How cool is David Bowie?!

[dissention]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/170693_bowie27.html

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

David Bowie urges fans to burn his songs into hybrid 'mash-ups'

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON -- David Bowie has invited fans to bootleg his music -- and he's offering prizes for the most creative theft.

The musician's Web site urges fans to mix classic Bowie songs with material from his latest album, "Reality," to create a "mash-up" -- a track that uses vocals from one song superimposed over the backing tracks of another.

Developments in music software has made the technique long employed by record producers easily accessible to thousands of "bedroom DJs" -- a fact that has alarmed record companies battling for control of Internet music distribution.

But Bowie, 57, was quoted as saying in The Times newspaper that mash-ups were "a great appropriation idea waiting to happen."

"Being a hybrid maker off and on over the years, I'm very comfortable with the idea and have been the subject of quite a few pretty good mash-ups myself," he said.

The music software needed for the task can be downloaded from Bowie's Web site, along with tracks from his new album.

Following the end of the contest on May 17, Bowie will choose the winning track, and it will be released as an MP3 single. The winner will also get a new car.

The mash-up technique gained prominence with "The Gray Album," a blend of The Beatles and Jay-Z by an American DJ known as Danger Mouse.

A reported 1 million copies were downloaded from the Internet before it was blocked by record company EMI in February.

On the Net: www.davidbowie.com

[wondergirl9847]

What a terrific idea!!

Too bad I'm not a fan of Bowie. :laugh:

[Livia]

He's da man! I just saw him Tuesday nite...incredible! In a venue that only holds 4,900 people - so, I guess that's considered "intimate" for a Bowie concert. It was truly magical...the sound guy gave my friend the set list. I took it to work yesterday and copied one for me, since....

Last nite, Bowie's band's side project, Spooky Ghost and Friends played at the Continental Club (200 capacity). The thin, white duke, himself was there, watching the show. Everyone was on their best behavior, leaving him alone. Except for one: I overheard a drunk, obnoxious woman telling her friends that she was talking to him, she said he was nice, but seemed nervous. She must have scared him off 'cause he left shortly after that encounter. LOL He was sitting in a high-traffic area, between the mens' and ladies' rooms. With a bodyguard by his side. I got Earl Slick's autograph on both set lists, but never caught the right moment to get anyone else's. Plus I was exhausted and wanted to go home and sleep. :nod:

P.S. - to join his fan club, all you have to do is provide proof that you bought a ticket to ONE show. I'm about to fax my info to them so I can access the fan club only stuff on his website.

[dissention]

He's da man! I just saw him Tuesday nite...incredible! In a venue that only holds 4,900 people - so, I guess that's considered "intimate" for a Bowie concert. It was truly magical...the sound guy gave my friend the set list. I took it to work yesterday and copied one for me, since....

Last nite, Bowie's band's side project, Spooky Ghost and Friends played at the Continental Club (200 capacity). The thin, white duke, himself was there, watching the show. Everyone was on their best behavior, leaving him alone. Except for one: I overheard a drunk, obnoxious woman telling her friends that she was talking to him, she said he was nice, but seemed nervous. She must have scared him off 'cause he left shortly after that encounter. LOL He was sitting in a high-traffic area, between the mens' and ladies' rooms. With a bodyguard by his side. I got Earl Slick's autograph on both set lists, but never caught the right moment to get anyone else's. Plus I was exhausted and wanted to go home and sleep. :nod:

P.S. - to join his fan club, all you have to do is provide proof that you bought a ticket to ONE show. I'm about to fax my info to them so I can access the fan club only stuff on his website.

That's awesome!!! Which song was your favorite of the night?

And I still have my ticket stub on my desk to register online, I've never gotten around to doing it. LOL

[hayley]

We have front row tickets for Moline in a couple of weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heard he's doing "Modern Love" occasionally... not my favorite, but if I were to get the Modern Love/China Girl/Let's Dance trifecta I think I'd die.

