Letter #11






Nothing really major around by way of news, but enough small stories
to warrant putting out another newsletter. Also to celebrate just
having passed the 1500 subscriber mark.

__________________________________________
MAIN NEWS

- From the horses mouth: Bowie and Reeves have written 30 tracks
recently

- Bowie to host "The Hunger" TV series?

- Details of the Teenage Wildlife Fan Registry and how you can join
the biggest and best online Bowie community on the Web (and it's
free!)


__________________________________________
MUSIC NEWS

- Latest word from the horse's mouth is that Bowie and Reeves have
been busy writing together, and have completed about 30 pieces with
which they are pretty satisfied. It remains to be seen what these will
be used for.

- Following in the footsteps of Atlanta radio station 99X, Boston's
WBCN is releasing an album of live performances called "WBCN: Naked
Too". Included is Bowie's rendition of Dead Man Walking recorded at
Fort Apache Studios on the same day as his rendition at Atlanta on
April 8, 1997. Other live performances on the CD include Barenaked
Ladies, Scott Weiland, and a bonus track of Iggy Pop performing The
Passenger. You can order the CD online from the store at Teenage
Wildlife (http://www.teenagewildlife.com/).

- A charity cover of "Heroes" has been released as a single in the UK
for Xmas. Performed by The Heroes who are also the beneficiaries of
the charity's efforts, the proceeds will go towards assisting over
1,600 local children and young people with special needs.

The is available for UK£4.00/US$7.00 (P&P included) directly from 

Community Leisure Projects (CLP)
Suite 14B, 3rd Floor
St. James' Building
Oxford Street
Manchester, M1 6EJ
England

Tel: 0161 236 1878
Fax: 0161 228 0085

- Loving The Alien : Athens Georgia Salutes David Bowie is a new
tribute CD from local bands in, surprise, Athens, Georgia. Featuring a
collection of songs from various Bowie periods, the electic styles
vary from almost straight imitation to complete reworkings. Dara
O'Kearney has written an excellent review of the CD at Teenage
Wildlife
(http://www.teenagewildlife.com//Reviews/Music/Covers/LTAAGSDB/OKearney_Dara.html).
Currently, the only way to order the CD is by sending a cheque for $12
(US) to 

Blackrider Records
PO Box 2905
Athens GA 30612-0905
USA 

You can also visit Blackrider Records web site at
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/lodger7/index.html. 

- The soundtrack to the Sony Playstation car racing game Gran Turismo
was released in the US on November 17 on the EMD/Right Stuff label.
Called Sound of Gran Turismo, it includes Bowie's Scary Monsters along
with a number of other newer alternative artists such as Blur,
Placebo, Garbage and The Dandy Warhols. Scary Monsters is an EMI
remaster that is superior to the original Ryko remaster.

- Teenage Wildlife reports that the rerelease of James' 1991 UK hit
Sit Down to coincide with their greatest hits album includes a live
recording cover of China Girl, originally recorded for a BBC tribute
to Iggy Pop. The single reached #7 on the UK charts. Glamma Kid's
remake of Fashion was not so successful, reaching #49. Of interest is
that although the song consists of Glamma Kid reggae-rapping over the
top of Bowie's original, the song credit is given solely to Bowie.

In an amusing addendum to this story, Bowienet seem to have lifted
this story straight from the fan sites without giving credit as usual
(well, how else would they get the news?;-)). However, on this
occasion, they reworded the story, and introduced an inaccuracy. In
their version, China Girl is on the forthcoming James' Greatest Hits.
Two problems with this - James' Greatest Hits has been out for months
AND it doesn't include China Girl. A big hand for all the folks at
Bowienet ;-)

- Robert Rodriguez' upcoming horror film The Faculty which is due in
US cinemas December 25 features a cover of Changes by Atlanta-based
folk singer Shawn Mullins. The soundtrack should be available in
stores December 22 (or for advance order at the Teenage Wildlife
online store).

- A Greek magazine entitled Zoo had a Bowie promotional 4-track CD on
its cover. Similar to the GQ magazine promotion last year but on a
much smaller scale, the CD is entitled David Bowie 'THE SPACE ODDITY
EP' and is issued on PolyGram Records (Greece) label, cat no. 436-2.

