David Bowie on watching Elvis in Concert at Madison Square Garden
Jess
David Bowie on watching Elvis in Concert at Madison Square Garden.
"One of my most exciting trips happened about a year or so later.
Having performed a gig outside London on a Thursday in June 1972, I
shot home to sleep, then caught an early-morning flight, getting me to
Madison Square Garden about ten minutes after Elvis hit the stage. I
had the humiliating experience of walking down the center aisle to my
very good RCA provided seat while Elvis performed "Proud Mary." As
I was in full "Ziggy" regalia by this time, brilliant red hair and
Kabuki platform shoes, I'm sure many of the audience presumed "Mary"
had just arrived.
"Elvis was fantastically fit-looking, and his voice was in great shape.
At the end, I rushed off to the airport to get the next plane back to
the UK, as I myself was working on Saturday night."
As an audience member, I would have loved to have witnessed Bowie's
entrance, lol, looking like "Mary" while listening to Elvis singing the
song.
Jess
ImT...@aol.com
Bowie was a big Elvis fan...with both on RCA too bad David didn't get
to work with Elvis or write him a song or two. I think they were both
born on January 8th.
Garry
Jess
Hi Garry,
I'm not in the know, but what sort of song would Bowie write, that
would be Elvis' taste?
Jess
ImT...@aol.com
LOL, well seeing the crappy taste Elvis had in some of the later things
he recorded, the Colonel's fault or not, I doubt Elvis would have
jumped at the idea, but Bowie was becoming RCA's big star back then,
and with the label's encouragement I'm sure the Colonel probably would
have at least asked him to consider it.
I imagine David would have tailored something more mainstream and
suitable for his idol to sing and everybody would have been happy, but
even from Bowie's early catalog I can just offhand hear Elvis maybe
singing "Golden Years" or "Heroes." "Under Pressure" and "Modern Love"
were a few years away I think, but I can imagine Elvis doing a good job
with them, as well as a number of more obscure things from over the
years.
Garry
squidomino
or he said it was a representation of a elvis type figure in power and
stardom?
been too many years since i dared take interest in bowies efforts...
especially after crotch man... (all those times he stuffed his
knickers to the hilt wobbling around on stage with a giant package)
H
that era.
H
that era.
H
that era.
Jess
Hi Garry,
I take it you are a big Bowie fan?
I'm trying to get onto the same page as you, lol, but still having
difficulties. Who else did Bowie write for?
Jess
Jess
squidomino wrote:
> wasn't ziggy stardust an offshoot tribute to elvis?
>
>
> or he said it was a representation of a elvis type figure in power and
> stardom?
>
>
> been too many years since i dared take interest in bowies efforts...
> especially after crotch man... (all those times he stuffed his
> knickers to the hilt wobbling around on stage with a giant package)
>
>
>
"Ziggy Stardust" was? I don't know, you're telling the story? LOL
NOT recommended viewing, (sorry, couldn't resist).
Jess
ImT...@aol.com
Nah, I'm not a real big fan, but I do think he's a pretty unique and
groundbreaking talent, as well as a consistently great live performer.
I don't really have a lot of his stuff...just a couple of greatest hits
collections, and "Let's Dance," which was hugely popular while I was in
college, and "Reality" from a couple years back, which I thought was
pretty excellent. But he is one of a kind, and after having spoken
very highly of Elvis over the years, I'm sure he would have felt
honored to have written something for him.
Other than writing "Under Pressure" with Queen, I can't think of
anything offhand that he's written specifically for anyone, but his
songs have been covered by a wide range of artists, including Tina
Turner, Warrant, Dinosaur Jr., Nico, Bay City Rollers, Shaun Cassidy,
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Rickie Lee Jones, Blondie, Def Leppard,
Billy Preston, Oasis, The Wallflowers, King Crimson, Dar Williams, and
countless others.
Garry
Bill
He wrote "All The Young Dudes" specifically for Mott The Hoople.
Bill