Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, Jan 8, 2020

Wednesday MidDay Medley Celebrates David Bowie!

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
from: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / 1980 [WMM’s theme song]

2. David Bowie – “Intro [Live]” [ :08 Intro only]
from: Live Santa Monica ’72 / Parlophone / June 30, 2008
[Santa Monica ’72 is a live album by David Bowie, recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 20 October 1972 during the Ziggy Stardust Tour. Taken from KMET FM’s radio broadcast, it was available only as a bootleg for more than 20 years; according to author David Buckley, possessing a copy was the test of a “proper Bowie fan”. The recording was issued semi-legally/officially and without Bowie’s approval by the Golden Years label in 1994, with Griffin Music handling the American release in 1995. This live album features a quite different setlist to the one found on Ziggy Stardust – The Motion Picture (1983) (namely that, with the exception of The Jean Genie, the setlist contains no songs from Aladdin Sane, which were very present by the end of the tour), which was recorded nine months afterwards and similarly bootlegged prior to its belated official release. The Santa Monica recording is generally considered a superior representation of the Ziggy Stardust concerts in terms of both sound quality and standard of playing.]

3. David Bowie – “Rebel Rebel (Live)”
from: A Reality Tour (Bonus Track Version) [Live] / Sony Music / Jan. 22, 2010
[“Rebel Rebel”by David Bowie was released as a single by RCA Victor on February 15, 1974 from the album Diamond Dogs the B-side was “Queen Bitch” (a song from Hunky Dory). “Rebel Rebel” is Cited as Bowie’s most covered track, it has been described as being effectively Bowie’s farewell to the glam rock movement that he had helped pioneer, as well as being a proto-punk track. A Reality Tour is a live album by David Bowie that was released on 25 January 2010. The album features November 22, and 23, 2003 performances in Dublin during his concert tour A Reality Tour. Eventually this world tour made it’s way to Kansas City, where Bowie played Starlight Theatre, on Sunday, May 10, 2004.]

10:04 – WMM Celebrates David Bowie

David Bowie seemed to be from another world. He seemed to have multiple lives, he seemed immortal. His art kept coming. His influence vast. He was a guide. Much of my journey as an outsider queer kid finding a light in the darkness, was influenced by Bowie.

Bowie’s death, four years ago, in NYC, on January 10, 2016 sent shock waves of grief across the world. Bowie made over 50 years of music, continually reinventing his image, his sound, his bands. Bowie’s lyrics and music touched the lives of us who felt like, outsiders.

Bowie was a “gateway drug” to other important influences: The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, Andy Warhol, Iggy Pop, Glam Rock, Electronica, Brian Eno, William S. Burroughs, Beat Poetry, Mick Ronson, Tony Visconti, T-Rex, Kraftwerk, Klaus Nomi, Nicolas Roeg, Bauhaus, Gender Expression, and more. Bowie was a synthesizer weaving them together.

Thanks for tuning into Wednesday MidDay Medley, on 90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio. 


I’m Mark Manning. Today we Celebrate David Bowie on his actual Birthday, with selected songs from some of his 27 studio albums, and recordings that Bowie wrote and produced for Lou Reed, and Mott the Hoople.

Plus, we’ll play some of our favorite Bowie songs performed by musicians he influenced: Joan As Police Woman, Nile Rodgers, OK Go & Bonerama, including two Kansas City bands: Soft Reeds, and The Band That Fell To Earth.

At 10:30 Jocelyn Olivia Nixon of The Creepy Jingles, Alisön Hawkins of True Lions, and Mazzy Mann of UN/TUCK join us to share details about The Bandwaggn Winter Formal, Saturday, January 11, at 8:00 PM at The Crane Building at 1107 Hickory Street, KCMO 64101 in the West Bottoms. This event is presented by Bandwaggn Kansas City and UN/TUCK and will feature the music of Hadiza., Hannah, Dr. Violet Dream, and Whorxata. Doors at 8:00 PM,

And at 11:15, we welcome musician and writer, Michelle Bacon and musician Kyle Dahlquist join us to share details about The Band That Fell To Earth and the 5th annual tribute to David Bowie with TWO nights of music: Friday, January 24 and Saturday, January 25, doors at 8:00 PM, show at 9:00 PM, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO. A portion of ticket sales will benefit Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, an organization that provides advocacy, support and education to the LGBTQ+ community, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and hate crimes. More info at: http://www.therecordbar.com

And into this mix of interviews, original songs and covers, we’ll feature short stories about David Bowie, from a few of his biggest fans: Michelle Bacon, Ben Grimes, Cody Wyoming, Krystle Warren, and Nico Gray.

