I heard the news today…* New “Starman” Video; Bowie in psychedelic art exhibit; Fake Duncan Jones story; Bowie spider photo steals show; Alomar’s amps; Bowie albums continue to chart; AND MUCH MORE!
This is my weekly summary of news about Bowie. The bolded titles link to the original stories I summarize below. Read on…
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- NEWS
Previously unreleased footage of “Starman.” Previously unreleased footage of David Bowie singing “Starman,” shot by Mick Rock, is now available, offering fans a look at Bowie’s performance before the Atmos edition of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is released on Sept. 6. The reissue will present the album in spatial audio, with the Blu-ray version featuring the Atmos mix, a new stereo mix, and a remastered original mix, co-produced by Ken Scott at London’s RAK Studios. This new video, featured above, is similar to a new “official” video of Bowie singing “Ziggy Stardust” that uses footage taken by Rock, which was released earlier this year. This was far and away the biggest Bowie-related news of the week, and several outlets did their own unique stories about it— this links to Rolling Stone’s version.
Exhibit to feature Bowie portrait. Bowie is featured in Patrick Hasson’s “1969” series exhibit of psychedelic portraits of iconic musicians, opening Sept. 7 at the Shafer Gallery in Yucca Valley, California.
Fake news alert: Don’t bother clicking on the bolded title for this one— there is no link because the story going around social media about Duncan Jones and a car crash is fake. Don’t be fooled. There are no legitimate news stories about the film director, who is the son of David Bowie, and a car crash. Duncan Jones is one of the people who have objected to Donald Trump’s use of Bowie songs at his rallies— is there a connection? Who knows.
Alomar on how Bowie financed rack-mounted amplifiers. OK, you can go back to clicking on the bolded title— this one links to a good (real) story. Carlos Alomar, Bowie’s longtime rhythm guitarist, developed one of the first rack-mounted amplifier systems for live performances, driven by the need to compete with fellow Bowie guitarist Earl Slick’s powerful Marshall stacks. With Bowie’s financial backing, Alomar’s innovative rig included tweeters, a three-way crossover system, and Crown power amps, giving him the confidence and flexibility needed on stage.
Ziggy Charts Again! The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust returns to the Official Vinyl Albums chart at No. 39, reappears on the Official Albums Sales chart at No. 76, and rises from No. 94 to No. 73 on the Official Physical Albums chart, having previously reached the top 10 on all three. If I read this correctly, these are all British-specific charts. Nonetheless, this is impressive for an album that’s been around for more than half a century.
Alan Edwards addresses OASIS reunion. British music publicist Alan Edwards, who worked with Bowie, discussed rumors of an Oasis reunion in an interview with Sky News, noting the band’s lack of denial as “very telling,” and also reflected on his time representing Bowie, whose influence remains profound in the music industry.
“King of Meat” game inspired by Labyrinth. Glowmade’s new game King of Meat, a 4-player co-op hack-and-slasher, draws inspiration from the odd combination of professional wrestling and the movie Labyrinth, with the game’s vibrant costumes and fantastical enemy designs reflecting Bowie’s influence.
Halsey Cosplays Bowie. Halsey, in her upcoming album The Great Impersonator, cosplays as Bowie, Britney Spears, and other iconic artists, reflecting on her life and career while addressing her recent health struggles and the introspective themes that shaped her music.
Photo of Bowie spider wins award. A spider species found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Sumatra, named Ziggy after David Bowie’s alter ego by arachnologist Dr. Peter Jäger in 2008, was photographed by Lam Soon Tak. The spider, known for its bright orange body and white disc of eggs, resembles Bowie’s 1970s makeup, earning it recognition in a wildlife photography competition. This is another story that got a lot of coverage this week and was relayed in several articles via a variety of media platforms.
The Value of Bowie’s estate. Not sure what prompted this story— I wouldn’t be surprised if it is recycled from a few years back— but in any case it is a surprisingly thorough assessment of how much the Bowie estate is worth in dollars. Not included is an attempt to quantify its value in terms of human advancement.
RIP Dave Kimber. This story about the passing of Dave Kimber mentions that he worked with Bowie. I am embarrassed to say I didn’t know that and was not familiar with Kimber. Kimber was best known for his contribution to the iconic Woodsy Owl character includes arranging the music for “The Ballad of Woodsy Owl,” whose famous line, “Give a hoot, don’t pollute,” remains memorable over 50 years later.
Bowie-inspired country hit climbs. Chris Young’s latest country album features the track “Young Love & Saturday Nights,” which includes a Bowie guitar riff from “Rebel Rebel,” with Bowie’s estate fully supporting the song. If it reaches No. 1 on the country charts, it would mark Bowie’s first-ever country hit as a songwriter.
