I’m the space invader…
Nylon magazine had a lucky scoop for their June/July 2003 issue. David Bowie agreed to compile his “Ultimate space-is-the-place Mix Tape” for them. Here’s what they had to say:
Call him otherworldly, call him a divine alien. Either way, David Bowie is rock?n?roll?s premiere space oddity. And 24 years after he adopted that persona (one of his many shape-shifting self-explorations), he?s still as fascinated as ever by what?s out there in the Milky Way. So much so, he put together his ultimate space-is-the-place mix tape for NYLON. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on.
Can you spot db in this illustration?
Check out db’s tracklisting:
I Took A Trip (on the Space Shuttle), Legendary Stardust Cowboy (Live in Chicago)
Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun, Pink Floyd (Ummagumma)
He?s Simple, He?s Dumb, He?s The Pilot, Grandaddy (Sophtware Slump)
Rocket Man, Elton John (Honky Chateau)
Satellite Of Love, Lou Reed (Transformer)
Time We Left This World Today, Hawkwind (Space Ritual)
Moonshake, Can (Anthology 1968-93)
Space Age Couple, Captain Beefheart (Lick My Decals Off Baby)
I?m The Urban Spaceman, Bonzo Dog Band (New Tricks)
Space Oddity, David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(Thanks to BowieNetter Arsalan for the spot, and SusanS for the scans)
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cover me, cover me, cover me…
Scheduled for release in October this year is Spiders From Venus: Indie Women and Female-Fronted Bandscover David Bowie. You can check out the proposed tracklisting and the rather beautiful cover art, based on a Mick Rock photograph, over at Skipping Discs, a small independent record label based in northern central Massachusetts. Their website has this to say about their output:
We are unique in that we specialize in producing nothing but tribute albums and cover compilations, typically featuring a cross of two diverse musical genres (e.g., bluegrass bands playing disco songs). We strongly believe that one mark of a truly great song is its ability to hold up when performed in a variety of musical styles.
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Could it be the best, could it be?…
If you check out Jonathan Ross‘s home page over at BBC Radio 2 you will see an interactive voting form where you can choose ‘Bowie’s Best Hit’. They have already narrowed down the list to a mere ten songs, but you may still like to add your vote. “Heroes” is neck and neck with Life On Mars? at the moment.
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And the stars look very different today…
The Cure’s Robert Smith was interviewed in The Guardian this week, in connection with the release of the band’s The Trilogy – Live In Berlin DVD and Video. He had this to say about the moment he recognised db as ‘a kindred spirit pop star’:
“I felt that his records had been made with me in mind. He was blatantly different, and everyone of my age remembers the time he played Starman on Top of the Pops. The school was divided between those who thought he was a queer and those who thought he was a genius. Immediately, I thought: this is it. This is the man I’ve been waiting for. He showed that you could do things on your own terms; that you could define your own genre and not worry about what anyone else is doing, which is I think the definition of a true artist.”
:))