I heard the news today…* Bowie sculpture in Memphis; Bowie festival in Dublin; Bowie featured in NIN Exhibit; plus reflections, profiles, lists and MUCH MORE!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! This week was Gerry Leonard Week on my blog. Leading up to an exclusive interview that posted yesterday, I shared posts highlighting Gerry’s work with Bowie throughout the week. If you missed any—or if you want to watch or listen to the interview—scroll down to the “This Week in This Blog” section. For everything else, click on the bolded article titles to read the originals..
NEWS
‘Faces of Bowie’ Aladdin Sane Weather Vane Sculpture Unveiling in Memphis. Artist and filmmaker Mike McCarthy will unveil part of his 10-foot-tall David Bowie sculpture, *Aladdin Sane Weather Vane,* featuring bronze heads of Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Tokyo Pop, and Halloween Jack, on February 25th in Memphis, marking the anniversary of Bowie’s 1973 performance at Ellis Auditorium; the free event, held at 158 Vance Ave., will run from 6-10 p.m. and include wine and cheese.
Dublin Bowie Festival. The Dublin Bowie Festival is underway and will continue through March 2, featuring concerts, interviews, and exhibitions across venues such as Whelan’s and 3Arena, where the festival finale takes place on March 2. Sturgill Simpson performs in Belfast on February 23 and Dublin on February 24, while Snow Patrol plays sold-out shows in Dublin on February 25 and Belfast on February 27 and 28. The RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards take place at Vicar Street, Dublin, on February 26, and the Ortús Chamber Music Festival runs in Cork from February 26 to March 2. The jukebox musical & Juliet is at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin from February 25 to March 8, comedian Jenny Eclair performs in Dublin on February 28 and Belfast on March 1, and Judy Carroll Deeley’s art exhibition Mine Lands – Glendalough & Glendasan is at the Mermaid Arts Centre in Bray until May 10. The exhibition Kurt Cobain Was an Energy Vampire continues at Horse, Dublin, until March 2.
Rare Bowie records lost in the Palisades Fire highlight the personal cost of a community tragedy. Residents of Pacific Palisades reflect on the fire’s devastating impact, with one homeowner’s loss of 2,000 rare David Bowie vinyl records, many signed, illustrating the irreplaceable nature of what the fire destroyed.
Nine Inch Nails Exhibit includes Bowie photos. A photography exhibit celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nine Inch Nails’ album The Downward Spiral, featuring images from the band’s Self Destruct tour captured by Jonathan Rach, will be on display at 7615 Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles through March 9, with an album playback on March 7 and an artist talk on March 8.
“Heroes” Reimagined by Ukranian Women. This was the major story of last week, however it continued to received coverage this week. This particular story links to coverage in the Kyiv Post, so I thought it was an interesting enough perspective to link to this week. If you missed my exclusive interview with legendary Bowie pianist Mike Garson and director Rupert Wainwright, both of whom were involved in making the video for this project, you can see it HERE.
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REFLECTIONS
Bowie Didn’t Like His Twin Peaks Cameo. Bowie was apparently dissatisfied with his cameo in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me because he felt rushed during filming and didn’t have enough time to fully develop the character. He also apparently disliked the Southern accent he used and refused to reprise the role because of it. I had never read any of that before.
How Bowie set the standard for what it means to be a bicon. Bowie played a pivotal role in shaping queer aesthetics in music and fashion, as highlighted in Jon Savage’s book The Secret Public, which explores how pop culture brought queer identity from the margins to the mainstream.
“Space Oddity” sampled in Dune ’77. Released in 1977 on CTI Records, David Matthews’ largely forgotten jazz-funk album Dune, inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel, features a cover of Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” which has since been sampled in MF DOOM’s “Rapp Snitch Knishes,” though this David Matthews is not the same musician as Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band.
Unconventional Music Theory in Songs by Bowie and others. The article explores how iconic artists like Bowie, The Beach Boys, Steely Dan, Radiohead, and Queen broke traditional music theory rules to create memorable and influential songs, highlighting their unconventional chord progressions, key changes, and time signatures that defied expectations yet resonated with audiences.
A Review of “Under Pressure”. The article interprets “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie as a love song that portrays how stress and fear isolate people, emphasizing that love is the key to overcoming both personal and societal struggles.
William Shatner’s second album almost featured Bowie and… Bill Clinton. William Shatner’s 2004 album Has Been, produced by Ben Folds, initially aimed to feature Bill Clinton on saxophone and Weezer as the rhythm section, but scheduling conflicts prevented their involvement, while David Bowie considered participating; ultimately, Joe Jackson, already slated for another track, stepped in to collaborate with Shatner on a cover of Pulp’s “Common People,” which became the album’s highlight.