Our first story comes from our talented friend, singer, songwriter, Krystle Warren, who has worked with some of the musical artists we’re played today, including Joan As Police Woman. Krystle sent us her story from France, where she now lives.

10:08

4. Krystle Warren’s Bowie Story –”Always be genuine in your expression”

5. Mott The Hoople – “All The Young Dudes”
from: All The Young Dudes / Columbia / September 8, 1972
[The album was written and produced by David Bowie, during the same year he recorded and released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Regarded as one of glam rock’s anthems, the song originated after Bowie came into contact with Mott the Hoople’s bassist Peter Watts and learned that the band was ready to split due to continued lack of commercial success. When Mott rejected his first offer of a composition, “Suffragette City” (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars), Bowie wrote “All the Young Dudes” specially for them, allegedly sitting cross-legged on the floor of a room in Regent Street, London, in front of the band’s lead singer, Ian Hunter. With its dirge-like music, youth suicide references and calls to an imaginary audience, the song bore similarities to Bowie’s own “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide”, the final track from Ziggy Stardust. Described as being to glam rock what “All You Need Is Love” was to the hippie era, the lyrics name-checked contemporary star T. Rex and contained references to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Bowie himself once claimed that the song was not intended to be an anthem for glam, that it actually carried a darker message of apocalypse. According to an interview Bowie gave to Rolling Stone magazine in 1973, the boys are carrying the same news that the newscaster was carrying in the song “Five Years” from Ziggy Stardust; the news being the fact that the Earth had only five years left to live. Bowie explains: “All the Young Dudes’ is a song about this news. It’s no hymn to the youth, as people thought. It is completely the opposite.” “All the Young Dudes” is also thought of as a gay anthem. Lou Reed said “It’s a Gay Anthem! A rallying call to the young dudes to come out in the streets and show that they were beautiful and gay and proud of it.”

10:14 – 1972 was an amazing year for the 25 year old David Bowie

Starting with Bowie’s third album, The Man Who Sold The World, in 1970, through Hunky Dory in ’71, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars in ’72, Alladdin Sane and Pin Ups in ’73, Bowie records were built around a 4-piece band that included the great Mick Ronson on lead guitar, backing vocals, piano, and arrangements.

Mott The Hoople’s “All The Young Dudes” was written and produced by Bowie, in 1972, the same year he recorded and released The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. “All the Young Dudes” was written specifically for Mott The Hoople to keep them from breaking up, with Bowie allegedly sitting cross-legged on the floor of a room in Regent Street Hotel in London, in front of the band’s lead singer, Ian Hunter.

During this same year, David Bowie and Mick Ronson also served as producers on Lou Reed’s second solo album, the classic, Transformer, released on Bowie’s label RCA, in November of 1972.

In many ways Bowie was giving back to one of his biggest influences. Six years earlier, David Bowie’s manager Ken Pitt, returned from a trip to New York City, where he had met with artist Andy Warhol about the possibilities of representing a new, unknown group called The Velvet Underground. Ken Pitt didn’t much care for their music, so he gave the Andy Warhol signed acetate of The Velvet Underground & Nico, the band’s unreleased debut, to the 19-year old Bowie. Bowie said that receiving this acetate was “life changing.” He immediately learned the songs, and encouraged his band to perform, “I’m Waiting for the Man” in live shows, long before the album had been officially released. The Velvet Underground would mark the start of Bowie’s love affair with New York City.

