The Best Of Bowie
''The Best of Bowie'' is a compilation album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released in 1980 by K-tel. The cover was based on the 12-inch single sleeve design of Bowie's "Fashion".Roy Carr & Charles Shaar Murray (1981). ''Bowie: An Illustrated Record'': pp.114-115 It made No. 3 in the UK Albums Chart. In addition to including the rare 7" edits of "Fame" and "Golden Years", the compilation contains unique edits of "Life on Mars?" and "Diamond Dogs", ostensibly to allow all 16 tracks to fit on one LP. Early copies of the LP had a sticker on the back cover showing the track listing. If the sticker was removed, the original track listing could be seen, showing "Drive-In Saturday" (from '' Aladdin Sane'', 1973) as track 7 in place of the live version of "Breaking Glass", which explains the latter's appearance out of chronological sequence here. Track listing All songs written by David Bowie, except where noted. ;Side one #"Space Oddity" – 5:07 #" Life on Mars?" (K-te ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft had a significant impact on popular music. Bowie developed an interest in music from an early age. He studied art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity", released in 1969, was his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust (character), Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of Bowie's single "Starman (song), Starma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Charles Shaar Murray
Charles Shaar Murray (born Charles Maximillian Murray; 27 June 1951) is an English music journalist and broadcaster. He has worked on the '' New Musical Express'' and many other magazines and newspapers, and has been interviewed for a number of television documentaries and reports on music. Biography Murray grew up in Reading, Berkshire, England, where he attended Reading Grammar School and learnt to play the harmonica and guitar. His first experience in journalism came in 1970, when he was one of a number of schoolchildren who responded to an invitation to edit the April issue of the satirical magazine '' Oz''. He thus contributed to the notorious Schoolkids OZ issue and was involved in the consequent obscenity trial. He then wrote for '' IT (International Times)'', before moving to the ''New Musical Express'' in 1972 for which he wrote until around 1986. He subsequently worked for a number of publications including ''Q magazine'', ''Mojo'', ''MacUser'', ''New Statesman'', ' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
George Murray (musician)
George Murray is an American bass guitarist best known for his work with David Bowie on a number of Bowie's albums released in the 1970s. Murray was part of Bowie's rhythm section, the D.A.M. Trio, for much of the decade, alongside drummer Dennis Davis and guitarist Carlos Alomar. He studied at Bronx Community College and had toured Europe, South America and Canada with George McCrae as well as touring and performing with the Broadway plays ''Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope'' and ''Your Arms Too Short to Box with God'', prior to his work with Bowie. As of 2017 Murray works at a school district in California where he lives with his wife, Teresa Woo-Murray, and son, Marcus. Selective discography Weldon Irvine *''Cosmic Vortex (Justice Divine)'' (1974) *''In Harmony'' (1974) David Bowie *''Station to Station'' (1976) *''Live Nassau Coliseum '76'' (released 2010) *'' Low'' (1977) *'' "Heroes"'' (1977) *''Stage'' (1978) *''Welcome to the Blackout (Live London '78)'' (released 2018) * ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis (August 28, 1949 – April 6, 2016) was an American drummer and session musician best known for his work with David Bowie, playing on ten albums - including seven successive studio albums - during the singer's classic mid- and late- seventies period, and on many hit singles, starting with " Fame" (1975). Early life and military service Davis was born and raised in Manhattan, New York City, and studied with drummers Max Roach and Elvin Jones before joining the Clark Terry Big Band in 1967. He joined the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Rowan (DD-782) from 1969 to 1970 during the Vietnam War. He was discharged from the U.S Navy in 1970 in San Diego, California. He was wounded during his military service, but was able to hone his skills when he performed as part of the US Navy's Drum and Bugle Corps. Career Davis met guitarist Carlos Alomar when they were both playing with Roy Ayers. Davis was hired by David Bowie in 1974 for two tracks on ''Young Americans''. Alomar, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Stage (David Bowie Album)
''Stage'' is the second live album by English musician David Bowie, recorded on the Isolar II Tour, and released through RCA Records in 1978. ''Stage'' has been reissued numerous times, each with expanded track listings. Recording The recording was culled from concerts in Philadelphia, Providence, and Boston, US, in late April and early May 1978. It primarily included material from Bowie's most recent studio albums to that date, ''Station to Station'', '' Low'', and '' "Heroes"'' (both 1977), but also contained five songs from ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' (1972). Aside from Bowie's core team of Carlos Alomar, Dennis Davis, and George Murray, the band included ex-Frank Zappa sideman Adrian Belew on guitar, Simon House from Hawkwind on electric violin, Roger Powell, best known for his work with Todd Rundgren in the group Utopia, on keyboards, and Sean Mayes on piano, string ensemble and backup vocals. All would reunite the following year on ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Breaking Glass (song)
"Breaking Glass" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was co-written by Bowie, bassist George Murray and drummer Dennis Davis in September 1976. Originally a track on Bowie's 1977 album '' Low'', a reworked version of the song was a regular on the Isolar II Tour. A live version from that tour was used as the lead track on a 7" EP to promote his second live album, ''Stage'' in 1978. The EP reached number 54 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1978. In the US, the track "Star" was chosen as the lead track for the live EP (with "What in the World" and "Breaking Glass" as B-sides), but failed to chart, while in Japan, "Soul Love" was released to promote ''Stage'' (with "Blackout" as the B-side). Bowie performed "Breaking Glass" on his Isolar II, Serious Moonlight, Outside, Heathen, and A Reality tours. Lyrics The original song was uncompromising even by '' Low''s standards. The fractured lyric is, like several songs written during Bowie's stay in B ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
