"This song is a particular favourite of mine...
at least, it is tonight!" Picture © David Atlas.
Always gonna love this song...
As many of the MB visitors have already noticed, there is a new question from Mr B in the
New Journal From Db
"Look at my friend with unusual eyes..." GU and DB at the
Hammersmith aftershow last month. Pic by Total Blam Blam.
But since he pinned you baby...
With Christmas just around the corner...sort of, David has a gift suggestion that's really rather groovy. What's all this got to do with the picture above, you ask? Well it's not a night out with George and David, that's for sure. Go check out
Uk Bob Is Released Today
Could it be the best, could it be?
The UK finally sees the release of Best of Bowie today, and all of the reviews I've spotted so far has given it a big thumbs up. The Sunday Times Culture selection yesterday gave the album it's highest accolade with a
The review, by Mark Edwards, is worth posting in its entirety here:
DAVID BOWIE - Best of Bowie EMI 7243 5 39821 2 6
IN THIS age of globalisation, thank God someone is standing up for those vital local differences. Best of Bowie isn?t just one album. That would be far too simple for pop music?s great innovator. It comes in 23 different editions, each tailored for a different country or region, with the track listing reflecting that area?s favourite Bowie tracks. Amazingly, only one track is on every single edition. Go on, guess. No, it?s not Space Oddity. Ecuador, Peru and Columbia don?t get that one. Appropriately enough, it?s Fame.
As for the UK edition, it goes without saying that the songs are superb. There?s clearly been some serious remastering going on in the earlier material, revealing new depths even to the hardened fan (I had no idea Trevor Bolder?s bass on Jean Genie was so ... well ... outrageous), while more recent tracks such as Little Wonder and Slow Burn hold their end up rather well. Three stars
Here's an excerpt from a longer, but equally appreciative review over at the BBC website:
Best Of brings the story right up to date. Released in 22 different versions across the globe and accompanied by a remastered DVD, this package is as near perfect as it can be.
You can read the whole thing
For those of you that aren't already aware of it, you can check out the official Best of Bowie site by clicking on the image above. There you can download a BoB screensaver, BoB wallpaper and a BoB Windows Media Skin. There's also another competition to win the Bowie back catalogue, a signed Mick Rock Ziggy shot and more.
Stay tuned to BowieNet for our own Best of Bowie competition sometime this week.
The Gallery And Mow Have Been Refreshed.
Reminder - New Db A&e Biography Tomorrow
Nothing has changed, and everything has changed
If you are in the USA, then don't forget to tune in to A&E tomorrow night at 9.00PM ET for the premiere of the new two hour David Bowie biography - (10/10/02 NEWS: NEW DAVID BOWIE TV BIOGRAPHY). If you click on the image above, you will be taken to the A&E page about the show which includes:-
"Nothing has changed, and everything has changed." The lyrics from the first track of David Bowie's 2002 album, Heathen, could describe an extraordinary career that has spanned nearly four decades.
AND - if you are in the USA or Canada, or you have a friend in either of those two countries then you can pre-order the video now! Click on the image above to be taken to the A&E store. This page also tells a little more of the story:-
Rare footage from the BBC archives shows the future superstar performing at the age of 17, while musicians like Moby and Trent Reznor reflect on his towering legacy. And a more intimate view is provided by his wife of ten years, Iman.
Here is the complete story of a rock and roll pioneer whose accomplishments go far beyond music.
The programme airs again on Tuesday 5th November at 1.00AM ET, and on Sunday 10th November at 5.00PM ET. So all in all, what with this one and the VH1 UK interview (10/31/02 NEWS: PREMIERE - VH1 REVEALS: DAVID BOWIE) and (11/02/02 NEWS: VH1 INTERVIEW PREVIEWED IN S:2 MAGAZINE), tomorrow is going to be a very exciting db TV day for viewers on both sides on the Atlantic. Don't miss!
:))
Last Chance To Bid On Bowie Guitars
"Hmmm...This picture has real caption potential.
I wonder what crap Blammo will come up with!".
My, my, the time do fly...
