Bowie at the BBC twenty years ago tonight

“Screaming above Central London”

Two days after his Glastonbury triumph, David Bowie was back in London on 27th June, 2000, for an exclusive performance at the BBC Radio Theatre to an intimate gathering of celebrities and BowieNetters.

Did you catch the broadcast a few months later, or were you lucky enough to be one of those actually there?

Check out the setlist below and a few snaps by Total Blam Blam taken on the night, here.

01 - Wild Is The Wind

02 - Ashes To Ashes

03 - Seven

04 - This Is Not America

05 - Absolute Beginners

06 - Always Crashing In The Same Car

07 - Survive

08 - The London Boys

09 - I Dig Everything

10 - Little Wonder

11 - The Man Who Sold The World

12 - Fame

13 - Stay

14 - Hallo Spaceboy

15 - Cracked Actor

16 – I’m Afraid Of Americans

Encore:

17 - Ziggy Stardust

18 - The Jean Genie (Instrumental version while David left the stage)

19 - All The Young Dudes

20 - Starman

21 - "Heroes"

22 - Let's Dance

#BowieAtTheBeeb #BowieBBCRadioTheatre #Bowie2000

Glastonbury 2000 20 years ago tonight

“One magical moment”

“Not only the greatest Glastonbury headline performance but the best headline slot at any festival ever” - NME

As you may already know and in fact may be enjoying right now, BBC TWO in the UK is celebrating 50 years of Glastonbury with a schedule packed with gems from the festival over the years. This is an impressive attempt to bring some cheer following the cancellation of this year's event.

Bowie first played there in June 1971 to a small but appreciative crowd, giving him the confidence to return twenty nine years later to a somewhat larger and a considerably more appreciative audience. That return to Glastonbury was twenty years ago today and BBC TWO will mark the event by screening the whole show on Sunday.

Today’s lyric quotation from Station To Station was a sentiment clearly shared by Glastonbury co-organiser, Emily Eavis, who commented in 2018:

“I often get asked what the best set I've seen here at Glastonbury is, and Bowie's 2000 performance is always one which I think of first. It was spellbinding; he had an absolutely enormous crowd transfixed. I think Bowie had a very deep relationship with Worthy Farm and he told some wonderful stories about his first time at the Festival in 1971, when he stayed at the farmhouse and performed at 6am as the sun was rising. And he just played the perfect headline set. It really was a very special and emotional show”.

Emily’s father Michael, the founder of the festival who first met David at Glastonbury in 1971 said “He’s one of the three greatest of all-time: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and David Bowie.”

David Bowie Glastonbury 2000 is on BBC TWO on Sunday at 21:30.

#BowieTV #BowieGlasto2000

Ouvrez Le Chien streaming next week

“A real life adventure worth more than pieces of gold”

Parlophone Records is proud to announce that DAVID BOWIE OUVREZ LE CHIEN (LIVE DALLAS 95) (a previously unreleased live album), will be made available on all streaming services from 3rd July. TEENAGE WILDLIFE (LIVE DALLAS 95) from the album, is available to stream from 26th June.

OUVREZ LE CHIEN was recorded live at the Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, 13th October, 1995, during the US leg of the Outside Tour.

The phrase OUVREZ LE CHIEN (translating from the French to “OPEN THE DOG”), originally appeared in the song All The Madmen from The Man Who Sold The World (which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year), albeit without the z. Bowie also used the phrase for his 1993 song Buddha Of Suburbia, once again spelling “ouvre" without a Z. The Z was added when the phrase and its English translation were prominently featured in the stage set of the 1995 Outside Tour.

OUVREZ LE CHIEN also features two bonus tracks Moonage Daydream and Under Pressure recorded live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, 13th December, 1995. Previously available on the Hallo Spaceboy CD single, both tracks are making their streaming debut.