I was able to view up close, this holy grail of rock music, the very special acetate, from Bowie’s own personal collection, as part of the internationally touring exhibition, David Bowie Is, at the The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, in September 2014.

Next we play a rare, track from the recording sessions of Lou Reed’s, Transformer” produced by David Bowie & Mick Ronson, from the incredible year of 1972.

10:17

6. Lou Reed – “Walk on The Wild Side” (rare unreleased track)
from: Monitor This / Monitor This / June-July 2003 (Transformer / RCA / Nov. 8, 1972)
[Produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson. A previously unreleased version found during remastering sessions for Transformer release – different from version found on the BMG album NYC Man: The Collection. A Lou Reed song from his 1972 second solo album Transformer. It was produced by David Bowie. The song received wide radio coverage, despite its touching on taboo topics such as transsexuality, drugs, male prostitution and oral sex. In the United States, RCA released the single using an edited version of the song without the reference to oral sex. The lyrics, describing a series of individuals and their journeys to NYC, refer to several of the regular “superstars” at Andy Warhol’s New York studio, The Factory, namely Holly Woodlawn, Candy Darling, Joe Dallesandro, Jackie Curtis and Joe Campbell (referred to in the song by his nickname Sugar Plum Fairy). Candy Darling was also the subject of Reed’s earlier song for The Velvet Underground, “Candy Says”. Mick Ronson (who was at the time the lead guitarist with Bowie’s band, the Spiders from Mars) played a major role in the recording of the album at Trident Studios, serving as the co-producer and primary session musician (contributing guitar, piano, recorder and backing vocals), as well as arranger, notably contributing the lush string arrangement for “Perfect Day”. Reed lauded Ronson’s contribution in the Transformer episode of the documentary series Classic Albums, praising the beauty of his work and keeping down the vocal to highlight the strings. The songs on the LP are now among Reed’s best-known works, including “Walk on the Wild Side”, “Perfect Day” and “Satellite of Love”, and the album’s commercial success elevated him from cult status to become an international star.]

10:20

You are listening to WMM’s Tribute to David Bowie on 90.1 FM Our next story comes from band leader, musicain, actor and director, Cody Wyoming, lead guitarist, singer, and founder of the KC band, The Philistines, and member of the Pedaljets.

7. Cody Wyoming’s Bowie Story – “You’re Wonderful”
recorded by Mark Manning, Saturday, February 7, 2016

8. OK Go & Bonerama – “Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide”
from: You’re Not Alone – EP / Capital / November 7, 2006
[Collaboration by rock band OK Go and brass funk rock band Bonerama, recorded to raise money for New Orleans musicians displaced in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. The EP was recorded in August 2007 in New Orleans, Bonerama’s home city.] [“Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” by David Bowie, was originally released as the closing track on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in June 1972. Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine found it to have “a grand sense of staged drama previously unheard of in rock & roll”. The exhortation “Oh no, love, you’re not alone” references the Jacques Brel song “You’re Not Alone” (“Jef”) that appeared in the musical Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Bowie covered Brel’s “My Death” during some Ziggy Stardust live shows. Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide”, recorded on February 4, 1972, was one of the last songs recorded for Ziggy Stardust, along with “Suffragette City”, which would immediately precede it in the album track list. As the final song on the album and climax to the Ziggy Stardust live shows throughout 1972-73, it soon became a slogan, appearing on many fans’ jackets.]

10:30 – Interview with Jocelyn Olivia Nixin, Alisön Hawkins, & Mazzy Mann

Alisön Hawkins is a co-founder/organizer for BANDWAGGN KC, a music camp for girls/trans/gender expansive youth. They are a nonbinary songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, full-time piano teacher, and musician in multiple local acts including Chase the Horseman, Calvin Arsenia, Empty Moon, and Una Walkenhorst, among others. Alison dropped out of music school and dedicated their life to smashing the patriarchy. Realizing music was a fun way to accomplish this, they created the all-femme twee pop band True Lions a year ago, and released two EPs in 2019.