With just under twenty hours left to run, the B.A.D.D. eBay auction we told you about a few days ago is doing rather well. (10/26/02 NEWS: BOWIE DONATES TWO TAKAMINES TO B.A.D.D.) The bidding currently stands at $4,300.00, would be wonderful if it reached five grand. Hopefully there'll be a last minute bidding frenzy between a few of you wealthier BowieNetters, in a race for my Christmas present!
Seriously though, if you are in a position to bid on this one, it is for a very good cause that obviously has the full backing of DB himself. Check out the auction by clicking on the image above, and learn more about B.A.D.D. and the work they do
Vh1 Interview Previewed In S:2 Magazine
Well, how come you only want tomorrow...
Tomorrow's S:2 magazine (the magazine of the UK's Sunday Express newspaper) has a preview of the interview with Gary Crowley that David has given for Monday's 'VH1 Reveals: David Bowie', which airs at 8.00PM on VH1. (10/31/02 NEWS: PREMIERE - VH1 REVEALS: DAVID BOWIE)
The magazine sports a gorgeous Frank Ockenfels shot of David on the cover and a three-page feature inside under the heading "Starman at 55". I won't give too much away right now, but here's a few short excerpts from the interview:
?I come to the UK more often than people imagine,? he says, sitting in the lobby of London?s Metropolitan Hotel wearing jeans and a charcoal sweater, and looking very relaxed. ?It?s quite easy to maintain a low profile,? Bowie insists, ?I don?t believe people who say, ?Oh, I can?t stand the pressure of fame,? and all that. It?s easy to avoid it ? Iman and I spend our entire relationship avoiding it with no real effort, actually.?
Alexandria also appears to have galvanised a commitment to fitness, exercise and meditation, and last year he even quit his 60-a-day smoking habit. ?She has probably reined in my natural negativity,? he says. ?I tend to have a certain kind of resignation about the way we live and how we are, which doesn?t buy into the idea we?re evolving or going somewhere. But I?ve forced myself to see things through my daughter?s eyes in terms of her survival and what kind of society she?s going to grow up in. So I?ve become very paternal and protective and that has started to affect my writing.?
He is certainly grateful for the many young bands who cite him as an influence, often telling their fans to go and buy some of his most notable recordings. ?The average age of a fan on www.bowie.net* is between 19 and 30, as it tends to be a younger person that uses the Internet rather than someone my age,? he says with a smile. ?But I couldn?t write anything specifically for today?s 18-year-old. At no stage has my work been particularly generational ? I sing broadly about things like isolation or the alienated in some way. That has been a godsend in a way, because my subject matter doesn?t have to change. I can carry on talking about the things that I feel and think about the most."
So, don't forget to nip out and get yourself a copy of the Sunday Express tomorrow morning, it's a great piece with loads of colour pix and this little bit of re-written history:
The reviews hailed it ['Heathen'] as the best thing from Bowie for a very long time and it won the Mercury Prize for music.
Of course, even though 'Heathen' was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize 2002, we all know that it didn't actually win... Though I do have a feeling that the error won't do too much damage to DB's reputation. };-)
*I'm certain the URL mistake is the magazine's, David will have said BowieNet, as he usually does.
More Bowienetter Pix And Review Round Up
DB and GAD shine at at The Music Hall, Snug Harbor,
Staten Island. Picture by BowieNetter BreakingGlass.
We could do it, we could do, we could do it...
Here are a couple more wonderful pictures taken by two very talented BowieNetters, the picture above was taken by BreakingGlass, and the one below was taken by TracyDanner. Many thanx to both of you for these great shots.
We've also rounded up some more reviews that slipped past us first time round. There are excerpts from the first two reviews, click on the headings to see the full reviews. I've posted the Worcester Telegram & Gazette review in its entirety as I can't locate an online version...
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Gamely dancing like a Cossack, he used his black leather jacket as a symbolic springboard to riff on existentialism ("If Simone de Beauvoir wore this jacket she'd look like a fat Patti Smith."), and his performance was haunted by the ghosts of past personas. Singing Heathen's "Slip Away" in white shirt and black trousers, he could have slicked back his silver hair and instantly become the Thin White Duke of Station to Station. On "5:15 - The Angels Have Gone" he slinked up to the mic - hands clenched on belt, intent look on face - and it was easy to imagine how he stalked the stage during his Jean Genie days. At the end of "Slip Away" he even whipped out the "Space Oddity" stylophone to play an elementary solo.
