Month: November 2004

My friends talk, Of glory, untold dream…

If you’ve somehow managed to avoid the result of Thursday’s UK Music Hall of Fame ceremony and are still blissfully unaware of who won what, and indeed, you are looking forward to tomorrow night’s presentation on Channel 4, then don’t read on.

But, if you’ve been awake for the last couple of days, you’ll know from my previous posts on this subject, (10.24.2004 REMINDER: VOTE FOR DB IN TONIGHT’S UK MUSIC HALL OF FAME) that the results were no big surprise to me.

As you know, the public has chosen one act to represent each decade since the Fifties as part of the new Channel 4 show. And in their wisdom, they decided that Robbie Williams best represents the 1990’s, Michael Jackson the 1980’s, Queen the 1970’s, The Rolling Stones the 1960’s and Sir Cliff Richard has been chosen as the best thing to have happened in the 1950’s.

I’m not going to bother expressing my feelings about the results, suffice to say, if the public chose Cliff Richard over Little Richard, then it’s no wonder they chose Queen over Bowie. If they don’t get it by now, then I guess they never will… Ho hum.

Anyway, for those of you that missed the original 70s programme, David was represented with a convincing enough argument via the enthusiasm of a dozen or so musicians, journalists and associates flying the Bowie flag. They were: David Buckley, Siobahn Fahey, Guy Garvey, Mick Hucknall, Beverley Knight, Mick Rock, Nile Rogers, Paul Rutherford, Charles Shaar Murray, Tony Visconti, Toyah Willcox and Pete Wylie.

BowieNetter Susans has kindly produced a page that collects the quotes from the various pro-Bowie contributors, and it’s all good stuff. You can reach the page she made by clicking on the image above.

I’ll leave you with a quote from the unlikeliest of Bowie champions, Mick Hucknall: “You can take the image away and there is still a huge amount of substance within the music and that ultimately I think is the biggest complement. It is not style over substance, it is actually the substance over style…and the style was phenomenal. Check that out.”

Wise words indeed, Mr Hucknall.

Who will love Aladdin Sane? (About 20 per cent of you so far)

Regular visitors to the message boards have no doubt already taken part in this, but the vast majority of BowieNet members have yet to.

It’s easy to do, just click on the weird droplet in Mr Sane‘s collarbone hollow in the picture above, (Tears? Cosmic liquid? Lemonade?) and choose your favourite album cover. It couldn’t be simpler.

From the fifty albums listed, this is how the top ten stands right now:

Aladdin Sane (1973) (20%)
Low (1977) (10%)
Diamond Dogs (1974) (9%)
Scary Monsters and Super Creeps (1980) (9%)
“Heroes” (1977) (7%)
Heathen (2002) (6%)
Hunky Dory (1971) (5%)
Earthling (1997) (5%)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) (3%)
Young Americans (1975) (3%)

(Others = 23%)

Please give it a go folx, it only takes about ten seconds of your time. If your favourite sleeve isn’t listed on the poll page, mail me with details and I’ll register a vote for it.

OK, time for the answers to, and the winners of, the contest for David Buckley‘s book: David Bowie – The Complete Guide To His Music that we set last week. (11.05.2004 NEWS: WIN DB’s GUIDE TO THE MUSIC OF DB)

Firstly, here are the answers to the five Roxy Music related questions:

Q1 – In June 1972, Roxy Music supported David Bowie for the first time where and when?
Croydon Greyhound, Park Lane, Croydon. June 25th 1972. (See above) David remembers this particular show for being the very first time he met Brian Eno, whom, the young Ziggy observed: “was dressed even more glamorously than I was.”!

Q2 – David Bowie recorded which Roxy Music song and what two official albums did it appear on?
If There Is Something appeared on Tin Machine II (1991) and Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby (1992)

Q3 – A former Roxy Music member has worked on four David Bowie studio albums. Name the albums and the man.
Brian Eno worked on Low, “Heroes”, Lodger and 1. Outside.

