Tuesday 11/15/22 8pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Tonight (1984)

Tonight is the 16th studio album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on September 24, 1984 through EMI America Records. The follow-up to his most commercially successful album Let’s Dance (1983), it was written and recorded in mid-1984 at Le Studio in Morin-Heights, Canada, following the conclusion of the Serious Moonlight Tour. The music on Tonight has been characterised as pop, blue-eyed soul, dance and rock. Much of the album’s sound is the same as its predecessor’s, due to Bowie’s effort to retain the new audience that he had recently attracted, although some tracks contain R&B and reggae influences.

Bowie, Derek Bramble, and Hugh Padgham produced the album. Much of Bowie’s creative process was the same as he used on Let’s Dance. Many of the same personnel from Let’s Dance and the Serious Moonlight tour returned for the Tonight sessions, with a few additions. Like its predecessor, Bowie played no instruments on Tonight, instead offering little creative input to the musicians during the sessions. Devoid of new ideas from touring, Bowie wrote only two new songs himself. Three songs, including the title track, were covers of Iggy Pop songs, who was present during most of the sessions and co-wrote multiple tracks. The title track is a duet with singer Tina Turner. The artwork, featuring Bowie blue-painted against an oil painting backdrop, was designed by Mick Haggerty.

Supported by the singles “Blue Jean”, “Tonight” and “Loving the Alien”, Tonight was a commercial success, reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart. However, it received mostly poor reviews from music critics, with most noting its lack of creativity. Following the critical dismissal of his next studio album Never Let Me Down (1987), Bowie would later express dissatisfaction with this period, calling Tonight not one of his stronger efforts, a sentiment echoed by later reviewers and Bowie’s biographers. He did not tour to support the album and only performed “Loving the Alien” and “Blue Jean” on subsequent tours.

1. “Loving the Alien” 7:11
2. “Don’t Look Down” 4:11
3. “God Only Knows” 3:08
4. “Tonight” (with Tina Turner) 3:46
5. “Neighborhood Threat” 3:12
6. “Blue Jean” 3:11
7. “Tumble and Twirl” 5:00
8. “I Keep Forgettin’ ” 2:34
9. “Dancing with the Big Boys” (with Iggy Pop) 3:34

David Bowie – vocals
Derek Bramble – guitar; guitar synthesiser; bass guitar; synthesiser; backing vocals
Carlos Alomar – guitars
Omar Hakim – drums
Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
Mark King – bass guitar (“Tumble and Twirl”) (uncredited)
Rob Yale – Fairlight CMI (“Loving the Alien”, “Tonight”, “God Only Knows”) (uncredited)
Guy St. Onge – marimba
Sammy Figueroa – percussion
Tina Turner – lead vocals (“Tonight”)
Iggy Pop – backing vocals (“Dancing with the Big Boys”)
Robin Clark – backing vocals
George Simms – backing vocals
Curtis King – backing vocals
Arif Mardin – string arrangements; synthesisers
Mark Pender – flugel horn; trumpet
Stanley Harrison – alto saxophone; tenor saxophone
Lenny Pickett – tenor saxophone; clarinet
Steve Elson – baritone saxophone

Thursday 5/5/22 7pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Low (1977)

Low is the 11th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on January 14, 1977 through RCA Records. After years of drug addiction when living in Los Angeles, Bowie moved to France in 1976 with his friend Iggy Pop to sober up. There, Bowie produced and co-wrote Pop’s debut studio album, The Idiot, featuring sounds Bowie would explore on his next record. After completing The Idiot, Bowie began recording the first of three collaborations that became known as the Berlin Trilogy with American producer Tony Visconti and English musician Brian Eno. Sessions began at Hérouville’s Château d’Hérouville in September 1976 and ended in October at Hansa Studios in West Berlin, where Bowie and Pop had relocated.

