I’ve just watched this fantastic BBC 4 documentary David Bowie and the story of Ziggy Stardust (below) about Bowie’s emergence as a global pop star and, more importantly, cultural sensation and groundbreaker.
I had all his albums. (On vinyl. Not an exaggeration.)
I recall feeling anxious for him when I saw how skeletal he looked on the cover of 1974’s David Live — still one of my favorite live performance albums all these years later. Genius.
Here’s the opening track: 1984
David Bowie ‘1984’ from David Live.
When I think back, my and my contemporaries’ fervent admiration for Bowie as a writer, musician and performer, and our accompanying acceptance of his sexuality (gay/bi/whatever) opened a path for the social changes we’ve seen — most recently the same-sex marriage/’marriage equality’ legislation passed this week.
Lamenting Christian commentators and activists like Ian Wishart (who I saw today on The Nation grumbling darkly about ‘dishonest’ media coverage and a cynical ‘gay propaganda strategy’ which he thinks has ‘brainwashed’ the world to accept gay ‘lifestyles’ by concealing or de-emphasising the ‘lifestyle’ part, as if we’re all stupid) can say what they like. But on the other hand, it’s good that he labelled the argument a ‘culture wars issue’. Yes, we agree about that, but our conclusions as a result may be different.
Icons like David Bowie courageously expressing themselves, and (yes, for sure) shockingly pushing boundaries/frightening the horses in the 1970s — when ‘poofter-bashing’ was still disgracefully commonplace — were part of that shift to our cultural foundations. He was routinely called an ‘abomination’ by Christians at the time. Which really grated with me.
Personally, I think acceptance of ‘the other’ follows exposure to ‘the other’, and locating our empathy for our fellow human beings. It doesn’t mean you become them, but stop ignorantly hating them.
This is a brilliant documentary. I laughed out loud at some of it, and winced with nostalgia at other bits. If you’re a fan, or even just interested in how influential Bowie was, it’s worth an hour of your time.
Take a look:
My sixth form English teacher was at Hammersmith and very kindly lent me the negatives of his grainy Tri-X pix of Bowie in concert. So I had the vicarious experience of developing my own prints of Bowie in the school darkroom. Unforgettable.
– P
UPDATE April 2018: Look! I found the pix from Hammersmith!
David Bowie 1973 I printed these BW photos from my 6th form English teacher’s film a couple of years after the concert. I amaze MYSELF that I still have them.
Impelled by nostalgia I dug out my vinyl of Bowie’s ‘David Live’. Still great music.
I don’t know what to make of the washed-out colours on my record cover (that’s how it looked when I bought it) compared to the more vibrant pic on iTunes. Maybe quality Stalinist New Zealand lithography in the 1970s?
Never liked bowie …. lithography and everything else may have been stalinist according to most neo lib nutjobs these days … but NZ was a better place prior to 1984 and a heap of people who now sit in power lamenting our “socialist” past emigrated here with their families in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s …
Maybe they should all now be deported.
I’ll forgive you the glib shallowness of your comment on a post about an issue I actually feel deeply about.
You say: “NZ was a better place prior to 1984”
Well, not if you were a homosexual man (which I wasn’t). See my comments above about ‘poofter-bashing’ and my reply to ZenTiger about the blistering ‘debate’ of 1985-86 re Homosexual Law Reform: http://www.thepaepae.com/recognising-culture-war-as-war-not-pretty/29509/comment-page-1/#comment-35831
– P
That was an informed joke about the lithography. I used to cycle past the plant that manufactured many of NZ’s record covers in Miramar, and score the odd bit of film, off-cuts, excess etc. rooting around in their bins. Yeah, those were the days.
Glib and shallow … peter that is merely your partisan take on my comments. You need to take a good long look at your posts and glib and shallow may be words to take to heart for yourself at times.
NZ was a better place prior to 1984 Peter (in my view – to which i am rightly entitled) … for the clear majority of people. Minorities … maybe not so much .. i worked with openly homosexual people who werent the least bit bothered and didnt hide their preference.
But for the majority – it was better.
It also has to be admitted that the whole concept of family has been systematically raided, perverted and subverted by legislation, Government Agencies and every liberal milksop that ever there was.
Please exercise discretion in future when throwing words like glib and shallow around. You can be a puddle at times yourself although dressed up in the mink coat of journalistic fripperies and gaudy baubles … yet no knickers beneath.
You are as much an inheritor and practitioner of the human condition as anyone else great god and sage Aranyi …
Remember it well.
I apologize for my imprecise language. The ‘glib and shallow’ comment was aimed at your ‘never liked Bowie’ dismissal. I took it personally — foolishly — having just gushed nostalgically about one of my heroes and his influence on my thinking. Sore of me.
The rest of your comment about life was better pre-1984 seemed a little gauche, given the context of the ongoing criminalization of male homosexuality and the persecution thereof, but within the bounds of fair comment, as is your last injured sounding response,
Let’s not fight. (It’s not my aim, ever, to rile you up for sport.)
– P
PS You may not believe it, but I describe myself to a couple of my close friends (with whom I talk for hours about this kind of stuff) as ‘shallow as a duckpond’.
I know, right?
Nah mate its all ok by me … i did work pre 1984 with Homosexuals (men and women) and they were open and it wasnt ever a problem for anyone. They were high income earners and some were horrible to work with … others were ok and discreet.
Too much is made of how they were viewed pre certain era .. for goodness Lew Prime was a raging homo and he was promoting the Auckland Rugby Team. Witness Murray Mexted … i heard he was homosexual before he married Lorraine Downes.
I respect your opinions and your willingness to let a cantankerous opinionated prick like me contribute as always.
You arent shallow … i withdraw that accusation … you’re just human.
I appreciated the dignity of your response mate. Takes a man to do that in my view.
Cheers Ivan. – P
Have to say too … Peter Sinclair (c’mon host) and Max Cryer (“max and the children..”) were both known as being camp as a row of tents since the late 1950’s … so were the two cooking hosts on TV in the 70’s, Hudson and Halls … my grandmother thought they were great stuff … they were high camp … on national aunty NZBC for gods sake
In this country – it really hasnt been a big deal .. i think people are conveniently rewriting history.
Was I replying to the blistering debate about the 1985 law reforms? I hadn’t realized! I was just talking more simply to the clash of world views.
Aside from that, just thought I’d pop in and throw some support for Bowie – great performer and certainly up there in my list of favorites.
[…] Millions have seen it and enjoyed it. I put it here as a tribute to Hadfield and Bowie. […]