Archive for August, 2008
Vote with David Bowie to “Keep A Child Alive”
Sunday, August 31st, 2008

David Bowie is asking for your vote for the American Express Members project “Keep A Child Alive.”  The Top 5 projects to split $2.5 million in funding.  The top project will receive $1.5 million, the second project $500,000, the third project $300,000, and the final two will receive $100,000.  Here’s how to vote:

How to vote:

1. Visit www.membersproject.com/project/view/23E7H1

2. Click “Nominate This Project” under the picture to the right of the project description.
* If you are an AMEX Card Member, click “Log-In”
* If you are not an AMEX Card Member, click “Guest Member Sign-Up”and sign up.

3. Click “Nominate” to vote for “Keep a child with AIDS alive for just $1 a day.”

4. E-mail this post to everybody you know, and spread the word via text, blog, website, Facebook, Myspace,  YouTube, and every social networking site!

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Singing Dentist To Cover David Bowie?
Sunday, August 31st, 2008

Yes, you read that headline right. Apparently, Andrew Bain, an NHS dentist in Britain, is due to launch an album of covers of some of his favorite songs. Besides David Bowie, Bain will cover Bryan Adams and ABBA with his own style of opera blended with pop. Bain was originally offered a recording contract based on his demo tape of his cover of Purple Rain. Unfortunately, Prince was not amused by the pop-opera cover because he put his foot down and would not give Bain permission to include Purple Rain on his album.

Everyone who reads this site regularly probably knows how the Webmaster and I feel about covers of Bowie songs – they are mostly useless but occasionally inspired. Honestly, I don’t see how an operatic cover of a Bowie song by a singing dentist could be any less than four kinds of awesome. I hope that this news item is actually true because I am REALLY looking forward to hearing this.

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Brilliant Essay on David Bowie’s “1.Outside”
Thursday, August 21st, 2008

Sometimes stormy days can be fruitful. Since Tropical Storm Fay has made it impossible to work or even safely go outside (hah, see what I did there? Outside?!), I’ve taken the opportunity to dig through my list of unread David Bowie-related stuff that has piled up on this busy week. Lo and behold, I’ve come across a brilliant essay by a writer who loves 1.Outside as much as I do! Surf on over to New Mappings and read Steen’s piece on 1.Outside presented to the Uncanny Media conference.

Posted in News, Opinions, Site Updates | 1 Comment »
“Heroes” Being Used to Advertise for Nike China
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

For the remainder of the Olympic Games, viewers in Asia will get a nice surprise when they view the advertisements for Nike China. “Heroes” has been licensed for use not only during the Olympics in Nike ads promoting the upcoming Chinese sports documentary DARE, but also for use in related promotional DVDs. I doubt that many David Bowie fans outside of Asia had the opportunity to watch these ads during the actual Olympics, so here it is for your viewing pleasure.

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Is David Bowie Joining the Political Fray?
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Take this for what it’s worth, but two rumors have popped up on the net over the past few days that David Bowie is bound for Colorado. The first was in last Saturday’s Denver Post, suggesting that he might join the lineup of the Tent State Music Festival. Planned to coincide with the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month, the aim of the fest is send a message to the Dems to end the war. The organizers have only promised a “rock legend,” though, not a “rock god.”

Then another story showed up on Examiner.com yesterday with a rumor about Bowie showing up at the DNC itself. Really? That just doesn’t sound like his kind of gig to me. There have been so many false rumors purporting his involvement this year, I don’t see it happening. But as a longtime fan of Bowie’s, I’m very ready for him to do something unpredictable.

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David Bowie Gives You More Reasons To Love Gary Oldman
Friday, August 1st, 2008

I’ve been debating with myself for several days now whether or not I wanted to make this post and show my ignorance of a Bowie obscurity that any fansite owner worth their salt should know. But then I remembered I have no shame and decided let everyone know what a terrible Bowie fan I am so that anyone who has not heard the aforementioned obscurity might do so.

So, here is the chain of events leading to my happy discovery of what is now in my Top Ten list of Bowie obscurities: The Webmaster and I finally got to see The Dark Knight last Friday in IMAX. Needless to say, we both loved the movie. We were discussing it on the car-ride home when I mused that I found it interesting that the majority of the main actors in such a quintissentially American story were not American. I mentioned Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and started to mention Gary Oldman. But at that moment, my vast wealth of useless knowledge failed me! I couldn’t remember if Gary Oldman is British or not. I was fairly sure that he is since the cast of Harry Potter is all British, but his New York accent as Commissioner Gordon was so convincing that I questioned my memory. The Webmaster suggested that I look on IMDb and see what the bio section said. So I whipped out my iPhone (’cause we were still in the car, you know) and pulled up Oldman’s page. Of course, the bio section confirmed my initial thought that he is indeed British but, much to my surprise, I also read that he had done a duet with David Bowie on You’ve Been Around on Reeves Gabrels’ album “The Sacred Squall of Now”. I looked over at the Webmaster and said, “No way! That has to be a mistake.” Having never heard the album (I dislike Gabrels enough that not even Bowie’s presence got me to listen to his album), I assumed that the version of You’ve Been Around on that album was the same as the version on Black Tie White Noise and commented, “How come I never noticed him in the liner notes for Black Tie White Noise” to which the Webmaster replied, “No it’s different on Reeves’ album.” So of course, the first chance I got I listened to “The Sacred Squall Of Now”. As you might guess from the very fact that I am writing this post, I abso-friggin-lutely loved the song! Oldman sings the lead vocal on the second verse – and he’s great. I can’t believe I missed out on that song for all 10 years that I’ve been a Bowie fan just because I dislike Gabrels. That will teach me not to let my feelings about a musician get in the way of me checking out a Bowie obscurity. Anyway, I still have not gotten over my astonishment not only of discovering that Oldman, whose talents beyond acting I had never even thought to ponder, has a fabulous singing voice but that Bowie led me to this discovery and that the conversation the Webmaster and I had about The Dark Knight led me to come across an obscure Bowie song. Kind of like how Bowie led the Webmaster to meet me online, only not nearly as life-changing…it’s odd how some things happen.

Anyway, if you’re a bad bad Bowie fan like I apparently am and you haven’t heard the song then you really ought to. You too will be pleasantly surprised. If you’re not able to buy the song by itself from Amazon or somewhere like that then go ahead and buy the whole album. While it is one of two bright spots in an otherwise boring album (“Thirteen” is also a good song), trust me when I say that You’ve Been Around is worth the $10 or $12 the album costs. Go and buy it tonight.

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