Mulls and Rog recreate “Dancing in the Street.” Hosts Mulls and Rog from The Morning Rumble, a popular and humorous morning radio show on New Zealand’s The Rock station, recreated David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s iconic “Dancing in the Street” music video, impressing viewers with their performance.
Disco’s underground roots. Bowie is only mentioned in passing here, but it’s an interesting historical reflection.
Venue where Bowie played honored. The Riverside music venue in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, where David Bowie, Nirvana, and Oasis once performed, has been honored with a blue plaque by the city council, recognizing its significant role in the city’s musical heritage.
Revamped Brixton still features Bowie portrait. The Brixton restaurant in San Francisco, USA, has reopened after a seven-month closure, now featuring a revamped menu and interior, including vintage rock’n’roll photos of David Bowie. Bowie, of course, had lived for a time as a youth in Brixton, UK.
- PROFILES
Julian Shah-Tayler Julian Shah-Tayler, a musician known for his dark electro-pop and tribute act to David Bowie, discusses his latest project Hunger City, where he covers Bowie’s Diamond Dogs album, adding his own unique twist. He also includes an original track featuring former Bowie collaborators, and reflects on how Bowie’s innovative songwriting has deeply influenced his own music. Shah-Tayler shares his admiration for Bowie and hints at future Bowie-related projects.
Kevin Armstrong. Guitarist Kevin Armstrong recalls his experience playing with Bowie at Live Aid in 1985, describing it as a defining moment in his career. He went on to play with Bowie in Tin Machine, tour with Iggy Pop, and reflects on the profound impact of Bowie’s death.
Kate Bush. David Gilmour helped Kate Bush secure her first recording contract with EMI in 1976, recognizing her unique talent. Bush’s debut album The Kick Inside and its lead single “Wuthering Heights” became a success, with Bush drawing attention for her distinctive style, vocal range, and theatrical performances, which were influenced by mime lessons from Lindsay Kemp, who had also trained David Bowie. Coincidently, Leah Kardos, author of Blackstar Theory: The Last Works of David Bowie, has begun promoting her new book about Bush, which you can learn more about HERE.
Suzi Ronson. This exceedingly brief sketch focuses on how Suzi (whose last name was Fussey at the time) developed Bowie’s famous Ziggy Styardust hairstyle.
Clem Burke. The Blondie drummer recounts his time with Iggy Pop. Bowie makes an appearance (and mayhem ensues)…
- THE STORY BEHIND THE MUSIC
“Angie” not about Angie. I’m not sure if this is a news story or a blog post, or just an entry into an online encyclopedia about The Rolling Stones. In any case, Mick and Keith claim their song, “Angie,” is not about Angie Bowie. They have been saying that for years, so no surprise.
- LISTS
“Thursday’s Child” on list of songs with day names in the title. This is a slightly goofy list, but it could have selected “Love You ‘Til Tuesday,” “Drive in Saturday,” “Sunday” or Bowie’s cover of “Friday on My Mind.”
Four Punk and Proto-Punk Albums That Flopped at First but Became Legendary. The title of this one is almost as long as the article. Anyway, Ziggy is on the list (which I’m not entirely sure is accurate).
Ten Real-Life Davids Who Slayed Goliaths. The folks over at Listverse are at the point of having to get real creative. Anyway, Bowie is on the list for having slayed the “Goliath of conformity.”
Five iconic Electric Ladyland Albums. Young Americans is on the list. A similar story appeared a little while back in The New York Post, but this one is different.
Bowie on (yet another) list of great voices. Bowie is on this list of 35 best singers, which notes that his “distinctive style and artistic ethos… shouldn’t discount just how strong Bowie was as a singer.” But we already knew that.
Jamie Dickson’s top 10 albums. Guitarist Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jamie Dickson Listed ten albums that changed his life. Scary Monsters is on the list.
15 Artists Gen Xers Still Love. Apparently, fans of (my) generation see Bowie as delivering messages of hope and critique celebrity worship, while his technological embrace continues to inspire us.
Ziggy Makes Top 10 Album List. This particular list ranks Ziggy as the #1 rock album of all time.
“1984” on list of year songs. “1984” from the Diamond Dogs album, inspired by George Orwell’s novel, features a funky, disco vibe with standout guitar by Alan Parker, originally intended for a stage musical that never materialized.
- FAR OUT MAGAZINE
The online magazine always manages to post Bowie stories. This week featured:
(1) Bowie didn’t like Morrisey
(2) “Changes” was the last song Bowie played on stage (I’m not sure that this is accurate)
(3) The Who Inspired Bowie
(4) Bowie liked the Doors.
(5) George Michael liked Bowie
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And with that, “we’ve finished our news…”*
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*“I’ve heard the news today” is Bowie’s adaptation of the Beatles lyric, which is heard in “Young Americans.” **“We’ve finished our news” is a line from, “Oh You Pretty Things”
