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The Ziggy Stardust
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Barrett, Syd: Psychedelic leader of The Pink Floyd in the 1960s who was one of Bowie's heroes and whose stage presence and sci-fi sounds were to be an influence on Bowie's Ziggy Stardust character.  Bowie's friendship with the photographer Mick Rock had initially been sparked because he was a friend of Barrett's. Bowie confided in Mick Rock at the time that his three greatest artistic and musical influences were Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and Barrett. Bowie, who had seen Barrett play at The Marquee, named his pre-Ziggy band "Arnold Corns" after Barrett's "Arnold Layne" single and later recorded an excellent version of Barrett's "See Emily Play" on his PinUps (1973) album.

"Syd Barrett with his white white face and his black eyeliner all around his eyes - this strange presence singing in front of a band that was using light shows. I thought, 'Wow! He's a bohemian, a poet, and he's in a rock band!'" - Bowie (From "A Saucerful of Secrets" by Nicholas Schaeffner)

I used to hang out at The Marquee with Marc Bolan, even before we decided we wanted to become famous. We became rivals for a couple of years then we became friends again. We were incredibly inspired by Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd. There was a kind of space mysticism around Syd that we both interpreted in different ways. I saw Pink Floyd at The Marquee and was inspired to write musicals. So I ended up performing a Pink Floyd like version of 'Chim Chiminee' - very odd!! - Bowie

BBC Sampler (1996):

Picture disc sampler for the proposed but unrealised 3CD collection of Bowie BBC material. The sampler includes amongst others, 3 songs recorded for the BBC in 1972.

DAVID BOWIE BBC SESSIONS SAMPLER 1969-1972 (1996)

Beck, Jeff: Famous British guitarist and one of Mick Ronson's guitar heroes (George Harrison was the other) who appeared on-stage with Bowie at the final Ziggy Stardust concert at Hammersmith Odeon, London on 3 July 1973. He duetted with Bowie on the songs "The Jean Genie" and part of The Beatle's "Love me Do" with Bowie singing and playing harmonica on the latter and also played on the song "Round and Round". However, he is not seen on the official video because - according to Tony Visconti - he was concerned with the appearance of his bell-bottom flares.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony: This was adapted by Walter Carlos (now known as Wendy Carlos, following a sex-change operation) and Rachel Enkind, and performed by Walter Carlos for the soundtrack to the film CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1972) and used by Bowie to open his Ziggy Stardust concerts. It can be heard playing over the PA system on the film/video of ZIGGY STARDUST - THE MOTION PICTURE (1983) and Bowie is shown whistling a few bars before he takes the stage. In 1990 Bowie also used it to open his Sound + Vision concerts. If you own the soundtrack - the specific music used starts @ 2.32 into the fourth track entitled "Ninth Symphony, Second Movement - Abridged."

Bethel, Barry: Road manager for the Ziggy Stardust Tours and stage announcer's voice at the concerts.

"Bewley Brothers, The" (Bowie): Song on HUNKY DORY (1971) and also used by Bowie as the name for his publishing company. Ken Scott recalls Bowie obtaining the name from a tobacconist located close to Trident Studios. The song is believed to be about the relationship between Bowie and his nine-year older manic-depressive/schizophrenic step-brother Terry Burns. An alternate mix version of this song was included on the 1990 Rykodisc/EMI HUNKY DORY (1971) CD as a bonus track.

Billy the Kid: Credited hair stylist for The 1980 Floor Show - a small Ziigy clone who was a friend of Freddi Burretti's.

Bingenheimer, Rodney: Club owner of Rodney's English Disco on 7561 Sunset Strip, Hollywood, which played Bowies records non-stop in the early seventies and was home to the notorious Star Girls groupies. Bingenheimer is a longtime L.A. scene figure and still recalls the time in 1971 when he and David Bowie cruised Hollywood High trying to meet girls. "The girls didn't like David," Rodney says. "Maybe it was because he was wearing a dress." In early 1971, Bowie explained the concept of Ziggy Stardust to him while writing the lyrics to the title song.