[Livia]

Here's a Bowie-net member's review of Austin and the set list (spoiler info, don't click or read any more if your Bowie show is coming up - click and scroll down if you do wanna know):

Bowie (http://www.davidbowie.com/news/index.php?id=20040428)


























My favorite "oldie" was Fame. I had Fashion stuck in my head all day, and was dying to hear it, but it seemed phoned-in. Fame was funky, rockin' and it just ruled! And Suffragette City - There's nothing like hearing 4,900 people scream "Wham, bam, thank you m'am!" in unison. That was another great moment, that I live for....heh. Also, Ziggy Stardust as the last song of the night - "Ziggy plaaaaaayed....guitaaaar!" With the stage lights going out, except for one spotlight on da man, holding his guitar. The end. Go home. LOL He was very talkative and animated, and looks fantastic! We have the largest urban bat colony in North America here, and he wouldn't stop talking about the damn bats! LOL He must have had a room at the Four Seasons, facing the bat bridge over Town Lake. People line up on the bridge every evening to watch the bats take off for feeding time. My only disappointment was that he didn't dediciate a song or acknowledge Stevie Ray Vaughn (who played guitar on the Let's Dance album). Whoever the DJ was on the radio on my way home wasn't too happy about that either. I dig his chick bass player, Gail. She did a beautiful, acoustic set at the Cont. Club last nite, and was selling CD's of her stuff. There is tons of merch at the shows, I believe everything is also sold from his website. I want an Aladdin Sane poster. :p

[Livia]

We have front row tickets for Moline in a couple of weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm jealous! The Austin show was general admission, but I didn't want to get smooshed! Whenever he'd approach the crowd, you could hear the girls, and I'm sure some boys too, screaming through his mic! LOL

[hayley]

I'll totally be screaming into his mike!!! He looked so good when I saw him in Chicago a couple of months ago.

I'm just hoping he's not going to phone it in because it's such a smaller market... Then again, even seeing Bowie phone it in is preferable to seeing...umm... ANYTHING else!!

[darklinensuit]

What a terrific idea!!

Too bad I'm not a fan of Bowie. :laugh:

I know what you mean. I don't care for his voice. I like a few of his songs such as Young American, Modern Love, and Changes, but dislike others such as Let's Dance and China Doll.

- Jake

[dissention]

I know what you mean. I don't care for his voice. I like a few of his songs such as Young American, Modern Love, and Changes, but dislike others such as Let's Dance and China Doll.

- Jake

You don't like China Girl?!

You suck. :xoxo:

[cliffdweller]

Livia,
I know what you mean about the energy David Bowie produces at his shows. He (and his band of course) are absolutely electrifying.

I don't know if he did this at the Austin show, but at the Phoenix show he wanted all of us in the audience to sing China Girl for him. Well, the crowd's attempt was pitiful and so Bowie, after a few verses said, "That was fu$king tragic." The way he said it in his cool British accent tinged with humor was hilarious. He talked a lot and interacted with the crowd like he was among old friends.

He is truly a genius and I love him. :laugh:

So he and his band were at the Continental Club? Was this a last minute decision?? I hadn't heard anything about this!

[darklinensuit]

You don't like China Girl?!

You suck. :xoxo:

Fine. And your icon is kissing my wrong end.

- Jake

[Livia]

So he and his band were at the Continental Club? Was this a last minute decision?? I hadn't heard anything about this!

I first heard about it in the Cont. Club email newsletter - and it was in last week's Chronicle too, in the TCB section and in the Cont. Club's advertisement - so it wasn't really a secret, like Kristofferson's secret SXSW gig was...damn, Tracey, I should have let you know, sorry! :shrug:

[cliffdweller]

damn, Tracey, I should have let you know, sorry! :shrug:

That's cool. I was knee-deep in preparing a paper for a conference at the time anyway so who am I kidding? :laugh:

[misterbug]

bowie's great. i've been listening to the scary monsters album a lot lately and it rocks.

he's not only a great musician, but also quite an entrepreneur.