When David Bowie wanted to recharge, he reached for black vinyl spanning an eclectic range from soul to Polish folk ballet. The recently published book Music Lover: The Inside Story of David Bowie’s Record Collection reveals the breadth of the Thin White Duke’s musical appetite, stretching from Bobby Womack to Kendrick Lamar.
Co-author Geoff MacCormack, a lifelong friend of Bowie, recalled to The Post that Bowie once found a Polish folk ballet album called Helokanie at Tower Records. “He basically rearranged [it] and made up words to it,” MacCormack said. The result became part of Bowie’s 1977 album Low, recorded in Germany.
Bowie’s curiosity extended beyond mainstream genres. The name Ziggy Stardust, his best-known alter ego, drew inspiration from the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, a Texas singer-songwriter who released singles on Mercury Records in the 1960s, the same label Bowie was signed to. Bowie honored the Cowboy by inviting him to London’s 2002 Meltdown Festival, which Bowie curated. He also covered the Cowboy’s song “I Took a Trip (On a Gemini Space Ship)” on his 2002 album Heathen.
Bowie admired figures like Florence Foster Jenkins, who famously sang off-key. Jérôme Soligny, the book’s other co-author and Bowie’s music journalist friend, said Bowie appreciated those who persisted despite criticism. “David would like the idea of someone who said, ‘People can say I can’t sing, but no one can ever say I didn’t sing,’” Soligny said. Bowie saw value in “accidents” during recording, such as the broken keyboard sound on “Ashes to Ashes,” which became defining.
Bowie’s support extended to younger musicians. Indie rock band Grandaddy caught his attention with their 2000 album The Sophtware Slump. Frontman Jason Lytle told The Post that Bowie praised the album during a Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance, met the band backstage, and requested their songs from his seat at the Beacon Theater. “It was such a confidence boost,” Lytle said. He guessed Bowie responded to the sincerity behind their scrappy farmhouse recordings.
Though Bowie sometimes sent assistants to buy records ahead of trips, he often shopped himself. Bob Abramson, owner of House of Oldies Rare Records in Greenwich Village, remembered Bowie as “extremely nice” with “fluffy” hair. Bowie collected rare rockabilly records by Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent and bought a first pressing of Larry Williams, who wrote “Bony Moronie” and “Dizzy, Miss Lizzy,” for around $200 at the time.
Another New York record store, Bleecker Bob’s Golden Oldies, was run by Bob Plotkin, who enjoyed teasing Bowie. Jennifer “JK” Kitzer, Plotkin’s partner, told Dylan Jones for his Bowie biography that Plotkin called Bowie “Davie” and played “The Laughing Gnome,” one of Bowie’s sillier songs, much to Bowie’s embarrassment and delight. Before his 1995 tour with Nine Inch Nails, Bowie stocked up on techno records at the store.
MacCormack and Bowie often exchanged musical recommendations by text and email. Their last exchange came in August 2015, when MacCormack shared a YouTube clip of experimental band Algiers. Bowie replied, “Geoff, your music choices are so on the money, every time. I’m so glad you’ve been my friend all these years. I miss you lots, now f–k off!!” MacCormack responded in kind, “Yes, likewise pal. Off and f–ked.”
Bowie’s record collection spanned decades, genres, and borders. It traced unusual paths, from Polish folk ballet to Texas punk oddities, and threaded through moments of creative spontaneity and personal connection. His musical choices reflected a restless curiosity and a willingness to embrace the unexpected.
According to NY POST.
