Brett Morgen's "Moonage Daydream": A Review of the David Bowie Music Doc by Steve Goldberg

Plus, a peek behind the NBC-Burbank curtain for Bowie's "Tonight Show" appearance in 1980, AND, new bonus material about the "Moonage Daydream" Ziggy-era song!

As

Steve Goldberg

of Earworms and Song Loops says in his recent article’s intro: “I had the great pleasure of being invited to watch a sneak preview of the new Brett Morgen documentary on David Bowie, Moonage Daydream, in an IMAX theater in San Francisco.

“I’ll admit that although I was open to attending this screening, I was not overly excited to see the film. I’d already seen a couple of decent, biographically-leaning Bowie docs (Sound and Vision, 5 Years). What more was there to say about the Thin White Duke that hadn’t already been said?

“Apparently, a lot.”

So, hop on over to Steve’s place at Earworms and Song Loops (link is below), and check out his review and thoughtful insights on Moonage Daydream from your FRONT ROW seat!

Then, after you peruse some of Steve’s other creative articles (as you consider subscribing, as I do, enthusiastically), come back here for the after-party, BACKSTAGE, to enjoy my personal account of being at Burbank's NBC-TV studios that day in 1980 when Bowie appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (Bob Hope and Richard Pryor were also guests!), as well as some bonus material about Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” song pulled together by the crack FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE staff just for this event!

It’s a full night, so let’s get to it! The bus is waiting!👇

Freak Out in a Moonage Daydream Oh Yeah!

Brad Kyle’s personal account of attending NBC-TV’s Burbank Studios the night of Bowie’s 1980 appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson…

…includes a found interview with Bowie’s bassist for the night, John Kumnick, as he remembers that memorable night (where Bowie performed “Life on Mars” and “Ashes to Ashes”).

Few know that Bowie, having taken some time off beforehand (and had no functioning, rehearsed band, except for longtime personal guitarist, Carlos Alomar), had to hastily assemble the band you see on The Tonight Show, and John was a member of that one-off band!

Not only was that evening extraordinary (and the events surrounding it), but I think it’ll add some colorful shading that will blend neatly with Steve's wonderful account of the new Moonage Daydream doc. Enjoy!👇

NEW! BONUS MATERIAL ON BOWIE’S CLASSIC “MOONAGE DAYDREAM” SONG

The song, “Moonage Daydream,” was the third track on David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, released on RCA Records (US & UK) on June 16, 1972, the summer before my senior year of high school. 

I have a very personal relationship with this album, as it became as much of a favorite to listen to as it was an influential piece for inspiring many of my musical adventures in the years that followed!

I purchased the album at my local Houston (TX) record store for $2.99, which, during the first week of release, was the sale price for the store. It would then increase to $3.99, and all this on a 1972 list price schedule of $4.98 for RCA.

This song, essentially, is our introduction to the Ziggy Stardust character, on an album that’s less a rock opera (as some have described) than it is, simply, a concept album.

According to SongFacts, “Moonage Daydream” was written by Bowie “specifically for 19-year-old fashion designer Fred Burrett, whom he met in The Sombrero gay bar” on Kensington High Street in London.

Photos of Freddie courtesy https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/fashion-s-unsung-designers-bowie-s-freddie-burretti/2016012719192 (same for Bowie photos below)

Bowie’s designs for the newly-dubbed Freddie Burretti (aka Rudi Valentino) was to groom him for stardom (as a singer), and while credited as a vocalist on the song, a take of the song he might have recorded was not used as the final take that made it onto the Ziggy album. Burretti ended up designing a number of suits, though, for Bowie, among them:

Back to SongFacts:

“Bowie got the lyrics for ‘Moonage Daydream’ by using the cut-up method employed by Beat novelist, William S. Burroughs (Naked Lunch), and artist Brion Gysin.

At the time of the “Moonage Daydream” song (ca. 1972), he was doing this manually, cutting up his own jottings, and then rearranging them at random, looking for psychic patterns. Later, he took to using a computer program that allowed him to draw large text samples from books and magazines, as well.

“In a 2003 interview with Performing Songwriter magazine, Bowie explained how the song, “Sho’ Know a Lot About Love” by the Hollywood Argyles (a studio band who had a #1 hit with “Alley Oop” in 1960, and which featured Kim Fowley as co-producer. Fowley would later produce albums by The Runaways) influenced this song. 

“Said Bowie: ‘It was a combination of the baritone sax and the piccolo on the solo which I thought, ‘Now, there's a great thing to put in a rock song’ (laughs)….which I nicked, then put in ‘Moonage Daydream’ later!'”