Nirvana's Tmwstw Voted Best Cover Version Of All Time

I thought you died alone, a long long time ago...

Probably the best known of all Bowie covers is Nirvana's 1993 MTV Unplugged version of The Man Who Sold The World. Released on the band's MTV Unplugged In New York album the following year, a promo single of the track enjoyed massive airplay around the world.

Despite the airplay it was never released as a single (aside from the promo CD and an Italian promo 45) though it was also included on Nirvana, the band's best of compilation album.

Kurt Cobain spoke of "the debt we all owe David" during the MTV taping and the band continued to perform the song live until Cobain's death in 1994.

David has long acknowledged that there is a generation of fans who seem to consider the song a Nirvana original, commenting with much humour, more than once, that after his own live performances of the song "kids would come up afterwards and say, 'It's cool you're doing a Nirvana song.' And I'd think, 'Fuck you, you little tosser!'".

SPIN magazine has now voted this version #1 in its poll of The 50 Best Cover Songs, commenting thus: Kurt Cobain's pained vocals on Nirvana's unplugged rendition of this cosmic 1970 Bowie tune sounded even more haunting after the song became a posthumous rock-radio staple.

You can see the full list of fifty songs here.

A Pig Insane Featured In Pets Rock 2010 Calendar

And I looked and frowned and the monster was me...

BowieNetter, French Eric, pointed me in the direction of the above Pets Rock 2010 calendar, for which I thank him, I think.

Actually I don't, it's bloody 'orrible and The Telegraph in the UK haven't made matters any better by captioning the little beast above: The Gene Guinea (pig)!

You can view the whole collection of absurdities at this picture gallery on the Telegraph site.

Rebel Rebel Update And September's Winners' Contest

Somebody send me (Oh, somebody send me)...

The thirty five winners of our Rebel Rebel 35th anniversary contest will be pleased to learn that all of their prizes were sent out in September.

I know many of you have already received yours, but with the disruption to the UK postal system right now there may be a few stragglers.

If you haven't received your package by October 19th, mail me and I'll see what we can find out from this end.

The main reasons for the delay with these prizes were mostly production problems...aside from the original batch of sleeves being mistakenly trashed (unsigned fortunately) we felt the Bowie signature worked better on the glossy postcards we had printed rather than the flimsy paper sleeves.

Anyway, we finally got there and each winner should have received the Rebel Rebel 45 with a numbered sleeve and an accompanying signed postcard, numbered on the reverse with the same number.

You should also find a copy of the above congratulations postcard in your package (09.28.2009 NEWS: BOWIENET PRIZE WINNER'S POSTCARDS AND MONTHLY DRAW) along with a 2002 Meltdown aftershow pass from the night Bowie played as a little thank you for your patience.

A handful of the passes were signed by Bowie in 2002 and randomly placed in about half of the packages.

The passes are perhaps more valuable than you would imagine as they will entitle you to get backstage after the Bowie Meltdown performance at the RFH on June 29th 2002.

Admittedly that date has passed, but if you ever manage to get access to a time machine just ask for me when you get there and tell me that I sent you from the future and I promise to get you in somehow.

Btw, skyline is the winner of September's Winners' Contest (see aforementioned news item) and she has already been informed.

PRIZES UPDATE: We are finally getting on top of the backlog and will be looking back at the token contest, among others, next...so don't worry Chas, you're not being victimised.

Bowienet Prize Winner's Postcards And Monthly Draw

All you've got to do is win...

I've had a fair few e-mails in recent months asking about the congratulatory postcards we send out with BowieNet prizes...and a few more e-mails over the last couple of days, no doubt triggered by BowieNetter Swebby's recent post on the MBs. (Glad you liked the package Steven.)

Well, they are glossy full colour postcards each printed in a limited edition of 100, with this particular series all depicting shots I took of DB on his A Reality Tour...there will probably be just five in this series before we move on to another theme.

One of the less successful functions of these cards is a request for you the winner to acknowledge receipt of your prize. This is so we can keep a record of exactly how long prizes are in transit, etc. However, thus far, this has only been moderately successful.

Apologies to those of you that have responded, but it looks like we're going to have to resort to bribery for those of you that just can't be arsed...So...

There will now be a monthly prize draw for all of those winners that do respond to my acknowledgement of receipt request.

