Bowie exits the 70s with Kenny Everett

“I think my spaceship knows which way to go”

David Bowie • Space Oddity • Will Kenny Everett Make It To 1980? Show • 31 December 1979

You're no doubt already familiar with this broadcast, but now Nacho Videos has enhanced and extended it and given it a bit of a polish to further enhance your viewing experience.

Directed for the show by Bowie’s video director of the time, David Mallet, the action takes place in a high-ceilinged padded cell and an exploding kitchen with an unflappable nurse.

Speaking to Angus MacKinnon in the NME in 1980, Bowie said:

“That came about because (David) Mallet wanted me to do something for his show and he wanted Space Oddity. I agreed as long as I could do it again without all its trappings and do it strictly with three instruments. Having played it with just an acoustic guitar onstage early on, I was always surprised as how powerful it was just as a song, without all the strings and synthesizers. In fact the video side of it was secondary; I really wanted to do it as a three-piece song.”

Both scenes were recreated for the May 1980 filming of Ashes To Ashes, the continuity experts among you will notice the very obvious differences.

So, ten years after it was originally a hit, Major Tom also had the last word of the 70s for Bowie. Another 40 years on and the impact of this version is just as powerful.

Read Nacho's notes with more detail regarding the recording of both the sound and vision, along with the complete video, here.

#SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019  #NachoBowie  #NachosVideos 

And single of the year goes to Space Oddity

“You’ve really made the grade”

Fifty years ago this week, Disc magazine’s long-time Bowie champion, Penny Valentine, made Space Oddity her record of the year in the Christmas 1969 issue of the weekly music mag. (Cover date December 27, 1969)

“Best commercial pop single of the year? Well without a shadow of a doubt that honour goes to David Bowie and “Space Oddity” — no matter what came before or after. It stood head and shoulders above the bunch. And it gritted its teeth and fought for three months to prove it.”

Penny had been praising the pre-success Bowie over the years and in fact she was responsible for David’s first ever cover feature/interview which we told you about recently. Her love of Space Oddity only cemented her belief that Bowie would amount to something special.

She had also previously praised the record upon its release:

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David Bowie Space Oddity single review by Penny Valentine, Disc and Music Echo. (Published July 10, 1969. Cover date July 12, 1969)

David Bowie – an amazing sound!

I have a bet on in the office that this is going to be a huge hit – and knock everyone senseless. There are disbelievers among us! David Bowie has always been talented but had a nasty knack of sounding like Tony Newley. Good records came from him but nothing to actually make you fall over. This does though. In fact I listened spellbound throughout, panting to know the outcome of poor Major Tom and his trip into the outer hemisphere. Apart from that – and some really clever lyrics – the sound is amazing. Mr. Bowie sounds like the Bee Gees on their best record – "New York Mining Disaster" – and has managed to arrange the backing to sound like a cross between the Moody Blues, Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. It's obviously going to do well in America, which is nice. OUT TOMORROW

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So thanks for the support, Penny, and for seeing the value of David Bowie a long time before most.

Sadly, Penny died aged 59 on 9th January 2003, but not before she saw her predictions come true. Here’s the concluding paragraph from that first ever cover feature/interview:

““Space Oddity” is the first tenuous link in a long chain that will make David Bowie one of the biggest assets, and one of the most important people British music has produced in a long long time.”

#SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019  #PennyValentine 

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays and thanks for the love throughout 2019.

#BowieForever  #PeaceOnEarth

Bowie and Bing with strings

“It's a pretty thing, isn’t it?”

Last month (22nd November), Decca records released Bing At Christmas - Bing Crosby With The London Symphony Orchestra. On the collection is a newly orchestrated version of the David Bowie and Bing Crosby duet of Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy.

In celebration of the UK broadcast of Bing Crosby's 1977 Merrie Olde Christmas TV Special (Christmas Eve 1977), on which the duet was first shown (along with "Heroes", see yesterday’s post), Nacho’s Videos has married the new version of the audio to the original footage.

Watch the full thing and read Nacho’s notes regarding the creation of this one here:

FOOTNOTE: Though he has used pretty thing in more than one lyric, today’s Bowie lyric quotation is actually the line Bing says at the end of the duet.

