My home town of Kingston had it's own little tribute to David.

Quote
Cristiano Radtke
Rick Wakeman's Tribute To David Bowie - Life On Mars]

He was credited as Richard Wakeman on Hunky Dory.
Anyway, it was very touching video. His piano echoes over and over in my head.

My Hockey-teams intro-march on yesterdays game was of course to the tunes of 'Heroes'....Nice gesture we thought...don't know if Bowie gave a sh-t for hockey, but we did for his Music...



2 1 2 0

Lovely thread. Thanks to all of you. I'm having a hard time; thoughts like these help.

Here's an attempt to describe what David Bowie meant to me:

"Something happened on the day he died ..."

[mikekiley.com]

Best to all,

Mike

Great read Mike - enjoyed that very much! 'You're not alone.'

Miss you...

[www.youtube.com]

Quote
LongBeachArena72
Lovely thread. Thanks to all of you. I'm having a hard time; thoughts like these help.

Here's an attempt to describe what David Bowie meant to me:

"Something happened on the day he died ..."

[mikekiley.com]

Best to all,

Mike

Thank you very much for sharing your nice words and thougts, LBA72.

After my initial shock when I read the news, I was thinking about these lines from All the Young Dudes that you quoted, which was the very first Bowie song that I ever heard:

"And my brother’s back at home
With his Beatles and his Stones"

I kept thinking to myself about the days when I was a teenager starting to know them and other bands. On those days the Beatles and the Stones were THE bands I was starting to discover and I was enjoying them a lot. I could totally relate myself with the brother from the song, coming home with Beatles and Stones records. Maybe it's just a silly thought, but that's how I felt about being touched so hard by that Bowie lines.

Great read indeed Mike, as if I saw my own live went by

__________________________

Quote
LongBeachArena72
Lovely thread. Thanks to all of you. I'm having a hard time; thoughts like these help.

Here's an attempt to describe what David Bowie meant to me:

"Something happened on the day he died ..."

[mikekiley.com]

Best to all,

Mike

Beautiful, Mike.
Thanks for sharing.

Bowie had a way of shaping my life without me even realizing it, quietly without intruding. Huh.

In my own weird way, I've also tried to sum it up on my blog.
Rock N' Roll Poetry: David Bowie

Quote
LongBeachArena72
Lovely thread. Thanks to all of you. I'm having a hard time; thoughts like these help.
Here's an attempt to describe what David Bowie meant to me:
"Something happened on the day he died ..."

[mikekiley.com]

Best to all,
Mike

Thank you for that, LBA72. I too have been feeling way off-kilter since he died.
He did what artists do: He moved us deeply.

... Back a page or so I posted something about counting Thursday as Day 1, making Sunday Day 4.
I almost wrote then that people getting eerie about "Lazarus of the Four Days" weren't counting wrong,
but were wrong about what happened on Day 4. But then I thought some more:
David Bowie has achieved another re-invention - may he be radiant

Hello,

I can only echo what almost all of you have summed-up in such a heartfelt and moving way. I'm 47 and DB was an ever-present because it was my big sister who was the fan...at least first! I remember being puzzled and transfixed by both the music and LP artwork to 'Aladdin Sane', for starters.

The reaction worldwide has been immense and sincere and an amazing tribute to the humanity found in DB's writing. The man was no saint, and no-one else here is, but he was that rarity: an original thinker who went out there and moved us.

I can only imagine how his family and friends are missing the man, so all the strength to them. I'm playing a few songs here and there and thinking how I maybe took it for granted that he'd always be around. Thanks David...thank you.

Cheers,

Simon.

Simon, that's exactly what I was thinking tonight in how much we take these things for granted.

Quote
LongBeachArena72
Lovely thread. Thanks to all of you. I'm having a hard time; thoughts like these help.

Here's an attempt to describe what David Bowie meant to me:

"Something happened on the day he died ..."

