I heard the news today…* “Let’s Dance” pub hit by storm; Bowie and Earl Slick chart in UK; fans can own a piece of “Under Pressure” (maybe); plus reflections, profiles, lists and MUCH MORE!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! Click on the bolded article titles to read the originals. There was less actual Bowie-related news this week, however this update still contains many links to stories related to Bowie. The distinction is that much of the following content is reflective, are lists or are from Far Out Magazine. Far Out is curious– it churns out posts that build a story around some nugget of information, some of which is of dubious origins and rarely is new information. For now, I’ll keep the Far Out linkis in my news summaries, but I’d be curious what you think of them. I skip some stories that mention Bowie in passing, different stories covering the same news, and stories that I either already featured in the past, or cover news that appeared in the past. With that said, read on…
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NEWS
“Let’s Dance” Pub Destroyed by Extreme Weather Event. A severe storm in Carinda, Australia, damaged multiple buildings, including the pub featured in Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” video, known as the Carinda Hotel. Carinda is also known for its annual “Let’s Dance Carinda” festival, which celebrates David Bowie’s music and the town’s unique connection to his legacy. The festival brings together fans from across Australia and beyond, featuring music, community events, and a showcase of the town’s welcoming spirit, offering a source of pride and resilience for this small rural community. I haven’t seen whether the storm’s damage will have an impact on the festival’s future, but for more on the 2024 festival, which took place last month, click HERE.
The Earl Slick/Bowie collaboration, “Isn’t it Evening” rockets to top 10! This article slightly mischaracterizes “Isn’t It Evening,” which originally appeared on Earl Slick’s 2003 album, Zig Zag. Earl has recently re-released the song, featuring Bowie on vocals, and it has now reached the U.K. top 10 on the Official Physical Singles and Vinyl Singles charts, driven by a limited-edition vinyl release and a remix by Bob Clearmountain. This achievement marks a notable milestone for Slick, earning him his first top 10 placement as an artist, while also underscoring the enduring appeal of Bowie’s work. Click HERE for my exclusive interview with Earl Slick, where we discuss Isn’t It Evening and much more. Meanwhile, another Forbes article reported that Bowie’s “Brilliant Adventure EP returns to the Official Physical Singles chart this week, landing at No. 84. The project has spent dozens of turns on the list that focuses on CDs, vinyl, and cassettes in the U.K. so far, and it adds to that sum regularly.”
Fans can own a piece of “Under Pressure” (?). I’m a little dubious of this one, but according to this article (dateline Jakarta), fans will be able to own a portion of the music royalties for “Under Pressure” and three other Queen songs through Queen SongShares, with reservations available from November 21 to December 5 via the company SongVest.
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REFLECTIONS
The Story of “Sue (or a Season of Crime).” “Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)” showcased Bowie’s enduring artistic innovation, blending avant-garde jazz with dark, narrative-driven lyrics, and marked a pivotal collaboration with jazz composer Maria Schneider, which later influenced the experimental sound of his final album, Blackstar.
When Steve Jones stole Bowie’s gear. Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones admitted to stealing David Bowie’s gear, including Neumann mics and other equipment, during Bowie’s 1973 Hammersmith Odeon concert, attributing the act to his kleptomania despite his deep admiration for Bowie and The Spiders From Mars.
Bowie kept priceless works of art in his car. According to this story, Bowie, a passionate art collector, replaced the vanity mirrors in his Lincoln limo with priceless paintings by Picasso and Matisse, reflecting his deep love for the arts.
What is English painting? Dexter Dalwood’s English Painting series, now on display at London’s Lisson Gallery, reflects on Englishness through a deeply personal lens, incorporating influences such as David Bowie—whom he views as the archetypal English flaneur—and blending music, subjective memories, and cultural symbols into evocative puzzle-like artworks.
Bowie (supposedly) hated “Space Oddity.” According to this article, Bowie viewed the incredible success of “Space Oddity” as increasingly gimmicky as he matured artistically throughout the 1970s, leading him to retire the song after his Sound and Vision Tour in 1990 and revisit it only sporadically for the remainder of his career.
So, is there life on Mars? This story in Smithsonian is about the actual question of whether there is, or was, life on Mars, which is not what Bowie’s song is about. That said, Bowie is mentioned, even in the article’s subtitle.
The “Under Pressure” – “Ice Ice Baby” Connection. Not unlike how Bowie got a co-writing credit on a #1 country song this year that was wasn’t alive to know anything about, he also got a co-writing credit on the first hip hop song to reach #1, without ever having to do anything new. There’s a good chance you know this story already, but if you don’t, this is worth reading.
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PROFILES
Boy George. Boy George credits Bowie as a profound influence, describing Bowie as a hero who shaped his childhood and career, and included a vivid portrait of Bowie in his new art collection to celebrate the musician’s transformative artistry and legacy.
Markus Klinko. The photographer tells stories here about shooting various celebrities including Bowie.
Liana Cornell. The 35-year-old musician and actor who is best known for performing music as Faery mentions in this profile that she had a “celebrity crush” on Bowie when she was younger.
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LISTS
The 20 best live albums. We’ve seen this type of list before, though this one includes Stage.
4 Rock Songs That Were Produced on the Cusp of Death. “Lazarus” is on the list.
The best “comeback” albums of all time. The Next Day is on the list.
5 of the Best Rock Album-Closing Songs of All Time. “I Can’t Give Everything Away” is on the list.
6 Hits, Misses, and Surprises. Let’s Dance is on the list as an example of an artist nailing a genre switch.
The 74 Best Albums of 1974. Diamond Dogs comes in at #14 by this Rolling Stone list.
The 10 Best Film Performances by Pop Stars. Bowie in The Man Who Fell to Earth is on the list.
20 actors who only took movie roles to impress their children. Bowie’s on the list for… the role of Lord Royal Highness for a SpongeBob SquarePants special. I have seen this special and am not a fan. Bowie alters his voice so much that it isn’t recognizable as him at all, but his cartoon avatar does have two different colored eyes.
5 Surprising Facts About The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. This article highlights five lesser-known facts about the album, including details about its creation, legacy, and influence on his subsequent work.
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FAR OUT MAGAZINE
The online magazine always manages to post Bowie stories. This week featured:
1. David Bowie’s best 1980s anthem, according to Robert Smith
2. Five terrifying times musicians were attacked on stage
3. The 10 most unnecessary albums by iconic artists
4. The hilarious way David Bowie rejected Dave Grohl
5. The five greatest songs about UFOs
6. The artist John Lennon consulted about reuniting The Beatles
7. Diamond Dogs: how David Bowie channeled his fascination with Orwellian dystopia
8. How David Bowie channeled Miles Davis
9. The 1970s album David Bowie thought was perfect for Britpop
10. The night Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner met David Bowie
11. 10 albums that deserve to be remade
12. The album that made John Cale “hate” Frank Zappa
13. How Elton John gave John Lennon his first-ever number one
14. ‘Don’t Look Down’: David Bowie’s “lame” cover of Iggy Pop
15. The David Bowie song Syd Barrett called a funny joke
16. Five times bands were upstaged on their own tour
THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
November 17: Last week’s news
November 18: David Bowie Cover of the Week: The “Quicksand” Dilemma
November 20: DoM’s latest Bowie creation: “Modern Love: Reggae Version”
November 22: Kevin Armstrong’s “Run” (which you might recognize from Tin Machine)
November 23: Exclusive Interview: Bowie collaborator Kevin Armstrong!
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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”