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While Bowie appeared to have all his wits about him, his funny bone seemed a little out of whack. After ''Ashes to Ashes,'' he introduced a ''special guest,'' James Brown ? only it wasn't the Godfather of Soul, just a tacky two-foot statue of ''the hardest working man in show business.'' Bowie held the novelty item to the microphone and triggered a microchip that made it wail ''I feel good!'' and (Bowie's favorite) ''Oww! Oww!''
Later, Bowie brought the statue back on the stage, wrapped a large white towel around its shoulders and dragged it off in a parody of Brown's show-stopping finale. Gotta love that British sense of humor.
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"And to any of you out there that didn't enjoy the show...spin on this!"
Picture by BowieNetter TracyDanner. BowieNet members can reach
a much bigger version of this great picture by clicking on the image.
Bowie's blend a potent potion, by Scott McLennan, Worcester Telegram & Gazette reviewer
David Bowie at the Orpheum Theater in Boston
Although he's most often called a chameleon for his ability to shift and change his musical personas, David Bowie is, through it all, rock 'n' roll's great romantic.With a stunning 2-plus-hour show Wednesday at The Orpheum Theater, Bowie cruised through many of his career phases and faces, and laced them all together with a reverence for the sublime and beautiful. The song list swirled around themes of love, fear and spirituality, working those ideas through grand song arrangements.
The show was the last stop on Bowie's whirlwind tour of eight small East Coast venues to wrap up his live work in support of his latest album, ?Heathen.?The eminently stylish singer seemed at ease in front of the crowd of 2,600 at the Orpheum, engaging the house with between-songs banter that was equal parts sarcastic and genuine. In his current mode as consummate and friendly performer, Bowie was able to effortlessly combine the various tones that have shaped his work. There was nothing awkward, for example, in seeing Bowie swing from the debauched ?Three Penny Opera? cover of ?Alabama Song? to the cloyingly sweet ?Absolute Beginners.?
Just as Bowie was able to make the stylistic leaps, so too was his band. Guitarists Earl Slick, Gerry Leonard and Mark Plati, keyboard players Mike Garson and Catherine Russell, drummer Sterling Campbell and inimitable bassist and singer Gail Ann Dorsey perfectly followed their leader through every twist and turn he led them through (a trip lit by the luminous grin Bowie flashed all night). The concert opened and closed around Leonard playing an aching guitar solo, alone in a cone of white light. Leonard's squalls first opened the show with ?Sunday? and then served as the closing to ?Heathen,? two contemplative gems from Bowie's new CD.
The ?Heathen? CD also provided the night's first real jolt of the sort of art-damaged rock 'n' roll for which Bowie is best known. But instead of igniting the crowd in such a way with a song of his own, Bowie ripped it up with a cover of The Pixies' ?Cactus,? and the song sounded even more ferocious live than it does on ?Heathen.? After a one-two punch from the new CD, Bowie then took the crowd into older, more familiar turf with ?Breaking Glass,? ?Fame? and ?Ashes to Ashes.?
Bowie stuck to that flow of intermingling the new with the old, and his dips into the back catalog ran deeper than just the hits. ?Starman? from the ?Ziggy Stardust? album, ?Be My Wife? from ?Low? and the aforementioned ?Alabama Song? were prizes for diehard Bowie fans to savor. An unexpected high point in the show came with a raucous version of ?I'm Afraid of Americans.? The ?Heathen? CD provided plenty of fuel for the show as Bowie gave commanding performances around ?I've Been Waiting for You? (a Neil Young cover on the disc) and ?Slip Away,? a new song that sounds spiritually connected to the stuff Bowie was doing in the early '70s.
But Bowie the pro wouldn't risk ticking off the faithful by ignoring his hits. And he basked in the big numbers such as ?China Girl, ?Sound and Vision,? ?Fashion? and ?Rebel Rebel.? The singer sounded best on the dramatic pairing of ?Life on Mars?? and ?Heroes.? Both songs demand inspired vocals and the 55-year-old Bowie met the challenge head-on, rather than looking for easier-to-handle arrangements of the tunes.