In other words, if you e-mail me and tell me your prize has arrived in the same month that it arrived, your name will be chucked in The Random Generator's monthly hat.

If you are then plucked from said head gear, you will receive something groovy like a signed, personalised by David Bowie photo...or something of a similar ilk.

The results of each draw will be announced on the first of each month with each draw for that month's prizes ending at midnight NY time the night before.

You will only be entered for the draw for the month your prize arrived. So, on October 1st we will announce the winner of the September draw.

What could be easier? Better get acknowledging, kids! It would be rude not to.

Huge Bowienet Discount For Official 2010 Calendar

I asked for an autograph...

For those of you that haven't already purchased a copy, we've managed to negotiate a very generous discount with infocado for the official 2010 David Bowie/Mick Rock calendar.

At £9.99 infocado are selling the calendar at the normal RRP, however, BowieNetters can enjoy a recession-busting four pounds (GBP) off when they enter the special offer code: HUNKYDORY10 as illustrated below...that's a not-to-be-sniffed-at 40% off if my maths are correct.

The special offer code page (above) appears after you hit check out, so don't panic, the discount will show on the final check out page before you actually pay.

Stay tuned for the contest we previously mentioned (07.23.2009 NEWS: OFFICIAL 2010 BOWIE/MICK ROCK CALENDAR DETAILS) as David and Mick have now kindly offered to sign ten contest copies of the calendar for BowieNet.

Bowie Enters Top Thirty Forty Years Ago This Week

And the stars look very different today...

In the official UK singles chart published forty years ago this week for the week ending September 27th, Space Oddity is listed at #25.

Released almost three months earlier (07.11.2009 NEWS: SPACE ODDITY LAUNCHED FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY) the single first showed up in the chart (week ending September 6th) at #48 and promptly dropped out again the following week.

However, following this false start, Space Oddity was back in the Top Fifty at #39 week ending September 20th and thus began it's slow ascent to the Top Five.

Stay tuned for the continuing story of Major Tom.

A Reality Tour 33-track Double Cd Due In January

Welcome to Reality...

As long ago as it now was, I reckon many of you reading this will remember those two magical nights at the Point Depot in Dublin in Ireland on the 22nd and 23rd of November 2003, as if they were only yesterday...and the day before, obviously.

Long available on the A Reality Tour DVD, fans have hankered after an audio version of the recordings since the DVD's release. Well, now their wishes have been granted with the ISO/Columbia/Legacy 33-track, 2CD release of A Reality Tour in January 2010.

Here's the tracklisting...

A Reality Tour by David Bowie (ISO/Columbia/Legacy CK 758548)

CD One:

01 ~ Rebel Rebel
02 ~ New Killer Star
03 ~ Reality
04 ~ Fame
05 ~ Cactus
06 ~ Sister Midnight
07 ~ Afraid
08 ~ All The Young Dudes
09 ~ Be My Wife
10 ~ The Loneliest Guy
11 ~ The Man Who Sold The World
12 ~ Fantastic Voyage
13 ~ Hallo Spaceboy
14 ~ Sunday
15 ~ Under Pressure
16 ~ Life On Mars?
17 ~ Battle For Britain (The Letter).

CD Two:

01 ~ Ashes To Ashes
02 ~ The Motel
03 ~ Loving The Alien
04 ~ Never Get Old
05 ~ Changes
06 ~ I?m Afraid Of Americans
07 ~ "Heroes"
08 ~ Bring Me The Disco King
09 ~ Slip Away
10 ~ Heathen (The Rays)
11 ~ Five Years
12 ~ Hang On To Yourself
13 ~ Ziggy Stardust

Bonus tracks:

14 ~ Fall Dog Bombs The Moon
15 ~ Breaking Glass
16 ~ China Girl.

This means that all of the songs played on the first night are now available as audio and only Days and 5:15 The Angels Have Gone remain unreleased from the second night.

Though the press release (see PR section above) mentions a Tuesday, January 26th release, if things follow the normal pattern the set will be released the day before in the UK...and possibly even the Friday before that in the country the recordings were made.

