I heard the news today…* Young Americans Charts; Bowie Exhibit Opens in Paris; Private Dancer 40th Release; Bowie hologram show coming? Plus reflections, profiles, lists AND MORE!
Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! Click on the bolded article titles to read the originals…
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NEWS
Young Americans Charts! Bowie’s album Young Americans has returned to the UK charts for its 50th anniversary, re-entering multiple rankings, including the Official Vinyl Albums chart at No. 16. The album’s resurgence is partly due to a special half-speed mastered LP and a collectible picture disc release. Despite being half a century old, Young Americans has had relatively few appearances on these charts, making this return notable. Meanwhile, Bowie’s compilation Legacy remains on the Official Albums and Streaming charts, and the Labyrinth soundtrack continues to sell well, maintaining its spot on the Official Soundtrack Albums chart nearly a year after reappearing.
RIP Peter Sedgley. Peter Sedgley, a London-born artist known for his kinetic and optical art, has died at 94. He founded Space Studios, an artist workspace used by figures including David Bowie, who utilized its Art Information Registry to find exhibition and performance opportunities.
Bowieland slated for release. Bowieland: Walking In The Footsteps Of David by Peter Carpenter is scheduled for release on March 27. This book explores locations in southern England associated with David Bowie’s life and career.
Lady Gaga cites Bowie at Awards Ceremony. The Mayhem singer cited Bowie and other influences during her acceptance speech at the 2025 iHeartRadio Innovator Award ceremony this past week.
“Rebel Rebel” selling mass-produced beer. It has come to this– Bowie’s glam anthem is being used in a commercial for Miller Light. I am not making this up.
Private Dancer (40th Anniversary Edition)’ out now. The 40th-anniversary edition of Tina Turner’s Private Dancer includes unreleased tracks, live performances, and a remastered concert from 1985 featuring guest appearances by David Bowie and Bryan Adams. The newly restored footage captures Turner at her peak, with Bowie joining her on stage for a historic performance.
Bowie hologram show could be next after Abba Voyage success. Betting sites suggest David Bowie is the most likely artist to be featured in a future hologram concert, following the success of Abba Voyage and similar digital avatar performances.
Paris Bowie Exhibit opens. The exhibition “David Bowie, Mr Jones’ Long Hair” opened on March 22, at Galerie MR8 in Paris and will run through June 22, showcasing over 70 photographs, including rare and unseen images, with commentary exploring Bowie’s influences across music, fashion, and art. The exhibition takes a unique approach by incorporating a narrative from Bowie’s half-brother, Terry Burns, offering a poetic and personal perspective on the legendary artist’s life and work.
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REFLECTIONS
The Simple Pantry Recipe David Bowie Cooked for Himself. David Bowie’s pasta puttanesca recipe, featured in the 1998 WMMR RocknRoll Celebrity Cookbook, is a simple yet flexible dish he learned from his friend Francesca Boglione, with minimal instructions, encouraging creativity in preparation.
Does “Changes” subtly reference the Beatles? Some fans believe Bowie’s 1971 song “Changes” may contain a subtle nod to The Beatles, with its stuttering chorus resembling a line from “Birthday” and its piano intro bearing slight similarities to “Hey Bulldog,” while also being recorded on the same grand piano used in “Hey Jude.”
“The Final Countdown’s” Bowie inspiration. The article discusses the meaning behind Europe’s song “The Final Countdown” and reveals that lead singer Joey Tempest was inspired by David Bowie’s fascination with space, particularly his song “Space Oddity,” when writing the lyrics about leaving Earth.
On “Changes.” An article on the EHS Daily Advisor highlights Bowie’s song “Changes” as the Song of the Week, connecting it to a discussion on organizational safety culture and leadership. It explores the song’s history, its initial commercial failure, and how it later became a rock staple, reflecting Bowie’s constant reinvention throughout his career.
On Labyrinth. A feature from What Hi-Fi highlights recent films their AV reviewers have revisited, including Labyrinth. The article discusses how the film’s physical effects, music, and Bowie’s performance make it a compelling watch, especially in its newly released 4K format.
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PROFLIES
A Guy Called Gerald. A Guy Called Gerald’s 1995 album Black Secret Technology redefined jungle and drum & bass with its innovative fusion of breakbeats, jazz, and futuristic sound design, influencing artists like David Bowie and shaping the genre’s evolution for decades.
Melanie Safka. Bowie once remarked that history remembers not who does something first, but who does it second—a principle exemplified by Melanie Safka, whose 1969 Woodstock performance inspired the now-iconic tradition of audiences raising lights at concerts, only to see credit later given to Bob Dylan’s 1974 tour.
Steve Reich. This interview with minimalist composer Steve Reich explores his career, influences, and collaborations, including a brief encounter with David Bowie, who admired Reich’s work and later incorporated elements of his style into music like the James Murphy remix of “Love Is Lost.”
Martin Phillipps. This article mentions that Martin Phillipps, the late frontman of The Chills, had David Bowie stickers inside the door frame of his home, which his sister described as a classic personal touch. The stickers remain in place as his house is put up for sale, reflecting Phillipps’ lifelong love of music and memorabilia.
The world’s strangest place? Forbidden Corner, an adventure park in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, is described as a surreal mix of Alice in Wonderland and David Bowie’s Labyrinth, featuring hidden tunnels, eccentric sculptures, and optical illusions. Originally a private garden created by Colin Armstrong, it opened to the public in 1994 and continues to offer visitors an immersive, maze-like experience in the Yorkshire Dales.
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LISTS
25 Band Names Taken from Songs. Interestingly, the band named for a Bowie song that makes this list is Kooks. Kooks is not the only one though…
10 of the Best Glam Rock Songs Ever. Interestingly enough, Bowie only gets one song on this list.
The 30 greatest album covers of all time. Aladdin Sane and Low are on the list.
Bowie’s 10 best duets. There are at least two songs on this list that I would not characterize as duets, but judge for yourself…
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FAR OUT MAGAZINE
The online magazine always manages to post Bowie stories. These stories are usually built around a nugget of known information, given a title that hints at a detail or connection, encouraging readers to click and read further as the story gradually provides the full context. This week featured:
(1) The one artist Stevie Nicks will always regret not meeting.
(2) The album that killed David Bowie’s passion for music
(3) 10 albums artists swore never to make again
(4) Did David Bowie really predict the internet?
(5) How did David Bowie’s painting passion inspire his music career?
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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG
March 16: Last Week’s News
March 18: Five Years
March 19: Far Out Magazine’s Bowie Coverage: What’s Really Happening?
March 20: Julian Shah Tayler expresses heartbreak (with a little help from Bowie alumni) in Honne/Tatemae
March 21: The Secretly Subversive Song on Let’s Dance
March 22: Paul Gorman Guides us Around Bowie’s London
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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”