Planet Earth is blue... (actually, look closely above...it's lots of pretty colours)
Mr Bowie has been in touch with the following message...
"Happy Holidays to all BowieNetters and a Peaceful New Year - DB"
I'm sure you will all want to join me in returning those sentiments to the Bowie family and to all your fellow BowieNetters.
Stay tuned for a contest to win signed copies of the official 2011 calendar, to which the above image is connected.
Back into the funhouse...
Didn't plug this one in advance as I wasn't sure if there would be much, if any, Bowie content. I should have known better.
For those of you that missed
You all know just how big a Bowie fan George is and this moving documentary only confirms just how important Bowie was in the O'Dowd household...and not only to the Boy himself.
Click on George's Aladdin Sane skull shirt in the montage above and scroll down the panel on the left to
But you still leave a Marc on me...
You may have seen the double-sided collage above on eBay at the end of last month. It was snapped up via the Buy It Now button for $3,499.00 USD.
Created by Marc Bolan sometime between late 1975 and late 1976, it's a curious piece entitled 'David & The Monsters' that features three images of David Bowie along with various b-movie monsters and Peter Cushing!
Here's the eBay description...
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Here's a truly rare Marc Bolan collectible--an original collage by Marc Bolan of his friend David Bowie titled "David & The Monsters." Bolan, a longtime science fiction fan, cut and pasted photographs of famous monsters and David Bowie onto construction paper, signing his initials MB on the front and writing the title "David & The Monsters" on the back.
This collage was made for Bolan and Bowie's friend George Underwood (who created the album cover artwork for Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut album, "My People Were Fair...." and Bolan's album "Futuristic Warrior" as well for Bowie's self-titled second album and "Hunky Dory," among others.) Underwood told us that Bowie and Bolan had a friendly rivalry dating back to the 60's, and this illustrated Bolan's somewhat ambivalent feeling for Bowie at the time.
We obtained this directly from George Underwood. At our request, George Underwood authenticated the collage on the reverse, writing "Collage by Marc Bolan, presented to me George Underwood." We've seen Bolan drawings before, but never a collage or a piece of original artwork by him anywhere this sophisiticated. This was done on the back of a John Lennon album cover or promo piece, and measures 10" x 11 1/4".
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I've singled out most of the relevant bits in the montage above. The picture on the left looks to be from the 1975 Tom Kelly session, probably best known for being the session that the CHANGESONEBOWIE cover shot was taken from.
The other smaller black and white shot of Bowie in Bolan's collage is a still from the set of The Man Who Fell To Earth.
The image on the right was cut from the Guy Peellaert painting of Lou Reed and David Bowie, below, which appeared in Peellaert's Rock Dreams book.
The inner sleeve of John Lennon's 1972 album, Walls and Bridges, was used as the 'canvas' for Bolan's collage. I wonder what Marc did on the back of the other side?
I guess we'll never know if there was any hidden meaning behind the 'mix' and 'mixer' lines of text, but Marc and David were friends at this time and would work together for the last time a year or so later for Bolan's 1977 TV show, Marc.
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy...
There have been some very moving tributes to John Lennon these last few days and it's clear that all these years later his passing has become no easier to digest for those of us that didn't know him, let alone those who were close to him.
David Bowie remained a close friend of John's to the last and in his very last interview with Dave Sholin for RKO Radio at The Dakota hours before his murder, Lennon stated, "I've always considered my work one piece whether it be with Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John, or Yoko Ono. And I consider that my work won't be finished until I'm dead and buried and I hope that's a long, long time."
Whether the Bowie mention was a reference to working with DB on Fame five years earlier or a hint at some future collaboration, I guess we'll never know.