Q4 – Aforementioned former Roxy Music member thanked David on one of his own solo albums. Name the album.
Here’s an excerpt from Brian Eno’s notes on the back cover of his 1977 solo album, Before and after Science:

Special thanks are due to Achim Roedelius and Möbi Moebius (“Cluster”) for their advice and encouragement in Cologne, and to Robert Fripp and David Bowie for the same in Berlin.

Q5 – In August 1972, Roxy Music supported David Bowie for his Ziggy Stardust presentation at which famous London venue?
The Rainbow (See above)

I received few wrong answers for this one. However, TRG? spewed out but five BowieNet names, and here they alphabetically are:

fallingsky888
maud_novembre
peter9
spacehogg
yari

Those of you yet to supply your address won’t get your prize as quickly as those that already did… so…chop, chop!

Looking For Water…

Wes Anderson‘s upcoming comedy, The Life Aquatic, (which we first pointed you at the original online trailer of yonks ago) features a few David Bowie songs on the soundtrack.

There are whispers from our BowieNet spy in the field, (who has already seen a screening) that there are some interesting foreign language covers (Spanish/Portuguese?) by one of the actors in the film, Seu Jorge. We think that was him in the original trailer performing the acoustic guitar riff of Starman.

You can view the latest trailers (which also include snippets of the original Bowie songs, Queen Bitch, Starman and Rebel Rebel) on the revamped site by clicking on the image above. Have a good look around, as the site is still under construction, with new stuff being added all the time.

The Life Aquatic will be released in Los Angeles and New York theatres on December 10th and it will go nationwide in the US on Christmas Day. I’ll keep you updated with other territory release dates and any more information on Bowie songs used in the film, and, indeed, on the soundtrack album, as the information becomes available.

The film, which includes an impressive cast of Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Robyn Cohen, Bud Cort, Michael Gambon, Jeff Goldblum, Seu Jorge, Noah Taylor and Pawel Wdowczak, is also being advertised in cinemas now.

Calling out around the world…

Released on Monday November 8th throughout Europe, the Live Aid 4-DVD set that we told you about back in August, (08/26/04 NEWS: LIVE AID 4-DVD SET DUE FOR NOVEMBER) has been put back a week to November 16th in America.

As you know, David’s performance included TVC15, Rebel Rebel, Modern Love and “Heroes”, all to be included in this set, as is the Band Aid UK Finale of Do They Know It?s Christmas? and the exclusive Live Aid Bowie & Jagger Dancing In The Street video.

If you don’t already have the DVD, you can view the full tracklisting by clicking on the image above.

At last a picture on the wall…

The official 2005 David Bowie calendar featuring the work of Mick Rock is now finally ready and being despatched over the coming week…at least the unsigned ones are.

For obvious reasons, the version signed by both David and Mick is taking a little longer.

I’ll let you know as soon as I have an update on the progress of these and when the 110 lucky BowieNetters and five competition winners can expect their calendars.

Fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame, fame… (etc.)

Next week sees the release of the 39-track double CD: UK MUSIC HALL OF FAME. You may have already seen the ad on Channel 4 which slowly scans across a montage of artists featured on the programme, and which includes a snippet from the Mick Rock video of the track.

As I told you a couple of weeks back, (10.24.2004 REMINDER: VOTE FOR DB IN TONIGHT’S UK MUSIC HALL OF FAME) DB is one of the artists shortlisted for the 70s nominees and he is represented on this compilation by the Hunky Dory classic: Life On Mars?

A finale show will be staged at the Hackney Empire in London, when all the winners will receive their inauguration into the UK Music Hall of Fame, during a ceremony which will be shown on Channel 4 on November 14 2004.

I’m saying no more than that as I’m still sulking with the programme makers for not automatically including David Bowie among the handful of founding members. Madonna? U2? Where would they be without David Bowie? Grumble, grumble, etc.

Oh Lord, the things she said…

Did you miss last week’s Gail Ann Dorsey chat? Well, don’t fret, you can read the whole thing in the BowieNet chat section now.

I’ve had a few e-mails from people asking about the “red dress” that Gail refers to in the chat. It’s the very same feathery thing she wore for last year’s Dublin shows, as seen on the David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD. Gail was right, I do look amazing in it…at least I do in the replica I knocked up this afternoon.

