It's been more than 40 years since David Bowie created the gender-bending Ziggy Stardust and released the now-classic album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. With it, Bowie helped invent glam-rock. In conversation with Fresh Air's Terry Gross from 2002, Bowie was in the midst of making the following year's Reality, and here talks about leaving characters in his songs, his love of Tibetan horns, and his childhood desire to write musicals and play saxophone in Little Richard's band.
The icon's new album plays like a collection of discreet singles, with each performed in a different style, genre and mood. In this way, the album isn't a return to form, in part because David Bowie never took one form to begin with.
His new book is Picture This: Debby Harry and Blondie. Rock photographed many musicians before they were famous. The British-born photographer took pictures of Lou Reed, Brian Eno and Ziggy Stardust (aka David Bowie) when he was just a cult figure in London. His book Blood and Glitter is about the Glam Rock era.
David Bowie claims that his new album, Never Let Me Down, includes every style he's played throughout his 17-album career. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the music is an improvement over the pop legend's recent movies and records.
After a series of flops, David Bowie returns with a new band called Tin Machine. Rock critic Ken Tucker says they've succeeded in making some very dumb music. He suggests passing on their debut album and checking out the Royal Crescent Mob's Spin the World instead.
Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews a new David Bowie CD collection. The 46-song retrospective includes Bowie classics like "Space Oddity" and "Changes," as well as some music that's never been released before.
The former International Space Station commander achieved Internet stardom with his in-space rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." After three missions and a total of six months in space he shares what he's learned in a new book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth.
In a March 2020 interview, the Emmy-nominated host of RuPaul's Drag Race said his drag look was "one-part Cher, two-parts David Bowie, one-part Diana Ross and two heaping spoonfuls of Dolly Parton."
Haynes explores the world of glam rock in his new movie "Velvet Goldmine." This period included such artists as Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and David Bowie. Haynes previous film "Safe" told the story of a suburban housewife who gets a rare condition and becomes allergic to nearly everything.
World music commentator Milo Miles gives an overview of the Japanese pop scene, focusing on Ryuichi Sakamoto (ree-OO-chee sa-kuh-MO-to), who starred with David Bowie in the film, "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence," and composed the soundtrack. Milo says Sakamoto manages to combine many musical styles into a harmonious whole.
A live stereo concert with Lenny Pickett and the Borneo Horns. Pickett says the Borneo Horns play rhythmically compelling music using wind instruments, not percussion, to track the rhythm. He formed the band with horn players he met in David Bowie's band. These days, in addition to leading his band, Pickett is an accomplished composer and arranger, and he plays in the band on Saturday Night Live.
Film director Julien Temple. His new film Pandaemonium is set in the 1880s and is about the relationship between two poets: William Woodsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Temple is one of the early pioneers of music videos, directing the Kinks, Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Janet Jackson. He also directed documentaries. His other films include the 1995 Bullet and the 1999 Vigo.
Record producer and former guitarist for the band Chic, Nile Rodgers. In the late 1970s Chic was one of the most successful disco groups. Hits included "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Le Freak," and "Everybody Dance." As a record producer, Rodgers has worked with Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, INXS, and Madonna. (Rebroadcast of 8/20/1996)
Screenwriter Paul Mayersberg (MY-urz-burg). He penned the film “Croupier,” directed by Mike Hodges, whom we’ll hear from later in the show. “Croupier” is a thriller about a novelist who moonlights at a London casino, although he doesn’t gamble himself. He lives to watch others’ defeat. Mayersberg wrote the 1976 classic “The Man who Fell to Earth,” starring David Bowie. In addition to writing, he’s also directed several films, including “The Last Samurai.”
Filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker. One of America's foremost documentary producers, Pennebaker has brought his cinéma verité approach to subjects ranging from Castro's Cuba, to Jimmy Carter's energy policy, to Bob Dylan's first tour of Britain. Music has been the source of much of Pennebaker's work. His films have featured the likes of Pablo Cassals, Van Cliburn, jazz singer Dave Lambert, rocker David Bowie, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
In the late 1970s Rodger's band Chic was one of the most successful disco groups. Its hits included "Dance, Dance, Dance," "Everybody Dance," and "Le Freak." Rodgers' is featured in "VH1 Presents the 70's," a new five part documentary series by the cable channel VH1 on the music of the 1970s. As a record producer, Rodgers has worked with Sister Sledge, Diana Ross, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Madonna.