[mikekiley.com]

Best to all,

Mike

*thank you- in my abrupt writing, I want to say peace and light to all the Bowie fans-- I am not as acquainted, but saw a picture of his (now) 12 year old daughter he raised w/ Iman, and it hit/ painful- why he would fight so hard to stay. Not sure how else to say it, but I glimpsed/ saw.
Young daughters of my own, fragile beauty can shred your heart instant and make you wage war like nothing else can.
My husband has been playing black star, I will settle w/ a quality listening environment to it next week- anyway, good thoughts-- and, we understand.

My heart remains so very heavy with malaise. MEZ

Very interesting article about David Bowie's burst of creativity in his last months with insight from the director who worked with him on the Blackstar video and the producer and director of his current play off-Broadway play "Lazarus."

[www.theguardian.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-16 01:54 by TornAndFried.

Today's UK chart:

ALBUMS (18 on Top 100)

#1 BLACKSTAR (146,000 copies sold)
#5 NOTHING HAS CHANGED - THE VERY BEST OF (22,000)
#11 THE BEST OF 1969/1974 (11,000)
#14 HUNKY DORY (9,000)
#17 THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST (9,000)
#18 BEST OF BOWIE (8,000)
#25 THE NEXT DAY (5,000)
#31 LOW (4,000)
#37 DIAMOND DOGS (3,000)
#42 LET'S DANCE (3,000)
#45 HEROES (3,000)
#55 STATION TO STATION
#59 THE BEST OF - 1980/1987
#60 YOUNG AMERICANS
#61 SCARY MONSTERS
#89 THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD
#95 SPACE ODDITY
#97 FIVE YEARS - 1969-1973

SINGLES (19 Songs on Top 100)

#7 HEROES (25,000 copies sold)
#10 STARMAN (22,000)
#12 LIFE ON MARS (22,000)
#15 LET'S DANCE (19,000)
#17 SPACE ODDITY (18,000)
#27 UNDER PRESSURE (with Queen) (12,000)
#32 ASHES TO ASHES
#35 CHANGES
#38 LAZARUS
#44 REBEL REBEL
#55 MODERN LOVE
#59 CHINA GIRL
#63 THE JEAN GENIE
#64 ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
#68 SOUND AND VISION
#79 BLACKSTAR
#83 DANCING IN THE STREET (with Mick Jagger)
#86 ZIGGY STARDUST
#89 THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD

Incredible.......I have them all so no need to go to the record shop

__________________________

I just noticed that below two records only were 4 weeks in charts, did they sell that bad back then?

Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
RE-ENTRY | 4 WEEKS IN CHART [EMI]

Low
David Bowie
RE-ENTRY | 4 WEEKS IN CHART

__________________________

Quote
The Mez
My heart remains so very heavy with malaise. MEZ

I hear ya MEZ; me too. Am just starting to come out of a weeklong funk. I pulled out my Bowie lp's, cd's and even cassettes (I have 4-5 of the Rykodisk reissues w/ bonus tracks), but have been unable to play them. Curiously, I have been okay playing a song at a time on YouTube; mostly live vids or the newest stuff, but am unable to cue up an album yet.

My favorite albums of his (pre-1995) were always Hunky Dory and Station to Station, followed by the Berlin trilogy for their experimental approach, and Scary Monsters. About 5-6 years ago however, Young Americans solidified itself in the #3 spot. The vocal work, his phrasing, his call-and-response with the backing vocalists on stuff like Right (OMG!!!), Fascination, Win, Somebody Up There, the title track and Can You Hear Me is just so brilliant and musical. I'm not as keen on the 2 Lennon collaborations (Fame, Universe), but they don't detract enough to dislodge it from the #3 spot.

