R.I.P David Bowie: 8th January 1947 - 10th January 2016

I've actually been surprised by the outpouring on media. Everywhere I turned yesterday, it was Bowie.

A cool moment was visiting Amoeba Records at 10pm last night. (Really large record store in LA, if you're unfamiliar.) They have live DJs while people shop. All Bowie. On the way home, the local classic shlock outlet was playing the whole Ziggy album - meanwhile the hip NPR station was still all Bowie.

Don't really remember this level of outpouring since George Harrison or Garcia.

 

Right now, 11 of the top 20 best-selling CD & Vinyl items on Amazon US are Bowie's. Including, oddly enough, the Labyrinth soundtrack!

 

I think that as much as love and adore all the great music in the world, the few moments that have passed since last friday have made me really look closely to Bowie's career and with such an exit I think he has to be one of the most original artists ever. You can only marvel and be amazed of his wonderful art. Blackstar was the greatest gift ever to us, the fans.
I will forever miss him but atleast we have all that great music to cherish and remember all the past. No one will ever match the void David left here, in our world and in our hearts.

Not sure if these are already posted here, Im on iPad browsing the forums and in hurry also:

David Bowie Allowed His Art to Deliver a Final Message
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/a...lowed-his-art-to-deliver-a-final-message.html

David Bowie's Blackstar and Lazarus Collaborators Discuss His Final Works
http://pitchfork.com/news/62861-dav...azarus-collaborators-discuss-his-final-works/

 

No please no.

Elton John has big plans for remembering David Bowie
4 hours ago
by Kerry Quinn Follow



Image: Will Alexander/WENN
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Elton John may be recreating the sentiment of 'Candle in the Wind' for David Bowie



Elton John is reportedly planning to honor his friend David Bowie with a song.

Elton John is planning to honor his late friend David Bowie in a special way.

Radar Online is reporting that John will reveal his tribute at an upcoming concert. On Jan. 13, John is performing at The Wiltern theater in Los Angeles and was planning to introduce several new songs off his upcoming album, Wonderful Crazy Night.

A source told Radar Online that, "Elton has decided to dedicate one of these new songs to David. He is even working on writing a new song for the world to remember him by. Think 'Candle in the Wind.'"


This one-off show is ultra exclusive. "There are no hard tickets and it is a very intimate venue. It is so hard to get into, that guests who are invited have to show their ID and credit card at the box office in order to be admitted."

Before the show, John posted an emotional tribute on his Instagram. "I am still in shock. Never saw it coming. My deepest condolences to [his wife] Iman and the family. An amazing life. An amazing career," he wrote.


John and Bowie were '70s superstars who were able to span decades. One of John's most famous songs is "Candle in the Wind," which he wrote for Marilyn Monroe. After the passing of Princess Diana, he modified the song to honor the English rose. If a ballad dedicated to Bowie could even come close to the sentiment of that song, I think it would mean volumes to Bowie fans, as well as his friends and family.

Somehow, I think that Wiltern show just got so much harder to get into. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be YouTube videos!

 

from Adrian Belew's Facebook:

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!"

(watch for the postscript tomorrow)

 

Not to be pedantic, but it's a public broadcaster, not a state broadcaster. Canada is a democracy, and the CBC operates at arm's length from the government.

 

I saw a short article about this yesterday, too. My eight and eleven year old boys sing the words to "Moonage Daydream" because they saw it Guardians of the Galaxy. Between that and hearing songs on satellite radio in the car and various snippets from my records, I suspect the seed has been planted for another generation of fans in my family.

 

Thanks for posting all the quotes by peers and musical descendants.

 

Not necessarily smoking -- it's being reported he died of liver cancer.

I'm not saying that his "drug abuse" didn't contribute to the development of cancer, but I think people forget that we all have cancer cells in our bodies, and if nothing else gets us...eventually, cancer will.

Not odd at all -- Labyrinth is very dear to a lot of people who'd call themselves Bowie fans. It might have been my first introduction to him, aside from tracks heard on the stereo.

 

God, I hope Elton doesn't do this. Bowie was never a fan of Reg, and his brand of schmaltzy Vegas pleasing fluff would not be a good fit for a tribute to DB, a man who conducted his life and work with consummate taste. Please will someone stop Elton!

 

Here's the embeddable YouTube version...

 

...and a 1997 Bowie performance from Late Night Conan showed in its entirety last night.

 

This demonstrates Bowie's universal/multi-generational appeal. Sure I indoctrinated my kids - now teens - with Bowie songs when they were toddlers and my colored vinyl Peter in the Wolf, but it was a joy to hear them express concern about his death yesterday and to hear my daughter sing along with the BBC CD version of "Starman" in the car. Of course, knowing that "Starman" riffs off of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" makes it all somehow connected.

 

The Next Day.
Not sure if this has been quoted but of all the heartfelt tributes Absolute Beginners director Julian Temple reflected most succinctly.
"It’s hard to think of him as history, because he was always the future."

 

Agreed, that was great!

 

Please, no musical tributes / concerts / songs by "the best of todays pop artists" with a few hacks from back in the day wanting to resurrect their flagging careers. No, no, no..........Bowie deserves much better than that. How about someone like Nicolas Roeg making a PROPER documentary about Bowie's music and life? No Scorcese please! The Bowie legacy requires someone with artistic vision and a deeper understanding of Bowie's art to handle any tribute carefully. Elton John needn't apply either!

 

I seriously hope that this is a sick joke.

 

I thought this other bit from Conan was fun as well.



There are other "secrets" clips here, but it won't embed (the quality is better, though)

http://teamcoco.com/video/david-bowie-secrets?playlist=featured-videos

 

No, that's OK. I should have said national or public television indeed. As a French speaker, knowing that the CBC is a Crown corporation, I'm aware that "société de la Couronne" is getting phased out by "société d'État", and thus I sort of translated literally. Thanks!

 

Totally disagree. I think a Wembley-based memorial gig, along the lines of what was done for Freddie, would be a fitting send off. No b-listers invited.

 

It would be a very nice gesture if the group Holy Holy would donate some of the profits to cancer research. I would be happy to attend one of the shows and I'm glad they are keeping the Bowie legacy alive.

 

Not sure if this was posted. Good to laugh a bit.

 

Not sure if this has been posted






David Bowie
January 11, 2016

Woke up to the awful news that my lovely friend David Bowie passed away. I am so deeply sad, but he just completed a radical and audacious new album, and that is a great thing. Personally I am grateful to him for doing it.


For those who were his fans he was a charismatic and exotic creature and still gloriously beautiful even as he approached 70. But face to face he was funny, clever, well-read, excited by the arts, and really good company.


In a Japanese restaurant we once ate tiny live crabs sent over to our table by a businessman fan. David said we must try, out of courtesy. I wouldn’t have done it with anyone else on the planet. Delicious, of course.


He was simply a joy to be around, so good at making everyone feel at ease. I’m sorry to hear it was cancer that got him. I knew he had been ill for several years but didn’t know the details. My thoughts now go to his family and close ones, and to so many of his fans who will be beyond distraught today. We have lost a monumental figurehead of the British arts scene. We have also lost a wonderful clown whose combined sense of mischief and creativity delightedly touched our hearts. David Bowie was my Salvador Dali. He was also one facet of my perfect Ace Face.


Pete Townshend, 11 January 2016

 

This is just too much. No more obsessing over strangers for me. It's ridiculous, I have my own family to worry over!!