David Bowie Wonderworld - Mirabelle Diaries: January 1975

1975
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MY WORLD by David Bowie

A WEEKLY DIARY EXCLUSIVELY WRITTEN FOR MIRABELLE MAGAZINE

Spectrum Arena, Philadelphia 1974

4th January 1975

You may think the holiday season is well and truly over but it isn't quite. My birthday's coming up, you see! Some people think birthdays are enough cause for a celebration and you know me - I'll use any excuse for a party! I'll soon be twenty-eight years old and I'm afraid I'm turning into an old man right before your very eyes! Only kidding - I've still got a few good years in me! Anyway, my room currently looks like a florist's shop with all the flowers sent by well-wishers, and I think that I could possibly pass out from the over-powering scent! Seriously, it's is quite fabulous that everyone over here has remembered my birthday. Well, what next! Oh yes, I just saw the most fabulous film! It's probably old news to you 'cos I know that it's been out for months in England - but it's just out in America. It's the new David Essex movie, 'Stardust', and it shows what some pop stars' lives are really like. I found it very funny in parts and oh-so-sad in other parts. Angie saw it, too, and said that it should be shown to everyone who wants to be a star so that they know what they're in for. She doesn't mean that it's always as strange as it was in the film, but yes, it does happen! Angie and Susie Crackers have joined a gym. They go almost every day to do their exercises, take saunas and steam baths and use the machines. It seems that they've both decided they were getting terribly out of shape and decided to do something about it. Of course, neither of them are the least bit out of shape, but it's no use telling them that! When they get an idea in their heads, there's no changing their minds. At any rate Angie comes back after she's been at the gym absolutely exhausted from all these workouts. It seems the only thing that Angie is getting herself in shape for is a night of deep sleep! I've lost so much weight on this tour that I'm going to have to start getting back in shape myself. I'm starting by getting more sleep and eating regular meals. Angie is trying to fatten me up again with her home cooking! I'm not going to join any gym, though. That sounds more like torture than treatment to me! Until next week,

11th January 1975 Things are just changing so quickly around here! I'm staying in New York for a while longer and I'm not going to Brazil at all - even for a vacation. They've got an epidemic of some strange disease down there, and so I decided it would be safer to stay here! But, I've got some very exciting news! I'm finally going to make the film I've been wanting to do for so long! It's going to have a 'Diamond Dogs' theme and I start right away! It's been in the planning stages ever since the 'Diamond Dogs' idea came into my mind (that seems so long ago) and now it's finally in pre-production! But, the sad news is that doesn't leave me any time for a European tour. My return to Europe is going to be delayed, but actually that will give me more time to get it in shape. Mind you, I don't expect it to be easy making a movie, but always being on the road takes more out of a person than you can imagine! I spoke to Ronno the other day and he's starting a new band with Ian of Mott The Hoople. It's bound to be fabulous when the two of them get together. I can't wait to see what they come up with. Mick's over here now working as guitarist and arranger for Lou Reed, so it seems that he's got a pretty heavy schedule set up for himself! Mick and Susie (his assistant) still haven't had much luck in finding a house, so they think they'll probably have to settle for a flat in town. Looks like Mick's never going to get back into the country way of life again, much to his dismay! Speaking of flats - I'm pondering about moving again. Isn't that crazy? No sooner do I have time to spend in my apartment that I want to change into a new one. Anyway, I put out word to all the people at MainMan to keep an eye out for a new place. This apartment better be sound-proofed, because I'm getting a few complaints from neighbours who aren't used to musicians living so close by. I try to blame all the racket on Zows, but I'm afraid no one's falling for that excuse! They all think Zowie is a little angel - well, he does look rather like one! I must bid you a fond adieu now. Meet you here again in the pages of Mirabelle next week. 18th January 1975 I'm turning into quite a mad-movie maker these days! As I told you, I'm making that 'Diamond Dogs' film and I'm really getting into it. Every room in the house is just littered with spools of video tape and people have to be careful wherever they walk so as not to trip over wires from the various machines, photographs or odd lengths of film. I had some friends over the other night and I'm afraid I nearly drove them crazy with my latest artistic endeavour. They walked into the living-room and had to climb over three stereos (for my mood music), my video tape machine, four big lights (the kind they use on movie sets) and reams and reams of paper which I had scattered all about. The paper, you see, is what I use to write down all my plot ideas and scene ideas and such, but when the time comes for me to refer to all my notes I don't know if I'll ever be able to find them! My friends also had to make sure they avoided stepping on all of Zows' toys, which contributed greatly to the overall mess! If my guests thought they were in for a quiet evening - they had another think coming! We'd get into what appeared to be civilised conversation and then I'd suddenly leap up, grab my video tape camera and proceed to take pictures of everyone talking! Of course, no one really wanted to talk with a camera pointed in his face, so I abandoned that for a while - much to everyone's relief, I might add! I didn't stop completely, though. This film-making fever has really overtaken me! I kept adjusting lights, photographing people on the sly and jotting down notes whenever I had a brainstorm and thoroughly drove everyone nuts! My reputation as a fabulous host must be suffering a bit at this point. I even made everyone sit still as I showed them films of what I had already done, but, luckily in this first 'public' tryout, the audience received the first rushes (as we in the movie biz call them) very well. I've just lately acquired the nickname of 'Machine Man' - I don't know if that's a compliment or not - but it seems that currently no one sees me without a camera around my neck, or fiddling around with my stereo or some toy that I use in my work. So this is David Bowie alias Machine Man signing off for this week... 25th January 1975 I've been having a great time grovelling around on the floor with bits of paper, glue, cardboard and marking pens. Yes, I'm in the midst of designing sets for my new movie and to see what I'm doing I must make tiny designs (they're called mock-ups) of what the set will look like. So I'm building miniature buildings, ruins and suchlike and having the time of my life. I'm turning into quite and architect! Of course, I'm working under adverse conditions. Zowie doesn't understand that his dad is doing very serious work and insists on playing with the sets whenever I'm not looking but, aside from that, things seem to be going along rather smoothly. I've even begun casting for my film. Zee, MainMan's president, used to be an actor before he became a businessman, and this film is going to be his screen debut. He's really a good actor (the first time I met him was when he was in London appearing in Andy Warhol's 'Pork') - and both he and I are really excited about this project. I love putting all my friends to work! As it stands now, I've decided not to have any music in the movie. Won't that be a change of pace? This is going to be terribly dramatic you see! I've been watching all my favourite movies in my film library to learn the techniques I like, and I've even been watching telly again. They show a lot of really old films on television over here. The problem is that sometimes I find myself tuning into these really silly quiz shows and I become so mesmerised that I waste hours and hours. I still can't understand what makes people get dressed up as tomatoes and grapefruits to win prizes! Back to my movie - I haven't yet decided where it will be filmed, but probably I'll choose some warm sunny place like Mexico or Spain. Or maybe this time I'll really have a chance to get to South America. I'm still waiting for my vacation! Let's see what else is new? Oh, yes I did take some time out to see my old friend Cherry Vanilla when she was appearing at Reno Sweeney's. Cherry recites poetry and she's absolutely fantastic! That's about it for today. More news next week.

Last Updated - 23/4/98