Rodney "on-the-'Roq" Bingenheimer, is one of the best known disc jockeys in the world, and has been called "The Prince of Pop." His show on Los Angeles' KROQ-FM has been a hit with youth of all ages since it's inception in late 1976, becoming famous for, among other things, the newest and the best rock music for all of L.A.'s "in-crowd" and forward thinking listeners.

Rodney appeared on the Monkees' TV series as a regular guest, and was Davy Jones' stand-in when he was a kid. As a teenager, Rodney grew up with hundreds of rock stars, including: The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Byrds, Elvis Presley, and David Bowie (while landing Bowie a record contract with RCA .) Rodney Does a Bowie salute every year on that star's birthday as well as doing a Phil Spector salute on that producer's birthday.

In the 70's Rodney made his name as a national columnist for "Go" and "Phonograph Record" magazines; and he also operated and co-owned his club, "Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco", an L.A. club where Bowie, Iggy Pop, T.Rex, Suzi Quatro, Led Zeppelin, and the Sweet where all regulars. In fact, the list of Rodney's friends in music, TV and movies is a "Who's Who" of rock. Rodney even recorded a single with Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth and Eric England of Hole called "I Hate the 90's" produced by Cameron Jamie.

He was the first to play records by - and interviews with such artists on his KROQ show as: Blondie, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Van Halen, The Go-Go's, Nina Hagen, The Cramps, Nena, The Clash, The Cure, The Smiths, The B-52's, Billy Idol, Adam Ant, Echobelly, Ride, X, Siouxie and the Banshees, Bad Religion, Duran Duran, The Jam, The Bangles, The Runaways Redd Kross, Bananrama, Joan Jett, Tom Petty, Dramarama, Teenage Fan Club, Suede, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Echo and the Bunnymen, No Doubt, Blur, Elastica, Belly, L7, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Rialto, Placebo, Oasis, The Verve, Kent, Ash, Gene, Travis, Coldplay, Doves, JJ72, The Strokes, Starsailor, The Hives, The Vines, Black Rebel, Motorcycle Club, and The Electric Soft Parade plus over 300 celebrity interviews!

Rodney's movie credits include Up in Smoke, Rock 'n' Roll High School, Repo Man, Get Crazy, Back to the Beach (with Pee-Wee Herman), The Runnin' Kind, Rockula, Inevitable Grace, and Frank Zappa's newly-released Uncle Meat and Mondo Hollywood "TSOL Live From O.C." (on home video), as well as videos by The Ramones ("Something to Believe In"), Lifestyles of the Ramones and the Monkees ("Heart and Sole"). Rodney also hosted KDOC-TV's "Request Video" program in L.A. and Orange County, and UHF's "Notes From The Underground. Rodney also played a character in Nickelodeon's "Sponge Bob Square Pants."

Then there were the books; Rodney has been mentioned in: I'm With the Band by Pamela Des Barres; the Bowie biographies: Stardust, Alias David Bowie, and The Bowie Chronology; as well as Ultra Violet's Famous for Fifteen Minutes; John Tobler's Elvis: The Legend and the Music; The Monkees' Tale by Eric Lefkowitz; Wonderland Avenue, by Danny Sugerman; Led Zeppelin: Hammer of the Gods, by Steven Davis; Ramones: An American Band, by Jim Bessman; Route 666: On The Road to Nirvana, by Gina Arnold; Networking In The Music Industry, by Eric Olsen, George Harrision's Dark Horse, by Geoffrey Giuliano; Life as Such, by Lord Such; Hollywood Rock, by Marshall Crenshaw; and Making Tracks: The Rise and Fall of Blondie, by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein (with whom Rodney recorded "Little GTO".) Other Books included: Waiting for the Sun, by Barney Hoskyns; The Look, by Paul Gorman; The L.A. Musical History Tour, by Art Fein; and The Punk Rock Diary, by George Gimarc.