Mazzy Mann is co-founder of UN/TUCK KCMO Queer/Trans/Femme collective, band leader of the subversive jazz big band HANNAH, electronic producer MX.MRS, and curator of dozens of pop-up events across Kansas City’s underground network, inflitrating rave culture, jazz culture, and alternative indie culture. In creating safer spaces for queer, trans, and under-represented voices in KC’s music scene, she has become a force in a community that often goes unnoticed. Mazzy’s approach to music and curation is unapologetic, fierce, and powerful: A dominant force of new era awakening.

After returning back to Kansas City for a Austin, Texas, Jocelyn Olivia Nixin, formed the band The Creepy Jingles where she is lead singer, songwriter, keyboardist & guitar player with Travis McKenzie on guitar, Nick Robertson on drums. The Creepy Jingles were signed to High Dive Records and released their self titled debut EP on May 3, 2019 to critically acclaim and landing in the Top Ten ow WMM’s 119 Best recordings of 2019.

Alison, Mazzy and Jocelyn are here to share details about The Bandwaggn Winter Formal, Saturday, January 11, at 8:00 PM at The Crane Building at 1107 Hickory Street, KCMO 64101 in the West Bottoms. This event is presented by Bandwaggn Kansas City and UN/TUCK and will feature the music of Hadiza., Hannah, Dr. Violet Dream, and Whorxata. Doors at 8:00 PM.

Jocelyn Olivia Nixin, Mazzy Mann and Alison Hawkins thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Mazzy Mann, I first met you around 5 years ago at Mills Record Company. Like you record stores have been one of the community spaces where I hang out and where I felt safe and accepted. I remember you hanging out looking through records and talking about “crucial” recordings.

Since then you have been the recipient of a Rocket Grant, started a residency with Charlotte Street Foundation and come out as a multi – media musical performance artist, co-founder of the UN/TUCK Collective with Intelligent Sound, released multiple recordings from several musical and performance identities, became the band leader of the subversive jazz big band HANNAH, and electronic producer MX.MRS, and curator of dozens of pop-up events across Kansas City’s underground network, infiltrating rave culture, jazz culture, and alternative indie culture.

HANNAH is a child pop star turned ambient catharsis apparition appearing in shapes outside physical realms. On December 8 HANNAH released the double album: Trans/Portal and Trans/Human

In creating safer spaces for queer, trans, and under-represented voices in KC’s music scene, she has become a force in a community that often goes unnoticed.

Mazzy Mann is a Kansas City-based performance artist and co-founder of UN/TUCK Queer and Trans Electronic Collective, whose work explores the loss of identity through themes of existential horror, film noir, vaudeville, old soul, jazz, and folklore. Through combining archetypes of 1950s and 60s American horror genres and existential ideologies with the modern transgender experience, Mazzy aims to address the trans perspectives of dysphoria, dysmorphia, isolation, trauma, and abuse. In doing so, they work to build a platform for queer voices, and normalize queer peoples into a broader culture.

In contrast to the colorful and celebratory approach of queer pop culture, Mazzy takes a back swing on the pendulum to the sheer horror of waking up and no longer knowing who you are. Using visceral film, music, and stage performance, Mazzy conveys a message that is truly hypnotic, horrifying, and eye-opening.

Alison Hawkins created the all-femme twee pop band True Lions who released two great EPs in 2019. Congratulations.

Alison Hawkins plays with Chase the Horseman, Calvin Arsenia, Empty Moon, and Una Walkenhorst, among others. They are a nonbinary songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, full-time piano teacher.

This event is presented by Bandwaggn Kansas City and UN/TUCK

Bandwaggn’s mission is to empower girls and trans youth to build community through authentic relationships and lead a movement toward collective liberation. Music is our chosen tool for teaching, learning and building into our future. Bandwaggn is entirely volunteer-led.

Bandwaggn’s goal is to create a youth-centered arts and social justice organization. We’d like to be the Kansas City chapter of a 6-day summer music program under the national umbrella “Girls Rock Camp Alliance.” The camp will serve kids who identify as girls, gender nonconforming, and trans, ages 8-17. Our goal is to host at least 20 kids at the camp June 2020. We strive to be inclusive and reach as many deserving young folks who want to participate as possible. Outcomes we hope to see include community building and empowerment among our youth participants. We see a need for this in Kansas City because most extracurricular opportunities often exclude the most marginalized children and most music camps require previous musical skill and experience.