OUVREZ LE CHIEN was produced by David Bowie and recorded by Steve Guest. *Mixed by David Richards at Mountain Studios, Switzerland, assisted by Sam Curtis. The musicians are David Bowie – vocals and saxophone, Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitar, Reeves Gabrels – lead guitar and vocals, Gail Ann Dorsey – bass and vocals, Zachary Alford – drums, Peter Schwartz - keyboards and synthesisers, George Simms – vocals, Mike Garson – piano and keyboards

The cover image of OUVREZ LE CHIEN was taken by Iman during the ’95 tour.

DAVID BOWIE - OUVREZ LE CHIEN TRACKLISTING

Look Back In Anger (David Bowie/Brian Eno)

The Hearts Filthy Lesson (David Bowie/Brian Eno/Michael Garson/Sterling Campbell/Erdal Kizilcay/Reeves Gabrels)

The Voyeur Of Utter Destruction (As Beauty) (David Bowie/Brian Eno/Reeves Gabrels)

I Have Not Been To Oxford Town (David Bowie/Brian Eno)

Outside (David Bowie/Kevin Armstrong)

Andy Warhol (David Bowie)

Breaking Glass (David Bowie/George Murray/Dennis Davis)

The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie)

We Prick You (David Bowie/Brian Eno)

I’m Deranged (David Bowie/Brian Eno)

Joe The Lion (David Bowie)

Nite Flights (Scott Engel)

Under Pressure (David Bowie/Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor/John Deacon/Brian May)

Teenage Wildlife (David Bowie)

Recorded live at the Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, 13th October, 1995

Bonus Tracks:

Moonage Daydream * (David Bowie)

Under Pressure * (David Bowie/Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor/John Deacon/Brian May)

Both recorded live at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, 13th December, 1995.

#BowieDallas95

Twenty years ago tonight: NY BowieNet Show

“New York's in love”

Were you one of the lucky fans at David Bowie’s BowieNet show at the Roseland Ballroom on Monday 19th June, 2000? If you were, we want to hear your memories of this wonderful evening.

Check out a few snaps taken by Total Blam Blam on the night and post your recollections in the comments section while you’re there.

#BowieRoseland #Bowie2000

Space Oddity 1972 picture disc out now

“Well, ain’t that poster love?” *

Did you get your yours today? Have you opened it? Will you hang the poster?

If not you can order here, if you so desire.

* We do realise that today's lyric quotation is from Young Americans and not Space Oddity, but we’re among friends.

#SpaceOddity72 #SpaceOddityPicDisc #BowieVinyl

Twenty years ago tonight: Bowie at Roseland

“New York's a go-go”

Though we didn't know it at the time (the correct date was only published five years ago), David Bowie played the first of his Roseland Ballroom 2000 shows on the 28th anniversary of The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders from Mars, twenty years ago this very evening.

Bowie performed an astonishing two and a half hour, 25-song set to 3,000 fans with many new additions since the previous Stateside Bowie shows, including performances of Wild Is The Wind, This Is Not America and Starman.

Back in June 2000, Total Blam Blam (billed as Our European Correspondent in New York), was dispatched to NY to take over David’s BowieNet journal, take some snaps and report on rehearsals and the Roseland 2000 shows.

Sign up to BOWIE KOOKS to view a photo album of some of his images from the 16th June 2000 soundcheck and show, here.

There is some very shaky fan footage on YouTube up to the intro of Station To Station. Despite the low quality it does give a flavour of some of the magic of that evening. There's also unofficial audio of the whole show here.

Meanwhile, we'll leave you with the setlist.

David Bowie, Roseland Ballroom, NY, Friday 16th June 2000

Wild Is The Wind

Life On Mars?

