mentions:
David Bowie ~ The Man Who Sold the World
Showing posts with label The Man Who Sold the World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Man Who Sold the World. Show all posts
August 27, 2024
May 15, 2021
March 31, 2021
January 10, 2019
Tony Visconti articles/mentions
David Bowie ~ David Bowie – ★ (Blackstar)
David Bowie ~ The Man Who Sold the World
David Bowie ~ Space Oddity
Joe Cocker ~ With a Little Help from My Friends
Tony Visconti - Man Who Sold The World guitar
photo by Sebastian Visconti
December 9, 2016
David Bowie articles/mentions
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– ★ (Blackstar)
Cat People & John Heard
The Man Who Stole the World's Heart
Reel to reel tapes*:
– ★ (Blackstar)
Cat People & John Heard
The Man Who Stole the World's Heart
Labyrinthitis ~ a dizzy proposition
Arif Mardin ~ Glass Onion
Mott the Hoople ~ All the Young Dudes
Prince ~ Purple Rain
Lou Reed ~ Transformer
Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Saturday Night Fever ~ Disco Daze 2
Tom @ 80 ~ the play list
Arif Mardin ~ Glass Onion
Mott the Hoople ~ All the Young Dudes
Prince ~ Purple Rain
Lou Reed ~ Transformer
Mick Ronson ~ Slaughter on 10th Avenue
Saturday Night Fever ~ Disco Daze 2
Tom @ 80 ~ the play list
January 10, 2016
David Bowie ~ The Man Who Stole the World's Heart
David Bowie died today. Somehow, I never imagined that would happen! I was stunned when I heard the news; he had cancer but I wasn't aware of it. He carefully planned his end. There is an article about this in the Guardian (link below). He was 69 years old.
I recall seeing him on September 17, 1983, during his Serious Moonlight Tour at the Oakland Coliseum; I had also seen Pink Floyd there years earlier.
It was the transition from his previous androgynous glam rock look . . .
I recall seeing him on September 17, 1983, during his Serious Moonlight Tour at the Oakland Coliseum; I had also seen Pink Floyd there years earlier.
Serious Moonlight Tour poster
It was the transition from his previous androgynous glam rock look . . .
David Bowie performs Rebel Rebel
on TV show TopPop - 1974
photo by : Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
. . . and he looked fantastic!
photo by Denis O’Regan
I don't think I've ever seen a man so stylishly and impeccably dressed.
There are so many of his songs I like. My favorites are, Cat People (Putting out Fire), from the 1982 film, Cat People, starring Nastassja Kinski, and featured on the Let's Dance album. Recorded in July 1981, the song was written by Bowie with producer Giorgio Moroder, a pioneer of synth disco and electronic music.
Another favorite song is "Heroes", from the album of the same name, written by David Bowie and Brian Eno in 1977.
Bowie also made many films. My favorite was the 1976, Sci-Fi movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth. He received the Saturn Award for Best Actor for this film. Some of the music used in the film was by John Phillips, of The Mamas & the Papas, and Japanese percussionist-composer Stomu Yamashta,
Another favorite song is "Heroes", from the album of the same name, written by David Bowie and Brian Eno in 1977.
Bowie also made many films. My favorite was the 1976, Sci-Fi movie, The Man Who Fell to Earth. He received the Saturn Award for Best Actor for this film. Some of the music used in the film was by John Phillips, of The Mamas & the Papas, and Japanese percussionist-composer Stomu Yamashta,
The photo at the top of the page is David Bowie in the ‘Tokyo Pop’ vinyl bodysuit designed by Yamamoto Kansai for the Aladdin Sane Tour, 1973.
"I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."
- David Bowie
(Madison Square Gardens on his 50th birthday)
Net links:
David Bowie articles on the Viewfinder:
David Bowie 1 ~ Hunky Dory
David Bowie 2 ~ The Man Who Sold the World
David Bowie 3 ~ Aladdin Sane
David Bowie 4 ~ Pin Ups
David Bowie 5 ~ Space Oddity
Discography
Filmography
The Guardian ~ David Bowie Planned His End
Obituaries:
The New York Times
BBC News
The Guardian
The Hollywood Reporter
David Bowie songs on YouTube:
"Heroes"
He is gone but his work will live on forever!
