drives a wedge between Basquiat andhis fiancee (portrayed by the lovely Claire Forlani).

Bowie also contributes “A Small Plot of Land” to the film’s soundtrack,which was overseen in part by John Cale, a former member of the Velvet Underground, which enjoyed Warhol’s patronage during the ’60s.Cale himself sings Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” over the film’s closingcredits and on the Basquiat: Original Soundtrack (Island) album.Among other artists on the soundtrack are Public Image Ltd., Them(featuring the young Van Morrison), Toadies, PJ Harvey, Tripping Daisy, Joy Division, Tom Waits, and the Pogues.

Bowie to perform four special ballroom shows on East Coast ontwo consecutive weekends in September, on a break from recordinghis new album. He’s also garnering rave reviews for his Warholportrayal in the Miramax film Basquiat

August 9, 1996 — Taking weekends off from recording his nextVirgin album in New York, David Bowie will perform four special ballroomshows over two consecutive weekends in September on the east coast.The cities, dates, and venues are as follows:

• 6 Sept 1996 Philadelphia, PA, The Electric Factory
  (Tickets on sale 9 Aug)
• 7 Sept 1996 Washington, DC, Capitol Ballroom
  (Tickets on sale 17 Aug)
• 13 Sept 1996 Boston, MA, Avalon Ballroom
  (Tickets on sale 17 Aug)
• 14 Sept 1996 New York, NY, Roseland Ballroom
  (Tickets on sale 23 Aug)

After touring around the world for nearly a year and headliningfestival dates in front of 30,000 to 90,000 fans, Bowie wanted toperform several gigs — on the weekend and within driving distance from his current New York activities — in a more intimate setting.And if his recent overseas shows are any indication, the Bowie setlist will be wildly eclectic, including songs he’s rarely — or neverbefore — performed live. Songs performed in Europe, the U.K., Russia,Israel and Japan included “Aladdin Sane,” “MoonageDaydream,” &quotAll The Young Dudes” (originally written byBowie for Mott The Hoople) and “Under Pressure,” inaddition to covers of the Drifters gem “On Broadway” (mixingin Tin Machine’s “Baby Universal” along the way), The VelvetUnderground’s “White Light White Heat” and Iggy Pop’s classic”Lust For Life,” which Bowie co-wrote.

Presently, Bowie is earning rave notices for his portrayal of AndyWarhol in the Miramax film Basquiat about the late New Yorkpainter Jean Michel Basquiat. Of Bowie’s performance,Daily Variety enthused, “…probably best of all,David Bowie in a brilliant Andy Warhol impersonation,” whileThe Hollywood Reporter noted: ” Bowie, (Benicio)Del Toro and (Michael) Wincott are all superb.” In fact, writerand long time Warhol associate Bob Colacello told USA Todayafter the 7/31 New York premiere: Bowie’s Warhol is “so much likeAndy it was scary.” For his part, Bowie said, “I’d met himenough times so I kind of knew what (Warhol’s) body language was andlittle idiosyncrasies of how he talked. But I don’t really act, I doimpersonations, so it was my impersonation of Andy.”

David Bowie has announced plans to continuehis critically acclaimed “Outside” world tourwhich began in the U.S. last September. Bowie will perform a seriesof headlining dates at most of the major summerfestivals in Europe (including Bowie‘s only U.K. performancethis summer at the Phoenix Festival on July 21 in StratfordUpon Avon), as well as concerts in Japan and Russia — where he willheadline the first night of the fifth annual “White Nights InternationalCultural Festival” in St. Petersburg on June 15. This two-day outdoorevent, designed to encourage young voters to participate in Russia’ssecond free presidential election, is expected to draw 250,000 people,making it the largest music and cultural event in Eastern Europe.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., fans can see Bowie on the big screenportraying Andy Warhol in the Miramax filmBasquiat,due out in August. Currently, Bowie is in the studio working onnew material.

Music fans can look forward to a very special DavidBowie performance on “The Brit Awards” (the U.K. equivalent of theGrammys) airing Saturday, April 6 on ABC-TV from 11:30 PM to 1:00 AM.Not only does Bowie play two classic songs with his band, “UnderPressure” (featuring the extraordinary vocals of Gail Ann Dorsey) andZiggy Stardust’s “Moonage Daydream,” but he will first appear onstage withThe Pet Shop Boysto perform a revamped version of his Top 20 Europeanhit”Hallo Spaceboy.” This version, which featuresvocals from Neil Tennant, plus a remix from Ball and Vauk (ofThe Grid), will now bereleased to dance clubs in the U.S. on April 12.

On the touring front,Bowie will continue his “Outside” tour this summer at open-air festival datesin England and Europe, plus performances in Israel, Iceland, Japanand Russia.

Joseph Lee Alviar, 19 year old art student at theUniversity of Santo Tomas, Philippines was elected as the winner of theinternational “Outside” art competition sponsored by BMG EntertainmentInternational.

