I heard the news today…* Jem Records releases Bowie tribute; Lexi shares health news; David Bailey photo exhibit; plus reflections, profiles, lists and MUCH MORE!

Welcome to my weekly roundup of Bowie news! A spate of captioned photos of Bowie performing at various locations suddenly appeared on websites of media outlets– small-town newspapers and radio stations mostly, without any explanation. I don’t have links to any of that those this week, but if you have any insight into what that was about, shoot me a note. Click on the bolded article titles to read the originals. Read on for summaries of Bowie-related stories that posted this past week, and click on the bolded story names to link to the original articles…


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NEWS

Jem Celebrates David Bowie released. Jem Records released its Bowie tribute album this week, featuring 11 of its artists covering Bowie songs ranging from the well-known to the obscure. I featured Jem exec Marty Scott in the interview this week, and be on the lookout for my upcoming interview with members of the Cynz, a band who contributed a track to the album.

Lexi Jones Shares Autism Diagnosis. Bowie’s daughter Lexi Jones revealed that receiving an autism diagnosis at 25 brought her clarity and self-acceptance, allowing her to share her story publicly as part of his family’s continuing legacy.

David Bailey retrospective show in Spain. David Bailey’s Changing Fashion, on view at The MOP Foundation in A Coruña, Spain until 14 September, showcases his transformative 60s and 70s photography—including striking images of David Bowie and others—set against the eclectic backdrop of his studio filled with masks, boxes, and stuffed animals.

Ziggy Stardust NFT?. Read the article if you are interested, and don’t take financial advice from a Bowie blog, but I’d be very wary about purchasing a Ziggy NFT for investment purposes…

Krugman uses Bowie to make a point. This is a story about a story— one that economist Paul Krugman posted about how Donald Trump has ruined relationships the US has built for decades with other countries. Apparently he embedded a video of “This is Not America” in his post. All I can say is, been there, done that! (Actually, that’s not all I can say— I also agree with Krugman).

Tyler Ballgame Performs “Life on Mars.” . Rough Trade newcomer Tyler Ballgame opened Best Fit’s second day of secret sessions at the End of the Road Festival with three originals and a piano-backed cover of Bowie’s “Life on Mars,” telling the rain-soaked crowd “Your attention is very beautiful” before hinting at new music and a short UK tour next month.

Moss touts Bowie project in Venice. Speaking of her upcoming eight-episode Bowie podcast, Kate Moss said, “David Bowie was much more than a friend, he was an enigma. I am delighted to have the opportunity to share with the public an extraordinary chapter of his life and art.”

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REFLECTIONS

Why Bowie ditched promoting Low and instead became Iggy Pop’s keyboard player. This article frames Bowie’s decision to tour in support of Iggy as a trade-off by which he neglected the promotion of Low, which is now considered one of his greatest albums.

Innocence & Despair. About an album from the 70s capturing an after-school choir project of students singing hits of the day including, “Space Oddity,” which some space is devoted to considering.

How 20th-century classical music led to pop. This commentary on a book by Elizabeth Alker makes passing reference to Bowie, dismissing his claim to have been influenced by William Burroughs’s cut-up technique…which is an odd stance…

When Ringo Starr Said “No” to David Bowie. The story claims that Bowie approached Ringo to play drums on a track (unnamed) that appeared on Lodger, and that Ringo politely declined. I don’t think I know this story.

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PROFLIES

Annie Stainer. This is the New York Times obituary of the mime who performed alongside Bowie in his 1972 Rainbow Theatre Ziggy Stardust shows, in the video for “John, I’m Only Dancing,” and in the stage production Pierrot in Turquoise. My weekly news updated previously included a story on her passing, but this gives a fuller profile of her life and work with Bowie.

Guy Moot. Moot is the co-chair and CEO of Warner Chappell Music (WCM), which owns the rights to most of Bowie’s songs. A good portion of this profile quotes Moot talking about what the company is and isn’t doing with Bowie’s songs.

Danniella Westbrook. Wow, this story is still making the rounds nearly ten years later! Westbrook appeared on the reality show, Celebrity Big Brother with Angie Bowie when Angie learned that David Bowie had died. Apparently it’s news that Westbrook called Angie’s reaction, “dramatic.”

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LISTS

4 Songs From 1975 That Forever Changed Rock History. “Fame” inspired everyone from Roxy Music to Talking Heads and more.

15 Albums Where Every Track Could’ve Been a Single. A list of albums where every track could have been a single highlights Bowie’s Hunky Dory, noting that beyond “Changes” and “Life on Mars?” songs like “Oh! You Pretty Things” and “Quicksand” show his ability to make an entire record feel like a masterpiece of songwriting.

13 of the most famous Classic Rock video locations. A feature on famous classic rock video locations spotlights Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes,” filmed at Pett Level Beach in 1980, where his collaboration with David Mallett created what was then the most expensive music video ever made and one of his defining visual statements.

Rock’s 15 wildest alter egos. You guessed it, Ziggy Stardust makes the list.

25 famous songs that took less than a day to write. “Under Pressure” by David Bowie and Queen was created in a drug- and alcohol-fueled rush so intense that Bowie later admitted he didn’t remember recording it.

10 Concept Albums That Nailed It. Ziggy makes this list. Who would have guessed it?

3 Covers That Everyone Hates. The writer offers the caveat that she actually loves these three covers, one of which is “Dancing in the Streets” by Bowie and Jagger.

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FAR OUT MAGAZINE
What to make of Far Out? The online magazine posts multiple Bowie-related stories every week. A handful seem to be products of real journalism and present new information. Some are opinion pieces or lists that reflect an original take on something having to do with Bowie. But most of these stories tend to be recycled anecdotes that have been kicking around for a while, usually given a title designed to leave some mystery for the reader to discover. Both because of their volume and inconsistent reliability as a news source, I list these separately from the others.

This week featured:

(1) Five times musicians detested covers of their songs
(2) The two songwriters David Bowie and Paul McCartney agreed were among the greatest
(3) 10 fantastic artists that no one can hate
(4) Lodger: The album David Bowie believed wasn’t taken care of properly

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THIS WEEK IN THIS BLOG

August 24: Last Week’s News

August 25: David Bowie Cover of the Week: The High Frequencies perform “Modern Love”
August 26: Who is Dan Dare and Why Does He Lie Down?
August 27: Bowie’s Blues: 10 Bowie songs that mention “blue”
August 28: DoM’s latest Bowie Mashup: “Let’s Dance Against the Clocks”

August 30: Record Executive Marty Scott on a “Jem” of a Bowie Tribute Album

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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”