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DEmerson
That's a great article.
I saw the last show in Boston last night of the 'Holy Holy' tour- Bowie producer/bassist, Tony Visconti, along with original Spiders drummer Woody Woodmansy, qnd a superb backing band doing all of The Man Who Sold the World. The band really did justice to the music - they sounded great! A bunch of other Bowie songs ended the evening, bringing the Wilbur Theater to its feet - joy, tears...the works. Tony, Woody and singer Greg Gregory making several comments during the clearly emotional evening about David and the events of the past 12 days or so - and you can tell the respect, and love they all have for Bowie.
A cathartic, and ultimately rockin' night.

That sounds amazing! Who sang? What were the other Bowie songs they did?

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Hairball


David Bowie Refused to Collaborate with Coldplay
January 19, 2016 2:07 PM

Bowie

During his lengthy and storied career, David Bowie collaborated with many artists, including Arcade Fire on their 2013 album Reflektor. But not Coldplay.

Speaking with NME, Coldplay’s drummer Will Champion said vocalist Chris Martin wrote Bowie asking if he would contribute harmonies to a song they had written that seemed suited for his particular style.
Bowie’s response? “It’s not a very good song, is it?”

Champion took the rebuff in stride, saying about the late artist, “He was very discerning. He wouldn’t just put his name to anything. I’ll give him credit for that.”

this is my favourite bowie story ever.

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treaclefingers

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Hairball


David Bowie Refused to Collaborate with Coldplay
January 19, 2016 2:07 PM

Bowie

During his lengthy and storied career, David Bowie collaborated with many artists, including Arcade Fire on their 2013 album Reflektor. But not Coldplay.

Speaking with NME, Coldplay’s drummer Will Champion said vocalist Chris Martin wrote Bowie asking if he would contribute harmonies to a song they had written that seemed suited for his particular style.
Bowie’s response? “It’s not a very good song, is it?”

Champion took the rebuff in stride, saying about the late artist, “He was very discerning. He wouldn’t just put his name to anything. I’ll give him credit for that.”

this is my favourite bowie story ever.

Yep...the man had taste

Glenn Gregory of the band Heaven 17 handled the vocals - and did a very good job. To be honest - some video clips I had seen, I had my doubts, but he really was terrific, as was the entire band. Takes 2, sometimes 3 guitarists to try to equal one Mick Ronson though. ;-)
Other songs included Moonage Daydream, Changes, Time, suffragette City, R&R Suicide, 5 years, Starman and Life on Mars.
This was the last show of the brief tour, but Tony Visconti just posted that they are going to start again in March - although he did not say where. Hopefully the W Coast and other areas will get to see this heartfelt, and musically very strong, show.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-22 18:14 by DEmerson.

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Olly
Were those who had heard 'Blackstar' before Bowie's death at all surprised by the news of his demise?
Perhaps I am underestimating hindsight.

I think you are underestimating it by quite a lot. Have you read the "Waiting for Bowie" article
that camper88 posted a link to? Fans were so used to the man taking on various personas
that it wasn't at all obvious that this time wasn't story-time

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mrfancyman
Picture posted by Mick Jagger on Facebook, jan 13, 2016.
David reading to school children in Mustique.

What a charming photo - thanks for posting it



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-23 15:04 by with sssoul.

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DEmerson
Glenn Gregory of the band Heaven 17 handled the vocals - and did a very good job. To be honest - some video clips I had seen, I had my doubts, but he really was terrific, as was the entire band. Takes 2, sometimes 3 guitarists to try to equal one Mick Ronson though. ;-)
Other songs included Moonage Daydream, Changes, Time, suffragette City, R&R Suicide, 5 years, Starman and Life on Mars.
This was the last show of the brief tour, but Tony Visconti just posted that they are going to start again in March - although he did not say where. Hopefully the W Coast and other areas will get to see this heartfelt, and musically very strong, show.

I saw this show last week in Alexandria, VA, four days after Bowie's passing. It was emotional, but rocking. I can't recall a rowdier night at The Birchmere. After The Man Who Sold the World in its entirety, we got:
Five Years
Soul Love
Moonage Daydream
Freecloud/Dudes/Pretty Things medley
Changes
Life on Mars
Ziggy Stardust
Lady Stardust (sung by Visconti's daughter)
Watch That Man
Rock 'N Roll Suicide
Encore
Time
Suffragette City



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-22 22:01 by ab.

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with sssoul

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Olly
Were those who had heard 'Blackstar' before Bowie's death at all surprised by the news of his demise?
Perhaps I am underestimating hindsight.

I think you are underestimating it by quite a lot. Have you read the "Waiting for Bowie" article
that camper88 posted a link to? Fans were so used to the man taking on various persona
that it wasn't at all obvious that this time wasn't story-time...

No I haven't read it, I will take a look.

For someone who didn't follow Bowie (other than listening to a greatest hits compilation as a child) I wasn't concerned with personas, and so could see more clearly what was evidently there in 'Blackstar': imminent death.

From my layman's perspective, it had never occurred to me that Bowie had so constantly reinvented himself.

When people talk of this, are they referring to musical styles, or simply image (clothes, hairstyles, hair colours)? Do the latter really qualify as different 'personas', or are they merely indicative of organic change in the life of a musician, or indeed a person?

Why do people talk of personas in relation to Bowie more than they do in relation to Jagger or any other musician?

.....

Olly.

I initially didn't want to listen to Blackstar (my thoughts were, "A ten minute song? From Bowie? On a 'jazz album'? I'll pass..."). Honestly, I was devastated when I heard he'd passed. Also, I just got back from a weekend retreat and found out my neighbor died that Sunday, finding out the news of Bowie the following morning... Great start to 2016, right?

That's a very interesting question, Olly.

