• Wham bam thank you ma'am - the DAVID BOWIE song SUFFRAGETTE CITY has just achieved SILVER status in the UK BRIT Certified Awards Programme (Parlophone release 13.11.2005)...

• Just published is the memoir of roadie/lighting director/tour manager ERIC BARRETT titled: Experienced: On The Road With Jim Hendrix and Beyond, with a foreword by CARLOS ALOMAR. Many of you will know, Eric worked with DAVID BOWIE on several of his tours in 1974, 1976, 1978 and 1983. Besides Bowie, Eric worked with an absolute huge array of rock stars over nearly five decades including: The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, George Michael, Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Idol and Aerosmith...

• Currently, over on YouTube via their Free Primetime movies channel, you can watch YELLOWBEARD [free with ads], this 1983 MGM movie features DAVID BOWIE in a cameo role as 'Henson/The Shark' - [WATCH HERE]...

On this day, 55 years ago, DAVID BOWIE recorded 'Life On Mars?' at Trident Studios in Soho, London.

David Bowie: "This song was so easy. Being young was easy. A really beautiful day in the park, sitting on the steps of the bandstand. 'Sailors bap-bap-bap-bap-baaa-bap.' An anomic (not a 'gnomic') heroine. Middle-class ecstasy.

"I took a walk to Beckenham High Street to catch a bus to Lewisham to buy shoes and shirts but couldn't get the riff out of my head. Jumped off two stops into the ride and more or less loped back to the house up on Southend Road.

"Workspace was a big empty room with a chaise longue; a bargain-price art nouveau screen ('William Morris,' so I told anyone who asked); a huge overflowing freestanding ashtray and a grand piano. Little else.

"I started working it out on the piano and had the whole lyric and melody finished by late afternoon. Nice.

"Rick Wakeman came over a couple of weeks later and embellished the piano part and guitarist Mick Ronson created one of his first and best string parts for this song which now has become something of a fixture in my live shows."

The original working lyrics written by David for Life On Mars? ended up with more than a few changes...

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man look at those cave men go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the law man beating up the wrong
Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars
How the hell can we go when we're nowhere
In the light of the stars

© David Bowie.

Here is the news... according to the latest world official chart releases for DAVID BOWIE.

The albums reissued last week on vinyl and CD softpak editions have shown placements in several charts.

In the UK Blackstar entered five of the Official Album charts, namely Vinyl Chart at #16, Record Store Chart at #15, Sales Chart at #27 and Physical Albums Chart at #25.

In Scotland on their Official Albums Chart, Blackstar is placed at #17 and Heathen at #87.

All five reissued albums did well in the Denmark Vinyl Top-40 Chart, Blackstar at #1, Heathen at #8, A Reality Tour #22, The Next Day at #24 and Reality at #32.

In Hungary Album Top 40 Chart Blackstar hit at #39, but all five did well in their Album Top 40 Physical Chart with Blackstar #4, Heathen #15, The Next Day #19, Reality #25, A Reality Tour #35.

Blackstar was placed in the following countries official charts: Belgium (Wallonie) at #137, Belgium (Flanders) at #114, Finland Fyysiset-Albumit at #9, Germany at #88, Greece at #28, Netherlands Vinyl Top Chart at #11, Spain (Top 100 Vinyl) at #16, Sweden Physical Chart at #13 and Vinyl Chart at #5.

In case you missed the news, the five albums reissued on 180g vinyl and CD Softpak editions are:
Blackstar [Vinyl / CD softpak] - The Next Day [Vinyl / CD softpak] - A Reality Tour [Vinyl / CD softpak] - Reality [Vinyl / CD softpak] - Heathen [Vinyl / CD softpak]

• Memories of DAVID BOWIE's father HAYWOOD STENTON JONES who sadly passed away on this day in 1969, 57 years ago...

• On this day, 24 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at the Molson Amphitheatre, in Toronto, Canada during the Arena: Two Festival in 2002...

• On this day, 29 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at Rock City in Nottingham during his Earthling World Tour in 1997...

• On this day, 36 years ago, DAVID BOWIE performed at Milton Keynes Bowl, Milton Keynes during his Sound+Vision World Tour in 1990...

• On this day, 46 years ago, The Elephant Man play opened at the Blackstone Theatre in Chicago starring DAVID BOWIE in the lead role as Joseph 'John' Merrick in 1980...