David Bowie?s A Reality Tour 2cd Set

DAVID BOWIE?s A REALITY TOUR ARRIVES AS 2CD SET

33-SONG DOCUMENT OF 2003-2004 WORLD TOUR INCLUDES THREE PREVIOUSLY

UNRELEASED TRACKS: "CHINA GIRL," "BREAKING GLASS" AND "FALL DOG BOMBS THE MOON"

Recorded in Dublin, live versions span his entire career to-date, from "The Man Who Sold the World" (1971), "Changes" (1972), "Ziggy Stardust" (1972), "All the Young Dudes" (1972), "Rebel Rebel" (1974), "Fame" (1975)," "Heroes" (1977), "Ashes To Ashes" (1980), "Under Pressure" (1981), "I?m Afraid Of Americans" (1997), up through 10 songs from Heathen (2002) and Reality (2003) albums　

Available at both physical and digital retail outlets starting January 26, 2010, through ISO/Columbia/Legacy

The most recent original full-length entries in the David Bowie catalog are his REALITY studio album (released September 2003), and subsequent live DVD, A REALITY TOUR (October 2004), which presented his world tour of October 2003 through June 2004. A REALITY TOUR was the highest-grossing global tour of 2004 and one of the most critically acclaimed tours of Bowie?s career. It was hailed as "Best Tour: #2" in the "Critics? Picks" section in the ROLLING STONE "Music Awards 2003 poll (after Radiohead), and the magazine raved: "Bowie keeps finding new ways to seduce a crowd and make fans come back for more"(1/22/04).

Now Bowie fans ? who have been painstakingly creating audio dubs of the DVD for themselves all these years ? can rejoice over the news that A REALITY TOUR has finally been remastered as a double-CD. Sweetening the package are three bonus tracks performed on the tour but not included on the original DVD: "China Girl," "Breaking Glass" and "Fall Dog Bombs The Moon." The 33-song configuration will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting January 26, 2010 through ISO RECORDS and Columbia/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.

With its iconic cover image of denim-clad David Bowie wielding his vintage black-and-white Supro Dual-Tone electric guitar, A REALITY TOUR has emerged as the definitive career overview. The songs that he ultimately chose for release weave through virtually every phase of his life, dating back to the title tune of his 1971 LP, "The Man Who Sold The World."

The tour drew thunderous critical acclaim. Writing in the New York Times about his sold-out Madison Square Garden show, Jon Pareles said: "Unlike many other rockers of his generation, Mr. Bowie, 56, made his recent songs sound just as trenchant as the oldies?Mr. Bowie has sung many of these songs countless times, but with a shifted inflection here and a sly gesture there he made clear that he was still thinking through them, bringing them into the here and now" (12/17/03). Of the same show, Jim Farber of the New York Daily News noted: "Bowie was in burly voice and brisk shape Monday, looking and sounding at least 20 years younger than his actual age?His last two albums reunited him with [his former producer] Tony Visconti. Together, they've rekindled Bowie's talent for compelling melodies and hot riffs" (12/17/03). Elsewhere, Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said: "He arrived in peak voice with a powerhouse band and a set list that soothed nostalgic cravings even as it worked as pointed commentary" (1/14/04).

The 1970s were especially productive years for Bowie, and he pays homage to them with live versions of more than a dozen titles: "Changes" and "Life On Mars?" (from Hunky Dory, 1971); the trilogy sequence of "Five Years," "Hang On To Yourself" and "Ziggy Stardust" (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1972); "All the Young Dudes" (1972); "Rebel Rebel" (from Diamond Dogs, 1974); "Fame" (co-written with John Lennon, from Young Americans, 1975); "Be My Wife" and "Breaking Glass" (from Low, 1977); "Heroes" (1977); and "Fantastic Voyage" (from Lodger, 1979). There is also a rare live version of "Sister Midnight" that Bowie co-wrote with Iggy Pop from The Idiot, Iggy?s 1977 debut solo LP (post-Stooges), which Bowie produced.

Bowie recalls the ?80s with "Ashes To Ashes" (from Scary Monsters, 1980), "Under Pressure" (the one-off single that he recorded with Queen in 1981), and "Loving The Alien" (from Tonight, 1984). Four songs (three of them co-written with Brian Eno) originated on Bowie?s ?90s albums Outside ("Hallo Spaceboy," "The Motel," 1995) and Earthling ("I?m Afraid Of Americans," "Battle For Britain (The Letter)," 1997).

