45 years ago – on 6 June 1972- the late genius DAVID BOWIE released his fifth album THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS. One of his best and most notorious albums, and his Ziggy Stardust persona was probably his most intriguing, most charismatic and eye-catching creation ever. Glamour and glitter pizzazz all over the place. This is what sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll is all about. The LP’s imperishable beauty, its indefectible power, its 5-star musicality and vocality still send shivers down
your spine today..
Rolling Stone Magazine journalist Richard Cromelin wrote in July 1972: “David Bowie
has pulled off his complex task with consummate style, with some great rock & roll, with all
the wit and passion required to give it sufficient dimension and with a deep sense of humanity
that regularly emerges from behind the Star facade. The important thing is that despite the formidable nature of the undertaking, he hasn’t sacrificed a bit of entertainment value for
the sake of message. I’d give it at least a 99.”
Singles: Starman / Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide / Five Years
Also this month: unheard roots of the Velvet Underground; Stevie Wonder goes synth-funk
in 1972; Roxy Music – reunion tour lowdown; Robert Fripp – his kookiest ever interview.
Plus: The Clash; Drive-By Truckers; Joan Shelley; Hüsker Dü; The Rolling Stones; Wilco;
The Smile; Angel Olsen; C86; Darlene Love; Rock Star Weed and all back to Clare Grogan’s!
You can purchase a copy and let it send to your home. Info here.
MOONAGE DAYDREAM is a new documentary that illuminates the life and genius ofDAVID BOWIE. It shows how he worked across several disciplines, not just music and film but also dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting, and live theatre. The film reveals the celebrated icon through his own voice and features 48 musical tracks, mixed from their original stems.
The docu is written, directed, edited, and produced byBrett Morgen. Bowie’s long-time collaborator, friend and music producer Tony Visconti also worked on the film.
It was his first hit since ‘Space Oddity’ three years
before, in 1969. Starman peaked at #10 in the UK.
He’d like to come and meet us
But he thinks he’d blow our minds
There’s a starman waiting in the sky
He’s told us not to blow it
‘Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile
He told me
Let the children lose it
Let the children use it
Let all the children boogie
Here’s the iconic Top Of The Pops performance featuring the great, late Mick Ronson…
The photo for the LP’s front cover was taken by photographer Brian Ward and recoloured by illustrator Terry Pastor. Bowie, who was ill with flu went outside just as it started to rain. Not willing to go very far, he stood outside the home of furriers “K. West” at 23 Heddon Street.
The album notes credit Ringo Starr for the photo taken the same day that the drumming Beatle was filming T. Rex documentary Born to Boogie. But it was actually the LP’s famous producer Tony Visconti who toke the shots: “Marc handed me his motorized Nikon and asked me to fire off two rolls of black and white film while we were on the set as Ringo was busy all day with the docu. Marc apparently saw a photo credit opportunity for his good friend gave Ringo the credi. “
Island’s creative director Annie Sullivan: “I remember going to talk to Nick, and he just sat there, hunched up, and even though he didn’t speak, I knew the album was called Pink Moon, and I can’t remember how he conveyed it, whether he wrote it down … he wanted a pink moon. He couldn’t tell me what he wanted, but I had ‘pink moon’ to go on. We picked a piece of surrealist Dalí-esque art by Michael Trevithick.
The artwork is a photo montage by Robert Lockart, featuring prostitutes, standing in
a red-light area from Rouen in France, chosen because of its relevance to the album
title. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen about the artwork: “That album possessed the
most hideous album cover of the seventies, bar none, except perhaps Can’t Buy a Thrill.”
Legendary photographer Mick Rock: “When I showed Lou the contact sheets, he
zeroed in on the transformer shot. I made the print myself – as I usually did in those
days. The first test I made fell out of focus in the exposure. Lou loved the result. It took
me twelve attempts to reproduce this accident for the final larger print.”
“This is the tale of our funky emperor Cleetus Awreetus-Awrightus and his dealings with war and a civic uprising concerning a faction consisting of individuals who don’t like music. As you can see from the cover, horns play a forward role on this record and with George Duke on keys the jazz element is prominent.”
8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016
Creativity, inventivity, innovativity
3 keywords for a genuine starman
His impact was/is massive & eternal
Here are TURN UP THE VOLUME’s
five fav DAVID BOWIE masterpieces…
LOW – Released 14 January 1977
Spectacular sound and far-reaching vision… Listen
“HEROES” – 14 October 1977
Legendary beauties and fascinating beasts… Listen
SCARY MONSTERS (and SUPER CREEPS) – Released: 12 September 1980
Junky Major Tom’s electrifying fashion… Listen
THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS OF MARS
Alien Ziggy Starman‘s moonage daydreams…
Released: 16 June 1972 Listen
THE NEXT DAY – Released 8 March 2013
Where are you now?… Listen
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by DAVID BOWIE
Forty-five years ago – on 6 June 1972 – DAVID BOWIE released his fifth album THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS. One of his best and most notorious albums and his Ziggy Stardust persona was probably his most intriguing, brilliant and charismatic creation ever. When I listened to the classic LP again yesterday
(in full for the first time in years) I was honestly stunned by its imperishable beauty, its indefectible power and timeless passion. This is what a genial artist and his work is all about: immortal impact!…
Rolling Stone Magazine journalist Richard Cromelin wrote in July 1972: “David Bowie
has pulled off his complex task with consummate style, with some great rock & roll, with all
the wit and passion required to give it sufficient dimension and with a deep sense of humanity
that regularly emerges from behind the Star facade. The important thing is that despite the formidable nature of the undertaking, he hasn’t sacrificed a bit of entertainment value for
the sake of message. I’d give it at least a 99.”
You can read the great original review in
full here, while I’ll have another listen…
TURN UP THE VOLUME 