The decision was reached on February 20th in Paris with David Bowie,Austrian actionist Hermann Nitsch and Christoph Ruecker, VP InternationalMarketing, BMG Entertainment International as the final jurors. The 11pieces of art from the winners of the various participating territorieswere exhibited at the gallery “Le monde de l’art” in Paris, with mostof the artists in attendance.

The event took place one day after David Bowie performed live andaccepted a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual “Brits” awards inLondon, and coincided with the last date of the European leg of the”Outside” world tour.

Given the outstanding quality of all submitted art pieces, it wastough to decide on only one winner. The winning 20″ x 30″ color paintingtitled “Destruction of Man” was picked based on its formal integrity,pictorial intensity, and of course, on the connection with the contentsof David Bowie’s latest album “Outside.”

The young artist himself, who, unfortunately was not present in Paris,had described the painting as follows: “The art piece represents the goreof the album’s contents, death and the destruction of man. The crimeartist creeps into the inside of his medium, or can we say victim!? By theuse of tubes and syringes he extracts life and replaces it with death.With no remorse seen in his eyes, just the excitement of seeing painand suffering. The new generation of artists acts like gods, not becausethey create but they destroy.”

In his presentation speech David Bowie acknowledged that the workssubmitted “are absolutely extraordinary”, and admitted that “…it wasvery, very hard to come to a decision. But both Hermann and I came to thesame choice, which is extremely fortunate.”

Special mention and credit was also given to the art pieces by thewinners from South Africa (Elli Garb), Japan (Yasuharu Yoshizaki) andthe UK (Charlotte Baker-Wilbraham).The paintings and sculptures of all eleven finalists are currently ontheir way to New York where thay will be exhibited in front of mediaand interested gallery owners in the near future.

Directed by Julien Temple for Nitrate Filus Limlted
Screen play by Terry Johnson
Conceived by David Bowie

‘What we’re doing here is bringing back the talkies” – David Bowie – 9th August 1984

In Jazzin’ For Blue Jean, David Bowie, Julien Temple and Terry Johnson breathe new life into the concept of the short feature. Nominally a promotional video for Bowie’s forthcoming single ‘Blue Jean’, it is an uncompromising rejection of just about every aspect of the standard approach to selling pop by the yard. Rather than add to the profusion of hi-tech, mock-surreal pop videos prevalent in the ‘8Os, Bowie, Temple and Johnson have drawn their inspiration from the classic short features of the 1950s.

Running for 22 minutes, it features Bowie’s song as little more than a set-piece background to the action. Its principal focus is the saga of Vic (David Bowie) a young hopeful with two left feet whose only means of enticing the girl of his dreams (Louise Scott) to go out with him is to pretend that he can introduce her to rock star Screamin’ Lord Byron (David Bowie), the last word in dazzling and mysterious glam- rock legends.

Jazzin’ For Blue Jean follows the hapless Vic through his fumbling attempts to choose an outfit for a night on the town to gain admittance to the club where the star is performing and to crash (literally!) into the Great Man’s dressing-room to plead with Screamin’ to help him win his beloved’s admiration (or even a single civil word).

Despite enough rejections to keep the average loser depressed for a month Vic reaches his goal: he and his dreamboat are seated at one of the finest tables in the house, champagne is served and Screamin’ Lord Byron does his act. Finally, the club is empty and just as even the unsinkable Vic is about to lose hope (and his hard-hearted companion), there is a stir backstage. The star emerges, painted and powdered and clad in all his finery, and makes straight for their table

In his dual role, Bowie scores two memorable direct hits. As Vic, he creates a characterisation which is a perfect embodiment of the classic Little Man of the early cinema reincarnated in ‘8Os London, and as Screamin’ Lord Byron flamboyant and magnetic on stage but a cowering wreck in his dressing room – he wickedly and memorably satirises both his own past and the fantasies and illusions which have been created around him. In his previous acting roles (in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Hunger, The Man Who Fell To Earth and his celebrated Broadway run in The Elephant Man) Bowie demonstrated a formidable gift for depicting characters who were superhuman, supernatural, alien or apart in same way from the normal run of humanity. As Vic, he displays an un-suspected gift for comedy, and a ready eye and ear for the comic aspects of the minutae of daily life.

Bowie’s collaborator in this precedent-breaking venture is Julien Temple, the 30-year-old director who upset the conventional notions of the rock movie with The Sex Pistols’ feature The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle (1979) and who commences shooting next year on the eagerly-awaited adaptation of Colin Maclnnes’ crucial novel of British youth in the ’50s Absolute Beginners. He has also worked extensively in television, and established himself as the most acute and innovative director of pop promos in Britain, working with artists such as The Rolling Stones, Culture Club, The Kinks and ABC, for whom he created the feature-length special Mantrap.