The lion?s share of songs that Bowie performed on A REALITY TOUR (and chose for release) were drawn from his two most recent albums at the time, 2002?s Heathen ( "Cactus" [written by Black Francis of the Pixies], "Sunday," "Slip Away," "Afraid," and "Heathen [The Rays]"), and 2003?s REALITY ("New Killer Star," "Reality," "The Loneliest Guy," "Never Get Old," and "Bring Me the Disco King," "Fall Dog Bombs The Moon").

In addition to Bowie, musicians on A REALITY TOUR include Gerry Leonard (band leader/guitar/vocals), Sterling Campbell (drums/vocals), Earl Slick (guitar), Gail Ann Dorsey (bass guitar/vocals), Catherine Russell (keyboards/vocals/percussion/guitar), and Mike Garson (keyboards).

A REALITY TOUR by DAVID BOWIE (ISO/Columbia/Legacy CK 758548)

CD One ? Selections: 1. Rebel Rebel ? 2. New Killer Star ? 3. Reality ? 4. Fame ? 5. Cactus ? 6. Sister Midnight ? 7. Afraid ? 8. All The Young Dudes ? 9. Be My Wife ? 10. The Loneliest Guy ? 11. The Man Who Sold The World ? 12. Fantastic Voyage ? 13. Hallo Spaceboy ? 14. Sunday ? 15. Under Pressure ? 16. Life On Mars? ? 17. Battle For Britain (The Letter).

CD Two ? Selections: 1. Ashes To Ashes ? 2. The Motel ? 3. Loving The Alien ? 4. Never Get Old ? 5. Changes ? 6. I?m Afraid Of Americans ? 7. "Heroes" ? 8. Bring Me The Disco King ? 9. Slip Away ? 10. Heathen (The Rays) ? 11. Five Years ? 12. Hang On To Yourself ? 13. Ziggy Stardust ? Bonus tracks: 14. Fall Dog Bombs The Moon ? 15. Breaking Glass ? 16. China Girl.

Tonight Album Is 25 Years Old Today!

Everything will be alright tonight...

Bloody 'eck!

Space Oddity Release Moved To November In Usa

Commencing countdown...

In an attempt to get the release even nearer to the original release date, EMI in America have moved the Space Oddity 40th Anniversary Edition from October to November 17th...now just under two weeks (and forty years) off of the original November 4th 1969 releaae date.

The European release remains October 12th due to different retail requirements for the Christmas holiday palaver...though the vinyl edition will follow a week later on the 19th there.

The vinyl version of the album will now exclusively incorporate a poster of the original Purcell Room gig flyer from November 20th, 1969, below.

See our previous news items for further details regarding these releases. (08.05.2009 NEWS: DOUBLE CD 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPACE ODDITY ALBUM DUE & 08.12.2009 NEWS: SPACE ODDITY 40TH ANNIVERSARY VINYL DETAILS)

See Earl Slick With Slinky Vagabond In Ny On His Birthday

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday born...

I think all is explained in the e-flyer above...but here's a bit from Keanan Duffty himself anyway...

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Hi Blam, Slinky Vagabond and Friends will be playing a show on October 1st in New York City at the John Varvatos Boutique a 315 Bowery (the old CBGB's space). We'll be joined by guest Steve Conte from The New York Dolls and it's a free show with an open bar.

October 1st is Earl Slick's birthday so perhaps BowieNetters will want to come to help Slicky celebrate. There will definitely be a Bowie cover or two in the set list. Should be a fun night!

All the best, Keanan.

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Slinky Vagabond & Friends Live show
John Varvatos at Bowery
315 Bowery
New York, NY 10003
Thursday 1st October. 9.00pm

With special guest Steve Conte (New York Dolls).

RSVP: slinkyvagabondmusic@gmail.com

Life On Mars Takes To The Streets For Spanish Visa Ad

It's the freakiest show...

Bowienetter carmengarencib pointed this one out on the MBs...it's the latest Visa campaign in Spain and it's quite lovely.

There are two versions of it up on YouTube right now which you can reach from the following shortcuts...

Visa The Musicians 1

Visa The musicians 2

Be great to hear a full length version of this if it was ever created.

2010 Hmv My Inspirations Charity Calendar

HMV issues limited edition charity calendar of 'my inspiration icons'

 

Children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent to benefit from sales of 2009/2010 HMV calendar featuring the inspiration selections of Dylan, Bowie, McCartney, Elvis, Springsteen, The Killers, Bono, Deborah Harry, Siouxsie, Tom Waits, Keith Richards and other icons.