The Jean Genie
"The Jean Genie" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally released in November 1972 as the lead single to his 1973 album '' Aladdin Sane''. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded it with his backing band the Spiders from Mars − comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. According to Bowie, it was "a smorgasbord of imagined Americana", with a protagonist inspired by Iggy Pop, and the title being an allusion to author Jean Genet. One of Bowie's most famous tracks, it was promoted with a film clip featuring Andy Warhol associate Cyrinda Foxe and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. Background and recording "The Jean Genie" originated on the Ziggy Stardust Tour as an impromptu jam, titled "Bussin'", on the tour bus between the first two concerts in Cleveland and Memphis, when Mick Ronson began playing the Bo Diddley-inspired guitar riff on his new Les Paul. It subsequently became the first song Bowie composed for ''Aladdin Sane'', in a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
John, I'm Only Dancing
"John, I'm Only Dancing" is a song by English musician David Bowie, originally released as a non-album single on 1 September 1972. A glam rock and R&B number, the lyrics describe a situation in which the narrator informs his lover not to worry about the girl he is with because he is "only dancing" with her. Although ambiguous, many interpreted it as concerning a gay relationship. Recorded in London in June 1972, it was boasted by a low-budget promotional video directed by Mick Rock. It reached number 12 in the UK; RCA refused to release it in America due to its suggestive lyrical content. After its release, Bowie rerecorded the song twice, including for possible inclusion on ''Aladdin Sane'' (1973). RCA issued this version, featuring a new arrangement with saxophone, as a single in April 1973 with the exact same catalogue number and B-side as the original. Both versions have since appeared on numerous compilation albums, including ''Re:Call 1'', part of ''Five Years (1969â ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Rock 'n' Roll Suicide
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, originally released as the closing track on the album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'' on 16 June 1972. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded it with his backing band the Spiders from Mars – comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. It detailed Ziggy's final collapse like an old, washed-up rock star and, as such, was also the closing number of the Ziggy Stardust live show. In April 1974 RCA issued it as a single. Music and lyrics Bowie saw the song in terms of the French chanson tradition, while biographer David Buckley has described both "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and the album's opening track " Five Years" as "more like avant-garde show songs than actual rock songs". Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine similarly found it to have "a grand sense of staged drama previously unheard of in rock & roll". Although Bowie has suggested Baudelaire as his source, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Starman (song)
"Starman" is a song by English musician David Bowie. It was released on 28 April 1972 by RCA Records as the lead single of his fifth studio album ''The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars''. Co-produced by Ken Scott, Bowie recorded the song on 4 February 1972 at Trident Studios in London with his backing band known as the Spiders from Mars – comprising guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey. The song was a late addition to the album, written as a direct response to RCA's request for a single; it replaced the Chuck Berry cover " Round and Round" on the album. The lyrics describe Ziggy Stardust bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien 'Starman'. The chorus is inspired by " Over the Rainbow", sung by Judy Garland, while other influences include T. Rex and the Supremes. Upon release, "Starman" sold favorably and earned positive reviews. Following Bowie's performance of the song on ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Life On Mars?
"Life on Mars?" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released on his 1971 album ''Hunky Dory''. In 1968, Bowie was commissioned to write English lyrics for the Claude François French song " Comme d'habitude". After his lyrics were rejected, songwriter Paul Anka rewrote it into "My Way", made famous by singer Frank Sinatra in 1969. Annoyed at the success of "My Way", Bowie used the song as a template and wrote "Life on Mars?" as a parody of Sinatra's recording. It was written primarily on piano and recorded on 6 August 1971, the final day of the ''Hunky Dory'' sessions. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, the backing band consisted of guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey; Ronson also composed the song's string arrangement. Piano was played by Strawbs member Rick Wakeman. Musically, "Life on Mars?" is described as a "soaring, cinematic ballad". Primarily glam rock, with elements of cabaret and art rock, the song ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial failure of his self-titled debut album in 1967, Bowie's manager Kenneth Pitt commissioned '' Love You till Tuesday'', a promotional film intended to introduce Bowie to a larger audience. For the film, Bowie wrote "Space Oddity", a tale about a fictional astronaut named Major Tom; its title and subject matter were partly inspired by Stanley Kubrick's '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) and Bowie's feelings of alienation at that point in his career. One of the most musically complex songs Bowie had written up to that point, it represented a change from the music hall-influenced sound of his debut to a sound akin to psychedelic folk and inspired by the Bee Gees. "Space Oddity" was demoed in early 1969 before the ''Love You till Tuesday'' ve ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |