David Bowie: Changes 1962- 79

When I 1st heard David Bowie, I saw him on The “Midnight Special” in Aug 1973 performing the “1980 Floor Show” & singing “Time” I just loved the chorus, though I thought Bowie looked really unusual. Then I heard “Fame” just like everybody else did, because Lennon wrote the lyrics & played guitar on the record, but when I heard the ‘Bay City Rollers’ play “Rebel Rebel” on TV one Sat. Morning on a Kroft TV show. I decided I had to get on the case.

He was Born David Robert Jones 8 Jan 1947 in Brixton UK. In 1962 while in school he was punched in the left eye leaving the pupil permanently dilated, adding to his unusual look. In 1956 His Father Heywood brought home some American R&R 45s, which inspired young Davie to take up piano, guitar & saxophone & was a member of 6 different bands these being ’Konrads’ ‘King Bees’ ‘Manish Boys’ ‘Lower Third’ ‘Riot Squad’ ‘The Buzz’ releasing some 9 singles from 1962- 67

Sometime in 1964 he formed the “Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Long Haired Men” & appeared on the BBC show “Tonight” in Nov of that year. Tired of being confused with the most popular Monkee, Davy Jones, in early ’67 changes his name to David Bowie, to set himself apart from the other famous Jones.

Bowie’s big break comes in ”Space Oddity” a #15 Billboard Hit, that was released on 15 Jul 1969 just 5 days prior to the ‘Apollo 11’ launch. Followed by 4 other Top Billboard Hits; “Changes” #41 in Jan ’72, “Young Americans” #28 in Feb ’75, “Fame” #1 in Jul ’75, “Golden Years” #10 in Nov ’75, Bowie released a whooping 37 singles from 1969-79.

Bowie released 13 albums from 1967-79 starting with “David Bowie” in Jun’67 on Deram, then “Space Oddity” on Mercury in Nov’69, followed by “Man Who Sold The World” in Nov’70, his 4th LP & my personal favorite “Hunky Dory” in Dec’71 & his 1st on RCA, with “Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust” in Jun’72, where upon he announces his retirement on tour for this LP on stage in London in Jul’73. Here is the setlist from a show on that same tour.

Fri 18 May 1973
Glasgow, Scotland @ Green’s Playhouse

Hang On to Yourself
Ziggy Stardust
Watch That Man
Quicksand
Life on Mars?
Memory of a Free Festival
The Prettiest Star
Moonage Daydream*
Changes
Space Oddity
The Jean Genie
Time
The Width of a Circle
Let’s Spend the Night Together
Suffragette City
Drive-In Saturday
Cracked Actor
Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide

(My band ‘MrZERo’ performs “Moonage Daydream” in their live set to this day)

In 1973 he releases 2 LPs “Aladdin Sane” in Apr & “Pin-Ups” in Oct. In Apr’74 he releases “Diamond Dogs” I spoke to Ansley Dunbar (Aynsley Thomas Dunbar: 10 Jan 1946; Liverpool UK) the Drummer for this LP in the Fall of ’97. Dunbar: “We never really knew what song we working on, ‘til the album came out & we read the credits, David would constantly change things from day to day & change arrangements, from session to session” Bowie’s 9th LP is “Young Americans” released in Mar’75, followed by “Station To Station” in Jan’76, & then “Low” a year later in Jan’77 with “Heroes” later the same year in Oct. his last LP of the 70s is “Lodger” in May’79.

Not just confined to music he also appeared in these films; “Man Who Fell To Earth” 1976, “Just A Gigolo” 1978, “The Hunger” 1983, “Into The Night” 1985, “Absolute Beginners” 1986, & “Labyrinth” 1986.

So there you have it folks a brief history of David Bowie in a quick read from MrZer0. Stay tuned for the next installment, until then…