The promo CD contains four tracks: 
Space Oddity
The Laughing Gnome
Rubber Band
Love You Till Tuesday

- Tony Visconti has released his 1977 solo album 'Inventory' (Cat. No.
TVPI TVPI 2), with a bonus track from 1970 when Tony Visconti, Mick
Ronson and Woody Woodmansey were playing as The Hype. Although
frontman Bowie wasn't around for this track, the style is easily
recognisable. Ronson also turns up on the 1969 love song "Skinny
Rose".

For more details visit Tony's web site at www.tonyvisconti.com

- "ALL THE WAY FROM STOCKHOLM TO PHILADELPHIA - LIVE 71/72", a 2 CD
set, has just been released. The second CD is the November 1972
Philadelphia show where David Bowie appeared with Mott The Hoople. The
recording is taken from the original radio broadcast. Included is the
famous introduction by Bowie. It is released on the Angel Air label,
catalogue number: Angel Air SJPCD 029.

- Bowie's 'Ashes to Ashes' is featured on a new CD containing music
from the Australian video programme 'RAGE'. The CD compiles the most
popular RAGE videos from a long list of guest programmers which have
appeared over the years (these have included Frank Black and Garbage
among others). For a full track listing and order information, check
out Bassman's news page (http://www.algonet.se/~bassman/news.html).

- Under Pressure will be featured in the upcoming Tristar Pictures
film Stepmom which will be released on December 25. The film (starring
Susan Sarandon and Julia Roberts) is a drama about a woman who, after
learning she is dying of cancer, strikes up an unlikely relationship
with her ex-husband's fiancee. 


__________________________________________
MOVIE NEWS

- Bowie may host an American TV series next year based upon the 1983
vampire movie 'The Hunger' in which he starred. The original director
Tony Scott is returning for the show. Bowie says he will do this if he
can find the time.

______________________
CHART NEWS (from's Dara's latest Chartwatch)

There's not really enough Bowie chart news for me to waarrant doing a
full Chartwatch so I'll keep this to a few snippets:

- The Wedding Singer soundtrack (featuring among others Bowie's "China
Girl") has gone double platinum in both the US and Australia. This
week, it climbs seventeen to #118 in the US, re-enters the Aussie
charts at #89, and drops twelve to #75 in Canada.
- Also in Canada, Bowie currently has two singles on the chart. That
perennial Xmas favourite, "Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy"
re-enters the chart (for the third consecutive year) at #46, while
"I'm Afraid Of Americans" drops twenty three to #80 after 66 weeks on
the chart.
- The Godzilla soundtrack (featuring the Wallflowers' cover of
"Heroes") drops seventeen to #208 in the US, but climbs three places
to #17 on the Canadian alternative chart
- Glamma Kid's "Fashion '98" narrowly missed the UK Top 40 (it made
#49), and is having no luck elsewhere either. In fact, the only other
chart it made is Greece's Melody Top 40 (#25).
- Perhaps helped by recent US TV exposure, "Best Of 69/74" climbs over
four hundred places up the Tower Top 1000 this week to #318. On the
same chart, "Red Hot And Rhapsody" (the Gershwin tribute featuring a
Bowie/Badamalenti cover of "A Foggy Day In London Town") is #384.

__________________________________________
ART NEWS

- The Museum Ludwig opened its I Love New York art exhibition in
Cologne, Germany. Among the exhibits which are all from New York-based
or associated artists is a work by Bowie and Laurie Anderson titled
Line. This is a set of 10 drawings from each produced while on the
telephone with each other - a sort of telepathy project.

- Bowie has just interviewed Julian Schnabel for the next issue of
Modern Painters available in December.

- Elton John's former manager, John Reid, is selling off his treasures
in a grand clearance to mark out his 50th birthday. He is putting art
and antiques valued at more than two million pounds under the hammer
at a sale in London in just over a fortnight after clearing out his
homes in London, New York and St. Tropez for a two-day auction of 600
works of art at Christie's. One of Bowie's paintings "HEART'S FILTHY
LESSON" is up for grabs, expected to raise somewhere in the region of
eight to ten thousand pounds.