#BowieBing  #PeaceOnEarth #NachoBowie 

"Heroes" on Bing 1977 gets the Nacho treatment

“For ever and ever”

Back in 2016 we posted the then oft overlooked performance of "Heroes" recorded for Bing Crosby's 1977 Merrie Olde Christmas TV Special.

Notable for the wonderfully bizarre, but nevertheless beautiful David Bowie and Bing Crosby duet of Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy, the broadcast also contained aforementioned video of "Heroes".

In the promo film, Bowie sings one of the most heartfelt and emotional performances of "Heroes" he ever delivered. The vocal was sung over a backing track, with some not so subtle phasing and echo effects on his voice that may well have been added after the event.

Looking amazing, he sings close up straight to camera while he also performs several set mime pieces superimposed along with the main performance.

Now Nacho, along with a little help from Particledots on the audio, has produced a new version without Bing's spoken introduction encroaching on the performance. Go here to view it and to read his notes about how the video was made.

The show was filmed in Elstree just outside London in the UK on September 11th, 1977. Originally broadcast in the US by CBS on the 30th of November 1977, the UK had to wait another month to see exactly what the fuss was being reported in the music weeklies, when the show was finally aired there on Christmas Eve 1977.

FOOTNOTE: The shot of a shirtless Bowie was one of several stills taken during this "Heroes" filming session, though he didn't appear like this in the actual broadcast.

#BowieBing  #BowieHeroes  #NachoBowie 

Tony Visconti on revisiting The Wild Eyed Boy

“For the smile stayed on the face, Of the Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud”

After kicking it off, Tony Visconti also closes the current run of Bowie TV: The Space Oddity Series.

In episode six of this series he talks about revisiting David Bowie’s favourite track on Space Oddity for the 2019 remix.

Bowie TV: The Space Oddity Series - All six episodes available to view:

Bowie TV Episode 18: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 1 - Tony Visconti #1

Bowie TV Episode 19: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 2 - John Hutchinson

Bowie TV Episode 20: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 3 - Bob Harris

Bowie TV Episode 21: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 4 - Ken Scott

Bowie TV Episode 22: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 5 - Vernon Dewhurst

Bowie TV Episode 23: The Space Oddity: Series Episode 6 - Tony Visconti #2

See the Conversation Piece book for DB’s second favourite track on Space Oddity.

#BowieTV

Last Bowie interview of the sixties

“So now you could spend the morning talking with me quite amazed”

If not the last feature, this must be the last actual Bowie interview published in the 1960s. It’s a piece by Kate Simpson in the 20th December 1969 issue of British music magazine, Music Now!, and in the interview, the new star spoke on various subjects including success, money and the failure of the hippy ideal.

Kate was clearly a fan and she talked of her conversion after a recent Bowie show in the introduction to the piece:

“Several people I know see David Bowie as a one-hit-wonder. Until recently I shared their doubts as to his future beyond the song-that-made-him-famous, 'Space Oddity.' Then there was his recent concert at London’s Purcell Room. I changed my mind.

His performance was astounding. He had the audience bewitched with his words, his music, his voice, and his professionalism. With simplicity and sincerity he sang his songs. He has his own style, but also great imagination and versatility.”

You can read the full feature in the Conversation Piece book.

The picture used in the article was from a session by David Bebbington. Bowie is wearing the jacket gifted to him by Calvin Mark Lee, which he wore for Top Of The Pops and the session that was used for the original The World Of David Bowie album cover a few months later. We’ve taken the opportunity to remove the colour cast from the photograph so you can see the jacket in its full splendour. 

#BowieBebbington  #BowieCalvinMarkLee  #SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019 

Alabama Song 40th anniversary picture disc

“It’s time to say auf Wiedersehen...“

DAVID BOWIE - ’ALABAMA SONG' LIMITED EDITION 40th ANNIVERSARY 7" PICTURE DISC 

14th February 2020 sees the release of the latest special limited DAVID BOWIE 7" picture disc, the 40th-anniversary edition of ‘ALABAMA SONG’.

