I heard the news today…*. A Royal Bowie ornament; a new cover of “John, I’m Only Dancing;” Bowie makes ‘24 best of lists; Climate activists use Bowie statue; plus reflections, profiles, lists and MUCH MROE!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! Click on the bolded article titles to read the originals. The two most prevalent type of article that mentioned Bowie over the past week either had something to do with his duet with Bing Crosby, or about how an album, book or something else connected to Bowie would make for a good Christmas gift. With that said, read on…
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NEWS
Bowie Interview YouTube Channel Gains 1000th Subscriber! OK, OK, I’m being a little self-indulgent here because the YouTube Channel I’m referring to here is mine— the one affiliated with this blog that includes a new interview every week that has some connection to Bowie. Click on the title to check it out, subscribe and watch some of those interviews! They’re great (and if you don’t want to watch, you can listen to them like a podcast). Hey, this whole thing is a hobby for me, so 1000 subscribers is news!
Vienna Vienna covers “John, I’m Only Dancing.” This article identifies the newly released cover as one of last week’s hottest tracks. I’ve embedded a YouTube audio track of the song at the top of this post.
Helmet Releases Digital Album with Bowie Cover. This article announces that the band, Helmet, digitally released a cover album called, Move On, that includes a Bowie cover, but it doesn’t indicate what the song is. Though that the album is called, Move On could be a clue. Anyway, if you are a fan of Helmet, the article lists the band’s touring schedule.
Best Surround Music Releases Of 2024. While the Rock ‘N’ Roll Star box set has been making many year-end best-of lists, a re-release of Ziggy Stardust has also drawn praise, largely for its immersive adaptation in the Dolby Atmos format.
Danish Royals Display Bowie Ornament! King Frederik and Queen Mary of the Denmark have decked the halls inside their royal residence, and their Christmas tree features some quirky ornaments including one depicting Bowie as Ziggy. Do you think, when they are alone, Frederick sings to Mary, “I, I can be king, and youoooo, you can be queen?”
Climate Activists Use Bowie Statue to Promote Environmental Message. Five activists visited the David Bowie statue in Aylesbury (in England), dressing it in orange and rewriting “Rebel, Rebel” lyrics to highlight the climate crisis, expressing hope that Bowie would have supported their plea for change.
Bowie Fan Has Completely Different Personality Every Time You See Them. Don’t take this one too seriously— it is a parody that, hopefully, you will find funny and not think it hits too close to home!
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REFLECTIONS
On Hunky Dory. This laudatory article reflects on the album’s legacy. HERE is a link to a different article on the same topic.
Are you a goblin? In Goblinhood, Jen Calleja uses poetry, memoir, and memes to explore themes of greenness and grottiness in modern culture. The article mentions Bowie as Jareth, the Goblin King and uses an image of Bowie as an illustration.
I Was There. This article discusses Alan Edwards’ memoir, where the godfather of British music PR reflects on his rise from a 20-year-old in the 1970s punk scene to working with legends like Blondie, the Spice Girls, and Amy Winehouse, centering on his defining thirty-year collaboration with David Bowie.
Heartbreak Is the National Anthem. This article is about a book on Taylor Swift but mentions Bowie as a point of comparison, placing her alongside all-time greats like The Beatles, Prince, and Bowie for her cultural and musical impact. What’s particularly interesting is that Bowie’s stature as a cultural icon has risen since his death. While artists like Swift, The Beatles, and others not mentioned here may have achieved greater commercial success, commentators on music and popular culture have increasingly recognized him, in the years since his passing, as one of the most influential pop stars of the last century.
The story of the Bowie/Bing Crosby Christmas Duet. This article contends that David Bowie initially disliked the popular Christmas song for his duet with Bing Crosby, but a last-minute change saved their iconic performance.
David Bowie & Bing Crosby/Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly Do Their Best “Little Drummer Boys.”. The Bowie/Bing duet pops up a lot this time of year. This feature links to both that clip as well as the lesser-known and quite funny Ferrell/Reilly parody.
David Bowie Is with Mick Rock. This article highlights Mick Rock’s role in shaping David Bowie’s visual legacy, focusing on a documentary short featured during the Brooklyn Museum’s David Bowie Is exhibition, where Rock shared behind-the-scenes insights on directing Bowie’s iconic music videos and capturing the golden age of rock.
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PROFLIES
Eddie Redmayne. The Day of the Jackal actor discusses how David Bowie’s quiet aloofness and comfort in adopting different personas inspired him to incorporate similar detachment and composure into his character, adapting a bit of Bowie’s mindset for added depth.
Blame Gloria. This article is more about the limited-edition seasonal cocktails inspired by Cadbury Roses but mentions Bowie in the context of the eclectic and outrageous atmosphere of Blame Gloria, a glamorous late-night cocktail bar with interiors inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Bowie, located in Bristol, Covent Garden, and Clapham Junction in the UK.”
Thomas Mulready. Thomas Mulready, a musician and Bowie enthusiast from Cleveland, discovered David Bowie in the 1970s, sparking a lifelong passion that he now channels into multimedia presentations with his band, Vanity Crash. Over the years, Mulready has built an extensive archive of Bowie materials, interviewed collaborators like Woody Woodmansey, and developed engaging rock shows that combine deep insights into Bowie’s career with high-energy live performances across Northeast Ohio and beyond.