Since his 1995 "return to form," I think the collected songs from Outside stand head and shoulders above everything else from the last 20 years. Outside is set up to be a cinematic listen, and thus tends to be overlooked as a difficult listen in its issued format, dragged down to some by its forays into non-rhythmic or weird bits. But if you strip out the segues, short numbers and experimental pieces like Small Plot, Voyeur and Wishful Beginnings (best done by loading the cd version into your iTunes and unchecking those), the resulting collection of songs is utterly brilliant, plus we get Garson back on piano. Hearts Filthy Lesson, Motel, Oxford Town, We Prick You, Architects Eyes, etc. Every time I've had company over the last 10 years, I tend to put that on; -just enough mood, fresh sounds, danceable, catchiness and artsiness for a party vibe, and people always go "Wow, this is great! Which Bowie album is this?" As such, Outside Redux, if you will, and Earthling would be my #4 and 5.

And as to my 5-day funk (Five Days, lol), it's time to take that leap and cue up an album and face the music. Young Americans wins the coin toss, and here I go. "All you've got to do is winnnnn." Thanks to all my IORR-ians for all the great memories, articles, shared grief and inspiring stories that have buoyed (Bowied) all of us and gotten us all through this week. Much appreciated.

Quote
NICOS
I just noticed that below two records only were 4 weeks in charts, did they sell that bad back then?

Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
RE-ENTRY | 4 WEEKS IN CHART [EMI]

Low
David Bowie
RE-ENTRY | 4 WEEKS IN CHART

I don't know why but the total weeks on chart on the OOC site are wrong for many albums, I think that they count the weeks on chart since 1994.

Aladdin Sane was #1 in the UK for 5 weeks and spent 75 weeks on the Top 100 from 1973 to 2016.

Low reached #2 and spent 25 weeks on the Top 100 so far.

Quote
NICOS
I just noticed that below two records only were 4 weeks in charts, did they sell that bad back then?

Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
RE-ENTRY | 4 WEEKS IN CHART [EMI]

Low
David Bowie
RE-ENTRY | 4 WEEKS IN CHART

No idea where this 4 weeks picks up from but it certainly doesn't reflect their entire chart history. Aladdin Sane was in the top 20 for months back in 73.

Adrian Belew remembers David
In 1978 I did my first tour of Europe as "stunt" guitarist and singer for Frank Zappa's band.
The night we played in Cologne, Germany unbeknownst to me Brian Eno was in the audience.
Brian knew David Bowie was looking for a new guitarist for his upcoming tour.
He called David after seeing our show and told David he should come see the guitarist for Frank's band.
The next night we performed in Berlin.
There was a part of the show where Frank took an extended guitar solo and most of the band members,
including myself, left the stage for a few minutes.
As I walked to the back of the stage I looked over at the monitor mixing board and saw David Bowie and Iggy Pop standing there.
Wow! I couldn't believe it!
So I walked over to David Bowie, shook his hand and said, "I love what you've done, thank you for all the music".
And he said, "Great, how would you like to be in my band?"
I motioned back towards Frank and said, "Well, I'm kind of playing with that guy."
David laughed and said, "Yes, I know, but when Frank's tour ends my tour starts two weeks later. Shall we talk about it over dinner?"
David said he would meet me back at our hotel and sure enough
when I arrived back at the hotel David Bowie and his assistant Coco Schwab
were sitting on a couch in the lobby.
As I walked past them they whispered to me,
"Get into the elevator, go up to your room, come back down in a few minutes, and meet us outside. We have a car waiting."
It was like something out of a spy film.
When I came back down and went outside there was a black limousine waiting.
The driver opened the door and I got in the back with David and Coco.
David immediately launched into all this plans for his upcoming tour, the songs we would play,
the staging, and so on, and how much he loved my guitar playing!
It was so exciting! He said they were taking me to one of his favorite restaurants in Berlin.
How many restaurants are there in Berlin? 25,000?
We arrived at the restaurant, went in the front door,
and who should be sitting at the very first table but Frank Zappa and the rest of the band!
So the three of us sat down with Frank and the band.
David, trying to be cordial, motioned to me and said, "Quite a guitar player you have here Frank."