Golden Years

Changes

Stay

China Girl

Survive

Absolute Beginners

Ashes To Ashes

Rebel Rebel

Fame

This Is Not America

All The Young Dudes

Starman

The Man Who Sold The World

Under Pressure

Station To Station

(First Encore)

Seven

Thursday's Child

The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell

Hallo Spaceboy

(Second Encore)

Ziggy Stardust

'Heroes'

Let's Dance

I'm Afraid Of Americans

#BowieRoseland #Bowie2000

Isle of Wight on Sky Arts on Sunday

“See the great Wight star”

As if there wasn't enough Bowie on TV and radio this weekend (there's never enough), what with BBC TWO's Bowie Night (which kicks off at 21:15 in the UK this evening) and Absolute Radio’s virtual Isle of Wight Front Room Festival, Sky Arts will also be showing footage from the latter on Sunday.

With this year’s festival unable to take place, Sky Arts is showing “Isle of Wight Festival - Greatest Hits” over this weekend as they air exclusive content from the archives. However, only a handful of performances of the 20-song set from Bowie's final full UK show were filmed on the day (16 years ago today) and those were:

Rebel Rebel

Sister Midnight

All The Young Dudes

The Loneliest Guy

I'm Afraid Of Americans

"Heroes"

In 2010, Sister Midnight, All The Young Dudes and "Heroes" were made available as videos on iTunes. So, best case scenario is that Sky Arts is showing all six of the filmed songs, though the time-slot suggests there won't be enough time for them all. Either way, we'll leave you with the line-up for Sunday...

SUNDAY

19.00 - Iggy Pop (2016)

19.30 - Simple Minds (2009)

20.00 - Manic Street Preachers (2018)

20.30 - Nile Rodgers and Chic (2018)

21.00 - Kings of Leon (2014)

21.30 - David Bowie (2004)

22.00 - Rod Stewart (2017)

22.30 - The Specials (2014)

23.00 - Blondie (2010)

23.30 - Biffy Clyro (2019)

#BowieIOW #BowieAbsolute #BowieSkyArts

BBC TWO's Bowie Night

“Switch on the TV, We may pick him up on channel two”

Nice surprise for Bowie Kooks who can access the BBC, with the news that BBC TWO is showing Francis Whately’s three David Bowie documentaries and the TOTP2 Bowie special next weekend.

Follow the link below and click on the links there to read more about each programme.

David Bowie on BBC TWO 13/14 June, 2020.

#DavidBowieFindingFame #BowieTheFirstFiveYears #BowieFiveYears #BowieTheLastFiveYears #BowieTOTP2

Tin Machine II due on MOV next month

“It makes me feel alright, alright, alright, alright, alright“

TIN MACHINE = DAVID BOWIE, REEVES GABRELS, TONY SALES and HUNT SALES

While it may not have topped best Bowie album polls, the second and final Tin Machine studio album from 1991, Tin Machine II, is considered an overlooked gem by those familiar with it.

Indeed, Tin Machine II’s reputation has only increased over the years. Uncut magazine placed the album on their list of 50 Great Lost Albums (their list of albums not currently available for purchase), calling the album “extraordinary”.

Originally released by Victory Music, Music On Vinyl gives Tin Machine II its first vinyl re-release since the 1991 original, and it’s pressed on coloured vinyl for the very first time. The initial pressing is a limited edition of 5000 individually numbered copies on silver coloured vinyl.

The CD is released simultaneously on Music On CD (MOCCD13972) - both the LP and the CD versions feature the hidden and unlisted instrumental track: Hammerhead.

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL

• INSERT

• SPECIAL SPOT VARNISHED SLEEVE

• LIMITED EDITION OF 5000 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON SILVER COLOURED VINYL

SIDE A

1. Baby Universal

2. One Shot

3. You Belong In Rock N’ Roll

4. If There Is Something

5. Amlapura

6. Betty Wrong

SIDE B

1. You Can’t Talk

2. Stateside

3. Shopping For Girls

4. A Big Hurt

5. Sorry

6. Goodbye Mr. Ed

7. Hammerhead (Instrumental) (Hidden track/unlisted)

#TinMachine2 #BowieMOV