- Teenage Wildlife reports that the Rupert Goldsworth Gallery at 453
W. 17th Street in New York City has a group show up entitled "Bowie" -
a bunch of different artists interpret the Thin White Duke's
influence, in forms as varied as drooling fanboy tributes to
highfalutin examinations on genderplay. 

__________________________________________
OTHER NEWS

- The songwriting contest is continuing. After a severe case of ballot
box stuffing, the selection mechanism was radically overhauled. There
are now 25 winners announced every Monday or Tuesday, and from the 125
chosen, Bowie will select the eventual overall winner. There are still
some very dubious entries turning up in the winners lists that don't
scan, don't fit or are just plain crap, so it's difficult to believe
the selection process problems have been fully sorted. Get yourself
along to http://www.davidbowie.com to enter, or vote (the more proper
votes there are, the better chance there is in theory of a fair
result).

- Iman will be the next celebrity guest on BowieNet chat. More details
and time will be announced later.

- Ken Scott, the legendary producer who worked with Bowie on the Hunky
Dory, Ziggy Stardust and Aladdinsane albums is currently working with
Duran Duran on their next album. Provisionally entitled "Hallucinating
Elvis", the album is on schedule for completion by the end of January
1999.

- Bowie was listed three times in the top 100 rarest records in
Britain (according to Record Collector) as follows:
-- No. 4. SPACE ODDITY / WILD EYED BOY FROM FREECLOUD
(Philips BF 1801, 7", in unreleased picture sleeve, two or three
copies known to exist, 1969). Value: £3,000.
--No. 78. LOW and SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS)
(RCA BOW LP 1 and BOW LP 2, LPs, red vinyl and purple vinyl,
semi-official 'factory custom pressing', 1980). Value: £600 each.
--No. 97. LIZA JANE / LOUIE, LOUIE GO HOME
(Vocalion Pop V 9221, beware of counterfeits with large centre holes,
1964). Value: £500.

- Bowie merchandise is now available at the Bowie-approved online
store at http://www.davidbowiestore.com. Get yer luvverly T-shirts,
going cheap (not really).

- A new Bowie tribute band called Stardust is playing dates in and
around Chicago. If you're in the local area you may want to check them
out!

Date Venue Phone 
Dec 10, 7 pm Otto's, Dekalb (815)758-2715 
Dec 17, 7 pm Empty Bottle, Chicago (773)276-3600 
Dec 18, 7 pm US Beer Co., Chicago (773)871-7799 

- The December "Special Glam" issue of the French Rock & Folk Magazine
includes an extensive interview with Bowie. 

- Allstar News reports that Ronnie Spector is working on a track "sent
to her by David Bowie" for possible inclusion on an album next year. 

- Beck listed the Let's Dance album as an inspiration in a recent MTV
interview.  

- A full transcript of Bowie's recent chat with Bowienetters can be
had at http://www.squeakie.com/bowiegabrels.htm.

On the subject of Bowienet, check out the two excellent most recent
columns by respected columnists Dara O'Kearney and Sean Monaghan at
Repetition (http://www.oocities.org/SoHo/Cafe/4723/main.html). Dara's
column can be read at
http://www.oocities.org/SoHo/Cafe/4723/dok-11.html:

""Money is the root of all evil". So the saying tells us, but it is
difficult to imagine someone like Bowie putting too much stock in so
simplistic a slogan. However, money is at the root of the growing
divide amongst Bowie's online fans, (specifically, the money they
spend to make them Bowienet subscribers, or not). While Bowienet likes
to use the language of socialism when talking about things like
"building an online Bowienet community where all voices are equal" and
"working together", the reality is that Bowienet has caused new
schisms and factions in one of the most fractious fan bases
in town as it sets about the task of placing itself at the controlling
centre of the online Bowie fan world and making as much money as it
can from us.

.......

At the moment there are inevitable tensions between Bowienetters and
Bowienotters, but in the end, we're all Bowienutters."

Sean's full frontal attack on Bowienet is at
http://www.oocities.org/SoHo/Cafe/4723/md-5.html:

"Now in 1998, non-intellectually-challenged Bowie fans must suffer the
indignation of justifying why a brilliant artist is reduced to
peddling "Superstar" mouse-pads to an increasingly dominant audience
of "Bowie kicks Goddamn ass" Americans.