Originally released in the UK on 15th February, 1980, ‘ALABAMA SONG’ was initially written as a poem by Bertolt Brecht in 1925 and was put to music by Kurt Weill for the 1927 play The Little Mahogany. David Bowie was a longstanding Brecht fan and included the song in the setlist for his 1978 Isolar II tour. 

The studio version of ‘ALABAMA SONG’ on the A-side of this release was recorded on July 2nd 1978, the day after the final show of the European leg of the tour, at Tony Visconti’s Good Earth Studios in Soho, London.

The AA-Side features two previously unreleased tracks; A rendition of “Heroes” track ‘JOE THE LION’ recorded at the soundcheck of the tour’s final Earls Court show on the 1st July 1978. Though rehearsed for the Isolar II tour ‘JOE THE LION’ would not make its live debut until the Serious Moonlight tour of 1983.

The second track on the AA-side is a live version of ‘ALABAMA SONG’ also recorded July 1st 1978—a different performance than the one featured on the live album Welcome To The Blackout.

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DAVID BOWIE  - ’ALABAMA SONG' LIMITED EDITION 40th ANNIVERSARY 7" PICTURE DISC 

A-Side (45 r.p.m) 

ALABAMA SONG

(Kurt Weill / Bertolt Brecht)

Produced by DAVID BOWIE and TONY VISCONTI

Recorded at GOOD EARTH STUDIOS, LONDON on 2nd July, 1978

AA-Side (33 1/3 r.p.m) 

1 JOE THE LION

(LIVE EARLS COURT ’78 SOUNDCHECK) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

(David Bowie)

Recorded live by TONY VISCONTI with the MANOR MOBILE at EARLS COURT, LONDON, 1st July, 1978 Recording engineered by JEREMY ALLOM and KEN CAPPER

Mixed by JOHN PRESTAGE at AIR Studios, London, July, 2019

2 ALABAMA SONG 

(LIVE EARLS COURT ’78) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)

(Kurt Weill / Bertolt Brecht)

Produced by DAVID BOWIE

Recorded live by TONY VISCONTI with the MANOR MOBILE at EARLS COURT, LONDON, 1st July, 1978 Recording engineered by JEREMY ALLOM and KEN CAPPER

Mixed by DAVID BOWIE and DAVID RICHARDS at MOUNTAIN STUDIOS, MONTREUX, 17th - 22nd January, 1979.

The images used on the A and B sides of the picture disc are by (A-side) DEAN CHAMBERLAIN © THE DAVID BOWIE ARCHIVE® (AA-Side) CHRIS WALTER © CHRIS WALTER COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES

‘ALABAMA SONG’ is released on Parlophone 14th February 2020.

#DBALAS40  #BowieVinyl

How Bowie waved bye bye to the 70s on SNL

“And now he is a puppet dancer”

Forty years ago today a whole new persuasion of young Americans awoke having been converted by David Bowie’s appearance on Saturday Night Live the previous evening.

For it was on 15th December 1979 that this live broadcast in New York had a similarly persuasive effect on a receptive group of US youngsters that Starman on TOTPs in 1972 and the BBC’s 1975 Cracked Actor documentary had on UK teenagers.

Of course, the youth of America looking for something new had already had their hearts and minds captured by broadcasts of both The 1980 Floor Show and The Ziggy Stardust Motion Picture more than half a decade earlier, but the SNL appearance helped to cast the net further. 

Bowie performed The Man Who Sold The World, TVC 15 and Boys Keep Swinging, with Klaus Nomi, Joey Arias and a toy pink poodle/TV monitor all making extraordinary guest appearances. The show was hosted by actor Martin Sheen.

For The Man Who Sold The World Bowie was lifted and positioned in front of the microphone by Klaus and Joey in a costume designed by Mark Ravitz and Bowie, inspired by Sonia Delaunay’s designs for Tristan Tzara’s 1923 play Le Cœur à gaz (The Gas Heart).

The skirt suit that David is wearing on the right of our montage was designed by Brooks Van Horn costume house, New York, and was worn for TVC 15, the song that also showcased aforementioned pink poodle.

The other picture shows DB operating a puppet while utilising green-screen technology for Boys Keep Swinging to hilarious effect.