In one last display of unfettered showmanship, Bowie served up a killer selection of encores, the sort of move that has the performer leaving the stage with the crowd howling for more. Bowie began his encore run with the punky ?White Light/White Heat.? From there, he went into the mass-appeal swell of ?Let's Dance,? but dressed it up with an interesting acoustic introduction. The big closer was a note-perfect rendition of ?Ziggy Stardust.? And just as Ziggy sucked up into his own mind, Bowie drifted away with another successful performance to his credit.
Have You Voted For Bowienet Yet?
We could do it, we could do, we could do it...
Back at the start of October we posted a bit about the fact that DavidBowie.com has been nominated in the Web Award category for this year's MTV Europe Music Awards. (10/01/02 NEWS: VOTE FOR BOWIENET IN MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS)
Well, we obviously can't win without your support, so if you haven't voted for BowieNet, or friends and members of your family haven't had a chance yet, get voting now!
It's easy enough, just click on the image above to take you right there. Voting is open right up until the day of the award ceremony that takes place in Barcelona on November 14th 2002. Let's show the world the might of the online BowieNet army! };-)
Early Show - Update
You've got your transmission and your live wire
If you missed yesterday morning's Early Show broadcast, or you are outside the USA, then get on over to their website, which now has a great page about David's peformance, including links to video of Cactus and Rebel Rebel - the two songs broadcast. And if I may say so, they ROCKED! If you were in the audience, this also gives you endless chances to spot you and db in the same frame. :-)
There is also a very cool quote from David about his writing.
...for me personally, I get a sense of I'm writing in a very natural way. It's not a problem to write. And I keep writing. And it's just glorious. I love this part of my life. It's as it should be. I can't say anything more.
(thanks to cinqstars who posted the link on the boards)
:))
Premiere - Vh1 Reveals: David Bowie
There's a brand new talk
Monday 4th November sees the premiere of a new, hour long TV programme about David. 'VH1 Reveals: David Bowie' airs at 8.00PM on VH1 in the UK. There is a lovely, long teaser about the content of this in-depth interview showing over at VH1's UK website. You need to click on 'Channel Highlights' and then on the title of the show to read it. Here are one or two extracts:-
David reveals how becoming a father again recently has affected his songwriting. He goes on to explain how he worries about what kind of environment and society she is going to grow up in. However it seems his biggest concern is keeping his daughter away from his old Ziggy wardrobe and costumes!
Throughout the interview we learn of David's high and low points in his career. Which have included getting to know the likes of Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend and John Lennon and even working on a Marlene Dietrich film. He admits John Lennon referred to his style and approach to music as "rock'n'roll with lipstick"!
The programme airs again on Tuesday 5th November at 11.00PM, Wednesday 6th at 8.00PM and Friday 8th at 8.00PM.
While you are over at the VH1 page, make sure to check out their dedicated 'Best Of Bowie' page, which includes a competition to win David's entire back catalogue, the CD and DVD of Best Of Bowie, and a Mick Rock 'Ziggy' print, signed by Mick himself.
:))
Get The Best Of Bowie Windows Media Skin
Skin on skin but there's heaven...
The goodies page has been updated with a BEST OF BOWIE skin for the Windows Media Player.
Click here, or the image above to check it out.
Enjoy!!
Seventies New York Special In Vanity Fair
We like dancing and we look divine...
The current issue of Vanity Fair (Nov 2002) is a 240-page music special. Among the features is a twelve-page Seventies New York special written by long time champion of all things Bowie, Lisa Robinson. Lisa is more than qualified to have some say on the subject, seeing as how she covered the scene for Creem, Rock Scene, Hit Parader, NME and a syndicated newspaper column.
A few issues of Rock Scene...the first edition of which had a Bowie front cover!
And, even though people often have a different memory of the same event, Lisa's piece makes for a cool potted history of what was a very exciting decade for the New York music scene. Here's the blurb from the magazine:
REBEL NIGHTS - The New York 70s rock scene that saw the rise of Lou Reed, The New York Dolls, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Television, The Ramones and Blondie began as an intoxicating mix of drag-queen theatre, British "glam rock" and a hard-core rebellion against uninspiring radio. LISA ROBINSON recaptures the amped-up, sequin-studded, punk-powered explosion she experienced at the Mercer Arts Centre, Max's Kansas City, and CBGB's.