BowieNet is a farce. We are led to believe that an artist, infamous
for being both a perfectionist and Napoleonic, is willing, in fact
dying, to allow some stranger co-write one of his songs. This isn't
Rock'n'Roll, this is Boyzone".

- The latest episode of Stella Street (BBC2 satirical series, Friday
at 11.15pm) was based around the Bowie character.

"Michael Caine's new live-in comedy friend has been teaching David the
ropes. The stars assemble at David Bowie's house to see the pop legend
turn his hand to comedy prior to his 'Laughing Man' world tour."

- The one hour long documentary film "When Saturn Returnz" about
Goldie which features footage of Bowie with Goldie at the Chisholm
House Art Gallery will be screened on Monday, December 14th at 11pm on
Channel 4 in the UK.

- There will be a Bowie party for Israeli fans this next Saturday,
December 13. For more information call Moti in Haifa at (04) 8521737.

- Some upcoming TV:
Dec 6 23.10-00.30 EST  Basquiat  TMC (US)
Dec 10 13:15-16:15 EST Yellowbeard  Encore (US)
Dec 11 11.45-14.45 EST Yellowbeard  Encore (US)
Dec 10, 21:00 EST, Legends - David Bowie, VH-1, USA
Dec 14, 23:00, When Saturn Returnz, Channel 4, UK  

Basquiat will be repeated extensively as follows:
Dec 9 6:00PM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 9 3:25AM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 15 11:15AM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 15 5:15PM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 15 3:25AM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 19 1:20PM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 19 4:00AM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 22 6:40AM EST on TMC 
Dec 28 11:50AM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 28 6:45PM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 28 3:00AM EST on TMC 2 
Dec 30 9:00AM EST on TMC 

__________________________________________
END CREDITS

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If you want to read old editions of the newsletter, or leave an
abusive note on the guestbook, get yourself along to
http://www.angelfire.com/al/bowienews/.

The main Aladdin Sane website is at http://welcome.to/aladdinsane.

Bonnie Powell runs the other more frequent Bowie newsletter covering,
in her own words "things only a fan would want to know". Send her a
mail at Dbfan@aol.com if you want in.

- The two biggest Bowie fan sites on the Web are Evan Torrie's Teenage
Wildlife (http://www.etete.com/Bowie/) and Bassman's site
(http://www.algonet.se/~bassman/BOWIE.html).

Evan's site has a new section. The Fan Registry collects all
registered users at Teenage Wildlife (at last count, over 5 thousand
of them) into an online searchable database. Fans can enter
information about themselves such as where they live, their birthday,
email, favourite albums, songs and even add a picture to make up a fan
profile. 

The system has been carefully designed to protect people's anonymity.
By default, everybody's profile is invisible and won't show up in any
searches (however, you can still update it and keep things such as
your email address current). When you do decide to make your profile
visible to other people, you can maintain anonymity by keeping your
real name and your email address hidden, and just going by a nickname.
In this way, you can let yourself be known as a registered Teenage
Wildlife fan while still maintaining your privacy.

There are some other nice features such as a fan profile of the day
and fan birthdays which are updated daily. You may even get a surprise
birthday wish if you let others know when that special day is! Best of
all, you can easily include a picture from your computer to go with
your profile so others know what you look like (useful for those
blind-meetings at concert venues).

Go along and register to become a part of the biggest Bowie online
community.

- The best site for serious critical analysis of all things Bowie is
Repetition at http://www.oocities.org/SoHo/Cafe/4723/main.html.
Regular columns, critical albums reviews and a wealth of intelligent
essays.

- A few other sites to plug this time.
http://www.white-man-killer.com/bowie/ is probably the fastest
improving Bowie fan site at the moment. It's run by Mookid, who has a
great zany sense of humour. There's also a great Italian fanzine site
at http://www.lovingthealien.com/, fun and games at
http://www.oocities.org/SunsetStrip/Stage/9696/index1.html, and an
essential buyer's guide at
http://www.users.cts.com/crash/p/phil/bowielps.html for those of you
just starting out on the road to Bowie fandom and not sure what to buy next.

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