Month: February 2003

So I’ve been writing just for you…

David has posted a short but charmingly sweet journal entry today, one that gives us an insight into the way the new songs are taking shape. Much more I can not say. Click here or on the image above to take you to his latest instalment.

On his 56th birthday, told her that he’d found a chum…

Many happy returns of the day to George Underwood on his 56th birthday. Just one month younger than his life-long pal, Glam Rock star David Bowie, George is infamous for being the chap that bopped our David in the eye in a playground battering that changed David’s appearance forever, and gave him his unique trademark.

He’s also well known among Bowie fans for many other contributions, not least of all his work on the sleeves for the original David Bowie album (Space Oddity), Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust and for the creation of the Ziggy cartoons, immortalised forever in his recent Ziggy Collection set of enamel badges.

Happy birthday George, and best wishes from everybody here at BowieNet, fans and staff alike… and even from that geezer who tried it on with your bird all those years ago.

Talking through the gloom…

David and Iman attended the amfAR awards on Monday evening at Cipriani in New York. Richard Gere was a guest speaker at the event, and he impressed David enough to write a journal entry. Click here or on the image above to take you there.

It’s happening now, Not tomorrow…

The Uncut magazine special focusing on the Ziggy/Aladdin Sane era that we told you about last month, (01/09/03 NEWS: UNCUT ZIGGY SPECIAL CD TRACKLISTING) has slipped out a day earlier than advertised. Not that anyone is complaining of course.

The 21-page special includes a free 18-track CD of Bowie cover versions that has changed slightly from the provisional listing we gave you last month. But more of that in a moment.

Apart from the 21-page feature that starts on page 42, a beautiful Sukita portrait of Ziggy graces the front cover (see above) and there are other Bowie-related items inside. They are:

Page 3 – A half-page Sukita pic on the contents page.

Pages 8-9 – A track-by-track breakdown of the cover-mounted CD.

Page 11 – A full page feature on Mick Rock’s Moonage Daydream book.

Page 86 – 4-page Lou Reed feature/interview that includes a shot of David and Lou onstage at the RFH in 1972.

Page 144 – The Best of Bowie DVD is one of the nine recommended DVDs and videos released in the last three months.

Page 162 – Uncut Editor, Allan Jones, revisits a Melody Maker article he wrote in 1976, regarding Bowie look-a-like fans who had converged on Wembley Empire Pool for a string of dates by The Thin White Duke.

The Ziggy feature is jam-packed with great period shots, many of which appear in Moonage Daydream, but there are plenty of others too that many of you may not have seen. The piece is written by Chris Roberts, and includes contributions from many eye-witnesses around at the time, all of whom are more than qualified to have a some sort of say.

Recollections via new and archive interviews come from fans and associates alike, including: DA Pennebaker, Tony Visconti, (you’re going to love their commentary on the Ziggy Motion Picture soundtrack DVD btw) Ken Scott, Mick Rock, Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey, Trevor Bolder, Iggy Pop, Ian Hunter, Ian McCulloch, Boy George, Allan Jones, Ian Macdonald, a couple I’ve probably missed, and, of course, David himself.

For a magazine feature, it’s remarkably thorough and very entertaining stuff, and it only serves to show the enduring legend that was Ziggy Stardust, is bigger now than ever it was.

The piece ends with the news that the 30th anniversary reissue of Aladdin Sane is scheduled for a May release through EMI. This is a bit of a leak, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag now… We’ll tell you a bit more about this release, and some other Ziggy related stuff on the horizon shortly.

Now, onto that cover-mounted tribute CD of David Bowie songs, STARMAN. The line-up has changed slightly, with three tracks being dropped, (Duran Duran: Diamond Dogs – Six by Seven: “Helden” – Billy Mackenzie: The Secret Life Of Arabia) and four others being added (highlighted in red). Here’s the final tracklisting:

01. Ian McCulloch: The Prettiest Star (exclusive to Uncut)
02. Culture Club: Starman
03. Guy Chadwick: Fall In Love With Me
04. Edwyn Collins: The Gospel According To Tony Day (exclusive to Uncut)
05. The Divine Comedy: Life On Mars?
06. Alejandro Escovedo: All The Young Dudes (exclusive to Uncut)
07. Midge Ure: The Man Who Sold The World
08. Associates: Boys Keep Swinging
09. Big Country: Cracked Actor
10. Peter Murphy: Funtime
11.The Polecats: John, I’m Only Dancing
12. Blondie (with Robert Fripp): “Heroes”
13. Sigue Sigue Sputnik: Rebel Rebel
14. Duran Duran: Fame
15. The Gourds: Ziggy Stardust
16. The Langley Schools Music Project: Space Oddity
17. Christian Death: Panic In Detroit
18. Black Box Recorder: Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide

The CD contains an extra unlisted track that heralds the surprise return of an old friend… More than that I will not tell you. If this has whetted your appetite, then I suggest you go and snap up a copy fast. I can tell you from bitter experience that these tribute editions sell very quickly.

I’ll give you television… (eventually)

A little bit embarrassing this one. “…likely to be nearer mid February than the rumoured date of the 8th or 9th” we said earlier last month… or more accurately I said. (01/10/03 NEWS: BERLIN SAT1 BROADCAST DATE TO BE CONFIRMED)

Well, as you all know (and indeed you think you have known all along) 90 minutes of David’s performance from September last year is to be broadcast this Saturday the 8th from midnight on the German satellite channel, Sat 1.