Arthur Brown. Arthur Brown, who the article describes as one of rock’s greatest showmen, tells stories about his long career, including encountering David Bowie as David Jones in Paris in 1965, their shared time at the UFO Club in 1967, and a provocative exchange with Angie Bowie while they were neighbors in Beckenham, Kent.
Ron Asheton. A chance meeting between Iggy Pop and David Bowie in 1971 led to the reformation of the Stooges, with Bowie’s management bringing the band to the U.K., where Ron Asheton switched to bass, and the re-named Iggy and the Stooges recorded their seminal album, Raw Power (1973).
Tucker Zimmerman. Zimmerman profiles have been popping up in recent weeks, and Bowie gets mentioned in part because he identified the album, Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman as one of his favorites.
Rebel Rebel Wine Bar. This bar, in Somerville, Massachusetts (where I briefly lived on two occasions), is named for the Bowie song.
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LISTS
Five famous alter egos from history. Ziggy makes the list because Bowie’s alien rock star alter ego combined hard rock and glam pop with themes of space and science fiction, earning its place as a culturally significant work preserved by the US National Recording Registry.
10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Silent’ In The Title. “Sons of the Silent Age” is on the list, of which the article highlights Bowie’s haunting track from his Heroes album, recorded during the Berlin Trilogy period, noted for its surreal lyrics, brooding ambiance, and innovative contributions from collaborators like Brian Eno, Carlos Alomar, and Bowie himself.
5 of the Greatest Backup Bands in Rock Music History. The Spiders from Mars come in at #4.
Mindblowing documentaries. Moonage Daydream makes the list.
CELEBRITIES WHO SUED OTHER CELEBRITIES. To get to this list you have to go through a totally unrelated story first. Once you get there, you’ll eventually get to the highly abbreviated story of Bowie and Queen suing Vanilla Ice.
The 30 Best Album Re-Issues of 2024. Rock ‘n’ Roll Star! makes the list.
White Songs That Are Such Bangers That Black Folks Can’t Stop Singing Every Word. “Let’s Dance” makes the cut.
10 Fantasy Movie Scenes That Still Make No Sense. On this list is the unsettling dynamic between Jareth and Sarah in Labyrinth, as Bowie’s Goblin King attempts to seduce Jennifer Connelly’s young character in a scene that feels out of place and unnecessary to the plot.
The 25 best Classic Rock albums of 1993. Black Tie White Noise makes the list, though The Buddha of Suburbia does not. Interestingly two other albums with distant Bowie connections also make the list– Iggy Pop’s American Ceasar, which, to my knowledge Bowie was not directly involved with, but it’s Iggy Pop, and Guns ‘N’ Roses’ The Spaghetti Incident, which I don’t know much about but it can’t be a coincidence that Bowie’s movie from two years earlier was named The Linguini Incident.
The 10 Greatest Concept Albums That Changed Music History. Ziggy is on the list because Bowie’s transformation into an androgynous alien rock star produced a concept album that defined glam rock while exploring themes of fame and self-destruction.
The best songs under 2 minutes. Breaking Glass makes the list because it encapsulates the innovative spirit of Low, crafting a surreal and unsettling sonic world in under two minutes with cryptic lyrics like “Don’t look at the carpet—I drew something awful on it.”
12 Of The Shortest Rock Songs To Celebrate The Shortest Day Of The Year. Similar to the above, “Breaking Glass” makes this list, too.
Celebrity memoirs that make good gifts. Me and Mr Jones by Suzi Ronson makes the list as an intimate memoir detailing Ronson’s experiences as Bowie’s hairdresser and tour assistant during his Ziggy Stardust era, offering a candid look at his transformation into an enigmatic icon and the behind-the-scenes life of his entourage.
Top 10 Famous Androgynous Actors In The World. Bowie makes the list because he was one of the most influential figures in music, fashion, and art, captivating audiences with his innovative music, striking visuals, fearless reinvention, and enduring cultural impact over a career spanning more than half a century.
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FAR OUT MAGZINE
The online magazine always manages to post Bowie stories. This week featured:
1. Five classic tracks with secret famous backing vocalists
2. The song David Bowie used to insult Gary Numan
3. David Bowie on why Marc Bolan never understood glam-rock
4. “Looking for Clues”: The song that Robert Palmer can’t remember writing
5. Mike Dirnt picks his favourite David Bowie album
6. Bono on the artist that was everything a rock star should be
7. The one movie that inspired David Bowie’s entire career
8. The song David Bowie thought everyone got wrong
9. The comical spat between Lou Reed and Television
10. From The Beatles to David Bowie: Shirley Manson’s favourite pop songs
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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
December 15: Last week’s news
December 16: David Bowie Cover of the Week: Brendan Schwan’s Drum Cover of “The Man Who Sold the World”
December 17: Year in review: Top Ten “Cover of the Week” Posts
December 18: On David Currie’s Grand Illusion of David Bowie
December 19: Misheard Lyrics
December 20: Lockdown Collaboration Produces Stunning “Moonage Daydream” Cover
December 21: Exclusive Interview: Arts and Music Critic Frank Housh!
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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”