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Recorded: 21 June 1972 (film) and 20 October 1972 (music)
Editor: Mark Coker

In 1995 to promote the release of the album SANTA MONICA '72, a 1-track promotional-only video (VHS GV-383-3) edited by Mark Coker was included in the limited edition Santa Monica '72 Concert Box set (Griffin - GCD 385-0) and not made available elsewhere.

This 3:17 minute video, which was premiered on the ITV Chart Show on 16th April 1994, used previously unseen footage from a silent colour film made at the Dunstable, England concert on 21 June 1972 and combined it with the live audio recording of "Ziggy Stardust" from the Santa Monica concert on 20 October 1972. The video, which is dedicated to the memory of Mick Ronson, uses clever split-screen technology interlaced with full-screen shots to show numerous and interesting scenes of Bowie and the Spiders at the height of their powers in mid-1972. 

Bowie is shown singing on his own, playing acoustic guitar, dueling with Ronson and appearing in many different costumes from different camera angles.

Also shown are a number of audience shots including a number of the young girl at the front of the stage in white (see above) who stares fixedly at Bowie throughout the concert. Amusingly, while she is determinedly checking Bowie out she appears to be being checked out herself by a young blond-haired man who watches her as intently as she is watching Bowie!

Footnote:

"Hello there...I just happen to be climbing through your site and happened upon this: "...she is being checked out herself by a young blond-haired man who watches her as intently as she is watching Bowie!" Well, guess what..THAT WAS ME ! - LOL - I had bought many of the front row seats that night (and had actually given away quite a few seats to STUNNED fans)...At that moment, I actually wasn't watching the girl watching David....I was recovering from him having leaned down and kissed me !!! Was listening hard at that moment...reflecting. (Don't know what it is..but David has done the same thing to me on several different occasions!) Anyway, don't want to ramble on...but it was a good chuckle when I saw the photo. Thought you might find this little bit of trivia...AMUSING !" - The Young Man with the Blond hair (August 2002)

The mixing of the vocals from Santa Monica to the visuals of Dunstable is well done.  Another plus of this video is that it shows just how good the Spiders were as performers with Mick Woodmansey standing out as an excellent drummer. Currently this video is not available commercially.

---This page last modified: 11 Dec 2018---