In my own defence, I have to say the date hopped around like a one legged man on a hot plate. A source close to DB said yesterday: “It was originally the 8th which then moved to the 14th, then to the 15th…and then it was finally back to the 8th. It’s now been signed off and WILL go ahead on the 8th. If you ask me, this date has hopped around like a one legged man on a hot plate!” Couldn’t have put it better myself.

So, there ya go you lucky people… Anybody seen any of the preview ads yet?

You want more and you want ’em fast…

We posted this item on Saturday, but as so many of you were out gallivanting, or sitting in snow on a motorway somewhere, or just being plain lazy and sleeping for the day, we thought we’d post it again.

One thing we forgot to mention on Saturday is that the sale for these tickets closes on Friday. Anyway, here it is again:

BowieNet has been given a second and final allocation of tickets for the Tibet House Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on Friday, February 28th. This is in addition to the tickets that went on sale a couple of weeks back. (01/08/03 NEWS: BOWIENET ALLOCATION OF TIBET TICKETS ON SALE NOW) These tickets are better than any still available via Carnegie Hall directly, and they are on sale now.

Click on the image above to take you to the David Bowie Online Ticketing page. You will find all the instructions you need to order when you get there, but please be sure to read them carefully

Please remember if you are ordering internationally (outside of the USA) your tickets can not be shipped to you. Please use “USA” as the country field as this show is BOX OFFICE PICK-UP for all international orders. Also use NY in the State/Province/Region field even though you are obviously not in New York… Don’t worry, this method does work.

The final set of VIP tickets for the Tibet show sold for $1,575.00. Well done to the lucky winners of all five pairs of tickets, you’re in for a very special treat.

While we’re on the subject of BowieNet auctions on ebaY, stay tuned for some incredible pieces that will be going up over the coming weeks, including some completely bizarre and quite unique onstage props from the Outside tour.

I’ll say “Don’t ask me… “

Hot on the heels of his answer to BowieNetter Zarg’s SRV question last week, David has now answered questions from Irulan74 and Mego… and I understand there may be a few more to follow over the coming weeks.

So if you fancy a personal reply from David Bowie to that question that’s been nagging you for the last twenty five years, then click on the image above to take you to the forum where you just might one day get an answer.

We’re not promising that every question will get a reply, but one thing’s for certain, if you don’t ask…etc. This service is only available to fully signed-up BowieNetters.

Come to the show tonight…

Thought I’d repost this story as a reminder that tonight at Arlene Grocery is another classic Bowie album night with The Major Toms. Those of you that attended the New Year’s Eve bash last year (12/17/02 NEWS: BOWIE NIGHT ON NEW YEAR’S EVE AT ARLENE GROCERY) will know just how good a time is to be had at one of these classic album nights. For tonight’s performance, The Major Toms will perform the whole of the Ziggy Stardust album from start to finish.

Archive Performance
You can view a performance by the band from June 2000 courtesy of DCN (digital club network) by clicking here.

Live Webcast
If you can’t make it tonight, you can view a live webcast of the show here. Please note: This link will only work on or after 9:00pm (EST) tonight.

Free Drink
If however you do make it to the show proper, and you’re a BowieNetter, you will be rewarded with a free drink. To get on the free drink list send an email to owen@arlene-grocery.com with your full name and BowieNet username. include some text in the email stating that you would like to be put on the guest list for the Ziggy Album Night tonight and that you are a BowieNet Member.

Other Stuff
Here’s some other stuff you may want to know if you’re thinking of attending:

Cover charge is between $5-6.

Arlene Grocery is located at 95 Stanton Street, NY 10002 – PH (212) 358-1633 – (between Ludlow and Orchard, just one block South of Houston)

See yesterday’s news for a full breakdown of The Major Toms personnel.

Who to dance with on a Sunday night…

BowieNetter iamadj has posted on the boards that the recently released Metro remix of David Bowie’s Everyone Says ‘Hi’ has entered the current Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart (Issue Date:February 8, 2003) at number 44. Well done to DB and Brian Rawling for the creation of this great dancefloor hit.

After a little digging I have managed to locate a copy of this scarce 33 1/3 RPM vinyl only promo record. Released on ISO Records through Columbia as CAS 59068, here is the tracklisting of this instant collectors item:

A Side:
01 Everyone Says ‘Hi’ (Metro Remix) 7:21
02 Everyone Says ‘Hi’ (Metro Remix – Radio Edit) 3:43

B Side:
01 I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship (Deepsky’s Space Cowboy Remix) 7:52

I do love this mix of Everyone Says ‘Hi’, it’s a very up, feelgood version that almost makes me feel guilty considering David’s explanation of what the lyric is really about. Anyway, if you can’t find the vinyl, there are versions online that you can listen to if you can find ’em.

One of BowieNet’s very first BowieNetters, RaMOANa, has her own excellent online station, TransmissionTransition, which has been broadcasting the long version of Everyone Says ‘Hi’ on rotation, and Deepsky also have a stream of their ‘I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship’ remix on their own website.