BowieNet can now reveal that the third format for the UK release of 'Survive' in the UK on January 17th 2000 will be avery limited edition 7" picture disc (pictured above). See below for the tracks that appear on the picture disc and thetwo CDs.
There is a two track promo (pictured above) doing the rounds in the UK which is exchanging hands for silly moneydue to the fact that it makes available the exclusive 'Marius de Vries Mix' of 'Survive', one whole month before it isactually available for public consumption. If you are approached by somebody willing to sell you a copy of thisinstant rarity, then I would point out the text on the reverse of the CD which clearly states: 'For Promotional Use Only- Not For Sale'. You never know, the seller may hand it over for nothing.
All of you are by now familiar with this song, so I won't bother to give you my interpretation of the ideas hiddenwithin the words of this most melancholic of recordings. There is only one person who really knows...and he'sprobably lying! But, I shall attempt to give you an idea of how this remix sounds.
I was suffering from a slight feeling of trepidation about the thought of a new version of what is my second favouritesong from 'hours...', but I needn't have worried. This new mix really is a thing of beauty, almost an "omaarge" (Frenchfor homage) to the ghost of Ziggy. ("Darveed, why you did keel Ziggy?"...French for...)
Because of the stripped-back nature of the album version, de Vries has managed to add quite a few extra ingredientsto the soup without making it too filling. The track begins with darkly atmospheric noises that have a cinematicquality about them, and it quickly becomes apparent that this mix has been done by somebody who understands thesound of classic Bowie. Immediately conspicuous by it's absence is the lead guitar hook of the original. Havinggotten used to the album version with its already subdued guitar, (by Reeves Gabrels' standards at least) I have tosay that this mix doesn't suffer any from the even greater reduction of guitar, and this from somebody who is a fan ofthe mans work.
There are far more of Mike Garson's wonderful jazzy piano strolls here than on the album version, giving it a flavourof 'Aladdin Sane', but pitching it somewhere between that and 'The Buddha Of Suburbia'... except it ain't Mike Garson.Whoever it is playing that piano, they do a pretty fair impersonation of the smooth-headed one's technique.
Seventies science fiction warblings permeate throughout the piece, and the gradual build of strange keyboard noisesand reverbed vocals climax in an orgasm of fade-out la, la, la's (oooh..er) that those among you who witnessed any ofthe live performances of this song since the Jools Holland show will be familiar with. Again the decade is definitelythe seventies, and the vocal is evocative of the type of backing that Bowie supplied for Mott The Hoople and LouReed in '72, and indeed, the phrase itself is almost a slowed down version of the la, la, la's from the US remix versionof 'Rebel Rebel'.
I do love this mix of 'Survive', and I hope it catches the ear of radio producers nationwide. Perhaps Marius de Vriesshould pick up some of the buried treasures from the eighties' Bowie back-catalogue that were smothered byunsympathetic producers. A tick and a gold star!
Oh, it's 'Something In The Air' by the way, for those of you still wondering.
CD1
1. Survive (Marius de Vries Mix)
2. Survive (Album Version)
3. The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell (Stigmata Version)
4. Survive (Video)
Release Date: 17th January 2000
CD2 (Live In Paris Collector's Edition)
1. Survive (Live)
2. Thursday's Child (Live)
3. Seven (Live)
4. Survive (Live Video)
Release Date: 17th January 2000
7" (Limited edition picture disc)
1. Survive (Marius de Vries Mix)
2. Seven (Live)
Release Date: 17th January 2000
From our European Correspondent, Total Blam Blam
