David Bowie- Earthling

“I have flu. To be honest, I feel like shit, Redbeard,” is how my interview with David Bowie began as we sat down to explore his new release then in 1997, Earthling. After I offered to postpone, David politely declined and went on to share a delightful, enthusiastic conversation about Bowie’s twenty-first (!!!) album, Earthling, a worldwide million seller for the former “Starman” and Man Who Fell to Earth.

David Bowie chalked up the enthusiastic reception to Earthling, a #6 seller in the UK, to his chemistry with his live band featuring co-writer/guitarist Reeves Gabrels, longtime keyboard player Mike Garson, bass player Gail Ann Dorsey, and drummer Zack Alford. “I’ve not been so happy with a band as I am with this one for so many years…I just feel like we’ve become so much like a unit, both musically and socially. It’s been a great occasion of happiness for all of us…I just couldn’t be happier in performance at all.”

In my classic rock interview, David Bowie discusses performing “Scary Monsters” on Saturday Night Live; plus the backstories to Earthling‘s “Little Wonder”, “Seven Years in Tibet”, “Dead Man Walking”, and his co-write with Brian Eno, “I’m Afraid of Americans”; how he nicked from the very first song he ever wrote, “Can’t Help Thinking About Me”; and even includes a terrific live version of “New Killer Star” from 2003 Sessions @AOL. -Redbeard