Grounded in art rock and experimental rock and influenced by German bands such as Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Harmonia and Kraftwerk, Low features Bowie’s first explorations in electronic and ambient styles. Side one consists primarily of short, direct avant-pop song-fragments, with mostly downbeat lyrics reflecting Bowie’s state of mind, and side two comprises longer, mostly instrumental tracks, conveying musical observations of Berlin. Visconti created the distinctive drum sound using an Eventide H910 Harmonizer, a pitch-shifting device. The cover artwork, a profile of Bowie from the film The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), was intended as a visual pun, meaning “low profile”.

RCA refused to issue Low for three months, fearing it would be a commercial failure. Upon release, it divided critical opinion and received little promotion from RCA or Bowie, who opted to tour as Pop’s keyboardist. Nevertheless, it reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and number 11 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. Two singles were released: “Sound and Vision”, which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, and “Be My Wife”. The success prompted RCA to release The Idiot in March 1977. In mid-1977, Bowie played on Pop’s follow-up album Lust for Life before recording his album “Heroes”, which expanded on Low’s musical approach and features a similar mix of songs and instrumentals.

1. “Speed of Life” 2:46
2. “Breaking Glass” 1:51
3. “What in the World” 2:23
4. “Sound and Vision” 3:03
5. “Always Crashing in the Same Car” 3:29
6. “Be My Wife” 2:55
7. “A New Career in a New Town” 2:51
8. “Warszawa” 6:20
9. “Art Decade” 3:43
10. “Weeping Wall” 3:26
11. “Subterraneans” 5:39

David Bowie – vocals (2–6, 8, 10–11), saxophones (4, 11), guitar (6, 9–11), pump bass (6), harmonica (7), vibraphone (9–10), xylophone (10), pre-arranged percussion (10), keyboards: ARP synthesiser (1, 10–11), Chamberlin: Credited on the album sleeve notes as “tape horn and brass” (1), “synthetic strings” (1, 4, 9–10), “tape cellos” (5) and “tape sax section” (7), piano (7, 9–11)
Brian Eno – keyboards: Minimoog (2, 8–9), ARP (3, 11), EMS Synthi AKS (listed as “E.M.I.”) (3, 5), piano (7–9, 11), Chamberlin (8–9), other synthesisers, vocals (4), guitar treatments (5), synthetics (7)
Carlos Alomar – rhythm guitars (1, 3–7), lead guitar (1, 2)
Dennis Davis – percussion (1–7)
George Murray – bass (1–7, 11)
Ricky Gardiner – rhythm guitar (2), lead guitar (3–7)
Roy Young – piano (1, 3–7), Farfisa organ (3, 5)
Iggy Pop – backing vocals (3)
Mary Visconti – backing vocals (4)
Eduard Meyer – cellos (9)
Peter and Paul – pianos and ARP (11) (a.k.a. J. Peter Robinson and Paul Buckmaster, who had worked with Bowie on The Man Who Fell to Earth soundtrack)

Sunday 4/10/22 2pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (often shortened to Ziggy Stardust) is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on June 16, 1972 in the UK through RCA Records. It was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott and features Bowie’s backing band the Spiders from Mars, comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. Most of the songs were written around the same time as Bowie’s previous album Hunky Dory (1971). After that album was completed, recording for Ziggy Stardust commenced in November 1971 at Trident Studios in London, with further sessions in early February 1972.

Described as a loose concept album and rock opera, Ziggy Stardust concerns Bowie’s titular alter ego Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster. In its story, Ziggy wins the hearts of fans but suffers a fall from grace after succumbing to his own ego. The character was inspired by numerous musicians, including singers Vince Taylor and Iggy Pop. Most of the album’s concept was developed after the songs were recorded. The glam rock and proto-punk musical styles were influenced by Pop, the Velvet Underground, and Marc Bolan of T. Rex, while the lyrics discuss the artificiality of rock music, political issues, drug use, sexual orientation and stardom. The album cover, photographed in monochrome and recolored, was taken in London, outside the home of furriers “K. West”.

