There is no single David Bowie performance — there’s just the one you think of first.
Goodbye, David Bowie
My favorite clips. Send me yours and we’ll add them in:
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Peter Kafka covered media and technology, and their intersection, at Vox. Many of his stories can be found in his Kafka on Media newsletter, and he also hosts the Recode Media podcast.
Here’s mine — “Young Americans,” from a 1974 Dick Cavett appearance. Luther Vandross is one of his backup singers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLcs4VrjZQ
And then you can keep going. And you should.
Here he is in 1972, at the BBC, with “Queen Bitch”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljv8xCt4Bq8
“Under Pressure,” with Annie Lennox and Queen, at the 1992 Freddie Mercury tribute concert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ildVYgYWPqc
And here’s another version of the same song — Bowie and Mercury’s vocal tracks from the original 1981 recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMQb9LCNGxs
It’s also telling, I think, that so many great Bowie performances aren’t by Bowie, but by other people singing his songs.
Nirvana covering “The Man Who Sold the World” on MTV Unplugged in 1993:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fregObNcHC8&app=desktop
And “Queen Bitch,” again, this time by Seu Jorge, at the end of “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGF7zeEXCKY
And great Bowie memories aren’t limited to his hits, either. I’ve always remebered his 2006 cameo on HBO’s “Extras,” where he lovingly eviscerates Ricky Gervais’s character:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv6mEv_rDdE&feature=youtu.be
Want more? Me too. Send me your favorite clips, with a link, and I’ll add them as we go along today. Peter@recode.net.
Update: Thanks for the suggestions, please keep them coming.
The original “Life on Mars,” sent by Josh Weinberger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v–IqqusnNQ
“Golden Years,” from the Serious Moonlight tour, sent by Gilson Rodrigues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcKrr0s2yuY&feature=youtu.be
“Starman,” from 1972, featuring Mick Ronson, sent in by Rafael Ángel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B5zmDz4vR4
“Blackstar,” his very latest, from last November (the new album dropped three days ago), from staffer Amy Keyishian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kszLwBaC4Sw
Simon and Garfunkel’s “America,” performed at the Concert for New York City benefit in 2001. Sent by Doug Hill:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8s3su_david-bowie-simon-and-garfunkel-ame_music
“Sweet Thing,” 1974. Sent by Elizabeth Heichler:
https://youtu.be/uwIko2lGR8Q
“Space Oddity,” performed by Chris Hadfield, an actual astronaut. Sent by Samit Sarkar and Re/code’s Eric Johnson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo
“Life on Mars” and “Ashes to Ashes” on the “Tonight Show” in 1980. Sent by Nathan Taylor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkefglL9c4c
“Heaven’s In Here,” from his Tin Machine phase. Sent by Matt Rosoff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6pV3rfyTFM
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
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