CARLOS ALOMAR and JONATHAN BARNBROOK were guests on TIMES RADIO last night talking about DAVID BOWIE and the upcoming Bowie Convention in Liverpool next year.

Interviewed by Henry Bonsu on the Phil Williams show.

Skip to 1hr 36m to listen in at thetimes.co.uk/radio/

• On this day, 18 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed the first of two gigs at Palais Omnisports, Bercy, Paris, France during his A Reality World Tour in 2003...

• On this day, 19 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Beacon Theatre, Broadway, New York, USA during his Heathen Tour in 2002. David named this last leg 'The New York Marathon Tour', as they were playing in each of New York City's five boroughs. He said: "I could get home from all the gigs on roller skates."...

• On this day, 20 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the 'Concert for New York City' Benefit show at Madison Square Garden, New York City in 2001. David performed two songs, Paul Simon's 'America' and his own anthemic classic "Heroes"...

• On this day, 24 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed the second of two shows for The Bridge School Benefit Concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California, USA. This acoustic and bottle caps show for the Neil Young Charity saw David perform, alongside Reeves Gabrels and Gail Ann Dorsey in 1996...

• On this day, 38 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed the first of three shows at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo, Japan during his 1983 Serious Moonlight World Tour...

• On this day, 47 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Michigan Palace in Detroit, USA during his 'Soul/Philly Dogs' Tour in 1974...

• On this day, 48 years ago, saw the final day of filming by NBC TV of The Midnight Special. DAVID BOWIE's 'The 1980 Floor Show' was filmed over three days at The Marquee, in Soho, London in 1973...

• On this day, 49 years ago, DAVID BOWIE and The Spiders From Mars played the first of two gigs at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, USA in 1972.

This first show was broadcast live on a local FM radio station and also recorded by RCA Records for a planned Ziggy Stardust live double album. The shows at Boston and Santa Monica were also recorded and the artwork created by George Underwood.

The live FM radio broadcast introduced by Steve Martin went as follows: "Steve Martin here, backstage at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. It's a cool night in Los Angeles, and as you may know or not know, the Santa Monica Civic is about a hundred yards from the beach so we have a cool breeze blowing off the ocean through the stage at our backs. The auditorium is packed, as a matter of fact, for the first David Bowie concert in the Los Angeles area. There will be one more tomorrow night, this is the concert tonight which will be recorded by RCA for the next David Bowie album and we expect to hear some new material by this British superstar. David and his group, the Spiders From Mars will enter from the other side of the stage. The auditorium is completely blacked out except for flashing strobe lights. Now the entrance music will be the Ode, or should I say the Ode To Joy which is featured in the movie A Clockwork Orange and the house lights are starting to dim... here's David Bowie." - [More details]...

• On this day, 53 years ago, TURQUOISE performed at The Country Club, Haverstock Hill, Hampstead, London NW3. The short-lived mixed-media trio Turquoise were: DAVID BOWIE, Hermione Farthingale and Tony Hill. Also appearing at this 1968 Time Out/Free Bank Benefit gig were: Third Ear Band, Doris Henderson, George Smith and Mike Mike Vernon, Pegagus Blues, Mimi and Mouse, Simon Stable and Pete Drummond on Plastic Dream Machine, plus others.

David had placed an advertisement in the International Times way back in June. It stated 'David Bowie needs acoustic guitarist singing/speaking for exciting project, must be alive'. The name 'Turquoise' lasted for only a small number of appearances before Tony Hill's final performance. Tony left to join 'High Tide', a group that David was later to support. His replacement was ex-Buzz member John 'Hutch' Hutchinson. Shortly after the name was changed to FEATHERS...

Published today is WE COULD BE... BOWIE AND HIS HEROES by TOM HAGLER.

This 400-page hardcover book has been written, along with consultant editor TONY VISCONTI.

DAVID BOWIE's story has never been told quite like this.

Tracing the star's encounters with fellow icons throughout his life, We Could Be offers a new history of Bowie, collecting 300 short stories that together paint a portrait of humour, humility, compassion, tragedy and more besides.

He embarrasses himself in front of Lennon and Warhol. He saves the life of Nina Simone. He is hated by Bob Dylan. He teaches Michael Jackson the moonwalk. Individually astonishing, together these stories - including details never before revealed - build a new picture of Bowie, one which shows his vulnerability, his sense of humour, his inner diva.