Humour played an important part in JL's and DB's relationship as evidenced in this excerpt from
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It's impossible for me to talk about popular music without mentioning probably my greatest mentor, John Lennon. I guess he defined for me, at any rate, how one could twist and turn the fabric of pop and imbue it with elements from other artforms, often producing something extremely beautiful, very powerful and imbued with strangeness. Also, uninvited, John would wax on endlessly about any topic under the sun and was over-endowed with opinions. I immediately felt empathy with that. Whenever the two of us got together it started to resemble Beavis and Butthead on "Crossfire."
The seductive thing about John was his sense of humor. Surrealistically enough, we were first introduced in about 1974 by Elizabeth Taylor. Miss Taylor had been trying to get me to make a movie with her. It involved going to Russia and wearing something red, gold and diaphanous. Not terribly encouraging, really. I can't remember what it was called -- it wasn't On the Waterfront, anyway, I know that.
We were in LA, and one night she had a party to which both John and I had been invited. I think we were polite with each other, in that kind of older-younger way. Although there were only a few years between us, in rock and roll that's a generation, you know? Oh boy, is it ever.
So John was sort of [in Liverpool accent] "Oh, here comes another new one." And I was sort of, "It's John Lennon! I don't know what to say. Don't mention the Beatles, you'll look really stupid."
And he said, "Hello, Dave." And I said, "I've got everything you've made -- except the Beatles."
A couple of nights later we found ourselves backstage at the Grammys (see picture above) where I had to present "the thing" to Aretha Franklin. Before the show I'd been telling John that I didn't think America really got what I did, that I was misunderstood. Remember that I was in my 20s and out of my head.
So the big moment came and I ripped open the envelope and announced, "The winner is Aretha Franklin." Aretha steps forward, and with not so much as a glance in my direction, snatches the trophy out of my hands and says, "Thank you everybody. I'm so happy I could even kiss David Bowie." Which she didn't! And she promptly spun around swanned off stage right. So I slunk off stage left.
And John bounds over and gives me a theatrical kiss and a hug and says "See, Dave. America loves ya."
We pretty much got on like a house on fire after that.
He once famously described glam rock as just rock and roll with lipstick on. He was wrong of course, but it was very funny.
Towards the end of the 70s, a group of us went off to Hong Kong on a holiday and John was in, sort of, house-husband mode and wanted to show Sean the world. And during one of our expeditions on the back streets a kid comes running up to him and says, "Are you John Lennon?" And he said, "No but I wish I had his money." Which I promptly stole for myself.
[imitating a fan] "Are you David Bowie?"
No, but I wish I had his money.
It's brilliant. It was such a wonderful thing to say. The kid said, "Oh, sorry. Of course you aren't," and ran off. I thought, "This is the most effective device I've heard."
I was back in New York a couple of months later in Soho, downtown, and a voice pipes up in my ear, "Are you David Bowie?" And I said, "No, but I wish I had his money."
"You lying bastard. You wish you had my money." It was John Lennon.
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Of the recent broadcasts, the BBC Radio 2 two-parter:
If you don't, the Bowie relevant section starts at 21:50 in part two. John talks about recording Fame and does a lovely little impersonation, albeit a wildly inaccurate one, of David talking.
Black Segel Rock...
Hot-on-the-heels of the Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth remake by The Priests and Shane MacGowan, (11.13.2010 NEWS: NOW MACGOWAN AND PRIESTS DO LITTLE DRUMMER BOY) comedy actors Jack Black and Jason Segel, (co-stars of new movie Gulliver's Travels) have also had a go at the medley made famous by David Bowie and Bing Crosby.
It's a strange performance considering the two men involved. On first listen I found myself waiting for a punchline that never arrived, and while it doesn't mock the original, neither does it seem sincere.
Bowie's undoubted sincerity came across quite clearly during his performance with Bing Crosby in 1977 and there's not a trace of irony in his heartfelt delivery. This at the height of punk rock in the UK when cynicism, boredom and a general negativity seemed to be taking over the nation's youth.
