Soul, New Romanticism, or out and out Pop
Machine, he was not just the Jack of all trades,
he was the Master of them.
commercial in the experimental. Truly, a
visionary.
He knew exactly who to work with, who would
provide the perfect foil. To illustrate: back in
the late 80's, I saw a young black bass player
appear on UK TV for the first time. Possessed
with a great voice, and a great single, I rushed
out to buy her album, convinced she was going
to be huge. She wasn't, but rather than fading
into obscurity, she next turned up onstage with
Bowie. I often imagine him watching that same
TV show as me, recognising something in her
that would complement his style perfectly,
which of course she did. Gail Ann Dorsey
became his 'Ronno' for the 90's.
Many acts have been consigned to the
graveyard of obscurity by trying to follow
Bowie's example of relentless change and
exploration. But the fact is, it takes a rare
talent, a visionary, to change so rapidly and
consistently, maintain the standard and maintain
your fanbase. Bowie's importance as an artist,
viewed in this way, cannot be understated.
Whether it be Folk Rock, Glam Rock, White Boy
He was one of the few 'rock stars' who
managed to have a successful career in film
without detriment to his 'day job'. Indeed, his
appearances coincide with some of my favorite
movies: 'Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence', 'The
Prestige', and of course, Nicholas Roeg's
masterpiece 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'. But I
think it was his casting in The Prestige as the
genius Nikolai Tesla that was perhaps the most
apt. He certainly shared Tesla's position as a
man ahead of his time.
I count myself lucky to have worked with the
Spiders' bassist Trevon Bolder, when he was
with Uriah Heep, and I appeared at a festival
with them in Bosnia, and James Stevenson (The
Cult, Gene Loves Jezebel) with whom I was
working on the same bill and talking to some
months ago. He was about to embark on a tour
Stateside with Woody Woodmansey's 'Holy
Holy'. I mentioned to James what a wonderful
collection of songs he would be playing. Little
did we know it would eventually manifest itself
as a tribute to the man's legacy, given an added
poignancy by also featuring Bowie's most
important producer and close friend, Tony
Visconti.
The phrase 'we shall not see his like again' is
one oft-bandied around when an artist passes,
but on this occasion, it is entirely fitting. The
creative vacuum that David Bowie has left
cannot be filled in our lifetime. It is not simply
the end of the man. It is the end of an era.
Only David Bowie could turn his passing into
one of his most profound pieces of work,
bowing out with such dignity and style that we
were all left awestruck and bereft in equal
measure.
Whichever universe the Starman currently
inhabits, this one is the poorer for his loss.
- Kev Moore Turre, Spain February 2016