Exhaustively researched from thousands of sources by BBC reporter and Bowie obsessive Tom Hagler - with the guidance and memories of Bowie's long-time producer Tony Visconti - We Could Be is fascinating, comic, compelling, and a history of Bowie unlike any that has come before.

Published today (19th October) - you can purchase We Could Be... Bowie and his Heroes now!

About the Author: Tom Hagler is a presenter and reporter for BBC World Service radio. He has covered major events and interviewed some of the biggest names across politics, music and science, with a roll call as diverse as Joe Biden, Kofi Annan, Grandmaster Flash and Buzz Aldrin. He was previously a reporter for the Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

(Ed. This is a really good read - I can thoroughly recommend it).

• On this day, 48 years ago, DAVID BOWIE released his Pinups album in 1973, featuring cover versions of some of his favourite songs from the '64-'67 period London club scene.

One of his original ideas for this album was to reinforce the evocation of times past by also linking in his own song 'The London Boys'...

DB: "Probably half a verse will be used between songs. It will be a newly recorded version. That dates from the first Deram album. It's about a young boy who comes up to London, gets pilled out of his head, all those things.

"I used to do that - get dressed up, go up to town on Friday night, see what was going on, stay for the night."

• Happy Birthday wishes to MARK PLATI...

If it's Friday 15th where you're located, you'll be able to listen to the latest streaming release DAVID BOWIE 'Karma Man' and 'Silly Boy Blue' (Alternative Ending Mix) (TOY 3).

Released by Parlophone Records/ISO Records, the 'Silly Boy Blue' (Alternative Ending Mix) is EXCLUSIVE to this streaming single release.

• On this day, 31 years ago, DAVID BOWIE and IMAN had their first ever date in Los Angeles, USA in 1990. The blind-date was set up by their mutal friend and hairdresser Teddy Antolin...

• On this day, 44 years ago, DAVID BOWIE released his "Heroes" album. Recorded at Hansa Tonstudio, Berlin in July and August of 1977, this is the only true album of the so-called "Berlin Trilogy" - (Low was predominantly recorded in France and Lodger in Montreux, Switzerland and NYC). Produced by Tony Visconti and David Bowie, the album also featured: Carlos Alomar, Dennis Davis, George Murray, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp and Antonia Maass.

RCA marketed the album with the blurbs: "Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming" and "There's Old Wave. There's New Wave. And there's David Bowie..." It reached number #3 in the UK and stayed in the charts for a total of 26 weeks. Both the NME and Melody Maker named it as their 'Album of the Year'. Surely, the highest praise came from JOHN LENNON who stated in a 1980 interview - whilst recording his 'Double Fantasy' album - that his ambition was to "do something as good as "Heroes"."

Visit bowie75.com for full details.

The story of DAVID BOWIE's time in Philadelphia recording 'Young Americans', and the unique bond he formed with the city, and with his biggest fans, The Sigma Kids.

On sale now... DAVID BOWIE graces the front cover of the December issue of UNCUT magazine.

On the cusp of a new century, what does David Bowie do? Having plotted a dramatic course forward across four decades, he decides instead to revisit a number of songs from the earliest days of his career. But the album he records, called Toy, is consigned to Bowie's vaults, where it has been the subject of much intense speculation ever since. To celebrate its imminent release - 21 years late! - Uncut brings you the definitive account of David Bowie's legendary lost album as told by Bowie's closest collaborators and confidants. "It's a ghost album," Tony Visconti tells Peter Watts. "I'm so glad people are now getting to hear it, because I think some of David's finest work is on Toy."

Writer Michael Bonner states on the Uncut blog: David Bowie's Toy, from 2001, is remarkable for several reasons. Most obviously: it is a rare instance of this most forward-looking artist reconnecting with his early, pre-fame self. But what does Toy say about Bowie at the start of the second millennium, staring back through the decades to his young, hungry self? And once he'd reckoned with his past, how did Toy's disappearance from the schedules affect him?

More significantly, perhaps, Toy represents one of the last substantial pieces of unreleased work from Bowie. Some kind of soundtrack for The Man Who Fell To Earth exists - but how extensive it is and in just what shape the material is seems uncertain. But Toy is the whole thing - an actual album by a genuinely great artist recorded during a period of transition. You can read about it on page 90, in Peter Watts' deep dive into its genesis, creation and afterlife. As long-serving Bowie guitarist Earl Slick tells Peter, "Even now he's gone for five years or more, the surprises keep coming."