The article is littered with references to and quotes from DB, and among pictures of all the main offenders there are three Ziggy era shots.
Dido and DB at the 2002 Nordoff-Robbins Silver Clef
Awards. Pic © Dave Hogan/Mission/WireImage.com
Elsewhere in the mag, Elvis Costello chooses Hunky Dory as one of the albums that helps him through the day. Vanity Fair also comes with a free glossy brochure called Brit Beat, which is produced in support of the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy charity. Inside there is a page about the charity, including a small pic of David and Laurence Alexander of O2, both who sponsered the
Db On The Early Show On Cbs Tomorrow
wake up tomorrow
Just a reminder that David's appearance on The Early Show will be broadcast tomorrow morning, Wednesday the 30th October and not the 31st as previously stated in our calendar. The show starts at 7.00AM, with David likely to appear between 8.30 and 9.00AM ET.
David recorded four songs on October 25th - Cactus, Rebel Rebel, Slip Away, and Afraid - and lots of you were there in the audience (10/24/02 NEWS: EARLY SHOW WINNERS!!). After the recording, the message boards were full of delighted posts so even if you didn't attend, don't miss this one!
:))
Transformer Reissued With Bonus Tracks
You made me forget myself...
I'm sure I've expressed frequently enough my love for the classic
Transformer [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] is reissued today in the UK, and it's been out for a week in the US already. Apart from the fact that the album has been remastered, another reason to buy this edition is the fact that it contains two bonus tracks in Lou's previously unreleased acoustic demos of 'Hangin' 'Round' and 'Perfect Day'. There is also a hidden bonus, but I'm not going to tell you what that is.
Apart from being the album that broke Lou in the UK, 'Transformer' is also notable for its brilliant Bowie/Ronson production. In short, this is a masterpiece, own it!
Ziggy Tributes In The Usa
David Brighton of Space Oddity gets Ziggy with it for Shakira.
I looked at you and wondered if you saw things my way...
An intriguing little snippet has reached me from David Brighton of
Unfortunately, David can't tell us much more than that, but I'm sure one of you Shakira fans will let us know exactly what Mr Brighton's contribution has been when the Shakira tour kicks off on November 8th in San Diego.
The changing faces of David B.
If you get a chance to go and see Space Oddity, do. Meanwhile, check out their
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While we're on the subject of Ziggy impersonators, if you're in the Miami area this Halloween (Oct 31st) you should go check out Spackle at the Tobacco Road Bar & Cabaret. Spackle will be performing the whole of Ziggy Stardust as an anniversary tribute to Bowie and the album.
Spackle, who I was told about by DB's lighting man, Tom, will be joined by two other local bands, The Omine Band and The Kind...Punters are encouraged to glam it up, and generally dress with a Ziggy vibe.
Roni Enten of Spackle tells me: "We're all great fans and pumped about the event...It should be a fun night (runs 10-2 am), and the first of its kind in Miami."
Here are the details you need:
Date: October 31st 2002 - Halloween
Venue: Tobacco Road Bar & Cabaret
Address: 626 S. Miami Ave Miami FL 33130
Phone: 305-374-1198
Email: Spackletheband@hotmail.com
Showtime: 10 pm upstairs cabaret
Ticket price: $5
Attire: Glam bowie from Ziggy era and all other costumes encouraged.
The Gallery And Mow Have Been Refreshed.
Bowie Macca Wedding Duet, Not!
"But he smiles like a reptile..." Stella presents DB with THAT shirt.
Bought him along to sing me a song...
Rumours persist in the UK that David Bowie has been invited to sing a duet with Stella McCartney's dad at her wedding. Not true. But why let that spoil the opportunity to post the picture above from the GQ Awards last month. (09/03/02 NEWS: BOWIE RECEIVES GQ OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD)
You may remember that Stella presented David with the Outstanding Achievement award, and that she also used the opportunity to give him an Aladdin Sane T-shirt that bore the legend: "I'm an Icon...Get Me out of Here!"... A reference to the popular UK TV show, 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me out of Here!'. Stella kindly bowed to David's request for her to sign the shirt, which she can be seen doing in our picture.
