Month: October 2014

10″ – Digital 

 

“He’s in the best-selling show”

 

Following Wednesday’s broadcast of the season premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show in the US (which featured Jessica Lange’s Character, Elsa Mars, singing Life On Mars), online interest in the original Bowie version has greatly increased.

In recognition of that fact, BuzzFeed had this to say; “Although it’s long since earned its status as a classic rock track, David Bowie’s 1973 single “Life on Mars?” – taken belatedly from his 1971 album, Hunky Dory – has suddenly received a boost in popularity thanks to its inclusion in the first episode of FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show.”

To this end the BuzzFeed team has posted an item proposing; 6 Things You May Not Have Known About David Bowie’s “Life On Mars?”. Read the full thing here.

If you’re not familiar with the Bowie original (really?), you can purchase it here, or taste it first on Spotify.

Jessica Lange’s version of Life On Mars? is also now available on iTunes.

 

“Garvey is a singer with a band”

 

For those that hadn’t made the connection, BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, Guy Garvey, has a little side project; a band for whom he is the quite brilliant frontman, Elbow.

And though we wish him the very best of luck with that venture, it’s his DJ hat that we concern ourselves with today.

As you well know, Guy has the exclusive scoop on the full length version of Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) between 14:00 and 16:00 on Sunday afternoon in the UK, on his BBC Radio 6 Music show; Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour.

And Guy himself seems rather pleased about that, as you can probably tell:

 

“I’m absolutely over the moon to have the exclusive on a David Bowie tune. 6 Music is about bringing focus to new music and archiving its earliest performances for the future as well as celebrating existing great music through the recordings left to us all by keepers of the flame past.  Given Bowie’s influence on all branches of contemporary music, this is a beautiful acknowledgement from one of rock’s greatest innovators of all the station stands for.

I regularly lose a button over how proud I am to be part of 6 Music. I’ve just lost three.”

 

Nice one Guy, you seem almost as excited as we are!

 

“Who knows how it could be, be tomorrow”

 

If you’re kicking your heels in Portland Oregon on Friday and you’re in the mood for a bit of Bowie-related art AND a Bowie party, then Friday is your lucky day.

At the Altar of a Starman: A Poster Art Tribute to Ziggy Stardust is a gallery of original works by 31 artists from around the world inspired by David Bowie’s iconic starman, Ziggy Stardust.

Here’s a bit regarding the event.

 

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Design Rocks: A Rock ’n’ Roll Art & Design Gala from Mars a concert/party/art show celebrating the return of Ziggy Stardust

Dr. Spaceman Brings Ziggy Stardust back to Earth for One Night Only!

 

In 1972, Ziggy Stardust landed on Earth and rocked the world. By 1973, he had packed up his spaceship and left us.

On October 10, he’ll come back for a night.

Where has he been? Why has he returned? How will we receive him? What would his visit look like today? How would it sound? How would we experience it?

Equal parts art show, multimedia experiment and retro-futurist rock theater, it’s going to be a kickass party.

 

Featuring:

* Two sets of Ziggy-era Bowie from Dr. Spaceman, Portland’s Bowie tribute

* Lights and visuals from the amazing combo of Lights Up Loud and Make Animals

* Costumes by Dream Tailor

* Poster Art Show featuring 30+ artists from around the world

 

7 PM – Poster art show: At the Altar of a Starman: A Poster Art Tribute to Ziggy Stardust

9 PM – Concert: Dr. Spaceman hits the stage and brings Ziggy back!

 

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Check out the Design Rocks site for tons more Bowie art and ticket links, etc.

10″ – Digital 

10″ – Digital 

 

“It’s the freakiest show”

 

We just had an excited communication from DavidBowie.com forum admin, Annie Darling, whose three favourite things just happen to be David Bowie, Jessica Lange and American Horror Story.

So imagine her (and our) delight when the just broadcast season premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show, featured Jessica Lange’s Character, Elsa Mars, singing Life On Mars while she channelled the original Bowie video of same.

Here’s a bit from Annie for those who don’t know their American Horror Story stuff…

 

Each season is a different theme. The previous ones were American Horror Story: Murder House, American Horror Story: Asylum and American Horror Story: Coven

This year, the one that premiered tonight is called American Horror Story: Freak Show, which is about a carnival of sorts. Jessica Lange’s Character – Elsa Mars – is modelled after Marlene Dietrich, sort of, and is a German expatriate who moved to Jupiter (Florida, not the Planet) and is basically the leader of this “Freak Show” which is a carnival of sorts. She’s the matriarch – but her dark secret is clinging to the idea of stardom and she uses her little “freaks” to try to get that spotlight.

 

Creator of the show, Ryan Murphy, tweeted this: “Due to popular demand, we will be releasing Jessica Lange’s version of LIFE ON MARS on iTunes.”

You can watch the video of Elsa Mars singing Life On Mars here.

Season 4 Premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show FB page.

 

Thanks for that Annie, you can go to bed now!

10″ – Digital 

 

“Well, I might stretch it till Wednesday”

 

Yesterday we told you about the three-page Bowie feature in today’s issue of NME, (Issue dated October 11th), regarding the upcoming releases of the Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) single and the Nothing Has Changed best of compilation album.

The popular music weekly has contributions from Tony Visconti talking about the session that spawned Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime), and designer Jonathan Barnbrook explaining the rationale behind the images selected for the three different sleeves for Nothing Has Changed.

NME also give the verdict on their first listen of Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime), concluding; “It’s Nick Cave meets Scott Walker meets Herbie Hancock – and it’s quite brilliant.”

Elsewhere, Bowie delivers his own description of the B-side, ‘Tis A Pity She Was A Whore, thus: “If Vorticists wrote Rock Music it might have sounded like this”.

As if all that wasn’t enough, the mag has a full-page teaser for next week’s NME, (Issue dated October 18th, on sale October 15th), which promises “Bowie’s greatest hits according to NME”.

For further information on these upcoming releases and much more, keep an eye on DavidBowie.com

10″ – Digital