There are also two gifts inside... a giant Bowie posterzine 'Bowie Bulletin' and a 15-track new music CD 'Conversation Pieces;, comprising of 15-tracks of the month's best new music, including songs by Courtney Barnett, Modern Nature, Endless Boogie, Bedouine, Richard Dawson and Circle, Tobacco City, Damon Albarn, New Age Doom & Lee 'Scratch' Perry and more.

Uncut is on sale in UK shops from this Friday 14th October or available to buy online now.

For more details, visit uncut.co.uk website.

Check out the interviews with some of the musicians who appear on the DAVID BOWIE TOY album.

TOY was recorded following his triumphant Glastonbury 2000 performance. Bowie entered the studio with his band, Mark Plati, Sterling Campbell, Gail Ann Dorsey, Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Holly Palmer and Emm Gryner, to record new interpretations of songs he'd first recorded from 1964-1971.

On this day, 52 years ago, DAVID BOWIE appeared for the first time on Top Of The Pops performing 'Space Oddity' in 1969.

Hosted by Pete Murray, Bowie had performed the song in Studio G, which was separate from the main studio audience. This was pre-recorded on 2nd October.

The line-up for this episode was as follows:

(#1) TOTP Orchestra - Je T'Aime... Moi Non Plus (and charts)
(#NE) Esther Ofarim - Saturday Night At The World
(#11) Lou Christie - I'm Gonna Make You Mine
(#13) David Bowie - Space Oddity
(#16) The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
(#2) Bobbie Gentry - I'll Never Fall In Love Again (film)
(#20) The Temptations - Cloud Nine (crowd dancing) (and credits)

The following week (16th) there was a repeat Space Oddity showing introduced by Alan Freeman, as the song had climbed from #13 to #8.

Published this month is WE COULD BE... BOWIE AND HIS HEROES by TOM HAGLER.

This 400-page hardcover book has been written, along with consultant editor TONY VISCONTI.

DAVID BOWIE's story has never been told quite like this.

Tracing the star's encounters with fellow icons throughout his life, We Could Be offers a new history of Bowie, collecting 300 short stories that together paint a portrait of humour, humility, compassion, tragedy and more besides.

He embarrasses himself in front of Lennon and Warhol. He saves the life of Nina Simone. He is hated by Bob Dylan. He teaches Michael Jackson the moonwalk. Individually astonishing, together these stories - including details never before revealed - build a new picture of Bowie, one which shows his vulnerability, his sense of humour, his inner diva.

Exhaustively researched from thousands of sources by BBC reporter and Bowie obsessive Tom Hagler - with the guidance and memories of Bowie's long-time producer Tony Visconti - We Could Be is fascinating, comic, compelling, and a history of Bowie unlike any that has come before.

Published on 19th October - you can pre-order We Could Be... Bowie and his Heroes now!

About the Author: Tom Hagler is a presenter and reporter for BBC World Service radio. He has covered major events and interviewed some of the biggest names across politics, music and science, with a roll call as diverse as Joe Biden, Kofi Annan, Grandmaster Flash and Buzz Aldrin. He was previously a reporter for the Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times.

(Ed. This is a great read - I thoroughly recommend it).

If you're in and around Boston, MA you can catch EMM GRYNER at the BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY at 3.00pm-4.30pm giving a discussion, musical performance and book signing.

Her first book 'The Healing Power of Singing: Raise Your Voice, Change Your Life (What Touring with David Bowie, Single Parenting and Ditching the Music Business Taught Me in 25 Easy Steps)' is out now.

At present there are only 49 seats remaining for the event - (which is all socially distanced) - be quick to register!

Michael Colford, our Director of Library Services, will provide opening remarks.

This program will also happen in via Zoom webinar. People who would rather attend online are kindly asked to register HERE.

Frugal Bookstore will be on-site to facilitate with the author signing that will follow the conversation and concert.

Address: Central Library in Copley Square, (Rabb Lecture Hall), 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116, US.

For more details, please visit: bpl.bibliocommons.com website.

• Birthday memories of MARGARET 'PEGGY' JONES who was born on this day in 1913...