Today, as always, Rodney represents the young. He plays music you can't hear anywhere else in America on the radio - local L.A. artists, punk, imports, and psychedelic 60's music; and he supports it with his continuous involvement in the L.A. and world-music scenes. In short, the key to Rodney Bingenheimer's success is his Janus-like ability to recognize the past - while always looking toward the future in music.

Alone in L.A. Rodney seemed like myself, an island of anglo 'nowness'. He even knew British singles and bands that I wasn't aware of. There was nothing about him that wasn't 'on'. Rodney single-handedly cut a path through the treacle of the 60's, allowing all we 'avants' to parade our sounds of tomorrow, dressing in our clothes of derision" 

David Bowie, "Details" July 1992, "Q" January 1993.

Bolan, Marc: Singer/songwriter and friend/competitor of Bowie and a leading Seventies exponent of Glam Rock. Bolan was the guitarist on the original single version of "The Prettiest Star" (1970) which can be found on SOUND + VISION I (1989) and the "The Best of Bowie 1969-1974."  At the Rainbow Theatre concert on 19/20 August 1972, Bowie sang "Lady Stardust" while projecting a picture of Marc Bolan on a large screen, implying the song was about him, which apparently Bolan and his fans did not appreciate (the lyrics being seen as pitying). He died in a car crash in 1977, only a couple of weeks after Bowie appeared with him on the set of his "Marc" TV show.

Bolder, Trevor:

Bass player in The Spiders From Mars. His stage name for the Ziggy Stardust concerts was Weird (see lyrics to "Ziggy Stardust" and credits on The Rainbow Flyer). Along with Mick (Woody) Woodmansey he was a member of Mick Ronson's band called The Rats and later Ronno. Along with his famous plucking style of bass playing Bolder was also notorious for his long sideboards which he variously dyed red and silver.

"Bombers" (Bowie): Previously unreleased song which Bowie performed on the BBC In Concert radio programme in 1971 and which was included as a bonus track on the Rykodisc HUNKY DORY (1971) CD. It was scheduled for inclusion on a reportedly planned (but never completed) bridging album between HUNKY DORY (1971) and THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972).

Bootlegs: Numerous bootlegs exist of the Ziggy Stardust concerts in 1972 and 1973 and of various outtakes and demos.

Bournemouth Winter Gardens Concert Film: 12 minute colour film by BBC TV's Nationwide "David Bowie Special" of the Winter Gardens Concert at Bournemouth, on 25 May 1973. The film includes an interview with Bowie, shows backstage concert preparation, outside fan activity and short snippets of live performances of "Watch That Man", "Hang Onto Yourself" and "Time."

Bowie, Angie (nee Mary Angela Barnett):

Angie (born in Cyprus, educated in America, Switzerland and Kingston Polytechnic, UK) met and fell in love with Bowie in 1969 when she was 19 years old. They married in March 1970. Along with Tony DeFries she is credited as being the major influence in Bowie's rise to fame.

"She's so heavily responsible for his fame, she used to hang lights and pick his costumes; she really worked hard...was basically his road manager." - Leee Black Childers

David and Angie formally divorced on 8 February 1980.

Bowie, David:

Born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 at 40 Stansfield Road, Brixton, London. Died January 10th 2016 New York.  Singer, songwriter, saxophonist, guitarist, keyboard player, actor, artist and in 1972 and 1973 - Ziggy Stardust! In the 1960s Bowie had changed his name so as not to be confused with the lead singer of the Monkees - who was Davy Jones.  In 1974 he also claimed that he had "wanted a truism about cutting through the lies and all that."

