The band name refers to an infamous 70s drinking club for rock stars, named The Hollywood Vampires, where heroes such as John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Harry
Nilsson and Keith Moon could get drunk 24/7.
This summer HV play festivals again – with founding members Cooper and Depp .
Las month they were at Pink Pop Festival in the Netherlands.
At one point they raped (in my opinion) David Bowie‘s blockbuster
hit Heroes. Awful.
On 3 July 1973, the late artistic genius DAVID BOWIE retiredZIGGY STARDUST,
his most celebrated/successful alter-ego, in front of 5,000 disbelieving fans on
stage at London’s Hammersmith Odeon. Fifty years to the day, Ziggy will return
to that same stage for one night only.
On 3 July 2023, The Eventim Apollo (formerly the Hammersmith Odeon) will host
the global premiere of the digitally restored Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from
Mars: The Motion Picture with the film also being shown in over 1,000 cinemas worldwide throughout July.
The film screening will be preceded by an exclusive on-stage conversation with Bowie collaborators and contemporary musicians. They will address the original show’s legacy and Ziggy‘s pan-generational resonance.
While Bowie‘s decision to retire his beloved extra-terrestrial rockstar persona and
to dissolve The Spiders From Mars was a shock to fans (and to the band as well!), it
was a pivotal moment in securing his future. Moving past Ziggy was a crucial early
step on Bowie‘s journey to becoming the restless, inquisitive and shape-shifting artist
that would have unparalleled influence on music, film, fashion and beyond.
The band’s performance on July 3, 1973, was captured on film by award-winning
director D.A. Pennebaker (famed for Dylan’s classic ’67 doc, Don’t Look Back).
The new version of the film features: The full uncut performance featuring seldom seen scenes with the legendary guitar player Jeff Beck not included on previous DVD and soundtrack releases, including his high-octane performance on Bowie‘s anthemic 1972 hit, The Jean Genie.
Movie Trailer.
The movie soundtrack will be released on 2CD & BLU-RAY, 2CD, 2LP Limited Edition Gold Vinyl set and digital on 11th August.
One of the greatest hits of the late great musical genius DAVID BOWIE was LET’S DANCE (more than 248 million streams on Spotify), the classic title track
of his 1983 album. The single hit the top spot of the UK charts on 21 May 1983,
40 years ago today.
Video: It was shot in Australia, together with the other LP’s hit ‘China Girl‘.
Co-directed by Bowie and frequent video collaborator David Mallet, the clip
starred, besides Bowie, two students from Sydney’s Aboriginal Islander Dance
Theatre.
Watch that lovely girl dancing the blues with her red shoes.
Highly praised and outstanding guitar hero (although he didn’t think of himself
like that) MICK RONSON was born in 1993 in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
and passed away on 29 April 1993, 30 years ago due to that deadly beast cancer. He was only 46.
He was a lot more than just the guitarist for Ziggy Stardust and his Spiders Of Mars.
He toured with Bob Dylan, played with Mott The Hoople, worked with Lou Reed, and produced an impressive number of albums. He also made 6 solo albums.
David Bowie: “Mick was the perfect foil for the Ziggy character. He was very much a
salt-of-the-earth type, the blunt northerner with a defiantly masculine personality so
that what you got was the old-fashioned Yin and Yang thing.”
Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople): “I’m entirely different from Mick. He’s schooled musician.
Mick came up the serious way. He was a cello player, I mean he wanted to be a cello player.”
DAVID BOWIE’s 1973 LP ALLADIN SANE, his 6th, is 50 (released on 19 April 1973).
A top-10 album in my Bowie book. It was his most successful record up to that point, topping the UK Albums Chart and it made him a huge, adored, alien rockstar.
The Guardian (UK newspaper): “From the first crashing chord of ‘Watch That Man’ you
know that this is a rock ‘n’ roll album. If Ziggy Stardust was his Sgt. Pepper (a loose-fitting concept about an alter-ego rock band, but staggeringly good songs), then Aladdin Sane is Bowie’s Exile on Main Street. Aladdin Sane is one of the finest forty-five minutes in rock.”
Singles/clips: The Jean Genie / Drive-in Saturday
– THE JEAN GENIE –
– DRIVE-IN SATURDAY –
For this special occasion, the masterwork is re-leased on a vinyl picture disc and
a half-speed mastered black vinyl edition. More info and order details here.
40 years ago (14 April 1983), late musical genius DAVID BOWIE
released his 15th longplayer, named LET’S DANCE.
As a whole, it isn’t one of his best, to my ears, but it featured 3 topnotch singles
with the title track (produced by Chic Le Freak‘s legend Nile Rodgers, who played
guitar on most of the tracks, and also unforgettable for its masterly video clip) Modern Love and China Girl that helped big time for the commercial success of
the album.
Rolling Stone said: “Let’s Dance sounds great; it’s all beat, brains and breathiness.
The album’s most intelligent strategy is its utter simplicity: Rodgers serves up guitar
lines in thick slabs, and Bowie’s voice cuts across their surface like a knife slicing meat.
His mannered whine is alluringly distant — charming but formal, inveigling but austere.” Score: 4/5.
It peaked at #4 in the US, #1 in Canada and the UK
and also the top seat in several European countries.
Singles/clips: Let’s Dance / Modern Love / China Girl