Preceded by the single “Starman”, Ziggy Stardust peaked at number 5 in the UK and number 75 in the US. It initially received favorable reviews from music critics; some praised the musicality and concept while others were unable to comprehend it. Shortly after its release, Bowie performed “Starman” on Britain’s Top of the Pops in early July 1972, which propelled him to stardom. The Ziggy character was retained for the subsequent Ziggy Stardust Tour, leaving Bowie unable to differentiate between Ziggy and himself. Not wanting Ziggy to define him, Bowie created a new character for his next album Aladdin Sane (1973), which Bowie described as “Ziggy goes to America”. Performances from the tour were later released on a concert film of the same name with an accompanying live album (1983) and Live Santa Monica ’72 (2008).

Retrospectively, Ziggy Stardust is considered one of Bowie’s best works and has appeared on numerous lists of the greatest albums of all time. Bowie had ideas for a musical based on the album, although this project never came to fruition; ideas were later used for Diamond Dogs (1974). Ziggy Stardust has been reissued several times and was remastered in 2012 for its 40th anniversary. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, being deemed “culturally, historically, or artistically significant” by the Library of Congress.

“Five Years” – 4:42
“Soul Love” – 3:34
“Moonage Daydream” – 4:40
“Starman” – 4:10
“It Ain’t Easy” – 2:58
“Lady Stardust” – 3:22
“Star” – 2:47
“Hang On to Yourself” – 2:40
“Ziggy Stardust” – 3:13
“Suffragette City” – 3:25
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” – 2:58

David Bowie – vocals, acoustic guitar, saxophone
Mick Ronson – electric guitar, piano, backing vocals, string arrangements
Trevor Bolder – bass guitar
Mick Woodmansey – drums
Rick Wakeman – harpsichord (“It Ain’t Easy”) (uncredited)
Dana Gillespie – backing vocals (“It Ain’t Easy”) (uncredited)

Saturday 3/12/22 10am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Young Americans (1975)

Young Americans is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on March 7, 1975 by RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie’s previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and R&B. Commentators have described the record as blue-eyed soul, while Bowie himself labelled the album’s sound “plastic soul”. Initial recording sessions took place following the first leg of his Diamond Dogs Tour in August 1974 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with producer Tony Visconti and a variety of musicians, including guitarist Carlos Alomar, who would become one of Bowie’s most frequent collaborators, and then-unknown singer Luther Vandross. After the initial sessions, the tour continued, with the setlist and design changed due to the influence of the new material recorded; this portion of the tour has been labeled the “Soul tour”.

At the end of the tour, sessions continued at the Record Plant in New York City. After becoming friends with former Beatle John Lennon, the two collaborated on a session in January 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, with Harry Maslin producing. With Alomar, they recorded a cover of Lennon’s Beatles song “Across the Universe” and “Fame”. The session also marked drummer Dennis Davis’s first appearance on a Bowie record. Throughout the sessions, many outtakes were recorded and the record went through numerous working titles. The cover artwork is a back-lit photograph of Bowie taken by Eric Stephen Jacobs.

Upon its release, Young Americans was very successful in the US, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with the single “Fame” becoming Bowie’s first No. 1 hit. However, it received mixed reviews from music critics and continues to receive mixed reviews. Bowie himself had mixed feelings about the album throughout his lifetime. Nevertheless, Bowie biographers have considered it one of his most influential records, mainly noting him as among the first white musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles. The album has since been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

1. “Young Americans” 5:11
2. “Win” 4:44
3. “Fascination” 5:45
4. “Right” 4:15

1. “Somebody Up There Likes Me” 6:36
2. “Across the Universe” 4:29
3. “Can You Hear Me?” 5:03
4. “Fame” 4:16

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Carlos Alomar – guitars
Mike Garson – piano
David Sanborn – saxophone
Willie Weeks – bass guitar (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Andy Newmark – drums (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Earl Slick – guitars

