Aladdin Sane to Ziggy Stardust: the A-Z of David Bowie
What name does he use on internet forums? Which Scottish singer recorded The Man Who Sold The World with him? All is revealed in our David Bowie lexicon.
A is for Arnold Corns, the band Bowie formed just before he recorded Ziggy Stardust but which his never appeared in.
B is for Bolan. Marc played guitar on the original recording of Prettiest Star but walked out after a disagreement with David in the studio.
C is for Carlos. One of Bowie’s long-term guitarists, Carlos Alomar first joined the Bowie inner circle for the Young Americans album.
D is for Diamond Dogs. Bowie’s self-produced album after PinUps.
E is for Eno. Brian Eno was a key collaborator on the three “Berlin trilogy” albums – Low, Heroes and Lodger.
F is for Fripp. The King Crimson guitarist drafted in to add polish and attack to Heroes sessions in Berlin.
G is for glam rock. David Bowie is credited with being the midwife of glam after performing Starman on Top of The Pops.
H is for Haddon Hall. The house in Beckenham where David, Angie and Mick Ronson masterminded the Ziggy Stardust look and sound.
I is Ian Hunter. Lead singer of Mott the Hoople, the band that was rescued after Bowie wrote All The Young Dudes for them.
J is for Jones. Bowie’s real surname. His father Haywood Stenton Jones was a bluff Yorkshireman who worked for Barnardo’s.
K is for Kraftwerk. The German band who helped inspire Bowie to return to Europe after losing himself to drugs in LA.
L is for Lulu. The Scottish singer who re-recorded The Man Who Sold The World with David Bowie on production duties.
M is for Mainman. The company set up by fast-talking American Tony De Fries to manage David Bowie in 1972.
N is for Noone. Peter Noone recorded Bowie’s Hunky Dory hit ‘Oh You Pretty Things’.
O is for Osterberg. Jim Osterberg to his mother, but Iggy Pop to his friends. Iggy and the Stooges were a key influence, and Bowie produced several Iggy Pop solo albums.
P is for Pennebaker. DA Pennebaker filmed Ziggy Stardust’s retirement gig at the Hammersmith Odeon.
Q is for Queen, with whom Bowie recorded Under Pressure.
R is for Ronno. Mick Ronson was the lead guitar foil to Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust character.
S is for Sailor, the internet name that Bowie is rumoured to go by when signing in or listening in on fan forum sites.
T is for Taylor. Vince Taylor was a rock and roller who took too much acid and declared himself the messiah. Bowie cites him as one of the inspiratons for Ziggy Stardust.
U is for Underwood. George Underwood is Bowie’s school friend and member of Bowie’s first band, The King Bees.
V is for Visconti. Tony Visconti produced some of the key Bowie albums including the Berlin trilogy, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) and The Next Day.
W is for Weil. Kurt Weil and Bertold Brecht’s Alabama Song was performed and recorded by Bowie in 1978.
X is the indefinable factor that has kept Bowie at the top.
Y is for Young Americans. Bowie’s change of image and sound into his Philadelphia-inspired “plastic soul” album.
Z is for Zowie. David’s son with Angela Bowie, later re-named Duncan and a succesful film director (Moon).