DAVID BOWIE

Amidst the Ziggy fever, Aladdin Sane was released in April 1973, inspired by his experiences in America while touring. After putting the Stardust Show to bed, he travelled to France to begin work on his next albums. Pin-Ups was the last time that Bowie would record an album with Mick Ronson on guitar and Ken Scott at the production helm. His tribute to the artists that he admired in the London years of 64 - 67 was released in October 1973. In April of 1973, his proto-Bladerunner project Diamond Dogs debuted, full of tension and angst standing in stark contrast to the disco music that was beginning to crowd the airwaves. In the summer of 1974 he undertook his greatest US tour yet, with an enormous set and choreographed tableaus. The double album David Live was recorded in Philadelphia's Tower Theatre, and serves as a souvenir of this tour.

Mid 70's

The two previous albums showed hints of Bowie's interest in the music he heard in America. The most direct result of this fascination is the rhythmic, soul-laden Young Americans, released in 1975. A collaboration with John Lennon on "Fame" came out of an impromptu session at Electric Ladyland in New York, and was a last minute addition to the LP. It resulted in Bowie's first ever No. 1 single in the US. Not long after the album came out, he moved to Los Angeles and starred in the science fiction film "The Man Who Fell To Earth." After completion of filming, he almost immediately returned to the studio for the recording of Station to Station, a travelogue of sorts. The "White Light" tour followed, this time an electronica driven line-up, played out with Brecht-inspired theatricality. A compilation of hits, ChangesOneBowie was released by RCA in May 1976. Never one to stay in one place too long, shortly after his tour finished, he relocated to the Schoneberg section of Berlin.

Late 70's

Low and Heroes were recorded during Bowie's sojourn in East Germany where collaborators Brian Eno, Tony Visconti, and he adopted new approaches to the songwriting process. In an interview for French radio he said, "Berlin has the strange ability to make you write only the important things. Anything else you donÕt mention, and in the end you produce Low." Surrealism and experimentation were the themes of the day, and the incorporation of cut-and-paste techniques into unique instrumentation birthed what are now heralded as luminary ambient soundscapes. Released in 1977, Low confused RCA, and though the masses weren't quite sure what to make of the effort, the single "Sound and Vision" eventually hit No. 2 on the British charts. Friend Iggy Pop was in Berlin at the time as well and Bowie took time out of recording to produce and collaborate with him on The Idiot and later Lust for Life. He also overcame his long-publicised fear of flying to accompany Pop on tour as pianist that summer.

The second in his three album triptych, Heroes, prominently featured Robert Fripp on guitar, and a more optimistic outlook. One of his greatest singles, the title track from this album recounts a romantic liaison between lovers near the Berlin Wall. His next foray into film occurred in "Just A Gigolo," which he described as "all my thirty-two Elvis Presley movies rolled into one." March of 1978 found him on tour again, and during a May break he narrated "Peter and the Wolf" with the Philadelphia Orchestra the first of many children's projects he was consistently to support over the years (now out of print, the result was a collectible green-vinyl album) Stage was released in September 1978, culled from his recent tour of the States, and featured live material from his "Berlin" period. A re-location to Switzerland was to follow, abandoned frequently due to his ever developing love affair with the exotic Indonesia, Africa and the Far East. Recorded in France, Lodger was released in May 1979, and by the end of the year he was again in the studio. Rehearsals also began for his Broadway debut, in the part of the Elephant Man, which opened in September 1980 to rave reviews.

The 80's

In the same month, the Scary Monsters album was released. After this period, he distinctly dropped out of the public eye for a while, while remaining involved with various film and movie projects. 1982 saw him playing the male lead in "The Hunger," the role of Celliers in "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence," and writing the theme song for the movie "Cat People." Another Greatest Hits compilation, ChangesTwoBowie, came out in 1982. Officially signed to EMI in 1983, the album Let's Dance followed along with the world-encompassing "Serious Moonlight" tour. In October, RCA released the Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture Album, capturing the energy of Ziggy and the Spiders during their last show. Shortly thereafter, the movie, originally filmed in 1973, was finally released as well.

During this period Bowie reinvented himself once again. The album Let's Dance, produced by Chic mastermind Nile Rodgers, was perhaps the most straightforward album of his career. A collection of elegantly produced, impeccably sung dance floor numbers including the Motown-styled "Modern Love," the darkly romantic "China Girl" (first cut with Iggy Pop in Berlin), and a remake of the movie theme "Cat People." All of the above would be substantial radio hits, as was the glossy and romantic title track. The upbeat romantic theme extended to his next album Tonight (1984) though the single "Loving the Alien" drew a prophetic scenario on the Islam/Christian tensions.

A moving appearance at Live Aid (where he dedicated "Heroes" to his young son), a duet single with Mick Jagger, and the heavily theatrical "Glass Spider" tour (with lead guitar by Peter Frampton) all kept Bowie's popularity and mass acceptance going into the 80's. However, his creative drive had slowed somewhat. Then 1988 brought the biggest surprise of all: he had formed a new band, Tin Machine, with the Sales Brothers (Hunt and Tony, sons of Soupy) and the hot guitar find from Boston, Reeves Gabrels. And he was adamant that this would be a full time band, not a superstar solo project. On their two million selling albums (plus a limited edition live disc), Tin Machine proved their mettle as a modern alternative live act, with a stripped down guitar sound, all new material and a few real surprises (a Pixies cover!). Some fans loved it, others were confused and Tin Machine was on hiatus by 1982. Meanwhile Bowie supported the 1989 release of Rykodisc's boxed set Sound and Vision with his first full-fledged "Greatest Hits" tour, recruiting long-time collaborator Adrian Belew to play lead guitar. At many of the gigs, fans were allowed to pick the songs via phone poll.

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