 

Music and entertainment specialist HMV is to mark the third anniversary of its acclaimed my inspiration campaign by featuring memorable highlights in a charity calendar for 2009/2010.

 

These include the my inspiration selections of Bob Dylan - who selected Scottish poet, Robert Burns; Bono and Paul McCartney, who, in turn, cite Bob Dylan as theirs; Paul Weller, who was first inspired by the songwriting of Lennon and McCartney; Bruce Springsteen, who was influenced by Blues performer Woodie Guthrie; and Deborah Harry, who found inspiration in the songs of Leonard Cohen.  There are also our inspirations for Elvis and Bob Marley selected by HMV staff and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell respectively (See below for full details of participating artists and their inspirations).

 

My inspiration invites iconic and exciting new artists to share with their fans the song lyric or lines of verse that have inspired them in their life and in their work.  The campaign began in September 2006, when David Bowie selected Syd Barrett's Gigolo Aunt as his personal inspiration.  Since that time well over 150 artists have taken part, ranging from Timbaland to the first lady of France, Carla Bruni, as well as new artists such as Lady Gaga and La Roux.

 

The proceeds of the limited edition calendar, which has been generously produced for HMV at cost by the UK's leading calendar manufacturer Danilo, will go to HMV's nominated charity CLIC Sargent, which cares for children and young adults with cancer.

 

The calendar comes with two different but equally attractive covers: a standard version highlighting all the featured artists, and a special limited edition run featuring Bob Dylan.  Both versions are priced £7.99 and will go on sale in early September in over 270 HMV stores and can also be ordered online at hmv.com.  Sister company Waterstone's is also a stockist.

 

A key part of the calendar are the iconic black & white portraits of the participating artists taken by photographers who are themselves celebrated, such as Anton Corbijn, Fiona Freund, Dean Chalkley, Lawrence Watson, Adrian Boot and Frank Ockenfels 3 - making it a must not just for music fans and collectors, but for anyone with an appreciation of rock photography.

 

The A3-sized calendar comes with a foreword from Q Editor-in-Chief Paul Rees, and offers the added bonus of a full eighteen months worth of artist inspiration selections, starting from August 2009 with The Edge's selection, covering all of 2010 and then ending in January 2011 with Metallica's choice of their inspiration.

 

my inspiration icons - listing in full:

 

Month      featured artist            Selected performer /writer & work

 

2009

Aug    The Edge               Leonard Cohen / Anthem

Sep     Amy Winehouse    Donny Hathaway / I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know

Oct     The Killers             Bruce Springsteen / Born To Run

Nov     Keith Richards       Buddy Guy / I Can't Quit The Blues

Dec     Bobbie Gillespie    The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl / Fairytale of New York

                                   

2010

Jan      Bob Dylan             Robert Burns / A Red, Red Rose

Feb      Bono                    Bob Dylan / Visions of Johanna

Mar     Elvis                    Elvis / Suspicious Minds (selected by HMV staff)

Apr      Noel Gallagher       The Stones Roses / She Bangs The Drum

May     Siouxsie               The Doors / When The Music's Over

Jun      Paul McCartney     Bob Dylan / She Belongs To Me      

Jul       Paul Weller            Lennon & McCartney / Strawberry Fields Forever

Aug     Bob Marley          Bob Marley / One Love (selected by Chris Blackwell)

Sep     Bruce Springsteen  Woody Guthrie / This Land is Your Land

Oct      Deborah Harry        Leonard Cohen / Waiting For The Miracle

Nov      Tom Waits             Dylan Thomas / A Visit To Grandpa's

Dec      David Bowie           Syd Barrett / Gigolo Aunt

 

2011

Jan       Metallica               Motorhead / Overkill

Signed Complete David Bowie Book Winners

The solid book Nick wrote...

Last week we set a contest to win five signed by Nicholas Pegg copies of his soon to be published fifth edition of The Complete David Bowie. (09.11.2009 NEWS: FIVE SIGNED COPIES OF COMPLETE DB TO BE WON)

OK...on with it. Here are the questions that Nick set, followed by the answer in each case...

Q1: The front cover of the new edition of 'The Complete David Bowie' (pictured above) features a photo that was taken on 26 March 1976. Now that you're armed with that information... at which concert venue was the picture shot?

A1: Madison Square Garden, New York.

