David Robert Jones (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in popular music for over five decades, regarded by critics and musicians as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music and stagecraft significantly influencing popular music.
"Blackstar" is the twenty-fifth and final studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released worldwide through ISO, RCA, Columbia, and Sony on 8 January 2016, coinciding with Bowie's 69th birthday. It was largely recorded in secret at New York City's The Magic Shop with co-producer Tony Visconti and a group of local jazz musicians. Bowie died of liver cancer two days after its release; his illness had not been revealed to the public until then. Co-producer Visconti described the album as Bowie's intended swan song and a "parting gift" for his fans before his death.
Bowie recorded Blackstar while suffering from liver cancer; his illness was not made public until he died, two days after the album's release. Like Bowie's previous album The Next Day, recording took place in secret at the Magic Shop and Human Worldwide Studios in New York City. Bowie began writing and making demos for songs that appear on Blackstar as soon as sessions for The Next Day concluded. He recruited a local New York jazz combo led by Donny McCaslin as the backing band for the sessions.
Two songs that appear on Blackstar, "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" and "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore", had been previously released, but were rerecorded for Blackstar, including new saxophone parts played on the latter song by McCaslin (replacing parts Bowie played on the original release). The title of the latter derives from the title 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, a play by John Ford, an English dramatist of the 17th century. 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 were reportedly unaware of Bowie's declining health - according to McCaslin, the band worked with Bowie "essentially from 11 to 4 every day", while bassist Tim Lefebvre stated that "it never looked to us like he was sick". The song "Lazarus" was included in Bowie's Off-Broadway musical of the same name.
The music on Blackstar has been characterised as incorporating art rock, jazz, and experimental rock, as well as elements from industrial rock, folk-pop and hip hop.According to producer Tony Visconti, they deliberately attempted "to avoid rock’n’roll" while making the album, and he and Bowie had been listening to rapper Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly during the recording sessions and cited it as an influence. Electronic duo Boards of Canada and experimental hip-hop trio Death Grips have also been cited as influences. The saxophone was the first instrument Bowie learned, and he was an avid jazz listener in his youth.
Tracklist
1. "Blackstar" (9:57)
2. "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" (4:52)
3. "Lazarus" (6:22)
4. "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" (Bowie, Maria Schneider, Paul Bateman, Bob Bharma) (4:40)
5. "Girl Loves Me" (4:51)
6. "Dollar Days" (4:44)
7. "I Can't Give Everything Away" (5:47)
All tracks written by David Bowie, except where noted.
Personnel
Bowie recorded Blackstar while suffering from liver cancer; his illness was not made public until he died, two days after the album's release. Like Bowie's previous album The Next Day, recording took place in secret at the Magic Shop and Human Worldwide Studios in New York City. Bowie began writing and making demos for songs that appear on Blackstar as soon as sessions for The Next Day concluded. He recruited a local New York jazz combo led by Donny McCaslin as the backing band for the sessions.
Two songs that appear on Blackstar, "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" and "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore", had been previously released, but were rerecorded for Blackstar, including new saxophone parts played on the latter song by McCaslin (replacing parts Bowie played on the original release). The title of the latter derives from the title 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, a play by John Ford, an English dramatist of the 17th century. 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 were reportedly unaware of Bowie's declining health - according to McCaslin, the band worked with Bowie "essentially from 11 to 4 every day", while bassist Tim Lefebvre stated that "it never looked to us like he was sick". The song "Lazarus" was included in Bowie's Off-Broadway musical of the same name.
The music on Blackstar has been characterised as incorporating art rock, jazz, and experimental rock, as well as elements from industrial rock, folk-pop and hip hop.According to producer Tony Visconti, they deliberately attempted "to avoid rock’n’roll" while making the album, and he and Bowie had been listening to rapper Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly during the recording sessions and cited it as an influence. Electronic duo Boards of Canada and experimental hip-hop trio Death Grips have also been cited as influences. The saxophone was the first instrument Bowie learned, and he was an avid jazz listener in his youth.
Tracklist
1. "Blackstar" (9:57)
2. "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" (4:52)
3. "Lazarus" (6:22)
4. "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" (Bowie, Maria Schneider, Paul Bateman, Bob Bharma) (4:40)
5. "Girl Loves Me" (4:51)
6. "Dollar Days" (4:44)
7. "I Can't Give Everything Away" (5:47)
All tracks written by David Bowie, except where noted.
Personnel
- David Bowie – vocals, acoustic guitar, mixing, production, string arrangements, "Fender Guitar", harmonica
- Donny McCaslin – flute, saxophone, woodwinds
- Ben Monder – guitar
- Jason Lindner – piano, organ, keyboards
- Tim Lefebvre – bass
- Mark Guiliana – drums, percussion
- Kevin Killen – engineering
- Erin Tonkon – assistant engineer, backing vocals
- Joe Visciano – mixing assistant
- Kabir Hermon – assistant engineer
- Joe LaPorta – mastering engineer
- Tom Elmhirst – mixing engineer
- Tony Visconti – production, strings, engineering, mixing engineer
- James Murphy – percussion (4 and 5)
Notes
Released: 8 January 2016
Recorded: 2014–15 Studio The Magic Shop (New York City), Human Worldwide Studios (New York City)
Genre: Post-rock, Art rock, Experimental Rock
Length: 41:17
Label - ISO Records
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