• On this day, 19 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Carling Apollo Hammersmith in London, during his 'Heathen' Promo Tour in 2002...

• On this day, 34 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed the second of two gigs at St. Paul Civic Centre in Minneapolis, USA during his Glass Spider World Tour in 1987...

• On this day, 57 years ago, DAVIE JONES and The Manish Boys performed in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire in 1964...

All set for release is DAVID BOWIE TOY:BOX which is available as a three CD set and six 10" Vinyl formats, on Friday 7th January 2022.

TOY:BOX is a special edition of the unreleased TOY album. The 'capture the moment' approach of the recording sessions are extended to the sleeve artwork designed by Bowie featuring a photo of him as a baby with a contemporary face. The package also contains a 16-page full-colour book featuring previously unseen photographs by Frank Ockenfels 3. TOY was recorded following David's Glastonbury 2000 performance. Bowie entered the studio with his band to record new interpretations of songs he'd first recorded from 1964-1971. The plan was to record the album 'old school' with the band playing live, choose the best takes and then release it as soon as humanly possible. Unfortunately, in 2001 the concept of the 'surprise drop' album release and the technology to support it were still quite a few years off, making it impossible to release TOY at the time.

Included in TOY:BOX is a second CD/set of 10"s of alternative mixes and versions including proposed B-Sides (versions of David's debut single 'Liza Jane' and 1967's 'In The Heat Of The Morning'), later mixes by Tony Visconti and the 'Tibet Version' of 'Silly Boy Blue' recorded at The Looking Glass Studio at the time of the 2001 Tibet House show in New York featuring Philip Glass on piano and Moby on guitar.

The third CD/set of 10"s features 'Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric' mixes of thirteen TOY tracks. Producer Mark Plati "While we were recording the basic tracks Earl Slick suggested that he and I overdub acoustic guitars on all the songs. He said this was a Keith Richards' trick, sometimes these guitars would be a featured part of the track, and at other times they'd be more subliminal. Later while mixing, David heard one of the songs broken down to just vocals and acoustic guitars; this gave him the idea that we ought to do some stripped-down mixes like that and that maybe one day they'd be useful. Once we put a couple of other elements in the pot, it felt like it could be a completely different record. I was only too happy to finish that thought some two decades after the fact."

The tracklisting runs as follows:

TOY

Disc: 1
01. I Dig Everything
02. You've Got A Habit Of Leaving
03. The London Boys
04. Karma Man
05. Conversation Piece
06. Shadow Man
07. Let Me Sleep Beside You
08. Hole In The Ground
09. Baby Loves That Way
10. Can't Help Thinking About Me
11. Silly Boy Blue
12. Toy (Your Turn To Drive)

Produced by David Bowie and Mark Plati. Engineered by Pete Keppler.Mixed by Mark Plati. Assisted by Hector Castillo, Steve Mazur and Todd Parker. Recorded at Sear Sound, The Looking Glass and Alice's Restaurant in New York City, Summer 2000.

Disc: 2
01. Liza Jane (Alternative Mix)
02. You've Got A Habit of Leaving (Alternative Mix) [2021 Remaster]
03. Baby Loves That Way (Alternative Mix) [2021 Remaster]
04. Can't Help Thinking About Me (Alternative Mix)
05. I Dig Everything (Alternative Mix)
06. The London Boys (Alternative Version)
07. Silly Boy Blue (Tibet Version)
08. Let Me Sleep Beside You (Alternative Mix) [2021 Remaster]
09. In The Heat Of The Morning (Alternative Mix)
10. Conversation Piece (Alternative Mix) [2021 Remaster]
11. Hole In The Ground (Alternative Mix)
12. Shadow Man (Alternative Mix) [2021 Remaster]
13. Toy (Your Turn To Drive) [Alternative Mix] [2021 Remix]

Produced by David Bowie and Mark Plati, except 'The London Boys' additional production by Tony Visconti.
'Silly Boy Blue' (Tibet version) Produced by David Bowie and Tony Visconti.
Engineered by Pete Keppler at Sear Sound, assisted by Todd Parker.
Engineered by Mark Plati at Alice's Restaurant.
Recorded at Sear Sound, The Looking Glass and Alice's Restaurant in New York City, Summer 2000.
Except 'Silly Boy Blue' (Tibet version) recorded at The Looking Glass, 2001.
Mixed by Tony Visconti, assisted by Darren S. Moore at the Manhattan Center, early 2001.
Except 'Liza Jane' and 'In The Heat Of The Morning' mixed by Mark Plati, assisted by Hector Castillo at The Looking Glass.

