Coming tomorrow: Exclusive interview with Bowie collaborator Mark Plati!

I’ve been featuring the work of Mark Plati all week on this blog. Mark was one of Bowie’s key collaborators from the Earthling (1997) album through Reality (2003). He co-produced much of Bowie’s output during this time, played bass, guitar, and keyboards, and handled technical work like mixing, engineering, looping, and more.

My original plan for today was to feature a non-Bowie song that Mark worked on: “Like a Hobo” by Charlie Winston. “Like a Hobo,” is the lead single from Charlie Winston’s 2009 album Hobo, which became a major hit in Belgium and France, topping the French charts for 11 weeks and remaining in Belgium’s top ten for 15 weeks. Mark discussed the process of producing this song in our interview, reflecting on how, “Winston wanted one song recorded totally live, vocals and all. After several takes and a dinner break, they nailed it. Everyone was ecstatic.” It’s worth hearing the result, which you can listen to via the embedded video.

However, since I’m only devoting five days to Mark—and he’s done so much more—and because this is a Bowie blog, I’m linking to a few other Bowie videos featuring Mark’s involvement (click on the bolded title to watch the videos):

Little Wonder (1997), from Earthling. This is my personal favorite song from the album and one of my all-time favorite Bowie videos. Mark is credited as co-producer and co-writer, and he contributed drum loops, electronic percussion, programming, loops, and samples.

Thursday’s Child (1999), from Hours… Mark played synthesizers and bass.

Survive. Also, originally from Hours…, I’m including this clip from Bowie’s 1999 appearance on VH-1 Storytellers because you can see Mark playing acoustic guitar here (Reeves Gabrels is playing the electric guitar, and that’s Gail Ann Dorsey on bass and doing backing vocals). The entire appearance was also turned into an album, released in 2009.

New Killer Star (2003), from Reality. Mark played bass on this one. This is also the song that inspired the name of the band KillerStar. Mark was one of several Bowie alumni who contributed to KillerStar’s self-titled debut album, released earlier this year, and I had the chance to see him perform with the band in New York (you can read my review HERE).

Mark’s involvement with KillerStar illustrates how he has one foot in the past, another in the present, and a third in the future (yes, the man has three feet—it’s incredible!). His work with Bowie is obviously behind him for sadly obvious reasons, but he remains active in keeping the flame alive. For example, he organizes an annual alumni tribute show at the Cutting Room in New York—I’m planning to attend on January 9th, and there are already sold-out shows scheduled for the 10th and 11th.

But KillerStar is very much about the present. The band’s album is made up entirely of new music. While there are Bowie “Easter eggs,” there are no Bowie covers—this is not a Bowie tribute act. For more about KillerStar, you can check out my two interviews with lead singer and co-founder Rob Fleming HERE and HERE. Mark’s involvement with KillerStar is just one of many examples of how he’s shaping contemporary music.

At the KillerStar concert, the opening act, Sone, thanked Mark for his support. In our interview, Mark mentioned that he’s working with this emerging artist, whose performance blew me away—I felt like I was witnessing the future of music.

Toward the end of our interview, Mark expressed some trepidation about spending too much time looking back (which is all the more reason I’m grateful to him for taking the time to speak with me). I can understand this, as his focus is clearly on what’s ahead. I’m confident we’ll be hearing much more from Mark for years to come.

So, enjoy the videos today, and be sure to return tomorrow for a truly special interview.