UN/TUCK is part of Intelligent Sound, it is a Queer/ Trans electronic collective
CURATORS/ FOUNDERS: Mazzy Mann, Zoey Shopmaker, Lorelei Davis

The Bandwaggn Winter Formal, Saturday, January 11, at 8:00 PM at The Crane Building at 1107 Hickory Street, KCMO 64101

Will Feature the music of Hadiza., Hannah, Dr. Violet Dream, and Whorxata.

Doors at 8:00 PM.

Related Shows:

The Creepy Jingles play Community Empowered, A Benefit 4 KC Passages, tomorrow Thursday, January 9, at 7:00 PM at The Rino, 314 Armour Rd, NKC with Rachel Mallin, and Havanna Affair.

True Lions, Helkat, and Mild Cats, play Stray Cat Film Center, 1662 Broadway Blvd, KCMO, Friday, January 10, at 8:00 PM to benefit local animal rescues.

From In Kansas City Magazine – Tim Finn interviews Michele Bacon and asks: What are the best things about the Kansas City music community?

Michelle answers: “There are a lot of dedicated, talented artists in Kansas City, but I think that the inclusivity is unparalleled. I entered the music scene while going through a major life change and found sanctuary in it. I also learned so much about being a musician and a music professional through the mentorship of others. I often return to that spirit of community, but it seems crucial to have a system of support and connectivity to share with one another. It drives us to create and instills the confidence to put our passions out to the rest of the world.”

From UN/TUCK Facebook page: “Come out and reclaim queer prom for those of us who never got the opportunity to dress and be ourselves at the high school formal. In affiliation with @bandwaggnkc , we are excited to announce a Winter Formal fundraising event that will help provide summer camp for femme, queer and trans youth.”

Alison Hawkins, Mazzy Mann, Jocelyn Olivia Nixin, thanks you for being on WMM

The Bandwaggn Winter Formal, Saturday, January 11, at 8:00 PM at The Crane Building at 1107 Hickory Street, KCMO 64101 in the West Bottoms. This event is presented by Bandwaggn Kansas City and UN/TUCK and will feature the music of Hadiza., Hannah, Dr. Violet Dream, and Whorxata. Doors at 8:00 PM.

10:50

9. Joan As Police Woman – “Sweet Thing”
from: Real Life (B Sides) – EP / Cheap Lullaby Records / June 12, 2007
[Extra tracks from the solo debut recording of Joan Wasser, born July 26, 1970, known by her stage name, Joan As Police Woman. She is an American musician and singer-songwriter. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders. Throughout her career, she has regularly collaborated with other artists as a writer, performer and arranger. KC artist Krystle Warren has toured around the world with her.] [“Sweet Thing” or “Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)” is a suite of songs written by David Bowie for the album Diamond Dogs. Recorded in January 1974, the piece comprises the songs “Sweet Thing” and “Candidate” and a one-verse reprise of “Sweet Thing.” In the opening line, “Sweet Thing” contains the lowest note Bowie had recorded in a studio album (C2) until “I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spacecraft” for the album “Heathen” (2002), where he growled the word “Well” (G1) towards the end of the song. Diamond Dogs was the 8th studio album from Bowie, was released May 24, 1974, after the ‘retirement’ of Bowies’s Ziggy Stardust, character. Diamond Dogs featured a new lead character named Halloween Jack, “a real cool cat,” who lives in the decaying “Hunger City”. Bowie, however, still wore the Ziggy haircut on the cover of Diamond Dogs, and the first single, “Rebel Rebel” continues his glam rock sound. However, with the rest of the album, music writers noticed a new Bowie. For his song “Sweet Thing” / “Candidate”/ “Sweet Thing (Reprise)” Bowie first used the William S. Burroughs’ cut-up style of writing. The song “1984” reflected the “plastic soul” sound of Bowie’s next release, Young Americans, from 1975. The Diamond Dogs Tour of 1974 was one of the first huge Rock and Roll, bus and truck tours, like a big Broadway production.]

