ZOOM ON DAVID BOWIE

David Robert Jones, a famous singer, was born in 1947 on January, 8th, in Brixton. He discovered the rock and roll through Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. After playing in many groups when he was adolescent including The King Bees, he entered officially onto the musical In 1980, he divorced Angela Barnett scene in 1964 with his first single “Liza and “Scary monsters” came out. Jane”. In December, the murder of John Lennon, In 1967, he started in the cinema in affected a lot David who abandoned his tour a short-film, called “Image”, by Michael which have been made for 1981. Armstrong. In 1989, he announced the creation of a In 1969, “Man Of Words, Man Of new band called Tin Machine. It was com- Music”, was the album which won the posed of Reeves Gabrels, the guitarist, Tony greatest success. It was quickly named Sales who played bass and Hunt sales, the over “Space Oddity” in reference to the drummer. showpiece of the album in 1972. In 1992, he married Iman Abdilmajid, a In 1970, he married Mary Angela supermodel who came from Somalia. David Barnett, an American cover girl, model , dedicated to her an album “White Tie Black actress, and musician. Their son, Duncan Noise”. th Zowie Jones was born in 1971, the 30 of In 2000, on the 15 of August, Alexan- May. dria Zahra Jones was born. She was David In 1976, David Bowie took drugs too Bowie’s second child. excess. He became scrawny and went Recently, he appeared in short represen- mad. tation for various charities. He settled in Berlin, brought out three singles and he initiated a detox treat- ment. David Bowie collaborated with many artists like:

-Tony Visconti -TV on the Radio -John Lennon ; -Queen -Brian Eno ; -Mick Jagger -Nile Rodgers -Lou Reed -Iggy Pop -Scarlett Johansson DISCOGRAPHIA

David Bowie is as a chameleon. . He starts his career in 1964 , and in 1967 makes Space Oddity. He is inspired by Bob Dylan, but this album doesn’t meet a big success, he doesn’t show his real personality.

In the seventies, Bowie works with Tony Vis- conti and makes The Man Who Sold The World in 1971. On the record sleeve Bowie wears a dress like a woman and this album is the Ziggy Stardust’s future sound. With the album Ziggy Stardust , Bowie cre- ates a new character so eccen- tric . He colours his hair in red, and plays with his sexual ambi- guity. It is a choc for the English society. He contributes to create the glam rock.. He understands the music doesn’t change the world, their songs speak only about dreams, fantasies. In 1973 he makes Aladdin Sane, for a lot his best album.

With young Americans in 1975 he creates a surprise, it’s a new character who appears. In 1976 takes out the album Sta- tion to station. This album pro- poses a cold and mechanical funk music.

From 1977 to 1979 it’s his Berliners time, he doesn’t follow the punk movement, and takes out three albums : Low, Heroes and Lodger. He loses his character a little mega- lomaniac and re-humanizes . Music is be- tween fast fragments with violent riffs and slow fragments where the synthesizer is very present. We can heard a world music influ- During the 80’s Bowie meets a big com- mercial success with his album Scary Monsters, his songs are more dancing, less rock. This new page of his carrier continue with Let’s dance. In 1987 takes out Never Let Me Down. But for the first time, he’s not a precur- sor , although he wants to do a music more rock it’s not a success commercial and critic .

The 90’s are the beginning of a new Bowie, with the album The Buddha Of Suburbia, appears some jazz, new age, pop influences which will be confirmed by his next album . In 1995 takes out 1. Outside tells the story of a detective who looks for a se- rial killer. Since many years he takes risks, with a music inspired by industrial rock and techno.

MORE INFORMATION In 1975, he plays in “The man who fell to Earth” and he plays the role of an ex- traterrestrial that corresponds of his per- sonality. He plays in the play “Elephant man” in Broadway which have had a tremendous success He produced the Lou Reed album’s and the Stooges' album. His song « Space Oddity » was used as credits by the BBC for the first step on the moon. Produced “ Lou Reed ” for the album “ Transformer ” ; “ Iggy Pop ” for “ Raw Power ”; and “ Mott the Hoople ” for “ All the young dudes ”.

GROUP OF THE MONTH

THE RAVONNETTES

The Raveonettes are a Danish group, created by Sharin Foo and Sun Rose Wagner. They borrow from the pop of the fif- ties sixty as well as the inde- pendent rock of the 90’s. Brief an indie group which de- serve to be discover ! Some capriccios : Love in a trashcan Lust lust lust The Christmas song

Music and English youths

We interviewed a group of English teenagers and they speak to us about their likes about music.

Their tastes: The music in their Concerts: They listen to music on the life: They have never morning, when they go to The girls we asked been to festival as school and on the evening; think that music or the tickets are very they listen to music on their stars may influence expensive. mp3, CDs, internet, radio and their life a bit what- But they have al- iPods. They like a lot of sort ever is in fashion ready been to a lot of of music but specially rock, shop. But they don't concerts. They don't some pop and indie music wear a sort of go to concert often ( for example « the kooks » clothes just because because the places and « Artic monkeys »). There their favourite singer are too far. One of is a lot of Indie music groups wear that. They wear the girl has already and they are very popular in the way they like. been to listen to England. They like listening This year, the indie Paolo Nutini, Cajun to old music like the Right- style music is very dance party, Mcfly eous brothers, but they don't popular and also with her friends. She listen to old music every day! their clothes are in is going to see Oasis. They don't often listen to po- fashion. She goes in lots of litical songs but they think different places, that political songs can help to mostly like clubs, understand some problems of where bands play. society, for example songs that have been sung for char-

INDIE MUSIC

Soko

Indie pop is a genre of music derived from indie rock (artist who product rock mu- sic without major label : Uni- versal Music Group, …) and pop (affiliated to rock’ n’ roll). Today, it’s very popular in England, it influence a lot (their clothes are in fashion, …);

Indie pop was born in eighties in England. Some examples of indie artists : The Kooks, The Killers, The Artic Mon- keys, Enon, Feist, Lole, The Klax- The Artic Monkeys ons, Kate Nash, Lily Allen, The wombats, The Last Shadow Puppets, SoKo, The Ting Tings…