Bowie, (Joey) Zowie: aka Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones. David Bowie's only son born 30 May 1971 to David and Angie. Some sources mistakenly report his birthday as being the 28th May 1971. The name Zowie is a male derivative of the name Zoe, the Greek word for "life." Bowie wrote the song "Kooks" on HUNKY DORY (1971) in honour of his birth. Zowie was just one year old when THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972) was released. Go to an article called "Bowie on Zowie" written when Zowie was two years old. Zowie later chose to be known as Joe and then as an adult reverted to his brith name of Duncan Jones.  He is now a successful film director and creator of the excellent sci-fi film Moon (2009).  Duncan has named his daughter born in 2018 Zowie Tala Mabsie Jones.

BOWIE-ING OUT: The provisional title of the live double album of the Hammersmith Odeon "Retirement Gig" which was planned to be released in February 1974 but was not released until 1983. See ZIGGY STARDUST - THE MOTION PICTURE (1983)

Bowiemania: Along with Ziggymania, this was a descriptive term for fan reaction to Bowie in 1972/73 which was similar in nature to Beatlemania. Fans would mob Bowie and his entourage, dress up as their idol, camp in his garden, tear up concert seating (especially in Scotland) and even managed to destroy three of Bowie's limousines with their bare hands!

BOWIE - THE VIDEO COLLECTION:

November 1993 video collection (PMI PM 807) which includes four promotional videos from the Ziggy Stardust era: namely Space Oddity (1972), John, I'm Only Dancing (1972), The Jean Genie (1972) and a modified version of the original Life On Mars? (1973).

Of interest to the Ziggy Stardust Era (but not appearing in this collection) are three films reportedly shot by Mick Rock in late 1972 featuring live Ziggy footage dubbed to the studio versions of "Moonage Daydream", "Starman" (The Ziggy Stardust Show film) and "Rock n Roll Suicide" (Rock N Roll Suicide film)

Brel, Jacques: Belgian writer of the songs "Port of Amsterdam" and "My Death" covered by Bowie at Ziggy Stardust concerts. Bowie spent an evening with him in Paris in May 1973.

Breuer, Gustl: Vice president and opera aficionado of RCA classical musical label Red Seal who on short notice was sent on the 1st US Ziggy Stardust Tour with Bowie as the travelling RCA executive. He was unfamiliar with rock and his first comment on learning his new assignment was "What is a David Bowie?"

Bridging Album, The: A planned untitled album which never eventuated. According to a 1972 radio interview with Bowie, it was supposed to occur between HUNKY DORY (1971) and THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972) and include the songs He's A Goldmine / Bombers / Starman / Round and Round / Something Happens.

Broadbent, St Laurent Ralph: Drummer from the Dulwich College band Runk who played in an early version of the Arnold Corns project.

Burns, Terry: Terence Guy Adair Burns, born 5th November 1937 at Pembury Hospital. Terry's father was Jack Issac Rosenberg. Bowie's nine year older manic-depressive/schizophrenic step-brother on his mothers Peggy side who had lived in Cane Hill Hospital (a psychiatric institution) prior to and after the Ziggy Stardust era. He committed suicide on 16 January 1985 by lying in front of a train and this is commonly believed to have been the subject of Bowie's later single "Jump". Bowie also has two half sisters on his father Haywoods side - Annette and Myra. Annette married an Egyptian, changed her faith to Islam and by sheer coincidence her name now is Iman.

Burretti, Freddie (originally Burrett, Frederick): In 1971 a nineteen year old clothes designer/tailor and close friend of Bowie from The Sombrero - a trendy London gay discotheque. Burretti was responsible for designing most of the Ziggy Stardust costumes and also fronted the temporary Arnold Corns project where he went by the name of Rudi Valentino. Bowie's unsuccessful plan at this time was for Burretti to be the next "Mick Jagger." Freddie Burretti died on May 11th 2001 in Paris. He passed away peacefully in his sleep from cancer aged 49. He had lived and worked in Paris since 1991.

Bush, Mel: Main UK Ziggy concert promoter.

 

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---This page last modified: 12 Jan 2019---

Ziggy Stardust Scarf (1973)