Disc: 3
01. In The Heat Of The Morning [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
02. I Dig Everything [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
03. You've Got A Habit of Leaving [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
04. The London Boys [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
05. Karma Man [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
06. Conversation Piece [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
07. Shadow Man [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
08. Let Me Sleep Beside You [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
09. Hole In The Ground [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
10. Baby Loves That Way [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
11. Can't Help Thinking About Me [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
12. Silly Boy Blue [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]
13. Toy (Your Turn To Drive) [Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix]

Produced by David Bowie and Mark Plati.
Engineered by Pete Keppler.
Mixed by Mark Plati, assisted by Hector Castillo, Steve Mazur and Todd Parker.
Recorded at Sear Sound, The Looking Glass and Alice's Restaurant in New York City, Summer 2000.
All songs written by David Bowie except 'Liza Jane' written by Leslie Conn.

The Toy:Box 3-CD and Toy:Box six-10" Vinyl are both available to pre-order now!

1st October 2021

For those of you who use FACEBOOK - check out the DAVID BOWIE Wonderworld Group.

Feel free to join in with the other 55,000 plus members and add yourself. You never know what might get posted...

OCTOBER 2021

• DAVID BOWIE WORLD FAN CONVENTION 2022 takes place in Liverpool over three days next year on 17th/18th/19th June 2022. Some weekend tickets still available, once gone they WILL NOT be adding more - more details

• BLACKSTAR THEORY: The Last Works of David Bowie by LEAH KARDOS, hardcover and paperback, 224-pages, published on 10th February 2022 - more details

• Exhibition ROCK 'N' ROLL WITH ME BOWIE / MACCORMACK 1973-76 at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, England BN1 1EE. Reopened 18th May 2021 runs till 23rd January 2022. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm. Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays. Tickets are on sale now at more details

• DAVID BOWIE - TOY:BOX, 3-CD set and six 10" vinyl formats to be released 7th January 2022 - more details

• DAVID BOWIE - ALL THE SONGS: The Story Behind Every Track by BENOÎT CLERC, hardcover, 624-pages, published on 6th January 2022 - more details

• DAVID BOWIE OUTLAW: Essays on Difference, Authenticity, Ethics, Art and Love by ALEX SHARPE, hardcover/paperback, 112-pages, published on 26th November - more details

• DAVID BOWIE - BRILLIANT ADVENTURE (1992 - 2001) available in 18-LP Vinyl and 11-CD box sets, released on 26th November - more details

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WE COULD BE... BOWIE AND HIS HEROES by TOM HAGLER, with consultant editor TONY VISCONTI, hardcover, 400-pages, published 19th October - more details

DAVID BOWIE: STAR MAN by PETE McKENNA, paperback, published on 1st October - more details

Autobiography BOWIE, CAMBO & ALL THE HYPE by JOHN CAMBRIDGE, paperback, 260-pages, published on 23rd September - more details

BOWIE ODYSSEY 71 by SIMON GODDARD, paperback, 176-pages, published on 16th September - more details

JUST A GIGOLO Blu-ray limited edition, includes a companion media book and original soundtrack CD, to be released on 30th August - more details

SUKITA: ETERNITY Signed, David Bowie 'Face' Edition (Numbers 101-150) by MASAYOSHI SUKITA, hardcover, 256-pages, published on 25th August - more details

2021 softback edition of DAVID BOWIE WORLD 7" RECORDS DISCOGRAPHY - Volume One: 1963-1971 book by RETO STÖCKLIN and CHRISTOPH HEID visit marmot-publishing.com for more details.

2018 softback edition of DAVID BOWIE WORLD 7" RECORDS DISCOGRAPHY 1964 - 1981 book by MARSHALL JARMAN and RETO STÖCKLIN visit marmot-publishing.com for more details.

Exclusive DAVID BOWIE lino-cut print available to PURCHASE - don't hang around, these are ALL the remaining original left-over stock from 37 years ago, once they've gone, they've gone!

                  

                 

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Last Updated: 20/10/21