OR WERE THEY?
How an Old Beatles Song Connected David Bowie With John Lennon
For those of the younger generations that do not know who the characters of Felix Unger and Oscar Madison were, they were characters in the hit television situation comedy in the US called, The Odd Couple. The series was based on the 1965 play The Odd Couple, written by Neil Simon. It was a situation comedy about two seemingly radically different personalities with different interests and the bizarre situations that their differences would lead to as they lived together in an urban apartment. One was a sportswriter who was very haphazard and somewhat negligent in dealing with things being in their proper place. The other character, Felix was a photographer and was rather obsessive as a neat-freak and was extremely neurotic and fussy. The television series ran from 1970 to 1975 and starred Tony Randall and Jack Klugman. When you think of rockstars John Lennon and David Bowie, do you see more similarities than differences? Does it surprise you that both men seemed to appreciate each other’s talents? Were John Lennon and David Bowie, the rockstar’s Odd Couple and actually radically different or were they more similar to being birds of a feather?
Both were the adventuresome sort, continually trying to stretch the boundaries of what was considered to be the acceptable norms for popular music. They both had banned album covers and they both loved to shock their audiences! Bowie has acknowledged John Lennon to be a primary inspiration saying that John was a pro at using elements of the so-called avant garde and making it seem acceptable to the masses in his music. Bowie was also impressed with John’s wit and sense of humor. He was amused when asking John what he thought of Bowie’s early style of “glam rock.” John quickly responded, “It’s just rock ‘n’ roll with lipstick on it.”
Ironically, John Lennon was introduced to David Bowie at a party by Hollywood actress, Elizabeth Taylor. This encounter is wonderfully described in May Pang’s book called, Loving John as well as the incident where Bowie played his Young Americans LP endlessly and repetitively to Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and May Pang.
As well as the May Pang book, the story is also recalled in the book Come Together: Lennon and McCartney in the Seventies by Richard White
John Lennon, May Pang, the McCartneys meet Bowie in 1975 : r/beatles
Both David and John at specific points in their history were not averse to excessive substance abuse with the expectations that those substances would give them significant musical inspiration! Both artists were well-read despite not having been highly formally educated in school. Both had interest in art and politics as well as music and had wide definitions of what would fall into those categories! Both men seemed to have childhoods that had strong elements of unhappiness! Both artists seemed like they were on a lifelong search for something elusive that they were unable to attain! Despite public perception of the image of both men being as self-confident and assertive as individuals, one gets the notion that in reality those perceptions were examples of public bravado. Both men often exhibited great sensitivity and many of their songs and interviews revealed they were actually very insecure and required attention and acknowledgement from others to help complete their attempts of self-discovery!
For some reason, which many McCartney fans find to be unfathomable and unreasonable, Bowie seemed to prefer Mr. Lennon’s music and a link among the many links below seems to substantiate that claim. It probably had something to do with Paul’s intense preference for commercialism and the desire to always be at the top of the charts with the hits and his wonderful talents of producing melodic singalong style of music, whereas John’s music was less predictable, certainly not as overtly commercial, and had many unpredictable time signature changes! Bowie also appreciated John’s ability with lyrics and wordplay, a talent that he also possessed!
Both men continually went through changes in both image and physical appearance over the years. Bowie was continually changing the characters he would play such as:
The Thin White Duke, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Halloween Jack, the Thin White Duke, and the Blind Prophet.
Conversely, look at the many hairstyle and appearance changes of Mr. Lennon had over the years. Both men loved to shock their respective publics and to try to stay one step ahead of them and often go well beyond their audience expectations to appear as trailblazers which I believe gave both men great pleasure and satisfaction! At times it would also make them chuckle as they would love to keep their audiences guessing as to what they meant in some of their musical numbers!
I could be wrong, but it does not appear that David Bowie ever covered a Paul McCartney song other than being a backup singer of Let It Be at the Live-Aid concert: Paul McCartney – Let It Be (Live Aid 1985)
BOWIE’S LENNON COVERS: MOTHER
Originally this was a Bowie cover designed for a special Lennon Tribute release to be put together by Yoko. This idea was abandoned and Bowie later issued his version of Mother as a limited edition 45 with a Bob Dylan flip side which I purchased on eBay! There is also a Sinead O’Connor cover of Mind Games on YouTube that was also intended for that abandoned Lennon tribute album!
Some people perceive that Bowie admired this Lennon number as his childhood was not particularly happy as well…
David Bowie – Mother (Official Audio)
and another track from the abandoned Lennon tribute album: this one by Sinead O’Connor
Sinead O’Connor – Mind Games (2009 Remaster) [Official Audio]
Background on the 45 that I purchased from eBay!
