Dystopian Listening Party Podcast: David Bowie, 1947-2016

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Last week, we decided that our next podcast would be devoted to one of our mutual favorite artists, David Bowie, in celebration of his 69th birthday and the release of his 25th studio album, ★: sort of a more personal companion piece to the career-spanning Bowie guide we published that Friday. We didn’t expect to be recording an elegy.

Early Monday morning, however, we got the sad news that Bowie was no longer with us. That news irrevocably changed the tone of our tribute, which we recorded on Tuesday night. But it isn’t all solemn mourning (though one of us does cry at one point–no spoilers which one). Instead, the following is a personal reflection on the many ways in which pop music–that tawdry, cheap, commercial entertainment–can shape, and even irrevocably change our lives, through the prism of an entertainer who did just that for both us. We hope you enjoy it!

00:00:00   “Warszawa” (from Low, 1977)

00:06:42   The Opening Titles to Labyrinth (Jim Henson, 1986), featuring Bowie’s “Underground” and an Uncanny CGI Owl

00:08:50   Ebenezer Scrooge: Fashion Icon

00:09:06   Dracula, Fashion Icon

00:09:08   Captain Hook, Fashion Icon

00:09:10   Godpapa Drosselmeyer, Fashion Icon (and Possible Halloween Jack Inspiration)

00:09:58   Ziggy Stardust’s 1972 “Space Oddity” Promo, Directed by Mick Rock (original recording from David Bowie/Space Oddity, 1969)

00:12:47   “Suffragette City” (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, 1972)

00:16:14   Zach’s First Bowie CD: The Singles 1969 to 1993

00:17:41   “Watch That Man” (from Aladdin Sane, 1973)

00:17:58   The Aladdin Sane Cover by Brian Duffy

00:20:30   Jareth Seduces Jennifer Connelly to “As the World Falls Down” in Labyrinth

00:20:48   The Making of Jareth’s Bulge in Labyrinth

00:21:08   Sarah Vanquishes Jareth (Bulge and All) in Labyrinth

00:24:23   A Boombox for Real Bowie Fans

00:25:46  Camping It Up on “Queen Bitch” with the Nascent Spiders from Mars: The Old Grey Whistle Test, February 8, 1972 (original recording from Hunky Dory, 1971)

00:29:08   Marc Bolan Plays Guitar on the Original Single Release of “The Prettiest Star,” 1970 (available on Five Years 1969-1973)

00:29:50   Mick Rock’s Blood and Glitter

00:30:16   “Five Years” (from Ziggy Stardust)

00:31:46   “Moonage Daydream” (from Ziggy Stardust)

00:39:20  “Oh! You Pretty Things” (from Hunky Dory)

00:42:02   Bowie’s Legendary Kansai Yamamoto Costume from the Aladdin Sane Tour, 1973

00:42:46   “Black Country Rock” (from The Man Who Sold the World, 1970)

00:45:47   “Running Gun Blues” (from The Man Who Sold the World)

00:49:05   “Soul Love” (from Ziggy Stardust)

00:52:32   “Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)” (from Aladdin Sane)

00:56:12   Ziggy and the Spiders Play “Drive-In Saturday” on London Weekly Television, January 17, 1973 (original recording from Aladdin Sane)

01:01:14   Halloween Jack (?) Performs “Rebel Rebel” on Dutch TV (TopPop), February 15, 1974 (original recording from Diamond Dogs, 1974)

01:02:51   “Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)” (from Diamond Dogs)

01:09:25   “Fascination” (from Young Americans, 1975)

01:11:40   Iggy Pop DJs for Liberty Rock Radio in Grand Theft Auto IV, 2008

01:14:14   The Thin White Duke Performs “Golden Years” on Soul Train, November 4, 1975 (original recording from Station to Station, 1976)

01:16:33   Bowie with the Not-So-Thin Light-Skinned Duke, Al B. Sure!, on The Arsenio Hall Show, May 6, 1993

01:17:12   Bowie Advocates for Black Artists on MTV, 1983

01:18:55   “Word on a Wing” (from Station to Station)

01:25:05   “Sons of the Silent Age” (from “Heroes,” 1977)

01:26:30   Dave and Jim Do Berlin, 1977

01:29:30   Puppet Bowie Sings “Boys Keep Swinging” with Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias on Saturday Night Live, December 15, 1979 (original recording from Lodger, 1979)

01:32:00   Bowie’s Swan Song, the Music Video for “Lazarus” Directed by Johan Renck (from ★, 2016)

01:36:12   “★” (from ★)

01:37:53   “Rock ‘n’ Roll with Me” (from Diamond Dogs)

01:44:16   Ziggy Takes His Final Bow with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” at the Hammersmith Odeon, July 3, 1973 (original recording from Ziggy Stardust)

So there you have it: our humble memoriam to David Bowie, who touched both of our lives in ways he never knew. As always, you can check out the Spotify playlist below to hear the songs in full. We’ll be back to our usual stupid, frivolous, not-at-all-poignant content next week.