DAVID BOWIE. ROCK’N’ROLL 27.10 —16.12 PAVILION AT NEW HOLLAND ISLAND WITH ME The exhibition of photographs by a British musician and producer Geoff MacCormack documenting friendship and travels with David Bowie. Geoff MacCormack, AKA Warren Peace, was one of David Bowie’s oldest and closest friends. MacCormack toured with Bowie for three years (1973 – 1976) as a backing vocalist, dancer and percussionist. During this time he recorded with Bowie on six albums — from Aladdin Sane to Station to Station, also co-writing the track Rock’n’Roll With Me on Diamond Dogs, and Turn Blue with Bowie on Iggy Pops album Lust for Life. The exhibition also includes the film The Long Way Home by David Bowie, which doc- uments various stages of their trip, from the docks in Japan through Siberia and Russia on the Trans-Siberian Express, and their time in Moscow for the May Day Parade. GEOFF MACCORMACK’S COMMENTS TO THE EXHIBITION STATION TO STATION “…During the early part of 1973, I had two huge strokes of luck and good fortune. 3 13 1 11 Firstly, while working in a London office I got a call from a childhood friend called David Jones. David Jones was now David Bowie and he invited me to join his band, The Spiders, as a backing vocalist and percussionist, for a tour of the USA, Japan and the UK. The second piece of luck was that David wouldn’t fly. Thus, we would have to travel the thousands of miles around the world by ship, train and road. At the end of the tour David, surprisingly, announced his retirement. Nevertheless, I stayed with him for another two years, travelling and working on other tours – Diamond Dogs and Young Americans – and six albums, from Aladdin Sane to Station 21 2 5 to Station. This exhibition is the photo recollection of those three amazing years, together with my previously unseen works and photographs...” (1) David and I hanging out on the I already had on the Nikon so as you hear on, say, Golden Years, (24) Ronnie Wood tries some ideas set of the film The Man Who Fell not to disturb the quiet moment. are just Bowie’s and mine. out at the recording of Station to To Earth. This shot was taken by To this day, I find it remarkable how Station in 1975. my, then, French girlfriend (Lo Lo) serene he is only moments before (17) Cherokee Studios, Ronnie seemed to always be on the set of The man who fell to show time. Hollywood, USA, 1975 around us in the mid 70’s, he was earth. David took a picture of me This is Dennis Davies, Bobby always a cool Dude with a great and her, I took one of David and her, (9) This is another shot from the Womack, Ronnie Wood, Bowie and sense of humour. and she took this and one other. 1974 Diamond Dogs tour. We had Roy Bitten from Bruce Sprinsteens’ to pretend to beat David up and band at the Cherokee studios Los (2) I believe this was taken by Leee then carry him high above our Angeles in 1975. They are listening Childers towards the end of our heads off the stage. to playback from the Station to 9 10 6 journey on the Trans-Siberian Rail- Station album. way. We look ready to disembark, (10) David and I hanging out on the clothes we are wearing are the the set of The Man Who Fell To (18) David writing lyrics for same as we wore when we arrived Earth. We have an air gun and are Station to Station at Cherokee in Moscow. shooting at plastic cups. I appear Studio in Los Angeles 1975. to be doing better than him in this I often wonder which track he was (3) This was taken in Madeira en shot! writing lyrics for when this shot route to New York in 1974. We was taken. disembarked from the ship The SS (11) David Bowie taking time to France for a quick tour. It was high talk with fans and sign autographs (19) Station to Station producer up and very windy and I took this This was taken on the 1973 British Harry Maslin with Bowie at the shot of David with my cheap Instant tour. We recently held a competi- mixing desk. Cherokee Studios Los camera hence the poor quality. He tion to find the fans in this shot, Angeles in 1975. returned the favour and took one and we did! of me. (20) David in the studio listening (12) David Bowie snaps me on to playback of Station to Station. (4) Davids shot of me in Madeira Amtrak this was taken by me with Cherokee Studios Los Angeles in 14 8 7 1974. my cheap plastic camera in 1973 on 1975. our way to Chicago David is taking (5) David and I playing around a picture of me with his Polaroid (21) David on the set pretending to be Gumby’s from the camera. of The Man Who Fell To Earth. 