Of course this is precisely why the original can never be bettered. By doing the exact opposite of what would seem to be the right thing on paper, Bowie and Bing, (whether knowingly or not) created one of the coolest musical duets of all time.
Having said this, I don't want to come across all Grinch-like. The Jack Black and Jason Segel version is endearing and its heart is in the right place, particularly as US sales of the track will be donated to Blue Star Families.
The track is out now as a download on iTunes and there's also an animated video of the track over on the
She got the green backs, my-oh-my...
Who better to comment than regular Record Collector contributor and original Manish Boys member Bob Solly. Here's the last paragraph from Bob's Q&A...
Interesting that while there's no mention in the article, it seems the very same copy is coming up for sale at Bonhams Knightsbridge
However, while the Bonhams' estimate is £2,000 - £2,500, it seems unlikely it will reach that figure in light of Bob's observations about the stock copy being rarer.
At this point I'm not sure which version of the tracks the acetate contains, though it's likely to be the same as the originally released versions. However, different vocal takes of both tracks surfaced on the 1991 Rhino compilation: Early On (1964-1966).
I'll leave you with details of a few other Bowie-related lots in the
Lot No: 139 - An autographed Tyrannosaurus Rex concert programme, 1969, the front cover listing David Bowie-Mime and signed by compere John Peel, centre pages signed by Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrine-Took - Estimate: £300 - 400, EUR 350 - 470.
Lot No: 190 - Jimi Hendrix's Epiphone FT79 guitar, owned by Alan Parker and apparently used during the recording of Diamond Dogs. - Estimate: £80,000 - 120,000, EUR 94,000 - 140,000.
Lot No: 226 - An autograped 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute concert poster, signed in black markers by those taking part, including the three remaining members of Queen, David Bowie, Elton John, George Michael, Robert Plant, Slash and Seal, all obtained during rehearsal or at the show itself on 20th April, 1992. - Estimate: £800 - 1,200, EUR 940 - 1,400.
Like to be a gallery, Put you all inside my show...
Whilst looking for information regarding the current exhibition at The Saint Giles Street Gallery in Norwich in the UK recently, (11.19.2010 NEWS: TERRY O'NEILL RETROSPECTIVE IN NORWICH NEXT MONTH) I stumbled upon a past exhibition by an outfit called
Interest piqued, I found the above image entitled Thin White Dukes on their website along with a few words explaining what they're about. Here's an excerpt...
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Pap Art® is the collaborative expression of ex-paparazzi photographer David Koppel and figurative painter John Kiki.
In the tradition of its predecessor pop art, and under the direct influence of pop art's acknowledged master Andy Warhol, Kiki and Koppel have brought pop art into the digital age.
Koppel's background in photography is eclectic, producing cinematic landscapes of celebrities for newspapers and magazines around the world.
The majority of the images focus on celebrities, drawn from Koppel's ten year odyssey on Fleet Street, producing iconic masterpieces of Marlon Brando, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and many more.
Experimenting with digital technology, Koppel began manipulating his photographs to produce distortive effects, which are then printed on large canvasses. The canvasses are then overpainted by Kiki in acrylic in his hallmark simple, spontaneous, idiosyncratic, imaginative and vibrant style.
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After a bit of digging 'n delving I contacted David Koppel who sent me more Bowie-based works, including the two below.
The images above are entitled Bowie In Clover (left) and Still Life On Mars. Check out similarly treated fellow celebrities
Could it be the best, could it be?
Following on from similar lists in UNCUT and on 6 Music, (11.29.2010 NEWS: UNCUT AND 6 MUSIC MAKE S2S BOX SET OF THE YEAR) the January 2011 issue of Classic Rock has both the S2S Deluxe box and the Raw Power legacy edition in their top ten reissues of the year...Hopefully you can just make out what they had to say regarding both releases above.
Meanwhile, NME placed S2S Deluxe at the top of their reissues of the year list in their issue dated December 4th. These folks clearly knows their eggses.