Lachapelle Front Cover And Barbican Exhibition
COVER IMAGE: David LaChapelle, David Bowie,
Los Angeles, 1995, Details. © David LaChapelle.
Photograph king, watches you go...
The October issue of
LaChapelle is responsible for more than one unusual shot of David, and it's safe to say that the world his pictures inhabit is more than a little strange, if not very beautiful. But don't take my word for it, if you're in the London area be sure to take time to visit
This is the first British exhibition of cult American fashion and portrait photographer, David LaChapelle, one of the most exciting and innovative photographers of his generation. LaChapelle?s unique blend of surrealism and kitsch has changed the direction of fashion and portrait photography over the past decade.
In his work LaChapelle recreates the popular icons of the last twenty years. Madonna becomes an ethereal goddess, served by three white swans. Britney Spears is a glamorous Lolita in a bedroom full of stuffed toys. The exhibition also includes portraits of Alexander McQueen, Naomi Campbell and David Beckham. Regularly commissioned by leading style and fashion magazines, including I-D, The Face and Vanity Fair, LaChapelle shows us the famous and the fashionable as we have never seen them before.
"Look at my friend with unusual eyes..."
Los Angeles 1995 © David LaChapelle.
This is what DB had to say about the picture above:
A simple trick but very effective. Cut out eyes from a magazine and pop them into place over ones' own. Highly recommended for the morning after if you have a meeting with the boss and want to come over all bright-eyed and bushy..erm, tailed.
I would post a third nipple-tweaking picture that LaChapelle took of David, but I'm worried that the more fainthearted among you may not be able to cope with it. Hopefully it's one of the shots included in The Barbican exhibition.
Whatever, I feel duty-bound to pass on the following warning from the organiser's of The Barbican LaChapelle exhibition: Parents and teachers are asked to use their discretion as some of the images are of a sexual nature.."
The exhibition runs through to Monday 23rd December. See ya there! };-)
Bowie Donates Two Takamines To B.a.d.d.
"He signed it left hand..." DB signs up for BADD.
We can do all the B.A.D.D. things...
David Bowie has again contributed to Bikers Against Drunk Drivers (B.A.D.D.) for the 16th year in a row by donating two signed Takamine 12-String guitars.
The guitars are up for auction on eBay right now, and they both have separate inscriptions. David has signed one of the guitars: "Ground Control To Major Tom David Bowie 2002", and the other is inscribed "Let's Dance, Under the Moonlight, This Serious Moonlight, Bo 2002", as in the picture below.
"Let's Dance, Under the Moonlight, This Serious Moonlight, Bo 2002"
I asked Danny Perkins, Executive Director @ B.A.D.D., a little about David's involvement, and this is what he told me:
I had been a huge Bowie Fan since 1973, when I started B.A.D.D. in 1986 after the death of my brother. I was already involved with the Hard Rock Cafe chain and had access to hundreds of artists. Bowie was my first choice to sign up as an endorser.
We met in Montreal, he was on a stadium tour. It was a huge place and took forever to get backstage. Once there, myself and a few volunteers set up a table to spread out a huge poster that was to be signed by hundreds of endorsers. I also set up a portable studio to record a PSA. David was great, he gave us the time we needed, recorded the PSA, signed the poster and autographed a few photos.
Every year since then he has supported our fund raising efforts with a wide array of items. One year he donated the Dan Armstrong Electric guitar he used to record Station to Station (it can be seen in a collector calendar). Another year he donated the Red suit he wore on the Glass Spider tour Yet another year he donated a green flight suit he wore on tour. He is without a doubt our most treasured supporter.
Danny Perkins and DB backstage at the Boston Orpheum Theatre on Wednesday.
With still more than a week left to go on the auction, the bidding stands at a very decent $2,025.00, with 100% of the proceeds going to B.A.D.D. The winner of the eBay auction will have first pick of the two guitars.
If you fancy owning a piece of genuine Bowie history, check out the eBay auction by clicking on any of the images above. You can also learn more about B.A.D.D. and the work they do by clicking