From an article in todays Times on the V&A exhibition, includes this memo for a radio show – list of favourite tracks. A fairly diverse selection. Thoughts ?
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1910)
A one-part work for strings based on a theme by Tallis, the 16th-century English composer, and with modern echoes of Debussy.
Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss (1948)
Some of the German composer’s last completed works, sung by the Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad at the Royal Albert Hall premiere in 1950, the year after Strauss’s death.
Right Now Right Now by Alan Freed and His Rock ’N’ Roll Band (1956)
Big-band rock’n’roll with a chirpy introduction from Freed, a DJ credited with turning America on to the new sound.
True Fine Mama by Little Richard (1957)
An electrifying cut from the debut album by Little Richard, a photo of whom was Bowie’s most prized possession and features in the V&A archive.
Sho Know a Lot About Love by the Hollywood Argyles (1960)
Midtempo rock’n’roll from the Los Angeles ensemble led by Kim Fowley, who went on to manage the Runaways
Some Day My Prince Will Come by Miles Davis (1961)
Achingly hip cover of the tune from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , featuring John Coltrane on sax.
Ecclusiastics by Charles Mingus (1962)
From the jazz great’s Oh Yeah album, on which he played piano rather than his customary bass.
Beck’s Bolero by Jeff Beck (1966)
This wig-out instrumental was the Yardbirds guitarist’s first solo release.
I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship by Legendary Stardust Cowboy (1968)
A melancholic sci-fi curio from the godfather of psychobilly, covered by Bowie on his Heathen album in 2002.
Across the Universe by the Beatles (1969)
John Lennon’s cosmic tour de force, covered by Bowie on Young Americans in 1975.
Try Some, Buy Some by Ronnie Spector (1971)
The former Ronette’s wistful debut solo single was written by George Harrison and produced by her husband Phil Spector
Mother of Pearl by Roxy Music (1973)
“It’s the same old story/ All love and glory,” Bryan Ferry sings on this debauched seven-minute epic from the Stranded album.
Epsilon in Malaysian Pale by Edgar Froese (1975)
Ambient title track from the Tangerine Dream founder’s album, which Bowie said was “the soundtrack of my life when I lived in Berlin”.
The Electrician by the Walker Brothers (1978)
An appropriately ominous song about a CIA torturer, and an influence on Ultravox’s Vienna .
Tom Violence by Sonic Youth (1986)
The opener of the art-rockers’ EVOL album, thought to be about Tom Verlaine of their fellow New York band Television.
Some of these tracks were featured in Bowie’s Radio 1 “Star Special” programme in 1979 to promote the “Lodger” album… it’s a great listen, all available in bits on YouTube, here’s part 1 for anyone interested (the rest will follow on if you let it play)…
Thanks @Chrisf for this rather fascinating list.
And thanks @metal-mickey for the radio show.
Never a dull moment on the Afterword.
If he’d had a better record collection, he’d have been able to do pop music better than he did.
Hey, you wanted feedback!
I’ll get me coat…
‘if he’d had a better record collection’ etc etc
this of the bloke who idolised the kinks, yardbirds, pretty things, easybeats, merseys, small faces, the who, beatles, stones, little Richard, Presley, syd – how much better a record collection should he have had? He was even on Deram!
Sho Know a Lot About Love by the Hollywood Argyles (1960) was the b-side of Alley-Oop, fact fans.
I really like the Edgar Froese track (and the whole album it comes from.) Also, the Walker Brothers song, which is the forerunner of Scott’s later nasty stuff – even though Bish Bosch is not really music as we know it, that’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. It’s more like a film on a record.
Bowie made no secret about his love for Scott Walker
thanks for the db list Chrisf – I can feel a mix of those tracks coming on soon…
Two gorgeous classical pieces to kick off the list….
Top marks to the Dame for including ‘The Electrician’.
I love Mother of Pearl by Roxy Music. I also love Chant of the Every Circling Skeletal Family by David Bowie. Pretty easy given that they share the same riff.
oof!
No – they don’t.
Further Chrisf’s post on this, coming up on Friday 10/10 I have a fresh Skylarking mix for Tak Tent Radio a selection of music chosen and introduced by db. Among the items taken from his office for the recently opened V&A exhibition on his work was a paper titled “Memo for radio show – list of favourite records”. So with a bit of fancy editing of old clips featuring him talking about his choices and the full list of the records he loved most, I will be presenting a Memo For Radio Show mix.
I’ll post it in a thread of it’s own on the day.