Quite the star lineup, Bowie, Dylan and Lennon:
IMAGINE PERFORMED BY BOWIE:
David Bowie – Imagine (Live) [Official Video] [HD]
WORKING CLASS HERO PERFORMED BY BOWIE AND TIN MACHINE:
Working Class Hero (1999 Remaster)AN EARLY BOWIE COVER OF JOHN’S THIS BOY-FROM 1972:
Saw this on YouTube from August 27, 1972, in Bristol, UK- not the best quality
David Bowie LIVE RARE This Boy
BOWIE’S COVER OF ACROSS THE UNIVERSE:
Across the Universe (2016 Remaster)
BOWIE’s FIRST #1 IN AMERICA-WRITTEN BY BOWIE/LENNON/ALOMAR-FAME
Fame (2016 Remaster)
YOUNG AMERICANS TITLE TRACK WHERE BOWIE QUOTES FROM A DAY IN THE LIFE
Young Americans (2016 Remaster)
“I Read the News Today, Oh Boy!”
BOWIE’S LIFE ON MARS WHERE HE SLYLY REFERS TO THE BEATLES COMMERCIAL APPEAL FROM HUNKY DORY:
and a line from Life on Mars on Hunky Dory:
David Bowie – Life On Mars? Bowie’s great line from the Hunky Dory LP of “Now the workers have struck for fame, cause Lennon’s on sale again!
DAVID BOWIE AND CARLOS ALOMAR REFECT ON JOHN:
David Bowie On John Lennon
Carlos Alomar remembers the death of John Lennon – David Bowie Convention 2024
BOWIE’S 1999 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT BERKLEE AND HIS COMMENTS ABOUT JOHN LENNON:
David Bowie | Berklee Commencement Address 1999
BOWIE’S COVER OF A GEORGE HARRISON SONG:
David Bowie – Try Some, Buy Some
DAVID BOWIE – TRY SOME, BUY SOME – LIVE ROTTERDAM 2003 – A REALITY TOUR
BOWIE AND LENNON AT THE 1975 GRAMMY AWARDS:
John and Paul (Simon) present the 1975 Grammy for Record of the Year with a surprise guest
17th GRAMMYs: Paul Simon and John Lennon co-presenting the GRAMMY for Record Of The Year | GRAMMYs
Bowie at the same show presenting a Grammy to Aretha Franklin: Watch who is viewing his speech from the audience!
David Bowie Presents R&B Grammy Award, 01 March 1975
A RARE RADIO INTERVIEW OF BOTH LENNON AND BOWIE BY ALEX BENNETT FOLLOWING THE GRAMMY AWARDS:
March 2, 1975 (John) WPLJ Radio : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
BOWIE AND LENNON REFLECT ABOUT EACH OTHER:
David Bowies brilliant John Lennon story 🥲👏 #johnlennon #davidbowie #thebeatles
John Lennon On David Bowie
David Bowie Never Forgot What John Lennon Taught Him
PAUL McCARTNEY AND DAVID BOWIE:
Paul McCartney on David Bowie. #shorts
Paul McCartney and David Bowie
David Bowie Presents Award To Stella MCcartney And Dad Paul Turns Up- 2000 – YouTube
When Bowie, Lennon and McCartney almost formed a SUPERGROUP
David Bowie was not a Paul McCartney’s music fan. #shorts
Fame Bowie’s first #1 in the United States and the Young Americans album
Young Americans – Wikipedia
John Lennon played guitar on Bowie’s cover of Across the Universe, and he also played guitar and sang on the Bowie/Lennon/Alomar composition of Fame.
THE HONG KONG ADVENTURE:
June 1977 John Lennon and David Bowie in Hong Kong – The Beatles
John Lennon and David Bowie’s Hong Kong Adventure (1977)
A photo that I purchased on eBay details are provided below and also details where the photographer, David McGough took the photo!
Details about the photo: When John was killed in 1980, David Bowie was in his stint of performing in “The Elephant Man.”
WHAT SEAN LENNON AND YOKO THOUGHT OF BOWIE:
David Bowie: Yoko Ono pays tribute to singer and calls him a ‘father figure’ to son Sean following John Lennon’s death | The Independent | The Independent
Yoko Ono: David Bowie was a ‘father figure’ to my son after John Lennon died
Sean Lennon Shares Personal Memories Of David Bowie – Inquisitr News
JULIAN AND BOWIE:
Julian Lennon and David Bowie: Photo
DAVID BOWIE, David & Julian Lennon, 1987 | Denis O’Regan Photographer
Hope you enjoyed this discussion of Lennon and Bowie, two musical giants, who are no longer with us!
Be healthy and be happy!
Buzz