Uncage the colours...
Due on December 20th and available for pre-order now is Manimal's latest offering, a very limited 7? split single with Duran Duran's Boys Keep Swinging on one side and Carla Bruni's Absolute Beginners on the other.
Both tracks are taken from the Manimal compilation We Were So Turned On: A Tribute To David Bowie.
A total of 1,000 copies of the single will be pressed, split in the following colours: 300 on pink opaque, 300 on clear and 400 on black.
Bearing in mind that you will be competing with Duran Duran fans and possibly even Carla Bruni's following, (no French press to worry about there then) it may be an idea to get your order in now...particularly if you're after the full set.
Go
You're face to face, with The Man Who Fell To Earth...
The Man Who Fell To Earth finally gets a Region 2 BD release via Optimum Home Entertainment next year.
It's likely that it will contain pretty much the same content as its Criterion counterpart. (08.22.2008 NEWS: CRITERION TMWFTE BLU RAY RELEASE DETAILS)
Either way, we'll know for sure on or before its release date of March 7th, 2011.
Who will love Aladdin Sane...
If you're looking for a special treat for your partner this Christmas, why not book a hotel in London for the night and take them up the OXO Tower?
Admission is free, and all the work on show is available for sale. See admission times above and find out more by clicking on Mr Sane's lightning bolt.
The above prints are on display and up for sale at the exhibition. So, if you're thinking of treating your Bowie-fan-other-half even further than aforementioned OXO Tower suggestion, what could be nicer than one of these beauties signed by David Bowie himself alongside the associated artist in each case.
FOOTNOTE: BowieNetters can still get all of the above prints directly from
Go here for more and enter the code: VSNXS153 on checkout to receive your BowieNet discount.
Such is the stuff, From where dreams are woven...
Well the headline says it all and I think this means congratulations are due to everybody involved with the production of the Station To Station deluxe box set and to David Bowie for making the masterpiece in the first place.
This brilliant reissue beat other contenders that made the BBC's 6 Music digital radio station also voted the release box set of the year and the station is celebrating by making Station To Station Meanwhile, we will be celebrating the good news ourselves this coming weekend with a contest to win the deluxe boxset signed by DB along with other related goodies and more signed stuff.
The Factor X that proved the fact...
With the news last week that the 2010 X Factor version of David Bowie's "Heroes" had topped the iTunes chart on the day of release, (11.21.2010 NEWS: X FACTOR SINGLE TOPS iTUNES CHART ON DAY OF RELEASE) it's no surprise that the release is now at the top of the official UK singles chart.
You can watch the accompanying video
While we're on the subject of "Heroes"...
We can hear "Heroes", just for two nights...
I'm sure you're all familiar with the recorded version which was released in 1997, that's the original press advert above. Anyway, here are the details from
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2011 Wordless Music Series
May 20-21, 2011
JONNY GREENWOOD?S ?DOGHOUSE? (U.S. PREMIERE) + MUSIC OF GYORGY LIGETI + PHILIP GLASS "Heroes" - MUSIC OF BOWIE AND ENO (NY PREMIERE)
ENSEMBLE SIGNAL - THE WORDLESS MUSIC ORCHESTRA - CONDUCTED BY BRAD LUBMAN
Performing Gyorgy Ligeti?s Chamber Concerto for 13 instrumentalists; the New York City premiere of Philip Glass / David Bowie / Brian Eno?s Symphony No. 4 (?Heroes? based on the music of Bowie and Eno), and the U.S. premiere of Jonny Greenwood?s Doghouse for large orchestra and string trio, the Radiohead guitarist?s longest orchestral work to date.
Doors open at 7pm, show at 8pm. All ages. General admission tickets $25-35 with $5 Ticketmaster service charge (sorry) on sale now for May 20 and May 21 concerts.
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See the
Now he is a puppet dancer...
Here's a couple of events which, sadly, slipped under our radar.