Larry Washington – conga
Ava Cherry – backing vocals
Robin Clark – backing vocals
Luther Vandross – backing vocals, vocal arrangements
Pablo Rosario – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
John Lennon – vocals, guitar, backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Emir Ksasan – bass guitar (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Dennis Davis – drums (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Ralph MacDonald – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Fineberg – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Millington – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)

Tuesday 1/25/22 1am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Let’s Dance (1983)

Let’s Dance is the 15th studio album by English singer-songwriter David Bowie, released on April 14, 1983 by EMI America Records. After the release of Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980), Bowie began a period of numerous musical collaborations and film appearances. During this time, he also left RCA Records due to dissatisfaction. After signing with EMI America in late 1982, Bowie decided he wanted a fresh start, and chose Nile Rodgers of the rock/disco band Chic to co-produce his next record.

The album was recorded in December 1982 at the Power Station in New York City. The sessions featured entirely new personnel, including then-unknown Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan on lead guitar. For the first time ever, Bowie played no instruments, solely contributing vocals. Musically, Let’s Dance has been described as a post-disco record, with elements of dance-rock, dance-pop and new wave. It contains three cover songs: Iggy Pop’s “China Girl”, which Bowie and Pop recorded together for Pop’s The Idiot (1977); Metro’s “Criminal World”; and a reworking of “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”, originally recorded by Bowie and Giorgio Moroder in 1982 for the film of the same name.

Let’s Dance was released to massive commercial success, reaching number one in numerous countries, and turned Bowie into a major superstar; it remains Bowie’s best-selling album. The record’s four singles, including the title track, were all commercially successful as well. However, the album received mixed reviews from music critics whose opinions on the artistic content varied. The title track and “China Girl” were supported by music videos that received heavy airplay on MTV. It was supported by the Serious Moonlight Tour, which featured the return of guitarists Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick.

Despite the massive success of the album, Let’s Dance began a period of low creativity for Bowie. He felt that he had to pander his music to his new acquired audience, which led to his follow-up albums, Tonight (1984) and Never Let Me Down (1987), being critically dismissed. He would later reflect poorly on the period that began with Let’s Dance, referring to it as his “Phil Collins years”. Bowie’s biographers have also given mixed assessments on the record. The album was remastered in 2018 and included in the box set Loving the Alien (1983–1988).

1. “Modern Love” 4:46
2. “China Girl” 5:32
3. “Let’s Dance” 7:37
4. “Without You” 3:08
5. “Ricochet” 5:14
6. “Criminal World” 4:25
7. “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” 5:09
8. “Shake It” 3:49

David Bowie – lead vocals; producer; engineer; assistant mixing; horn arrangements
Nile Rodgers – guitar; producer; engineer; assistant mixing; horn arrangements
Stevie Ray Vaughan – lead guitar
Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
Bernard Edwards – bass guitar on “Without You”
Omar Hakim, Tony Thompson – drums
Sammy Figueroa – percussion
Robert Sabino – keyboards, piano
Stan Harrison – tenor saxophone; flute
Robert Aaron – tenor saxophone
Steve Elson – baritone saxophone; flute
Mac Gollehon – trumpet
Frank Simms, George Simms, David Spinner – backing vocals

Monday 1/10/22 4pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1981 (by title) A to Z – Part 5

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1981 A2Z.

We complete letter E and start F. We feature music from: Stevie Nicks, Oak Ridge Boys, Elton John, AC/DC, Michael Stanley Band, Olivia Newton-john, Meat Loaf, Whispers, David Bowie, Haircut 100, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Starship, Triumph and many more. . .

4pm to 7pm ET

Friday 1/7/22 1pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 9

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter K and start with L and feature music from: David Bowie, Temptations, Edward Bear, Independents, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Paul Simon, Olivia Newton-john, Shocking Blue, Brownsville Station, Three Dog Night, Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose and many more.

