er and ever... D
TALENT ■ BY MARK SUTHERLAND, JAMES HANLEY AND MURRAY STASSEN
avid Bowie’s music career spanned nearly 50 years and touched millions of fans, but, unlike some of those who have scaled rock’s greatest peaks, he remained remarkably loyal to those who helped him establish base camp.
Tributes to Bowie poured in from far and wide. But Team Bowie is a close-knit group, most of whom worked with Bowie for at least 20 years, and the star never flitted from major label to major label, preferring to put down roots somewhere he could flourish. That means that those in the business who were lucky enough to work with him felt his loss even more deeply. His final record label was Columbia, part of Sony Music, which released his acclaimed comeback album The Next Day and his current No.1, Blackstar. Sony Music UK’s chairman/CEO, Jason Iley says people are “mourning the loss of a true legend”.
“David Bowie is, without doubt, one of the most important and influential musicians of all time,” he adds. “He was an incredible songwriter, performer, musical and cultural visionary as well as being a uniquely British superstar. We are hugely grateful to have been his most recent musical home. We will remain eternally proud that he chose to release his brilliant and prescient final album, Blackstar, with us. Our thoughts are with his family.”
Sony Music Entertainment chairman/CEO Doug Morris describes Bowie as “one of the all-time greats”, adding: “He was an enormously
Let’s Dance-era Bowie
adventurous and groundbreaking artist who remains as iconic and relevant today as at any time in his legendary career.”
Much of Bowie’s back catalogue is now handled by Warner Music Group. CEO Steve Cooper hails him as “innovator, inspiration, icon”. “In his music you can hear a dazzling array of ideas, sounds, styles and references, you can pinpoint new genres emerging and you can trace the roots of many celebrated artists who came after him,” Cooper adds. “It is the remarkable legacy of a remarkable man. He will be forever imitated, never equalled and very sadly missed. Our deepest condolences to David’s family, friends and everyone who had the privilege of working with him.”
One of those people was Nigel Reeve, VP, global A&R and content development with Warner Music International, who since 1995 has
music biz pays tribute to the UK’s most iconic solo star and the man who changed the world.
worked with Bowie and his team on remastering and reissuing his remarkable back catalogue. He remembers a day spent with Bowie in the star’s New York office, choosing photographs. “He’d clearly picked up I was from the south east of England,” says Reeve, “And he just went on a great nostalgia trip, talking about he and Marc Bolan nicking clothes out of bins in Carnaby Street and trying to outdo each other in what they were wearing. I think we got done what we needed to that day, but I can’t remember because we were just talking. It was fantastic.” Reeve says the responsibility of looking after one of rock’s most treasured catalogues “sometimes blows my mind” but takes comfort in the fact that Bowie’s classic recordings are now “seeing the love” from a new audience. “He changed the world,” says Reeve, “He changed my world, and that sums it up.” Meanwhile, Paul Carey – who worked alongside Alan Edwards at Outside from 2000- 2003 – remembers the star as “the ultimate artist”. “He was meticulous, intelligent and the master of strategy,” says Carey. “The best artists teach you, and David taught me to never assume anything, ever. He was funny and kind and working with him was an honour.” Honouring Bowie himself will be on the agenda at the 2016 BRITs. Awards chairman and Warner Music UK chairman/ CEO Max Lousada hails Bowie as “one of the most influential songwriters and performers ever”. “Naturally, we wish to honour his extraordinary life and work at the forthcoming BRIT Awards and pay a fitting tribute to one of our greatest icons.”
* See
musicweek.com for more tributes
that adorns the wall of Morleys department store became a focus for tributes this week – Bowie moved to suburban Bromley, and then Beckenham, in the 1950s. There his imagination was sparked by early American rock’n’roll records.
His own early attempts at pop stardom were interesting but unsuccessful and even his psychedelic debut album, released under his new name of David Bowie, met with little interest.
That all changed with the 1969 release of Space Oddity, which became a Top 5 hit after benefitting from publicity around the Apollo 11 space launch – Bowie, as ever, in touch with the zeitgeist. The song eventually reached No.1 six years later.
By then, Bowie had defined himself as Britain’s most maverick rock star, even during an era of constant innovation. A succession of hit albums – 1970’s The Man Who Sold The World, 1971’s Hunky Dory, 1972’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, 1973’s Aladdin Sane and Pin Ups, 1974’s Diamond Dogs and 1975’s Young Americans – had seen him pioneer everything from glam rock to plastic soul and reinvent his image with dizzying, yet never contrived regularity. That run of albums represents one of – if not the most remarkable spurts of creativity by any musician ever. And there was more to come. The late 1970s were a difficult period for Bowie personally, as his
cocaine use became out of control. But artistically he remained on top: Station To Station (1976) and his Berlin period albums (1977’s Low and Heroes and 1979’s Lodger) became influential on the electronic music that emerged soon afterwards and remain watchwords for experimental art-rock to this day. The 1980s saw him move into the mainstream, 1980 New Romantic touchstone Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) and the slick mainstream pop-funk of Let’s Dance (1983) – his best-selling album worldwide – Tonight (1984) and Never Let Me Down (1987). Having reinvented stadium rock with his blockbusting Serious Moonlight and Glass Spider Continued on next page
MUSIC Week
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JANUARY 18
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