Did you attend the Band Of Puppets festival at
The only clues as to what went on are these details still up on the Bushwick Starr website: "The Bushwick Starr premiers our annual new works puppetry festival! Selected artists will create live music videos in the style of the golden age of MTV rock epics such as "Thriller". This year's theme is David Bowie."
It looks like this wasn't the first puppet-based Bowie tribute we missed...anybody out there attend this one last year by
Please send in your impressions of either of these productions and any photographs you took if you were there. There could be a Bowie puppet-based reward in it for you.
FOOTNOTE: As you probably noticed, the above puppet piece is a back-dated story to fill a gap that would normally have been filled by a Thanksgiving item.
Unfortunately, on the actual day, a power outage meant that I couldn't post anything...though it's likely that those of you that celebrate would have been too stuffed to bother logging on to BowieNet anyway!
Well, she's come, been and gone...and she's back again...
Following on from successful stints in Australia and Luxembourg in recent weeks, the
You can find out more about the performance and book tickets for it
Elvis is English...
Aside from acknowledging U2's debt of gratitude to David Bowie in his usual charming style, Bono has selected his favourite Bowie recordings for
Here's his introduction: "What I've chosen from David Bowie is very strict. It's my teenage life as a Bowie fan. I am still a Bowie fan. But this was when my heart and mind were very vulnerable to music. And these songs had a real impact. U2 owe him a lot. He introduced us to Berlin and Hansa Studios, to collaborating with Brian Eno. It's the high singing, beyond your 'man' voice into the feminine. And there's the staging, the attempt to be innovative. It has been pointed out that the Claw [the 360¢ª stage] looks like the Glass Spider. Bowie wasn't afraid to use scale, to dramatize things. His set list was not just a jukebox he could run through. It was drama."
You can check out all of Bono's selections
"It's not exaggerating to say, what Elvis meant to America, David Bowie meant to the U.K. and Ireland. It was that radical a shift in consciousness."
Presents, tree, decorations...agents sliding down the chimney...
Those of you trying to declutter, or just trying to be generally more modern than us dull old collector types, may eschew the delights and tangible beauty that the red vinyl Bowie & Bing 7" 45 offers, for the space-saving, eco-friendly, and far more sensible Bing Crosby - The Digital Christmas EP.
The EP, which is out now, contains the Bowie/Bing audio version of Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth, sans dialogue, and it also includes the video with the dialogue intact at the beginning but trimmed from the end.
Here's the full tracklisting...
The Bing Crosby Digital Christmas EP
01 - The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth (feat. David Bowie) 2:38
02 - White Christmas 3:23
03 - White Christmas (feat. Ella Fitzgerald) 3:23
04 - The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth (feat. David Bowie) video 4:21
05 - White Christmas video 1:13
I guess this works out a lot cheaper than the previously reported 3-disc set, ( (11.10.2010 NEWS: BOWIE AND BING UPDATE...THREE DISC SET HAS ALL YOU NEED) but obviously you don't get "Heroes" with this.
Having said all that about the digital EP being the sensible option, boy am I going to feel smug sat on my mountain of vinyl next time that great ball of fire in the sky spews out an Earth-reaching solar flare, that knocks out all the electrical equipment and the national grid with a massive EMP...erm, hang on...where did I put that hand-crank gramophone?
The Factor X that proved the fact...
As reported previously, (11.16.2010 NEWS: X FACTOR FINALISTS TO PERFORM HEROES ON TV ON SUNDAY) all sixteen 2010 X Factor acts, including those who have already been eliminated from the competition, performed their version of David Bowie's "Heroes" in public for the first time this evening. You can view that performance
The two mixes of the song were also made available to purchase digitally today and, inevitably, the single immediately shot to the top of the iTunes singles chart.
The physical format (CD) is released tomorrow (Monday) and it looks like the recording is already well on it's way to its objective of raising large amounts of cash for the