1pm to 3pm ET

Thursday 1/6/22 2pm ET: RadioMaxMusic Special: The Music of 1973 A to Z – Part 8

This RadioMax special features our Library of music from 1973 A2Z.

We continue with the completion of letter I and J and start the K list and feature music from: David Bowie, Queen, Seals and Crofts, Allman Brothers Band, Argent, Spinners, Baby Washington, Jim Croce, Bruce Springsteen, Electric Light Orchestra, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chicago and many more.

2pm to 6pm ET

Friday 12/17/21 11pm ET: Feature LP: David Bowie (2021)

Toy is a posthumously released album by English musician David Bowie. The album was recorded for release in 2001, and leaked onto the Internet in 2011. Although Bowie had begun recording the album intending to feature new versions of some of his earliest pieces as well as three new songs, its sessions led him to Heathen (2002) and it was not released officially until Warner Music Group announced on September 29, 2021 that it would get an official release as part of the box set Brilliant Adventure (1992–2001) on November 26, 2021. A separate deluxe edition will be released on January 7, 2022.

1. “I Dig Everything” 5:03
2. “You’ve Got a Habit of Leaving” 4:48
3. “The London Boys” 3:47
4. “Karma Man” 3:46
5. “Conversation Piece” 3:53
6. “Shadow Man” 4:40
7. “Let Me Sleep Beside You” 3:14
8. “Hole in the Ground” 3:32
9. “Baby Loves That Way” 4:37
10. “Can’t Help Thinking About Me” 3:25
11. “Silly Boy Blue” 5:35
12. “Toy (Your Turn to Drive)” 4:16

David Bowie – vocals, keyboards, stylophone, mandolin
Earl Slick – guitar
Gail Ann Dorsey – bass
Mark Plati – bass, guitars
Sterling Campbell – drums
Lisa Germano – violin
Holly Palmer – backing vocals
Emm Gryner – backing vocals
Gerry Leonard – guitars
Mike Garson – piano
Tony Visconti – string arrangements

Friday 7/23/21 1am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971)

Hunky Dory is the fourth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on December 17, 1971 by RCA Records. Following the release of his 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie took time off from recording and touring. He settled down to write new songs, composing on piano rather than guitar as on earlier tracks. Following a tour of the United States, Bowie assembled a new backing band consisting of guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey, and began to record a new album in mid-1971 at Trident Studios in London. Future Yes member Rick Wakeman contributed on piano. Bowie co-produced the album with Ken Scott, who had engineered Bowie’s previous two records.

Compared to the guitar-driven hard rock sound of The Man Who Sold the World, Bowie opted for a warmer, more melodic piano-based pop rock and art pop style on Hunky Dory. His lyrical concerns on the record range from the compulsive nature of artistic reinvention on “Changes”, to occultism and Nietzschean philosophy on “Oh! You Pretty Things” and “Quicksand”; several songs make cultural and literary references. He was also inspired by his stateside tour to write songs dedicated to three American icons: Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed. The song “Kooks” was dedicated to Bowie’s newborn son Duncan. The album’s cover artwork, photographed in monochrome and subsequently recoloured, features Bowie in a pose inspired by actresses of the Hollywood Golden Age.

Upon release, Hunky Dory and its lead single “Changes” received little promotion from RCA who were wary that Bowie would transform his image shortly. Thus, despite very positive reviews from the British and American music press, the album initially sold poorly and failed to chart. It was only after the commercial breakthrough of Bowie’s 1972 follow-up album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars that Hunky Dory itself became a commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Retrospectively, Hunky Dory has been critically acclaimed as one of Bowie’s best works, and features on several lists of the greatest albums of all time. Within the context of his career, it is considered to be the album where “Bowie starts to become Bowie”, definitively discovering his voice and style.

