When David Bowie impersonated Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen
With a career spanning five proud decades of creative metamorphosis, David Bowie left behind a legacy that few could rival after a multitude of lifetimes, let alone one. Long before his experimental spell in Berlin with Brian Eno and Iggy Pop, or his so-called “Phil Collins era” of the mid-1980s, Bowie was a young lad from London with mousey coloured hair and not a speck of makeup to be seen on his face.
Bowie didn’t shoot to fame and fortune immediately. While his 1967 debut album showcased his theatrical side and a sharp knack for poetry, it wasn’t particularly well received. His output over the late 1960s was highlighted by the eponymous single from 1969’s Space Oddity, which secured Bowie some much-needed publicity thanks to its timing with the Apollo 11 moon landings.
This slow-burning road to the top saw Bowie adapt to his surroundings much like an alien, “starman”, or a “man who fell to earth” if you will. Following the well-received Hunky Dory in 1971, Bowie was already laying his tracks to the top; this time, he would debut his first alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. The like-named 1972 album saw Bowie transition from a commonplace British star to a colourful, intriguing international phenomenon. His formula had finally been perfected.
With his winning formula realised, Bowie soared through the 1970s in a flipchart of styles, sounds and personas. Whether it was the unstable Aladdin Sane or the “mad aristocrat” The Thin White Duke, Bowie knew how to keep his fans on their toes.
Bowie, at times, came close to losing a sense of his true self through the ups and downs of his addiction battles and his ever-changing personality. Thankfully, the prominent constant was his great sense of humour and intelligent charisma.
In his interviews and various acting roles over the years, Bowie showed both his humorous side and a striking ability to imitate. In a way, perhaps the most challenging of his acting roles came in 2006 when Bowie was welcomed to Ricky Gervais’ Extras and asked to portray an exaggerated form of himself. “Who exactly am I?” He might have comically pondered.
Jokes aside, this performance showed the devilishly humorous side of Bowie, as did the recording linked below.
In 1985, the Starman was recording at West Side Studios in Shepherds Bush, London recording some vocal tracks when he decided to impersonate the singing styles of some of his peers to the backing music of ‘Absolute Beginners’.
See how many you recognise.