1970’s cult television show Monty This location was used to shoot Pythons Flying Circus. Gumby’s (13) This shot is a still from the the cover of the Station to Station were fictional dangerously stupid Dick Cavett Show on American album 1975. people! television in 1974. The other 15 backing vocalist with David and I (22) Bowie likes something in (6) David and I travelling on the is Anthony Hinton. Earl Slick and the playback at the recording SS Felix Dzerhinksy from Japan Carlos Alomar are the guitarists of Station to Station album 1975 to Nahodka. you can see behind us. The golden moments in recording This photo was taken by a Japa- music are when the magic happens, nese tourist. We seem to like (14) I borrowed a camera and took sometimes it’s designed, some- the beer on offer by the look some shots of David in Make up on times it’s accidental! The main 18 16 19 23 of the table. The Man Who Fell To Earth film in thing is – the ingredients have to 1975. As you can clearly see, he is be there! (7) This shot was taken by Dagmar playing to the camera. on the 1974 Diamond Dogs tour. (23) Cherokee Studios We were just about to start the (15) This photo was taken leaving Los Angeles 1975 12 acappella for All the Young Dudes. Yokohama in Japan for Siberia, David is forming ideas from the I’m in the middle. by ship. The banner that the fans input from the many great artists were holding was provided by RCA that visited Cherokee Studios (8) David Bowie: Backstage records. during the writing and recording at the Hammersmith Odeon, of Station to Station ultimately London, 1973 (16) Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, he simplified the idea. I was very David in Ziggy makeup in 1973. USA, 1975 happy to be a part of the project This shot was taken at the This shot was taken while recording and the only other vocalist (back- Hammersmith Odeon before the the Station To Station album; David ing) on the album, he also let me last shows of the tour. David was is seen here working out guitar help and sing with the complicated reading a review, and I sneaked this parts. I was the only backing vocal- vocal arrangements in Golden shot with a zoom lens which ist on these sessions, so the voices Years 4 22 24 20 17 THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH 2 5 1 MacCormack recalls the area around the film set as, “…two hundred and seventy five square miles of desert near the Mexican border, close to Alamogordo and El Paso. Wildlife – plant or animal – is at a minimum due to the fine white gypsum sand that moves and shifts with the wind creating lovely patterns but burying all vegetation. But it is a great for blowing things up. That’s why NASA and the US military use it as a missile-testing site. Its spooky landscape also made it a great double for an alien planet. It was here that Nic filmed the scenes 15 3 4 of Bowie and his alien family before he falls to earth...” (1) David Bowie: him onto the Gitane cigarette he’s I particularly like it for its raw The Man Fell To Earth, 1975 lighting. In my defence (and his), we honesty. I love this completely unguarded did smoke this brand for aesthetic shot of David. This shot was taken reasons; both of us being enam- (13) David Bowie: Fenton Lake, at the end of a particularly long and oured of Max Ponty’s delightful New Mexico, 1975 gruelling day of interior shooting artwork, which depicts a gypsy This photo was taken when David under hot lights. I took this in-be- dancing girl shrouded in a plume had just finished shooting a gruel- tween the camera’s rolling, with of smoke. ling scene in The Man Who Fell To only one light source and no flash. Earth where his character Thomas I like the combination of Bowie’s (7) David Bowie: The Man Who Jerome Newton is vivisected by hair tone and the orange glow given Fell To Earth. White Sands, 1975 government scientists in order to off by the lamp. I’m so glad I took this (once in a life- find out who or what he is. There is 9 10 13 time) of The Man, en famille, before something of a Charlotte Rampling (2) David Bowie: he fell to earth.