10:53

You are listening to Wednesday MidDay Medley’s Tribute to David Bowie on 90.1 FM

For his song “Sweet Thing” Bowie first used the William S. Burroughs’ cut-up style of writing. Sweet Thing was from Diamond Dogs, Bowie’s 8th studio album, released May 24, 1974. The first single from Diamond Dogs was “Rebel Rebel” which continued Bowie’s glam rock sound, but the rest of Diamond Dogs was different, Mick Ronson was gone, Bowie was on lead guitar, music writers noticed a new Bowie, and songs like “1984” reflected the “plastic soul” sound of Bowie’s next release, Young Americans, from 1975. Bowie released his 10th album, Station to Station in 1976. It’s first single “Golden Years” was completed during a period when Bowie’s cocaine addiction was at its peak. “Golden Years” was more similar in style to his previous album Young Americans, but the rest of the songs on Station to Station were all foreshadowing of the Kraftwerk-influenced and electronic music of Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy of 1977’s Low, Heroes, and 1979’s Lodger.

Our next Bowie story comes from Ben Grimes, founder of two influential KC bands: Soft Reeds and The Golden Republic. Ben recorded this story for us when he was living in Los Angeles working on the TV show “Baskets.” Following Ben’s story is a special track, written by Bowie, during that Berlin Trilogy, and recorded by Ben’s band Soft Reeds.

10. Ben Grimes Bowie Story – “You are Never Stuck In One Thing”
recorded by Ben Grimes, Sunday, February 28, 2016

11. Soft Reeds – “Sound and Vision”
from: unreleased track recorded during the sessions for Soft Reeds album ‘Blank City’
[Blank City was Soft Reeds second album, released by The Record Machine on April 23, 2013. Produced at Element Recording with Joel Nanos. Soft Reeds is the brainchild of Ben Grimes (formerly of Astralwerks’ The Golden Republic), a Chicago native whose roots grip firmly in the ’77 Berlin sounds of Brian Eno, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, with Austin, TX native Josh Wiedenfeld on drums, Beckie Trost, a fellow Chicagoan and childhood friend of Grimes on bass, and KC native John Mitchell on guitar, saxophone, keys.]

11:03 – Station ID

Our next Bowie story comes from Nico Gray, a writer, and actor who has worked with The Kansas City Rep, Gorilla Theatre, Actor’s Craft, and Big Bang Buffet. Nico is also a marketing and advertising consultant with Union Station and KC Fringe Festival.

12. Nico Gray’s Bowie Story – “Thank you Bowie!”
recorded by Nico Gray, Sunday, February 28, 2016

13. David Bowie – “Changes”
from: Hunky Dory / RCA – (Rykodisk – Virgin – Sony – EMI – Columbia ISO) / Dec. 17, 1971
[Written by David Bowie, originally released on Hunky Dory and as a single in January 1972. “Changes” became one of Bowie’s best-known songs. The lyrics are often seen as a manifesto for his chameleonic personality, the frequent change of the world today, and frequent reinventions of his musical style throughout the 1970s. This single is cited as David Bowie’s official North American debut, despite the fact that the song “The Man Who Sold the World” was released in North America two years prior. This was the last song Bowie performed live on stage before his retirement from live performances at the end of 2006.]

11:11

Our next story about Bowie comes from another one of Bowie’s biggest fans, musician and writer, Michelle Bacon who talks about The Band That Fell To Earth and band she put together for a Tribute to David Bowie that has now become an annual event.