Wish I had an interesting answer! Maybe the answer lies somewhere in this:

David had a strong introverted streak and admitted that performing didn't come naturally to him, unlike Mick who has said that he just loved to perform from an early age. David was also very obsessive and rather neurotic, whereas Mick seems to be less interested in navel-gazing (at least that's what he claims in interviews).

I think David found the "personas" a vital crutch in that they liberated him from himself and allowed him to experiment freely. Also, he was never really truly a band person ("When I'm famous, I'm not going to talk to anyone. Not even the band.")

Actually, I think that Mick would love to be so experimental and feels held back by the Stones (Keith) and it may even be that the loss of DB and the adoring tributes have given Mick pause - to grieve DB obviously but also to ponder what his own tributes will be like.

My opinion only.

Having listened to Jack Bruce solo albums, wherein jazz was the main influential genre, I quite enjoy Blackstar. The early version of Sue, from Nothing Has Changed, is not dissimilar to Jack Bruce recordings like Smiles and Grins.

Quote
Olly
For someone who didn't follow Bowie (other than listening to a greatest hits compilation as a child)
I wasn't concerned with personas, and so could see more clearly what was evidently there in 'Blackstar': imminent death.

People noticed the death theme of course, just didn't realize it wasn't a made-up story this time.
If I understand you right, you didn't listen to the tracks until you knew he was dead.
That made it easier to grasp that he wasn't making up a story.

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Olly
When people talk of this, are they referring to musical styles, or simply image (clothes, hairstyles, hair colours)?

They're talking about personas like Ziggy Stardust, Alladin Sane, the Duke, etc, which Bowie explicitly took on.
He performed "as" those entities - Ziggy Stardust isn't just the name of a song.
He did whole shows as those entities. He sometimes interviewed as those entities.

I don't believe Mick has ever interviewed as the Midnight Rambler, or done a whole show as Lucifer
(although some parents in the 1960s were convinced that's what the entire band was doing)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-23 16:34 by with sssoul.

RIP

[youtu.be]

THE BEST!!!

I always thought Aladdin Sane was just an extension of Ziggy Stardust, and not a real character construct.

We have a number of Bowie tributes happening here in the Milwaukee area:

Recent NME interview with Gerry Leonard, Bowie's guitarist from 2002 to 2013.


[www.vulture.com]

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tomcasagranda
I always thought Aladdin Sane was just an extension of Ziggy Stardust, and not a real character construct.

Aladin Sane is Ziggy after death. After rock n' roll suicide. He's kind of like Newton in The Man Who Fell to Earth. He's succumbed to the decadence of fame and rock n' roll...gimme your hands! Because you're wonderful.

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whitem8

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tomcasagranda
I always thought Aladdin Sane was just an extension of Ziggy Stardust, and not a real character construct.

Aladdin Sane is Ziggy after death. After rock n' roll suicide. He's kind of like Newton in The Man Who Fell to Earth.
He's succumbed to the decadence of fame and rock n' roll...gimme your hands! Because you're wonderful.

Thanks for clarifying, people.
If I've got it right, Lazarus (in the musical) is a sort of extension of Newton?

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TornAndFried
Recent NME interview with Gerry Leonard, Bowie's guitarist from 2002 to 2013.


[www.vulture.com]

Thanks. Interesting reading.


Also : Remembering David Bowie: Warner Music's Nigel Reeve with a hint on what's coming for future Bowie's releases.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-24 05:06 by kowalski.

He was a creative genius who battled drugs and, it seems, mental illness. He was open about the fact that he had a family history of schizophrenia. Hoping he is in a place of Light and Life right now.

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Olly

Why do people talk of personas in relation to Bowie more than they do in relation to Jagger or any other musician?

Mick's a Hedgehog and Bowie's a Fox.

The Hedgehog & the Fox


On the internet nobody knows
you're Mick Jagger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-24 06:54 by camper88.

Great news from the U.K.

Blackstar has retained it's position at #1 on the album chart, whilst the Best of Bowie has climbed from #15 to #3.

I am really growing to appreciate Blackstar more and more as a brilliant piece of work. And you know it is funny all the hype of it being a "jazz" album. It really isn't! It has jazz elements, and a great jazz band. But it is still quintessential Bowie. Great moody atmospheric music. The version of Sue on Blackstar is epic. It reminds me of Station to Station in a lot of ways, and I think that is where Bowie was grounded in his past for this one.

This is by far his greatest work... I'm sure it's already posted.


[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-24 16:24 by Chris Fountain.

so many great Bowie performances.....his music really was part of so many personal soundtracks...spanning so many different era's...

With all due respect, can someone please explain the symbolism in the video Blackstar to me?

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Chris Fountain
This is by far his greatest work... I'm sure it's already posted.


[www.youtube.com]

Translation its your favorite of his...That does not in isself make it his greatest much less by far.

Personally I think its kind of weak.

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stanlove

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Chris Fountain
This is by far his greatest work... I'm sure it's already posted.


[www.youtube.com]

Translation its your favorite of his...That does not in isself make it his greatest much less by far.

Personally I think its kind of weak.

His last popular hit single nonetheless. (#2 in UK) [www.officialcharts.com]

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Chris Fountain
This is by far his greatest work... I'm sure it's already posted.


[www.youtube.com]

'Absolute Beginners: Live at the BBC 2000.' Great performance of what was probably Bowie's most interesting songs from the 80s. He was in a great place at this time in his life.

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Chris Fountain
This is by far his greatest work... I'm sure it's already posted.


[www.youtube.com]

liked that. thx (he looks great and healthy, and love the hair, and nice song)

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steffialicia
With all due respect, can someone please explain the symbolism in the video Blackstar to me?

What do you want it to mean? Great art is always in the eye of the beholder.