Go here to get to the chat section. Alternatively click on Gail’s mouse in the picture above.

If you’re in Europe don’t forget to check out Gail’s solo performances when she guests on the Ani DiFranco tour at a venue near you. View all nine of the dates here. See you at The Barbican on Sunday if you’re going.

Takes me right back…

Ever been on your way to a Bowie quiz night and not had room to pack Nick Pegg‘s excellent and exhaustive, yet weighty and cumbersome, 640-paged: The Complete David Bowie?

Well, now help is at hand with that other DB, David Buckley‘s handy pocket-sized: David Bowie – The Complete Guide To His Music. Here’s what it says about the 160-paged little beauty on the conveniently dimensioned 180mm x 110mm (That’s approx 7″ x 4.3″ for the imperielists among you) back cover:

The indispensable consumers’ guide to the music of David Bowie.

An album by album, track by track, examination of every song released by Bowie from his early work, through the Ziggy Stardust era, the Eno/Berlin trilogy, Tin Machine, right up to Heathen and Reality.

Features include:

* An album by album, track by track analysis
* Information on when and where the music was recorded
* Details of reissues and all the compilation albums
* Special section on DVDs and videos
* A track index for easy reference
* Sixteen page colour section

The book has existed in even smaller editions before now, but this latest update brings this ideal reference bang up to date. Guaranteed to break the ice at parties, we have five copies of David Bowie – David Bowie – The Complete Guide To His Music to give-away to a similar amount of BowieNetters, courtesy of Omnibus Press.

Mr Buckley has been a busy boy of late, his most recent publication is the excellent Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music: The Thrill Of It All. Naturally, our man Bowie is mentioned throughout, so I thought I’d give you a couple of simple Bowie/Roxy questions to keep some sort of theme going while blatantly plugging Mr Buckley’s latest product that he sent me a free copy of!

Q1 – In June 1972, Roxy Music supported David Bowie for the first time where and when?

Q2 – David Bowie recorded which Roxy Music song and what two official albums did it appear on?

Q3 – A former Roxy Music member has worked on four David Bowie studio albums. Name the albums and the man.

Q4 – Aforementioned former Roxy Music member thanked David on one of his own solo albums. Name the album.

Q5 – In August 1972, Roxy Music supported David Bowie for his Ziggy Stardust presentation at which famous London venue?

There ya go… not too hard I hope.

I’m going to run this competition until midnight on Tuesday UK time so that any UK winners may get a copy in time to swot up for the London party on November 13th.

Send your five answers to me at TotalBlamBlam@davidbowie.com with a subject line of “Bowie/Roxy”. If you’re a winner, you may get your prize sooner if you supply your postal name and address in your entry.

Usual rules apply, only one entry per member…must send from BowieNet account or supply user name, etc. Blah, blah, blah.

It’s an invitation across the nation…

The Reality DualDisc we first told you about last year (10.26.2003 NEWS: REALITY TOUR EDITION BONUS DISC AND US 5:1 HYBRID DISC) has now received a nation-wide release in the US, a week later than our original projected release date of October 26th. (08.18.04 NEWS: REALITY DUAL DISC GETS NATION-WIDE RELEASE IN USA)

Initially limited to a Seattle and Boston release only, dealers made a quick buck selling over-priced copies on eBay to the rest of the world. This week’s release seems to have killed those particular auctions dead, now that the disc is available at all the usual online stores for as little as $14.99.

Those of you that already have this DualDisc will know that it contains the full Reality album in normal stereo on the CD side and a 5.1 multichannel surround mix by Tony Visconti (which he talked about in that original news item) on the DVD side. The DVD side also contains the full-length version of Steven Lippman‘s excellent Reality film.

You can view a wonderfully stylish trailer for the film on Steven’s site by clicking on the image above. Once you enter the site, go to MUSIC SHORT FILMS, and the David Bowie REALITY section.

Steven had this to say about the recent Reality screenings: “The Woodstock Film Festival screenings went very well. Audience reaction was great — if not a bit shaken (which was great.) Peter Gabriel was in attendance (repping one of the other films on the bill) and I know he was quite impressed.”

Go get it, kidz.