• On this day, 61 years ago, DAVIE JONES AND THE LOWER THIRD performed at The Cliftonville Hall, Margate, Kent in 1965...

Five of DAVID BOWIE's last releases have been reissued on 180g vinyl and as CD softpak editions: Heathen, Reality, A Reality Tour, The Next Day and his final studio album ★ (Blackstar).

It has been years since several of these masterpieces were last available separately on vinyl, including not least the great masterpiece ★ (Blackstar), which became the beautiful end to an outstanding career. An album that today is considered one of his best ever, but which unfortunately has been completely sold out on vinyl for the past couple of years.

The five albums are breakouts from the I Can't Give Everything Away box set from September 2025.

For the first time in years, David Bowie's most significant releases from the 21st century are once again available separately on vinyl. These albums not only document a legend in constant motion but also form the foundation for his artistic rebirth and final punctuation mark.

Heathen: Return to timeless collaboration
When David Bowie released Heathen in 2002, it felt like a circle was closed. It marked the reunion with producer Tony Visconti, the man behind many of Bowie's most iconic 70s records. Today, Heathen is considered one of his late-career masterpieces. It is an album characterised by mature reflection and a soundscape that balances between the organic and the subtly electronic.

The album was created in the wake of 9/11, and although the lyrics are not directly political, the record emanates an existential unrest and melancholy that resonated deeply at the time - and still does today. With tracks like 'Slow Burn' and excellent covers of, among others, Neil Young and Pixies, Bowie showed that he was still capable of defining the sound of modern rock. On 180g vinyl, Visconti's detailed production truly gets to breathe, and the album stands today as the perfect re-entry into Bowie's universe in the new millennium.

Reality: Energy and New Yorker-vibe
Where Heathen was introspective and atmospheric, Reality from 2003 brought a completely different energy to the table. The album is permeated by a direct, almost restless nerve that reflected Bowie's life in New York. It is a collection of songs where the rock elements are turned up, and where the band's joy of playing is evident in every groove.

Reality is today recognised for its sharp songwriting and Bowie's vocal prowess. Songs like 'New Killer Star' and the epic 'Bring Me The Disco King' show the breadth of his ability. The latter track, originally started during previous recordings, found its final, jazz-inflected form on this album and stands as one of his most enigmatic and beautiful moments. Another essential Bowie album to own on vinyl as a representation of his last great creative outburst before Bowie withdrew from the public eye for a number of years.

A Reality Tour: A monument to a live legend
As documentation of Bowie's last major world tour, A Reality Tour stands as a monumental live album. This triple vinyl set captures Bowie and his phenomenal band in top form, delivering overwhelming versions of both new hits and the greatest classics from his back catalogue. It is here that one truly understands his ability to command a stage and reinvent his own songs so that they feel relevant decades after they were written. Unfortunately, the tour was cut short, which only makes this live album even more significant. It is the definitive collection of Bowie's live energy in the 21st century. Experiencing this concert on audiophile vinyl gives the listener the feeling of standing amidst the audience, where every drum roll and guitar riff is razor-sharp.

The Next Day: The shock and the triumph
After ten years of total silence, David Bowie shocked the entire world on his 66th birthday in 2013 with the release of the single 'Where Are We Now?' and the announcement of the album The Next Day. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this comeback. The album was met with universal acclaim and proved that Bowie was not just a legend resting on his laurels, but an active artist with much to say.

The Next Day is a dark, dense, and lyrically complex album. It refers to his own history - most clearly with the cover, which reuses the iconic "Heroes" image - but musically, it points forward. With Visconti back behind the mixing desk, they created an album that is both aggressive and reflective. On vinyl, the many layers in the music become clear, and the album stands today as one of the strongest rebirths in rock history.

★ (Blackstar): Ultimate masterpiece and farewell
There are few albums in music history that carry such a profound weight as ★ (Blackstar). Released just two days before Bowie's death in 2016, it stands as his swan song and one of his absolute masterpieces. Here he once again transcended all genres by inviting a group of jazz musicians into the studio to create a sound that is both alien, beautiful, and deeply moving.

★ (Blackstar) has been completely sold out on vinyl in recent years, which has made demand enormous. It is an album that demands its listener but rewards with a rare depth. The title track and 'Lazarus' are today inscribed in music history as some of the most powerful farewells from an artist ever. That this album is now again available on vinyl is nothing short of an event for anyone who values music as the ultimate art form. It is the perfect final punctuation mark on a discography that changed the world, and it will never sound better than it does on 180g vinyl.