“Changes” – 3:37
“Oh! You Pretty Things” – 3:12
“Eight Line Poem” – 2:55
“Life on Mars?” – 3:43
“Kooks” – 2:53
“Quicksand” – 5:08
“Fill Your Heart” – 3:07
“Andy Warhol” – 3:56
“Song for Bob Dylan” – 4:12
“Queen Bitch” – 3:18
“The Bewlay Brothers” – 5:22

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, alto and tenor saxophone, piano (“Oh! You Pretty Things”, “Eight Line Poem”)
Mick Ronson – guitar, vocals, Mellotron, arrangements
Trevor Bolder – bass guitar, trumpet
Mick Woodmansey – drums
Rick Wakeman – piano

Wednesday 5/12/21 7pm ET: The Rock Show

This week music from Foo Fighters, Noel Gallagher, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Grace Slick, Bryan Adams, Staind, Tool, Doors, Alice Cooper, Dirty Honey, Boston and more . .

Monday 3/15/21 12am ET: Feature LP: David Bowie – Young Americans (1975)

Young Americans is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on March 7, 1975 by RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie’s previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and R&B. Commentators have described the record as blue-eyed soul, while Bowie himself labelled the album’s sound “plastic soul”. Initial recording sessions took place following the first leg of his Diamond Dogs Tour in August 1974 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia with producer Tony Visconti and a variety of musicians, including guitarist Carlos Alomar, who would become one of Bowie’s most frequent collaborators, and then-unknown singer Luther Vandross. After the initial sessions, the tour continued, with the setlist and design changed due to the influence of the new material recorded; this portion of the tour has been labeled the “Soul tour”.

At the end of the tour, sessions continued at the Record Plant in New York City. After becoming friends with former Beatle John Lennon, the two collaborated on a session in January 1975 at Electric Lady Studios, with Harry Maslin producing. With Alomar, they recorded a cover of Lennon’s Beatles song “Across the Universe” and “Fame”. The session also marked drummer Dennis Davis’s first appearance on a Bowie record. Throughout the sessions, many outtakes were recorded and the record went through numerous working titles. The cover artwork is a back-lit photograph of Bowie taken by Eric Stephen Jacobs.

Upon its release, Young Americans was very successful in the US, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with the single “Fame” becoming Bowie’s first No. 1 hit. However, it received mixed reviews from music critics and continues to receive mixed reviews. Bowie himself had mixed feelings about the album throughout his lifetime. Nevertheless, Bowie biographers have considered it one of his most influential records, mainly noting him as among the first white musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles. The album has since been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

1. “Young Americans” 5:11
2. “Win” 4:44
3. “Fascination” 5:45
4. “Right” 4:15

1. “Somebody Up There Likes Me” 6:36
2. “Across the Universe” 4:29
3. “Can You Hear Me?” 5:03
4. “Fame” 4:16

David Bowie – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Carlos Alomar – guitars
Mike Garson – piano
David Sanborn – saxophone
Willie Weeks – bass guitar (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Andy Newmark – drums (all tracks except “Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Earl Slick – guitars

Larry Washington – conga
Ava Cherry – backing vocals
Robin Clark – backing vocals
Luther Vandross – backing vocals, vocal arrangements
Pablo Rosario – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
John Lennon – vocals, guitar, backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Emir Ksasan – bass guitar (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Dennis Davis – drums (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Ralph MacDonald – percussion (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Fineberg – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)
Jean Millington – backing vocals (“Across the Universe” and “Fame”)

 

Friday 1/8/2021 12pm ET: Artist Countdown: David Bowie Top 50 Hits

David Robert Jones (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016), known professionally as David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone placed him among its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and named him the “Greatest Rock Star Ever” following his death in 2016.

Bowie first caught the eye and ear of the public in July 1969, when his song “Space Oddity” reached the top five of the UK Singles Chart. After a three-year period of experimentation he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with the flamboyant, androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust, spearheaded by the hit single “Starman” and the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Bowie’s impact at that time, as described by biographer David Buckley, “challenged the core belief of the rock music of its day” and “created perhaps the biggest cult in popular culture.” The relatively short-lived Ziggy persona proved merely one facet of a career marked by continual reinvention, musical innovation and striking visual presentation.