14. Michelle Bacon’s Bowie Story – “Putting together a perfect band”
recorded by Mark Manning, Saturday, February 27, 2016

15. The Band That Fell To Earth – “Boys Keep Swinging”
from: Recorded Live at recordBar for A Tribute To David Bowie / January 2018

11:20 – Interview with Michelle Bacon & Kyle Dahlquist

You are listening to WMM’s Tribute to David Bowie on 90.1 FM KKFI

Multi talented, musician and writer, Michelle Bacon is the Content and Database Manager at 90.9 The Bridge, where she helps to shine a light on area musicians and events. Michelle has written for The Kansas City Star, The Deli Magazine KC, and Folk Alliance International. Michelle plays bass with Other Americans, and Nathan Corsi Band. Over the last several years she performed and recorded music with, The Band That Fell To Earth, Heidi Lynne Gluck, Erica Joy, Chris Meck and the Guilty Birds, The Blackbird Revue, John L. Johnson, The Philistines, Deco Auto, and many others.

Michelle Bacon, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Also with us is musician Kyle Dahlquist who plays with The Band That Fell to Earth, Victor & Penny’s Loose Change Orchestra, Men of Men, Johnny Hamil’s GAV7D, Amy Farrand and The Like, and other groups. Kyle has also previously played with The Hardship Letters, alacartoona, Mr. Marco’s V-7, and Mongol Beach Party.

Kyle Dalquist, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Michelle Bacon is the producer and organizer of The Band That Fell To Earth: A Tribute to David Bowie, with TWO nights of music: Friday, January 24 and Saturday, January 25, doors at 8:00 PM, show at 9:00 PM, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO.

The band was curated by musician/writer Michelle Bacon to pay homage to the groundbreaking artist while showcasing talent across Kansas City’s vast musical spectrum.

Michelle Bacon on bass,
Alex Alexander on guitar,
Nathan Corsi on vocals/guitar,
Kyle Dahlquist on keys/brass,
Katy Guillen on guitar,
Steve Tulipana on vocals,
Stephanie Williams on drums,
Havilah Bruders on backing vocals,
Camry Ivory on backing vocals,
Matt Ronan on percussion,
Christine Broxterman on cello,
Betse Ellis on violin,
Rich Wheeler on saxophone,

American Sign Language interpretation from Peige Turner and video projections from XO Blackwater.

Each night will contain a unique set list and different special guests. Special guests include: Julia Haile, Danielle Nicole, Kianna Alarid, Heidi Phillips, and Chase The Horseman.

A portion of ticket sales will benefit Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, an organization that provides advocacy, support and education to the LGBTQ+ community, including survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and hate crimes.

More info at: http://www.therecordbar.com

Commemorative David Bowie prayer candles & pillows will be sold by Kitschup Creations.

Michelle Bacon and Kyle Dahlquist, thanks for being with us on WMM.

The Band That Fell To Earth: A Tribute to David Bowie, with TWO nights of music: Fri, January 24 and Sat, January 25, doors at 8:00 PM, show at 9:00 PM, at recordBar, 1520 Grand Ave, KCMO.

11:35

16. Katy Guillen & The Drive – “Other Side”
from: Dream Girl [EP] / Katy Guillen / January 11, 2020
[New 7 song EP from Katy Gullien and Stephanie Williams]

[Katy Guillen & The Drive plays Knuckleheads, Saturday, Janury 11, at 8:00 PM]

11:39 – Underwriting

11:41

To study Bowie’s albums is to learn about the many great guitarists and producers who have collaborated with Bowie including on of the most influencial guitarists and producers of modern music…Nile Rodgers.