All editions are available to purchase now:

Blackstar [Vinyl / CD softpak]

The Next Day [Vinyl / CD softpak]

A Reality Tour [Vinyl / CD softpak]

Reality [Vinyl / CD softpak]

Heathen [Vinyl / CD softpak]

HOLY HOLY 2026 Tour - The Final Tour - 'A Celebration of Bowie'.

Holy Holy are Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey, featuring Glenn Gregory.

Gigs will take place next month at the following venues:

SEPTEMBER
3rd: Glasgow O2 Academy
4th: Leeds O2 Academy
5th: Liverpool O2 Academy
8th: Oxford O2 Academy
9th: Southampton 1865
10th: London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
11th: Bristol O2 Academy
12th: Manchester O2 Ritz
16th: Birmingham XOY
17th: Newcastle-upon-Tyne O2 City Hall
19th: Hull Connexin Live
20th: Lytham St Annes Lowther Pavilion
21st: Salisbury City Hall
23rd: Netherlands Haarlem, PHIL
24th: Belgium, Lueven Het Depot
27th: Ireland Dublin The Academy
28th: Ireland Dublin The Academy
29th: Belfast The Limelight 1

More details and tickets available via the Ticketmaster.co.uk website.

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

Feel free to join in with the other 106,000 plus members, add yourself and invite your Bowie fan friends. You never know what might get posted, or who you might meet...

The world premiere of the music theatre production REBEL REBEL opens this month at Jahrhunderthalle Bochum in Germany.

Music theatre about love against violence - with songs by DAVID BOWIE - opening night 20th August through to 2nd September.

For Ruhrtriennale, Ivo Van Hove creates a new music theatre with songs by David Bowie. Rebel Rebel, named after one of his most famous songs, plays in a deteriorating society, gangs of violent youths are terrorising the cities. Relationships of whatever sort are banned. Alienation and isolation are enforced by law. A young couple resists and creates a utopia of their own ' people are stronger than any repressive regime. Because they love each other, they can prevail. Bowie's music thus becomes the soundtrack to a society on the brink.

With Lazarus, David Bowie realised his dream of creating a musical - together with Ivo Van Hove, whom he had entrusted with directing the piece. Ten years later, Ivo Van Hove returns to Bowie's musical cosmos with Rebel Rebel.

Henry Hey, the music director, worked with Bowie on his album The Next Day and Lazarus, the musical. The multi-award-winning choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui takes on the challenge of translating violence, resistance and love into dance.

Produced by Ruhrtriennale in collaboration with Seaview and Eastman.

Conceived and directed by: Ivo Van Hove.
Musical Director, Arrangements: Henry Hey.
Choreography: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
Set Design, Lighting Design: Jan Versweyveld.
Video Design: Christopher Ash.
Costume Design: An D'Huys.
Sound Design: Spatial*Junction, Erwin Sterk & Dennis Slot.
Associate Set Design: Bart Van Merode.
Associate Lighting Design: Dennis van Scheppingen.

With: Diego Rodriguez (Boy), Ari Notartomaso (Girl), Daniel Donskoy (Gang Leader).

Dance: Maryna Kushchova (Ashotivna), Nick Coutsier, Zoe Hollinshead, Matys Kaïbo, Kazutomi "Tsuki" Kozuki, Mason Kelly, Morgan Lugo, Nathalia Meneses Gonzalez, Helena Olmedo Duynslaeger, Nelson Parrish Earl, Patrick Williams Seebacher (TwoFace).

Band: Henry Hey (Keys 1), Christian Frentzen (Keys 2), Erez Frank (Base), Lennart Delissen (Guitar 1), Scheroan Zibari (Guitar 2), Chris Farr (Drums), Marc Doffey (Saxophone).

For more details and tickets, please visit ruhrtriennale.de website.