In 1975, Bowie achieved his first major American crossover success with the number-one single “Fame” and the hit album Young Americans, which the singer characterised as “plastic soul”. The sound constituted a radical shift in style that initially alienated many of his UK devotees. He then confounded the expectations of both his record label and his American audiences by recording the minimalist album Low (1977)—the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno over the next two years. These so-called “Berlin Trilogy” albums all reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise. After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes”, its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure”, a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He then reached a new commercial peak in 1983 with Let’s Dance, which yielded several hit singles. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including blue-eyed soul, industrial, adult contemporary, and jungle. He has not toured since the 2003–04 Reality Tour and has not performed live since 2006. Bowie’s latest studio album The Next Day was released in March 2013.

Buckley says of Bowie: “His influence has been unique in popular culture—he has permeated and altered more lives than any comparable figure.” In the BBC’s 2002 poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, Bowie was placed at number 29. Throughout his career, he has sold an estimated 140 million albums. In the UK, he has been awarded nine Platinum album certifications, 11 Gold and eight Silver, and in the US, five Platinum and seven Gold certifications. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him 39th on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”, and 23rd on their list of the best singers of all time. 

1	Let’s Dance
2	China Girl
3	This Is Not America (with Pat Metheny Group)
4	Blue Jean
5	Absolute Beginners
6	Under Pressure (with Queen)
7	Dancing in the Street (with Mick Jagger)
8	Day-In Day-Out
9	Ashes to Ashes
10	Jump They Say
11	Modern Love
12	Underground
13	Cat People (Putting Out Fire)
14	Rebel Rebel
15	Fashion
16	Where Are We Now?
17	Hallo Spaceboy
18	Tonight(with Tina Turner)
19	Space Oddity
20	Golden Years
21	Sound and Vision
22	The Jean Genie
23	Fame ’90
24	Time Will Crawl
25	Fame
26	Heroes
27	Loving the Alien
28	Never Let Me Down
29	Real Cool World
30	The Hearts Filthy Lesson
31	Thursday’s Child
32	Knock on Wood
33	Boys Keep Swinging
34	Sorrow
35	Life on Mars?
36	Young Americans
37	Starman
38	Slow Burn
39	TVC 15
40	Drive-In Saturday
41	The Laughing Gnome
42	John, I’m Only Dancing
43	Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide
44	Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
45	Diamond Dogs
46	The Stars (Are Out Tonight)
47	I’m Afraid of Americans
48	Suffragette City
49	Dead Man Walking
50	Changes

Monday 4pm ET: Feature Artist – David Bowie

David Robert Jones (January 8, 1947 – January 10, 2016), known professionally as David Bowie was an English singer-songwriter and actor. He was a leading figure in the music industry and is considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, with his music and stagecraft having a significant impact on popular music. During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million albums worldwide, made him one of the world’s best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, and released eleven number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

Born in Brixton, South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. “Space Oddity” became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single “Starman” and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie’s style shifted radically towards a sound he characterised as “plastic soul”, initially alienating many of his UK devotees but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single “Fame” and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth, directed by Nicolas Roeg, and released Station to Station. The following year, he further confounded musical expectations with the electronic-inflected album Low (1977), the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the “Berlin Trilogy”. “Heroes” (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.

After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had UK number ones with the 1980 single “Ashes to Ashes”, its parent album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and “Under Pressure”, a 1981 collaboration with Queen. He reached his commercial peak in 1983 with Let’s Dance; the album’s title track topped both UK and US charts. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of liver cancer at his home in New York City, two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).

Tuesday 4pm: Sounds of The 80s

This week on The Sounds of The 80s we feature tunes from:  Leslie Pearl, Whitesnake, Chicago, Pretenders, David Bowie, Pebbles, Wham!, Erasure, Billy Idol, Alabama, John Mellencamp and more . . .