17. Nile Rodgers talks about making “Lets Dance”

11:45

18. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance” (Single Version)
from: Let’s Dance / EMI / April 14, 1983
[Let’s Dance was co-produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers, the album contained three of his most successful singles; the title track, “Let’s Dance”, reached No. 1 in the US, “Modern Love” and “China Girl” both reached No. 2 in the UK. “China Girl” was a new version of a song which Bowie had co-written with Iggy Pop for the 1977 album The Idiot. The album also contains a re-recorded version of the song “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” which had been a minor hit for Bowie a year earlier. Let’s Dance was a stepping stone for the career of the Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who played on it. Let’s Dance has sold over 10.7 million copies worldwide, making it Bowie’s best-selling album. Let’s Dance is Bowie’s 18th official album release since his debut in 1967, including two live albums, one covers album (Pin Ups, 1973), and a collaboration with the Philadelphia Orchestra (1977). The success of the album surprised Bowie, who felt he had to continue to pander to the new pop audience he acquired with the album. This led to Bowie releasing two further solo albums in 1984 and 1987 that, despite their relative commercial success, did not sell as well as Let’s Dance, were poorly received by critics at the time and subsequently dismissed by Bowie himself as his “Phil Collins years”. Bowie would form the hard rock and grunge-predecessor band Tin Machine in 1989 in an effort to rejuvenate himself artistically. David Bowie had planned to use producer Tony Visconti on the album, as the two had worked together on Bowie’s previous four studio albums. However, he chose Nile Rodgers for the project, a move that came as a surprise to Visconti, who had set time aside to work on Let’s Dance. Visconti called [Bowie’s personal assistant] Coco and she said: “Well, you might as well know – he’s been in the studio for the past two weeks with someone else. It’s working out well and we won’t be needing you. He’s very sorry.” The move damaged the two men’s relationship and Visconti did not work with Bowie again for nearly 20 years (until 2002’s Heathen). Rodgers later recalled that Bowie approached him to produce his album so that Bowie could have hit singles. Rodgers reported that Bowie came into his apartment one day and showed him a photograph of Little Richard in a red suit getting into a bright red Cadillac, saying “Nile, darling, that’s what I want my album to sound like.”]

11:52

27 studio albums, 8 live albums, over 50 compilation albums, 119 singles, 58 music videos, over 25 films. Bowie was a working artist. He was always working, always creating, always studying, always interested in how it could be put together. Bowie inspired multiple generations of people with his beautiful catalog of music, demonstrating one of the most creative arcs of any artistic career.

I would like to thank all of our contributors for sharing their stories: Cody Wyoming, Nico Gray, Ben Grimes, Michelle Bacon, and Krystle Warren.

And we’ll close with “Lazarus” the final single from David Bowie, released on his 27th and final studio album, Blackstar, on 4 years ago on January 8, 2016, on Bowie’s 69th birthday. Bowie died two days later. Co-producer Tony Visconti described the album as Bowie’s intended swan song and a “parting gift” for his fans before his death.

For Wednesday MidDay Medley I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:53

19. David Bowie – “Lazarus”
from: Blackstar / ISO Records – Columbia / January 8, 2016
[Lazarus features David Bowie on vocals, acoustic guitar, and Fender guitar; Donny McCaslin on saxophone, flute, and woodwind; Jason Linder on piano, Wurlitzer organ and keyboards; Tim Lefebvre on bass; Mark Guiliana on drums. McCaslin and the rest of the jazz group recorded their parts in the studio over a period of about one week a month from January to March 2015, and until later in recording were unaware of Bowie’s declining health. The song “Lazarus” is part of Bowie’s Off-Broadway musical of the same name. The album has received universal critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching the number one spot in a number of countries in the wake of Bowie’s death and becoming his first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 album chart in the U.S. Blackstar is the twenty-fifth and final studio album by musician, writer, actor, chameleon, David Bowie. It is the 27th when you count the Tin Machine records, which you should. The album was released worldwide on January 8, 2016, on Bowie’s 69th birthday, and just two days later David Robert Jones passed away at home surrounded by his wife Iman, and his son Duncan Jones from his marriage to Angela Bowie, and daughter Alexandria from his marriage to Iman.]

20. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

Next Week on January 15, WMM celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., born January 15, 1929 music of the movement from: Mavis Staples, Pops Staples, The Staple Singers, Krystle Warren, Bobby Watson & The I Have A Dream Project featuring Glenn North, Bob & Una Walkenhorst, Kelly Hunt, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Labelle, Curtis Mayfield, Maceo & The Macks, Mahalia Jackson, Marian Anderson, The Swan Silvertones, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Aaron Neville, Soweto Gospel Choir, Tramaine Hawkins, Ella Mitchell, Billy Porter, Solomon Burke, Nina Simone, Pete Seeger, and Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

Show #819