The Thin White Duke AKA Jareth, The Goblin King

The Goblin King

1986: I was 10 years old. There was a film released called, Labyrinth. At the time puppetry was quite popular in Hollywood. The CGI of its time, I guess. It's a wacky film, but at the time I loved it for this reason. It also had, apart from puppets, human antagonists. One of these was the goblin king, Jareth. A 10 year old me, knew him as Jareth. The nearly 40 year old me now knows him as, David Bowie. His death was announced this morning, at the age of 69. He'd been fighting cancer for 18 months according to the press release. This fact, seemingly, only known to immediate friends and families.

This weekend passed, I'd been listening to his new album, Black Star, on Spotify. His latest release, in a career that stretches back to the mid to late 1960's. I listened, enjoying the music, unbeknownst to me the artist who created it, delivered it, was dying and no more than 2 days from death. A legend. Robin Ince, posted these words on Twitter this morning;

"when a musician dies, it prompts you to go back to their work, but w/ Bowie we were already listening yesterday; the day before and..."

These words, more concisely, sum up my thoughts better than I could about Bowie. Who it should be said I once walked passed as a fifteen year old, on a school trip to London, while in Covent Garden. A fact I still use as a claim to fame. Yet the words above are correct, as he was never seem distant star from a bygone age. I remember, Roy Orbison dying many years ago. He was a musical legend, but not as crucial a part of my cultural reference point as Bowie was; as Orbison's generation, was not my generation. Bowie, like many others, became multi-generational in appeal, but I have grown with him from 1986. Contemporaries will be distraught, people my age will be distraught and people in the teens, early 20's will be distraught, all for different reasons. The testament to his genius was his appeal to these vastly different age ranges. This appeal was through his music; through his innovation as a performance artist; his contInual reinvention; doing what, as an artist, inspired him. Yet, the fans followed, and continued to do so. I was one. One of many millions impacted by his, 'sound & vision'.

The Many Faces of David Bowie & his star on the walk of Fame.

So, as his albums, posthumously, begin to creep back up the album charts as people who, somehow, haven't heard his music (and some people do live in caves, or are under the spell of, one direction & the rest of the X factor, homogenous drivel that passes for popular music, nowadays), begin their Bowie journey. Here's a good starting point;



And for those who prefer the, Ziggy Stardust era. One of his most famous tracks;

 

Yet, for all the really, really famous ones. I'll pop a couple of my favourites on that aren't as well known. Indeed, one was made famous by Nirvana.

The poignancy of the song, Jump, is about Bowie's half brother, Terry, who was schizophrenic and committed suicide in the 1980's. Another one I love very much. Is actually from an animated film soundtrack. The film was shown to me in school, as a young boy and absolutely traumatised me for about 10 years after. It was written by, Raymond Briggs (yes, the snowman creator...walking in the air...blah, blah), well he also wrote a film about an old couple who experience nuclear war, living in their little cottage, and who then suffer from fall out and eventual die. Did I say how much this traumatised me as a school child? Watch it, it's actually brilliant. However, Bowie did a song for it;



Below, a classic Bowie 80's track.



And, of course, everyone's favourite Bowie duet. Both now lost to us. This year actually marks the  25th year since Freddie Mercury passed away to AIDS.



And, should you wish to hear something that will mark your spin tingle. Here's the same track with the vocals, isolated. Showing just how great both of their voices were;


His back catalogue of tracks is astounding; his creativity in areas of fashion and artistry is astounding; David Bowie, over 40 or so years has been astounding. An Icon, a legend. A man to be missed. 

What has been revealed, is that he'd known for a good 18 months his time was coming. His producer seems to confirm that, Blackstar, the album he released 2 days before his death, was his parting gift to his fans. An artists way of saying goodbye. Is it unsurprising that he choose his art to say that goodbye for him.

Here's the Video, for the song Lazarus, off of the Blackstar album. I find it very difficult to watch. So, I have warned you. Knowing that you a watching a man perform, perhaps one of his last videos, (released 3 days before he died), his death assured, yet he still performs, and at the same time breaks your heart.

The first line is; 'Look Up here, i'm in heaven'