Styrous® ~ Sunday, January 10, 2016
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February 16, 2014
101 Reel-to-Reel Tapes 41: David Bowie 2 ~ The Man Who Sold the World
reel-to-reel tape front cover detail
photographer unknown
detail photo by Styrous®
I have hundreds of reel-to-reel, pre-recorded tapes in addition to my 20,000 Vinyl LP collection I'm selling. This is an entry about one of
them. The Man Who Sold the World, reel-to-reel tape by David Bowie, was for sale on eBay on March 15, 2014. I will have other David Bowie reel-to-reel tapes on eBay for sale (links below). Interested? Contact me by email, please, not by a comment.
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1972 US release on RCA Records
reel-to-reel tape front cover
photographer unknown
photo of album cover by Styrous®
The Man Who Sold the World is the third studio album by David Bowie, originally released on Mercury Records in November 1970 in the US, and in April 1971 in the UK.
The album was written and rehearsed at David Bowie's home in Haddon Hall, Beckenham, an Edwardian mansion converted to a block of flats described by one visitor as having an ambience "like Dracula's living room" (I love it).
Bowie was preoccupied with his new wife Angie at the time, the music was largely arranged by guitarist Mick Ronson and bassist/producer Tony Visconti. Although Bowie is officially credited as the composer of all music on the album, biographers such as Peter Doggett have evidence to the contrary, quoting Visconti saying "the songs were written by all four of us. We'd jam in a basement, and Bowie would just say whether he liked them or not." In Doggett's narrative, "The band (sometimes with Bowie contributing guitar, sometimes not) would record an instrumental track, which might or might not be based upon an original Bowie idea. Then, at the last possible moment, Bowie would reluctantly uncurl himself from the sofa on which he was lounging with his wife, and dash off a set of lyrics."
Bowie was preoccupied with his new wife Angie at the time, the music was largely arranged by guitarist Mick Ronson and bassist/producer Tony Visconti. Although Bowie is officially credited as the composer of all music on the album, biographers such as Peter Doggett have evidence to the contrary, quoting Visconti saying "the songs were written by all four of us. We'd jam in a basement, and Bowie would just say whether he liked them or not." In Doggett's narrative, "The band (sometimes with Bowie contributing guitar, sometimes not) would record an instrumental track, which might or might not be based upon an original Bowie idea. Then, at the last possible moment, Bowie would reluctantly uncurl himself from the sofa on which he was lounging with his wife, and dash off a set of lyrics."
The original 1970 US release of The Man Who Sold the World employed a cartoon-like cover drawing by Bowie's friend Michael J. Weller, featuring a cowboy in front of the Cane Hill mental asylum.
David Bowie
original 1970 US release
The first UK cover, on which Bowie is seen reclining in a Mr Fish "man's
dress", was an early indication of his interest in exploiting his androgynous appearance. The dress was designed by British fashion designer Michael Fish,
and Bowie also used it in February 1971 on his first promotional tour
to the United States, where he wore it during interviews despite the
fact that the Americans had no knowledge of the as yet unreleased UK
cover.
gown by Michael Fish
1971 UK release
The 1971 German release presented a winged hybrid creature with Bowie's
head and a hand for a body, preparing to flick the Earth away.
1971 Germany release
Most of the songs have a heavy metal edge that distinguishes it from Bowie's other releases, except for two songs on the album that are my favorites. The Man Who Sold the World has a ratchet that gives it a sensual cha-cha beat makes me think of a smokey bar in some far off, exotic and tropical, Latin local. It is a beautiful song.
The second song, After All, is a slow, dreamy waltz with a children's chorus backup and an occasional organ that lends a circus feel to it. I love this song and its lyric which I have included below.
1972 release on RCA Records
reel-to-reel tape back cover
photographer unknown
photo of album cover back by Styrous®
The Man Who Sold the World was generally more successful commercially and critically in the US than in the UK on its original release in 1970–71. Music publications Melody Maker and NME found it "surprisingly excellent" and "rather hysterical", respectively. John Mendelsohn of Rolling Stone
called the album "uniformly excellent" and commented that producer Tony
Visconti's "use of echo, phasing, and other techniques on Bowie's voice
serves to reinforce the jaggedness of Bowie's words and music",
which he interpreted as "oblique and fragmented images that are almost
impenetrable separately but which convey with effectiveness an ironic
and bitter sense of the world when considered together". Oh, MY!
The album has been cited as influencing the goth rock, darkwave and science fiction elements of work by artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Gary Numan, John Foxx and Nine Inch Nails. In his journal, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana listed it at number 45 in his top 50 favourite albums.