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PROFLIES
Legendary Stardust Cowboy. This story explains the connection between the Cowboy, who is described herein as “incredible obscure,” and Ziggy Stardust. I don’t think of him as being “incredibly obscure,” but who am I to say?
Alan Edwards. Alan Edwards, founder of The Outside Organisation, played a key role in David Bowie’s career, including securing his pivotal Glastonbury 2000 performance, and details his experiences working with Bowie, Mick Jagger, and other major artists in his memoir, I Was There.
Glen Matlock. This article is paywalled so I didn’t read it, but it has something to do with his appreciation for Bowie.
Adrian Belew. I’m including this link in the “profiles” section because it’s really about Adrin Belew, but it’s based on what Steve Vai has to say about him (which is all very positive). Bowie is mentioned in passing, but since you might be a fan of Belew’s work with Bowie, you might like this article.
Paul McVeigh. North Belfast-born author and playwright Paul McVeigh, known for his award-winning novel The Good Son and short story collections, mentions David Bowie as one of his influences in an arts Q&A while promoting his latest book, I Hear You.
Twiggy. A new documentary about Twiggy, directed by Sadie Frost, explores the model’s career and life, including her appearance on the cover of Bowie’s Pin-Ups, with Paul McCartney and others contributing to the film, which will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on March 7.
Sheila Atim. Sheila Atim, celebrated for her acting, music, and playwriting, discussed her approach to fashion and creativity at ELLE UK’s 40 For 40 Women In Film And Television Power List Party, citing David Bowie’s advice on embracing the creative tension of stepping just beyond one’s comfort zone as a guiding principle in her work.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton. This article mentions David Bowie in connection with Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s novel Vril, the Power of the Coming Race. It notes that Bowie was a fan of Bulwer-Lytton and references the lyric “You gotta make way for the Homo Superior. They’re the start of a coming race” from Bowie’s song “Oh! You Pretty Things,” suggesting it was inspired by the novel’s concept of a superior subterranean race.
Agnès B. This article mentions how designer Agnès B saw Bowie wearing a brown pleated suit at a concert and sent him black leather jeans with a note suggesting he stick to a rock ’n’ roll style. Bowie later became a regular client, and Agnès B dressed him for 25 years, including his 50th birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden.
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LISTS
50 Terrible Songs on Great Albums. Last week I posted a list I put together of 10 songs that cold be considered Bowie’s worst– it was the most viewed post in this blog’s history. This present link will take you to a Rolling Stone list of terrible songs on great albums and includes “It Ain’t Easy,” on Ziggy Stardust, which didn’t make it on my list at all. This is interesting– I can think of the song as misplaced, in the sense that it seems to have nothing to do with the rest of the album, but I don’t think of it is a terrible song in itself.
A Bowie Internet and other British trivia. This is a list of British trivia that includes a piece on Bowienet.
Songs That Were Written To Get Revenge. “Life on Mars?” which is on the list, was written by Bowie as a response to his frustration over losing the chance to write the English lyrics for the French song “Comme d’habitude,” which instead became “My Way” for Frank Sinatra. This is not a new revelation, but for some reason, versions of this story have been circulating again lately.
A cultural history of the 90s in 7 BRIT Awards moments. The Bowieentry on the list highlights his 1996 live performance of *Hallo Spaceboy* with Pet Shop Boys, describing it as a striking contrast to the increasingly boorish Britpop culture of the time. The performance, marked by its poised yet anguished energy and subversive glamour, is praised as one of Bowie’s final great pop moments, with his high heels even becoming a topic of parody on a children’s TV show, reflecting the cultural impact of the performance.
Most disappointing albums ever. This is an odd list from Mojo that highlights lowlights from a long list of rock ‘n roll superstars. Bowie’s entry on the list is… Earthling! But the write-up actually praises the album, though it notes “Critics sneered and most of his fan base were baffled.” So, in other words, the folks at Mojo like the album but they are noting that some others at the time did not.
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FAR OUT MAGAZINE
The online magazine consistently publishes Bowie-related stories. These pieces typically start with a small but familiar detail, are given a title that suggests an intriguing connection, and are designed to draw readers in, gradually revealing the full context as they continue reading. This week featured:
(1) The George Harrison song David Bowie used to kick his addiction
(2) The artists David Bowie said showed him the future
(3) The “greatest record ever made”, according to The Cure’s Robert Smith
(4) ‘Heroes’: The protest song so effective we forget its a protest song
(5) Why did Bowie flirt with fascism?
(6) The tour David Bowie refused to play for years
(7) Did witches really attempt to steal David Bowie’s semen?
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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
February 16: Last week’s news
February 17: David Bowie Cover of the Week: “Heroes: Ukraine”
February 19: More Thoughts on “The Worst of Bowie”
February 21: Gerry Leonard on any given “Sunday”
February 22: Exclusive Interview: Gerry Leonard on making music with Bowie, the Dublin Bowie Festival and more
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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”