I heard the news today…* Bowie books make news; “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” criticized; Lea DeLaria; Derek James; “Scotland’s Bowie;” plus lists, reflections and MORE!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! Click on the bolded article titles to read the originals. This week didn’t feature an enormous amount of what I would call genuine news, but as with every week there were plenty of stories that were about, or at least mention Bowie. With that said, read on…
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NEWS
Bowie Odyssey 74 makes The Times of London’s Best Music Books of 2024 list. Simon Goddard’s book, part of his monumental David Bowie decalogy, made The Times list for its masterful blend of meticulous research and imaginative storytelling, offering an immersive and vividly detailed account of Bowie’s turbulent 1970s, including the pivotal Diamond Dogs era. While I might normally put this type of article in the lists section, below, I think that the book made the The Times list is itself news.
Nick Smart’s David Bowie: the Collector hits the shelves in the UK. This article reveals some of the stories from Nick’s new Bowie book. I have already read the book, and it is fantastic. Take a look at this article to get an idea, but be on the lookout for Nick to return to my blog for an upcoming exclusive interview.
Movie portrays “Bowie of his era.” The upcoming film, Madfabulous tells the story of Henry Paget, the flamboyant 19th-century Marquess of Anglesey, described by the film’s director as “the Bowie of his era” for his extravagant costumes and disregard for societal norms, with the movie set to celebrate his life and legacy.
Freddie Burretti play slated for January. Subtitled, “The Man Who Sewed the World,” this play is set op open at the Stony Stratford Theatre in England and is about Bowie’s costume designer.
Bowie is not Imran Khan. This is a strange one— apparently a photo of actress Katherine Langford has been used to suggest that she supports imprisoned former Pakistani Prime Minster Khan. The evidence? Her Khan shirt. Except it isn’t a Khan shirt— it’s a shirt that clearly displays the face of Bowie as Ziggy Stardust. Is that what Imran Khan looks like? Frankly, this one seems so out there I kinda doubt the authenticity of the story itself, but there it is.
REFLECTIONS
A negative assessment of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” This opinion piece asserts that it is time to retire *Do They Know It’s Christmas?*, citing its problematic lyrics, colonial undertones, and role in perpetuating harmful stereotypes, especially as it garners attention with the release of a 40th-anniversary remix. The article highlights the song’s origins with Band Aid in 1984 and its massive charitable success, including contributions from artists including Bowie, who recorded a spoken message for the B-side, but argues that its continued use overshadows critical reflections on its outdated and offensive implications.
Todd Graff and Charlie Saxton Discuss Bandslam, wherein Bowie made his final film appearance. Bandslam is 2009 comedy about a group of high school students who compete in a battle of the bands competition. I don’t recall ever hearing of this movie, but apparently Bowie makes a cameo.
Bob Geldof recalls David Bowie genius. Bowie played a pivotal role in “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” introducing and closing the song with his cool charisma and timeless influence, wearing a “Feed the World” T-shirt to unite the project’s message and its roster of iconic British artists.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Star would make a good gift. The recent Bowie box set makes this article, which summarizes several “new releases” that might make good gifts. I put “new releases” in quotes because all of the albums mentioned here are new releases of old materials. I still haven’t posted my official commentary on Rock ‘n’ Roll Star…
Contemporary review of Iggy Pop’s The Idiot. This is a current-day reflection on one of Iggy’s most well-regarded albums, which Bowie was intensely involved in making.
Labyrinth 4K Limited Edition Review. A few such reviews are popping up since the new format release.
Nile Rodgers plays Scotland. This review of a recent performance mentions Bowie in passing.
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PROFILES
Lea DeLaria. This is an interview with Lea DeLaria, best known for her role as Big Boo in Orange Is the New Black, in which she discusses her Bowie-inspired jazz album House of David, revealing that Bowie himself supported its crowdfunding campaign and promoted its release on his website.
Martha and the Muffins. This article mentions David Bowie as an example of the diverse inspirations behind Martha and the Muffins’ Chemical Dreams project, which aims to facilitate creative collaborations and tributes, including those influenced by iconic figures like Bowie.
Ian Donaldson. A musician known as “Scotland’s David Bowie” has released his latest album.
Kyoto. This article about the Japanese city mentions Shoden-ji Temple in northern Kyoto, reportedly David Bowie’s favorite temple, where the British rock legend was said to have been moved to tears by its picturesque 16th-century karesansui rock garden.
Derek James. This article highlights the career of Derek James, an influential DJ from Frome, Somerset, who played a pivotal role in shaping the UK music scene by booking legendary acts such as David Bowie and Suzi Quatro, appearing on the first-ever Glastonbury Festival poster, and hosting iconic music events and collaborations.
Oxenham Arms Pub. This is a story about a pub in Devon, England that has been visited by Bowie, King Charles and other famous people.
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LISTS
3 Hits Written or Co-Written but Not Originally Performed by Bowie. The link gives writeups for each of these songs, but if you just want to know what the three songs are, they are “Lust for Life;” “Girls;” and “Oh! You Pretty Things.”
15 Best Male Singers of All Time. We’ve seen this type of list before and maybe this exact list– not sure. Either way, Bowie comes in at #14 on this one, ahead of usher but behind Barry Gibb.
Bowie’s 5 Greatest Album-Closers. Yep, Bowie knew how to end an album!
The runway soundtracks we’re still listening to. “‘Heroes'” is on the list (you’d think it would have been “Fashion”).
Holiday Playlist. This list, from my hometown paper, includes Bowie’s duet with Bing Crosby.
The 20 greatest Christmas songs. This list definitely has a late 20th Century orientation.
Four Covers by the Cure. Includes “Young Americans,” which I hadn’t heard before. If you haven’t either, there’s a link to the video in the article.
3 Cosmic Tracks. “Starman” is on the list.
40 Random Bits of Celebrity Trivia. This list includes two anecdote involving Bowie and John Lennon.
The 10 Weirdest Concept Albums. The list includes The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars for its bizarre concept, which blends apocalyptic prophecy, an alien Messiah-turned-rock star, and a dramatic death on stage, creating a narrative that is both surreal and unsettlingly fragmented, capturing the peculiar theatricality and boundary-pushing creativity that defined Bowie’s early stardom.
The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1967. Bowie’s debut album is #9. I’ll leave it to you to determine whether it deserves to be.
5 Surprising Facts David Bowie’s Station to Station. This list highlights insights into the album, including Bowie’s chaotic state during recording, the Thin White Duke persona inspired by The Man Who Fell to Earth, krautrock influences, “Golden Years” originally intended for Elvis (a disputed claim, by the way) and a heartfelt tribute to Nina Simone with his rendition of “Wild Is the Wind.”
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FAR OUT MAGAZINE
The online magazine always manages to post Bowie stories. This week featured:
1. Bowie on the most eclectic artist of the 1980s
2. The classic album David Bowie was never comfortable with
3. How Iggy Pop gave Devo their start in music
4. John Lydon’s favourite songs of 1977
5. The Nine Inch nails song Trent Reznor knew was beyond him
6. The album David Bowie played no instruments on
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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
November 24: Last week’s news
November 25: David Bowie Cover of the Week: Fini Bearman’s Jazz version of “Starman”
November 28: Mark Plati on the Making of Toy