The album has been cited as influencing the goth rock, darkwave and science fiction elements of work by artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Gary Numan, John Foxx and Nine Inch Nails. In his journal, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana listed it at number 45 in his top 50 favourite albums.
reel-to-reel tape back cover detail
photographer unknown
detail photo by Styrous®
It has been claimed that glam rock began with the release of this album, though this is also attributed to Marc Bolan's appearance on the UK TV programme Top of the Pops in December 1970 wearing glitter, to perform what would be his first UK hit single under the name T. Rex, Ride a White Swan, which peaked at Number 2 in the UK chart.
reel-to-reel tape
detail photo by Styrous®
In a retrospective review, Allmusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine
cited the album as "the beginning of David Bowie's classic period" and
complimented its "tight, twisted heavy guitar rock that appears simple
on the surface but sounds more gnarled upon each listen".
Erlewine viewed its music and Bowie's "paranoid futuristic tales" as
"bizarre", adding that "Musically, there isn't much innovation; it
is almost all hard blues-rock or psychedelic folk-rock – but there's an
unsettling edge to the band's performance, which makes the record one of
Bowie's best albums".
In a 1999 review upon the album's reissue, Q gave it three out of five stars and called it "a robust, sexually charged affair". Mojo
stated in a 2002 review, "A robust set that spins with dizzying
disorientation; Bowie's armoury was being hastily assembled, though
it was never deployed with such thrilling abandon again".
reel-to-reel tape label detail
detail photo by Styrous®
After All Lyrics:
Please trip them gently, they don't like to fall, Oh by jingo
There's no room for anger, we're all very small, Oh by jingo
We're painting our faces and dressing in thoughts from the skies, from paradise
But they think that we're holding a secretive ball.
Won't someone invite them
They're just taller children, that's all, after all
Man is an obstacle, sad as the clown, Oh by jingo
So hold on to nothing, and he won't let you down, Oh by jingo
Some people are marching together and some on their own
Quite alone
Others are running, the smaller ones crawl
But some sit in silence, they're just older children
That's all, after all
I sing with impertinence, shading impermanent chords,
With my words
I've borrowed your time and I'm sorry I called
But the thought just occurred that we're nobody's children at all, after all
Live your rebirth and do what you will, Oh by jingo
Forget all I've said, please bear me no ill, Oh by jingo
After all, after all
Please trip them gently, they don't like to fall, Oh by jingo
There's no room for anger, we're all very small, Oh by jingo
We're painting our faces and dressing in thoughts from the skies, from paradise
But they think that we're holding a secretive ball.
Won't someone invite them
They're just taller children, that's all, after all
Man is an obstacle, sad as the clown, Oh by jingo
So hold on to nothing, and he won't let you down, Oh by jingo
Some people are marching together and some on their own
Quite alone
Others are running, the smaller ones crawl
But some sit in silence, they're just older children
That's all, after all
I sing with impertinence, shading impermanent chords,
With my words
I've borrowed your time and I'm sorry I called
But the thought just occurred that we're nobody's children at all, after all
Live your rebirth and do what you will, Oh by jingo
Forget all I've said, please bear me no ill, Oh by jingo
After all, after all
Track listing:
Side one:
Side one:
1. The Width of a Circle - 8:05
2. All the Madmen - 5:38
3. Black Country Rock - 3:32
4. After All - 3:52
Side two:
1. Running Gun Blues - 3:11
2. Saviour Machine - 4:25
3. She Shook Me Cold - 4:13
4. The Man Who Sold the World - 3:55
5. The Supermen - 3:38
All songs written and composed by David Bowie.
Personnel:
2. All the Madmen - 5:38
3. Black Country Rock - 3:32
4. After All - 3:52
Side two:
1. Running Gun Blues - 3:11
2. Saviour Machine - 4:25
3. She Shook Me Cold - 4:13
4. The Man Who Sold the World - 3:55
5. The Supermen - 3:38
All songs written and composed by David Bowie.
Personnel:
- David Bowie – vocals, guitar, Stylophone, organ
- Mick Ronson – guitar, vocals
- Tony Visconti – bass guitar, piano, guitar, producer
- Mick Woodmansey – drums, percussion
- Ralph Mace – Moog synthesiser
- Ken Scott – engineer
Styrous® ~ February 15, 2013
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