In an absurd move the show’s producers blanked the line “Other boys check you out” but seemingly missed the puppet’s obvious excitement at the climax of the song.

Words cannot do Bowie’s SNL appearance justice, suffice to say, it remains among the most surreal television performances broadcast anywhere, ever.

If you've never seen this piece of TV history, prepare to be captivated by all three songs here on Vimeo.

#BowieSNL  #BowieBKS

Bowie Official Store exclusive Supro deal

“The bitter comes out better on a Supro guitar”

Save $400 (40%) on Bowie Limited Edition Dual Tone Guitar.

Supro Pays Tribute to David Bowie with Limited Edition Recreation of his Dual Tone Guitar

Developed by Supro with assistance from the David Bowie Archive, the David Bowie Limited Edition Dual Tone is based on the main guitar David Bowie played on the Reality album and throughout his final world tour, “A Reality Tour”, in 2003-2004. Although he played a variety of guitars throughout his career, Bowie enjoyed a special relationship with the iconic vintage 60’s Supro Dual Tone he had customized to his specifications.

Bowie’s guitarist Earl Slick says, “Of all the electric guitars that David played and owned over the many years that we worked together, he loved the Supro best. He was quite proud of it actually. I’ve never seen him get attached to a guitar, except that one.”

#SuproBowie  #BowieStore 

Are you on the map yet?

“Look out world you know I've got mine”

Have you been lucky enough to pick up a silver or gold vinyl copy of Tony Visconti's 2019 Mix of the Space Oddity album?

If so, don’t forget to plot your spot 📍 on the Space Oddity coloured vinyl map to receive an exclusive David Bowie tote bag.

#SpaceOddity50  #DBCP2019  #SpaceOddity2019TVmix

Bowie’s 1999 appearance on Later

“Never saw in all my life a more shining Jools”

David Bowie’s 2nd appearance on BBC TWO’s Later... with Jools Holland, was broadcast twenty years ago this evening, 4th December 1999.

Recorded a few days earlier on 30th November while DB was in London for his mini tour to promote "hours...", the full performance was never broadcast. Five and a half songs and an interview were taped, with just four songs and part of the interview shown on the night.

Ashes To Ashes, Something In The Air, Survive and Cracked Actor were shown, but Changes (partial) and I’m Afraid Of Americans were not.

It was a hugely powerful performance by DB and the band, you can view Cracked Actor on the BBC site here.

Go here to view a few backstage pictures of DB taken after the recording:

#BowieLaterJools  #BowieAtTheBBC 

The last London Bowie show of the 20th century

“We played our songs and felt the London sky”

David Bowie was in London twenty years ago today (2nd December 1999), for his last London concert of the 20th century, with the now demolished Astoria as the venue of choice.

The show followed a signing session at the Virgin Megastore earlier the same day. The Astoria gig was part of a mini tour to promote "hours...".

A powerful 18-song set kicked off with an emotionally charged version of Life On Mars?, performed by David and Mike Garson. Here’s the full setlist:

Life On Mars?

Word On A Wing

Thursday’s Child

Ashes To Ashes

Survive

Can’t Help Thinking About Me

China Girl

Always Crashing In The Same Car

Something In The Air

Drive-In Saturday

Stay

Seven

Changes

Rebel Rebel

Encore:

Repetition

The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell

Cracked Actor

I'm Afraid Of Americans

The musicians for the mini tour were alphabetically: David Bowie (vocals, 12-string guitar), Sterling Campbell (drums), Gail Ann Dorsey (bass guitar), Mike Garson (keyboards), Emm Gryner (backing vocals), Page Hamilton (lead guitar), Holly Palmer (backing vocals) and Mark Plati (guitar, bass guitar).

Though filmed for Japanese TV, to the best of our knowledge the show was never broadcast.

Go here to view a few pictures taken at both events, twenty years ago today.

#BowieByBlam

CYBER WEEK has started!

For those of you that don't subscribe to the David Bowie Official Store newsletter, CYBER WEEK has started!

Offer ends 11:59pm ET on 8th December 2019. Excludes media and items printed on demand.

#BowieStore