And Frank said, "F••• you Captain Tom."
(note: Frank had demoted David from Major Tom to Captain Tom.)
David persisted, "Oh come on now Frank, surely we can be gentleman about this?"
Frank said, "F••• you Captain Tom."
By this point I was paralyzed. David said, "So you really have nothing to say?" Frank said, "F••• you Captain Tom."
David and Coco and I got up and went back out the front door.
Getting in the limo David said in his wonderfully British way, "I thought that went rather nicely!"

By definition a postscript is never as engaging as the story itself. I hope you're not expecting too much, but here's the conclusion:
It was February in Europe which meant it was icy cold outside, but for me it was even more icy inside.
When you're touring, especially in a professional band of hired musicians,
you tend to "partner up" with someone; one person you hang out with the most.
Frank was the person I hung out with. I often sat next to him as we traveled on planes and buses, I joined him at breakfast, etc.
I had stayed at Frank's house many weekends during our 3-month rehearsal schedule
and I felt we had some sort of friendship beyond employer/employee.
Of course he was entitled now to be distant to me. He had plucked me out of obscurity, taught me so many things,
and shined a bright light on me.
Frank was my mentor and he was not an @#$%& to me, not ever! He was generous, funny as heck, brilliant, and informative.
A genius. I had the time of my life around him. It was never part of my plan to leave Frank's tutelage forever.
We still had two weeks of touring left. Frank had already informed me of his intentions after the tour ended.
He said he was going to rent a giant film editing machine and
spend three or four months editing our live concert footage into a film called "Baby Snakes".
He explained I would be kept on a retainer which meant I would be paid to do nothing but wait for Frank's next project.
I received a call from my manager.
Now it was official: I was being offered a 4-month tour with David Bowie. (In reality it turned into more than a year).
Later that day we were on a bus to an airport. I decided to break the ice.
I walked to the very last row in the bus where Frank was sitting. I told him about David's offer.
I reminded him of his plan to edit his film and pay me a retainer
and asked him if it didn't make more sense for me to join David's tour for 4 months instead.
I told him I would gladly return after the tour. Frank reached out and we shook hands.
That evening, February 26th, we played a concert in Brussels, Belgium. One of Frank's songs we did was "Yo Mama".
But for that show Frank substituted the words "Your David".
So this is what he sang:
"Maybe you should stay with your David,
He can do your laundry and cook for you,
Maybe you should stay with your David,
You're really kind of stupid and ugly too".
Two nights later the tour ended in London at the Hammersmith Odeon. There was an onstage occurrence which angered Frank.
Fortunately I had nothing to do with it.
Frank cut the show short and stormed off. The next day most of the band members flew back to L.A. where they all lived.
I was told later that Frank fired the band on that flight home.
I got on a plane to Dallas for two weeks rehearsal with David Bowie.

Quote
SomeTorontoGirl
Shocked, saddened, stunned.

... I only saw him once ... - ... but will never forget it.

Me too, STG.

OK, not been on the net for a few days.
Been posted? Probably fixed, but cool.
[www.youtube.com]


TE
Oslo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-16 11:36 by TE.

I hadn't heard before of "Bowie bonds". What a savvy business move that was. Google will tell you all about them.

An article about the new Starman constellation and a couple of worthy petitions to honour Bowie: [www.billboard.com]

David Bowie: Invisible New Yorker

[www.nytimes.com]

Quote
TE
OK, not been on the net for a few days.
Been posted? Probably fixed, but cool.
[www.youtube.com]


TE
Oslo

Thanks, TE.

Recommended if you're in the mood for a different sight on Bowie's music :

The Occult Universe of David Bowie and the Meaning of "Blackstar"

Right now, a great show live on bbc radio 6 music. Liz Kershaw - David Bowie Tribute



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-16 16:33 by barbabang.