The latest news from Bowienet. Apparently Ross won an award from MITs (Music Industry Trusts) for his support of new music and during the evening bid £20k for the Outside Bowie lithograph. All well and good you might say but I couldn't help but notice one glaring fact. Numerous people in the music industry sent video messages to congratulate Ross on his award. Bowie sent a letter! This speaks volumes don't you think? When did we last hear Bowie actually say anything? I don't buy the oft-mentioned "Bowie wants to enjoy his family" excuse for his complete disappearance. Isn't his daughter about 8 now? She'll be at school all day - plenty of time for him to do other things I'm sure.

I just can't help but think there is something wrong with him and that "his people" have closed ranks to protect him from the media scrum which would be generated by such a revelation. I've been thinking this for months now. What about you guys?

UrchinOne
White and Dressed to Kill.

no revelation here-I mentioned here months ago about a music producer friend who told me that its pretty much insider knowledge in the music industry that Bowie suffered a relapse in 06(a stroke perhaps)and hasn't been the same since. That's possibly why we don't hear him speak publicly anymore. It could be bunkum, gossip and tosh, but until Bowie himself is willing to come out and dismiss the rumors, then people are going to speculate.

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Hi Tiger, I didn't see your previous post (I'm only an occasional visitor these days). It would be absolutely tragic if Bowie has suffered a stroke but it would explain many things. The "Bowie archive 69 - 09" does seem to suggest a cetain finality to new releases though. A sobering thought indeed...

UrchinOne
White and Dressed to Kill.

From what I know through a freind of his, he is fine. He is just enjoying life out of the bizz. Why not? Lennon did it. Dylan did it. And now Bowie wants his life to live not shackled to the confines of FAME. Good for him. Yeah, we all miss him, but I respect his choice. And if he chooses to make another record it will be incredible!

Jonathan Ross has far too much money he needs to work for Royal Mail for a few years in order to get a reality check!

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REALITY bites
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How much is a reality check worth, 'Pop it in Pete'?

If Bowie has some sort of "problem" which he keeps hidden by not talking (???) I would think he would not be attending balls and suchlike. Someone would soon notice and inform the media.

Bowie's notes for Iselect show that this mind is as sharp as ever, also about a year ago the singer Adele reported how she spoke to him, and Bowie told her that they both have their Brixton roots in common, but she couldn't persuade him out of retirement.



So it seems that last year, at least, he could still think and talk just fine.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/1933164/Singer-Adele-sits-with-David-Bowie-and-wife-Iman.html

 

1. A letter is more collectable and valuable and personal than a crappy video message.

2. Bowie had a relapse in 2006 and can't speak without slobbering eh?  Wikipedia says:

Filmography:

The Prestige (2006) Extras (2006) (Cameo) Arthur and the Invisibles (2007) (voice) SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis (2007) (voice) August (2008) Bandslam (2009) (Cameo)

and:

"Bowie contributed backing vocals to two tracks - "Falling Down" and "Fannin' Street" - on Scarlett Johansson's 2008 album of Tom Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head.^"

3. I also think the Archive 69-09 just looks good because it's a neat 40 years, a round number. 

insider music scene knowledge, a friend of a friend of his this...

point 4: the fans deserve a little more from him than this silence.

and archives don't necessarily need to be the end of new stuff.
I just would like to have somebody ask him about his plans instead of taking his picture.

And it doesn't seem the stroke hit him that hard, some people end up in wheelchairs.

If only he spoke up, we would know for sure, but all this speculation...
It's contradictory and mostly tosh. Perhaps we need to let him go... but I know I can't.

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David Bowie facebook group

Thanks, Exploding Man, I forgot to mention that I don't think too much should be read into the title Archive - '69-'09 as it also ignores the years '64-'68.

However, I have thought for a few years now that Bowie has practically retired. I can't say I blame him, when you've achieved and said all he has over a 40 year career (debut single was released in June '64 & his last solo concert was June 2004), what is there left for him to say(?)

Perhaps this lyric was a clue that he wanted out? "25 years pass him like an evening at the circus... Don't sacrifice yourself"

Add to that the health problems, his daughter's childhood (after missing out on Joe's) and the ageism of the industry with very little commercial return on albums these days & it doesn't add up to enticing environment to return to. Also, the weight of his previous achievements gives him a lot to live up to. Bowie could go on recording and performing into his 70s but would he want to be remembered that way?

I'd like to think that Bowie could still find time to record some new songs for us to enjoy, even if it was a low key download only release. I bet he hasn't lost his touch as a songwriter.

I'd think the 69-09 title would just refer to all the stuff he owns the rights to?

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Exploding Man makes some very good observations. There's no real evidence to suggest Bowie's media disappearance is anything more sinister than he just decided to retire quietly. I'm just surprised that's all. I never thought he'd retire but if it is true what's wrong with just saying that on BowieNet? It's hard to express this "void" in the Bowie story but the best way I can describe it is via an analogy: Imagine you'd just spent hours completing a large jigsaw puzzle only to discover that the final piece had gone missing! That's what I feel like at the moment. It's the not knowing what happened to that final piece of the picture.

Whatever the real truth I only wish health and happiness for Bowie. If his professional career really is over then I'm more than satisfied with the body of his work to date which has brought so much enjoyment to my life. Plus there's more than enough stuff in the vaults to see new Bowie releases for years to come.

UrchinOne
White and Dressed to Kill.

Ross is such a POOF!!!

I have stood next to him at the pissoir and he LOOKS at other guys diddles!!!



Tits and Explosions

I never thought he'd retire but if it is true what's wrong with just saying that on BowieNet?

But maybe it's not true. Maybe he's just enjoying having some time off. At first it was enforced by the heart attack, then it was welcomed with his daughter being a toddler, then he just got used to it.

And just because we haven't seen the fruits of any labour, it doesn't mean he's been sitting on his hands. Maybe he's been writing/creating music, maybe he hasn't. Maybe he's been writing other stuff (the autobigraphy?), maybe he hasn't. Maybe he's been painting/making computer art/doing some other kind of art, maybe he hasn't.

I don't think you can just write-off one of the greatest creative minds of our time just because of a few years of apparent inactivity. As I always say, wait and see.

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I'd think the 69-09 title would just refer to all the stuff he owns the rights to?

Indeed. And we know what happens when he tries to take a look at 64-68, he ends up with what could have been a brilliant album (Toy) facing the ignominy of being rejected by record company dunderheads.

On that subject one has often seen albums in the last 20 years or so where a band/artist is doing their hits, but they're fresh recordings, not the original hit single that you remember from the 60s or 70s. This is because, even though it's their song, they don't own the original recording and, rather than pay money to some bastard whose been ripping them off for 20 years, they start again.

One wonders if there was a similar motivation behind the Toy project?

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Nibbles...

He's having time out...

s'all




Tits and Explosions

Wouldn't surprise me Nibs.

I still can't see the point of any kind of announcement from Bowie. He could change his mind tomorrow than everyone gets their knickers in a twist.
What's the chuffing point?

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Bowie change his mind overnight? As if!

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One thing you can believe that Bowie says... don't believe him!

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Watch the Reality EPK. He explicitly explains his job description. "My job is to lie to you", or words to that effect. I haven't watched it in a while, but that might even be his exact words.

Mist.

That post above about "fans deserve". Non-sense! This is rock and roll and you deserve what you get. And sometimes that is NOTHING. He doesn't have to give any more than he is able to or wants to. That's life. If you feel you deserve more from Bowie break out a CD do a bong hit and enjoy.

I'll observe that it's very hard to hang a phone call on the wall.

I used to wake up the ocean