Q2: Bearing in mind that the previous edition of 'The Complete David Bowie' was published three years ago, among the latest additions to the updated A-Z of songs are two new entries which, alphabetically, fall immediately before and immediately after the song 'Fame'. What are they?

A2: 'Falling Down' and 'Fannin Street'...both, coincidentally, from Scarlett Johansson's debut album of Tom Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head. DB guested on both tracks, of course.

Here are five people who got those right and then also got lucky with The Random Generator...

andrewbarr
martyn
newton
roomcq
pmfwoods

If each of you could please let me know if you will be attending next weekend's signing session/launch party. (08.27.2009 NEWS: NICK PEGG SIGNING LATEST EDITION OF COMPLETE BOWIE) If you are, Nick will sign your preferred dedication in front of your very eyes...

If, however, geographical and/or time constraints make it impossible for you to be there, then publisher Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. have generously offered to dispatch your book directly to you.

Either way, and just in case you don't make it on the day, could all five of you please furnish me with your postal address and details of who you want the book to be signed to, ASAP...Please mention if you do plan to be there on Saturday too.

Limited Edition Hmv My Inspiration Calendar On Sale Now

Hang him on your wall...

HMV has marked the third anniversary of its acclaimed 'my inspiration' campaign with the just published limited edition 18-month 2009/2010 charity calendar of 'my inspiration icons' in aid of the Children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

David Bowie features on the December 2010 page which I've posted above and inset with the front and back covers. You can also read all about the calendar in the BowieNet press release section and you can purchase it directly from HMV here.

Here's a bit from the calendar's foreword by Paul Rees the Editor In Chief of Q Magazine...

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Bowie (to name but one other My Inspiration perennial) brought us Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke, the glacial funk of Station To Station and the white boy soul of Young Americans, but I?d contend he?s summoned forth nothing that will linger longer than Life On Mars?s drop-dead perfect opening line: ?It?s a godawful small affair, to the girl with the mousy hair.? So it is with all great songs and songwriters ? whatever magic might be conjured musically, it is invariably the words that hold us fast to the tune and come to define our relationship with it.

I should say that it?s actually fitting to reference Bowie, as, aside from his inspirational qualities to other musicians, he was the very first artist to take part in HMV?s my inspiration campaign when it began back in September 2006 ? selecting Syd Barrett?s Gigolo Aunt.

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If this campaign isn't familiar to you, check out these previous be inspired/my inspiration stories on BowieNet: 09.06.2006 NEWS: ALADDIN SANE INSPIRES HMV CAMPAIGN & 09.09.2006 NEWS: HMV CAMPAIGN - SYD IS DB'S INSPIRATION & 05.22.2008 NEWS: BOWIE IS ONE NIGHT ONLY'S INSPIRATION - WIN POSTERS & 10.04.2008 NEWS: THE SCRIPT CHOOSE BOWIE FOR HMV CAMPAIGN.

Lewes New School Release Changes Video And Single

They're quite aware of what they're going through...

This one is best explained by the people who created it over at New School Thinking...

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On Thursday 27th August, Lewes New School released the music video for their recording of Bowie's CHANGES.

The song was produced to promote the New School Thinking conference which we are hosting in October.

Only pupils from the school play the instruments and sing, except for the bass. This was provided by renowned musician Herbie Flowers, the bass player who toured with Bowie in the 70s.

The track will be available to buy on CD or download on iTunes from Wednesday 16th September.

All profits will go towards the New School Thinking conference and generally furthering the school's educational approach.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Lewes New School version of Changes is very faithful to the original arrangement and the video is really quite moving, with some very clever little touches that I won't spoil for you now...even the androgynous child on the cover, (above) has different coloured eyes!

Great to see Herbie Flowers name in there, a lovely man who often involves himself in this kind of thing.

So, go watch the video and read up about this project, and if you agree with the school's policies show your support by buying the single.

Db In Top Five Acts Nme Wants To See Headline Next Year

I look at my clock it says 9.25...

In an NME festival poll, readers have voted David Bowie #4 as the act they would most like to see headline next year's festivals in the UK.

Here are the poll results...

The Libertines 16%
Muse 13%
The Strokes 12%
David Bowie 7%
Foo Fighters 6%

The remaining 46% was made up of numerous other bands who didn't receive enough votes to get a significant placing in the poll.

As to the likelihood of David Bowie doing any live work next year, I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea of his plans in that area...though he has already denied the Glastonbury 2010 rumours.

