Author Topic: R. I. P. David Bowie (Read 16135 times)

Basil · « **on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:12:51 am »

Just heard this. Bowie has died. Cancer. Aged 69.

For some reason a chap on R4 is currently describing his early days in T. Rex.

Jurek · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:15:03 am »

Oh.

rafletcher · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:15:27 am »

Heard this just as I pulled into the office car park. Had tears in my eyes, tho God knows why.

I'll be playing Ziggy Stardust as instructed on the sleeve of the first album I ever bought, at age 15 - at maximum volume.

Ruthie · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:19:15 am »

A big part of my life just turned into history. Gutted.

Redlight · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:21:39 am »

Very sad. Feels like one of those generational moments. Basically, all the greats of my generation are going, one by one.

PaulF · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:22:34 am »

Just giving Blackstar a first listen as I heard this

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:40:54 am »

Bugger

Ham · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:42:17 am »

There's a starman, waiting in the sky.....

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:47:06 am »

Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do.

Gattopardo · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 January, 2016, 07:53:52 am »

Goodbye major tom...or ashes to ashes?

In irrelevant news I just found out that zowie bowie wrote and directed the film Moon.

Juan Martín · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:07:11 am »

Quote from: rafletcher on 11 January, 2016, 07:15:27 am

Heard this just as I pulled into the office car park. Had tears in my eyes, tho God knows why.

I'll be playing Ziggy Stardust as instructed on the sleeve of the first album I ever bought, at age 15 - at maximum volume.

My first album too. Sad news.

clarion · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:08:25 am »

Returned to his home planet.

perpetual dan · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:17:36 am »

No words for this yet, so today I am listening to... whatever Bowie happens to be on my ipod.

T42 · « **Reply #13 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:17:56 am »

Sad. Bloody cancer.

L CC · « **Reply #14 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:21:00 am »

I can hear through the window the sounds of our guy in despatch downstairs whistling Starman.

caerau · « **Reply #15 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:25:09 am »

Sad, I was reading an interview on the BBC just the other day with a famous (ex)-junkie from germany where she described meeting Bowie once (he was in a film about her life) and she described being disappointed as he seemed so small and frail.

They kind of hint at these things in the preceding days don't they, it's as if they already knew

RIP - not really a massive fan myself but clearly he was definitely a major force in music over the decades. A sad loss.

Dibdib · « **Reply #16 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:35:07 am »

I'm genuinely surprised at how not-OK I am about this.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:38:29 am »

Crap. 69. Seems far, far too young.

Riggers · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 January, 2016, 08:52:53 am »

As already said, far too young, sad loss, and would have still have had an influence in the music world.

Riggers · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 January, 2016, 09:00:04 am »

Just listening to We could be Heroes now.

Vince · « **Reply #20 on:** 11 January, 2016, 09:18:58 am »

The first single I bought was Space Oddity, via which I discovered Velvet Goldmine and Ch-ch-ch-changes on the B-side.
Still producing music until his passing, he'll be sadly missed.

LEE · « **Reply #21 on:** 11 January, 2016, 09:23:02 am »

Sad news.

I can't say I was a fan of his stuff after Ashes to Ashes but that could be because his work before was utterly life-changing (and music-changing).

Bowie wasn't so much a musician as a new genre.

From a different planet <<<<<< This was released in 1971, when I was 9 forchristssake !!! I don't think anything sums him up better than this video.

He made it almost impossible for any subsequent musicians to shock us with their avant garde antics, he'd been there, done that already.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #22 on:** 11 January, 2016, 10:14:21 am »

He was a very effective collaborator, who was able to popularise Avant-Garde themes. Nile Rogers talking about 'Let's Dance' to an audience of record producers is instructive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaIx_FBk4-Q
Essentially Bowie had an outline idea and session musicians fleshed it out. He always seemed to have the right musicians, Rick Wakeman for instance, here speaking about Life on Mars, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKSlJO51V7o

I'm looking forward to the tribute concert, Nile Rogers and Rick Wakeman suggest themselves immediately, Elton John as well I suppose, Brian May?
I wasn't a fan as a teen, he had mainly female fans at our school, a sort of thinking girl's Marc Bolan, the musical components of Prog Rock were present, so we liked the music, but not the commercial aspect.

mattc · « **Reply #23 on:** 11 January, 2016, 10:27:33 am »

Quote from: Riggers on 11 January, 2016, 09:00:04 am

Just listening to We could be Heroes now.

He made many many absolutely top-class dittys, but 'heroes is the only one that in the right circs has me welling up.

You have to love someone that made great 'classics' like that, *and* the Laughing Gnome

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #24 on:** 11 January, 2016, 10:33:34 am »

This is what the tribute gig will be like in parts, Eric Benet, Nile Rogers and Slash doing 'Lets Dance'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxGSfXFhAJk

It's a shame we can't have Rolf Harris on Stylophone for 'Space Oddity'.
http://www.virginmedia.com/music/features/rolf-harris.php?page=6