• Exhibition V&A DAVID BOWIE: ON TOUR will show in Dundee (4th Nov - 15th Feb 2027), Blackpool (30th June - 26th Sept 2027), County Durham (Oct 2027 - Jan 2028), Hull (Feb 2028 - May 2028), Bristol (1st June 2028 - 30th Sept 2028), with more to be announced - more details

• Exhibition V&A DAVID BOWIE: ON TOUR in DUNDEE at V&A Dundee (Gallery 2), 1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee DD1 4EZ, Scotland from 4th November until 15th February. Open daily 10.00-17.00, (closed 25th/26th Dec and 1st Jan). Tickets will go on sale in late Sept - more details

• DAVID BOWIE: YOU'RE NOT ALONE shows at North Warehouse, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ, England from 8th December 2026 until 10th January 2027. Booking for general tickets begins Thursday 18th June - more details

• DAVID BOWIE: YOU'RE NOT ALONE opened on 22nd April now extended until 10th January 2027 at Lightroom, 12 Lewis Cubitt Square, Kings Cross, London - more details

• BOWIE: LIVE ON THE LOCH charity two-day event with David Bowie's band from 2000 at Cameron House, Loch Lomond, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland G83 8QZ on 7th/8th November. In aid of Save The Children - more details

• Conference: LATE BOWIE: Legacy, Mortality and the Archival Impulse at Visconti Studio, Kingston University, Kingston Hill Campus, Surrey KT2 7LB, England on 5th/6th November - more details

• CHANGES: THE SONGS OF DAVID BOWIE 1964-2016 by NICK VERNON, hardcover, 288-pages - to be published on 30th October - more details

• DAVID BOWIE: MUSIC LOVER: The Inside Story of David Bowie's Record Collection by GEOFF MacCORMACK and JÉRÔME SOLIGNY, hardcover, 224-pages - to be published on 28th September - more details

• DAVID BOWIE - THE SHEL TALMY RECORDINGS - to be released on 18th September on CD Digipack with 16-page booklet (Cat. No 5026854442266), LP Black Vinyl 180 Gram with printed inner (Cat. No. 5026854442273), Digital mp3, LP Red Vinyl 180 Gram Bowie Store Exclusive and LP Black Vinyl Alternative Numbered Sleeve, 1,965 copies available at RSD outlets and HMV (Cat. No. 1200214476168) - more details

• HOLY HOLY 2026 Tour - The Final Tour - 'A Celebration of Bowie' gigs in September - tickets on sale - more details

• Music Theatre production REBEL REBEL by Ivo van Hove at Jahrhunderthalle Bochum, Bochum, Germany, opens 20th August until 2nd September - more details

• Exhibition BOWIE ODYSSEY at Forum Gambetta, 23 Bd Gambetta, 62100 Calais, France, opened 4th July runs until 16th August, FREE ADMISSION, open 2pm-6pm, closed Mondays - more details

• Brand new issue of DAVID BOWIE GLAMOUR fanzine is about to launch - issue #12 a special bumper issue with over 100-pages. Pre-ordering begins this week on Wednesday 12th August at 7pm GMT. Join their mailing list for more details and information - more details

Five DAVID BOWIE albums reissued on 180g vinyl and CD Softpak editions - Blackstar [Vinyl / CD softpak] - The Next Day [Vinyl / CD softpak] - A Reality Tour [Vinyl / CD softpak] - Reality [Vinyl / CD softpak] - Heathen [Vinyl / CD softpak]

CONSTELLATION "HEROES": Tracing David Bowie's Berlin Album Song By Song by HANS MEERTENS, paperback, 176-pages - published on 31st July - more details

INSIDE OUTSIDE: Deconstructing David Bowie's Gothic Hyper-Cycle by ALEX STORER, hardback and paperback, 184-pages - published on 16th July - more details

HEROES: DAVID BOWIE AND BERLIN by TOBIAS RÜTHER, paperback, 184-pages - published on 1st July - more details

Photo Exhibition: BOWIE BY SUKITA in Sweden, Gothenburg, at the former Konsthallen, Gotaplatsen 7 opened 11th April until 30th August - more details

CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY exhibition 'Cosmic Voyager - A Tribute to David Bowie' opened 3rd April until 30th August in the Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium, shows daily at 4pm (except Mondays) - more details

All numbered copies SOLD OUT! Handful of unnumbered copies remaining. DAVID BOWIE - THE YEAR OF THE SCAVENGER luxury collector's book from MAYAK PUBLISHING covering the 1974 period - to claim your exclusive £10 discount use WONDER10 at checkout, 710-pages - mayakpublishing.co.uk

Exclusive DAVID BOWIE lino-cut print available to PURCHASE - don't hang around, these are ALL the remaining original left-over stock from 42 years ago, once they've gone, they've gone!