One thing's for sure, if and when he does decide to return to the live arena, his warm welcome is guaranteed by all generations of music lovers.

Further evidence of the NME's continued love for DB can be found in the merchandise section of this same issue.

Just read the caption for the above Bowie clock for evidence...not that I can actually find the thing anywhere in the NME store.

I Want It All Exhibition Features Terry O'neill Shot

Make me know you really care, Make me jump into the air...

London's The Little Black Gallery is proud to announce its autumn show I WANT IT ALL, an exhibition of photographs of film stars, rock legends, cooks and queens.

Seeing as how David Bowie fits more than one of those categories, it's no surprise that he is the subject of one of the eighteen iconic photographs on show.

All of the images on display were shot on film and are available to buy, including Terry O'Neill's jumping dog picture of DB from 1974, above.

Here are the details of that particular shot...

TERRY O?NEILL
DAVID BOWIE, 1974
Digital bromide print
Edition of 50 (signed 21/50)
20? x 24?
£2,070 (inc. frame + VAT)

The exhibition also includes images of the following stars:

The Beatles (Michael McCartney)
Dean Martin (Terry O?Neill)
Marilyn Monroe (Bert Stern)
James Dean (Richard Miller)
Kate Moss (Tony McGee)
HRH Queen Elizabeth II (Chris Levine)
Marco Pierre White (Bob Carlos Clarke)
Jimi Hendrix (Gered Mankowitz)
Elvis Presley (Alfred Wertheimer)
Billy Idol (Patrick McMullan)
Keith Richards (Bob Carlos Clarke)
Michael Jackson (Alan Davidson)
The Rolling Stones (Willie Christie)
Mick Jagger (Bob Carlos Clarke)
Jean Shrimpton and Terence Stamp (Terry O?Neill)
Mick and Bianca Jagger (Patrick Lichfield)
Twiggy (Barry Lategan)

You can view a pdf of all of the prints on show, along with the gallery address and opening times, at the Little Black Gallery site.

Bowie Back Catalogue Due On Shm-cd In Japan

The sound of tomorrow...

I'm sure many of you have already heard about the new format that is making inroads into the Japanese market called SHM-CD (Super High Material CD). For those of you that aren't familiar, here's an explanation of the format...

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The high quality SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic.

Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing, SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc, allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head.

SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players.

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The following Bowie albums will be released on this format on the below dates.

28th October:
Space Oddity
The Man Who Sold The World
Hunky Dory
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Aladdin Sane
Pin-Ups

25th November:
Diamond Dogs
Young Americans
Station To Station
Low
"Heroes"
Lodger

23rd December:
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
Let's Dance
Tonight
Never Let Me Down
Tin Machine

All of these titles will be released in the Japanese paper sleeve style packaging and stickered to inform people that they are now on SHM-CD.

As explained above, this new format plays in a CD player and doesn't require any changes to the master as it is purely the pressing of the disc that differs.

Cor...sounds good, eh? Takes me back to the time I got my first diamond stylus!

Knock On Wood Is Thirty Five Years Old

You got me spinning...

Thirty five years ago Europeans had their first taste of an official live Bowie release with the issue of the Knock On Wood/Panic In Detroit single as a taster for the upcoming David Live LP.

Issued three months after the Diamond Dogs single in the UK, (06.14.2009 NEWS: DIAMOND DOGS IS THIRTY FIVE YEARS OLD TODAY) this old Steve Cropper/Eddie Floyd standard didn't seem an incongruous release to my newly-birthdayed 14-year-old ears.

Indeed, the record-buying public was obviously in agreement with me as it was yet another top ten hit for Bowie in the UK, even without a picture sleeve.

As you can see above, in Europe the release was accompanied by some of the very best Bowie picture covers of all time, though, as with Diamond Dogs, the Americans weren't treated to an A-side release of Knock On Wood at all.

The USA got the studio version of 1984 as a single in July 1974 instead of Diamond Dogs and they got a live version of Rock 'N' Roll With Me in October in place of Knock On Wood.

Sales of the single in the UK may have been helped by a forty second preview on an eight track promotional flexi-disc given away with Record & Popswop Mirror shortly after Knock On Wood went on sale.

You can listen to the flexi over on Chas Pearson's brilliant David Bowie 7? Singles site...more of which, shortly.