David Bowie - Ziggy's Last Stand (2023)

Despite the majority of fans still believing that David Bowie’s performance at the Hammersmith Odeon on July 3rd 1973 was the last time his Ziggy Stardust persona was witnessed, in truth one further show took place in London, at the famous Marquee Club in Wardour Street, in which Bowie once more played as the androgynous space alien. • The 1980 Floor Show (a pun on the song ‘1984’ - 19-Eighty-Floor!) was the first appearance by David Bowie since his much-publicised retirement on 3rd July. And this time it really was his last appearance as the Zig. The show itself was a spectacular stage production that was filmed over three days, for the American NBC TV late night show The Midnight Special. • The idea for the show came when Bowie was approached by Burt Sugarman to create something for The Midnight Special rock series. Bowie's idea was a highly theatrical cabaret extravaganza featuring him and various rock groups and artists, performing in a futuristic setting. Michael Lipman, a Los Angeles lawyer specialising in the music industry, set up the deal in which Bowie was to have complete artistic control. When news of the forthcoming event became public, British newspapers cried that the Americans had netted the "pop scoop of the year" and bemoaned the fact that no clips were to be made available for UK TV. • The result was edited down to fit the one-hour rock series slot and was shown on American network NBC-TV on 16th November ‘73. Apart from a short segment used on Top Of The Pops, it has never been fully screened in the UK, while still regularly shown on US TV. Filming at the Marquee was carried out on the 18th, 19th and 20th October, with Bowie personally choosing the setting for the show, after first considering the possibility of a full-scale live concert (rejected by the NBC as too expensive). Admission to the gig was by invitation only and those who attended included 200 democratically selected members of the newly-formed International David Bowie Fan Club, rock luminaries, staff and patrons of the Marquee and selected musical press - all keen on seeing Ziggy rise from the grave to perform one last time. Included in this exclusive audience were Angie and Zowie Bowie, Tony Visconti and Mary Hopkins, Lionel Bart, Dana Gillespie, Long John Baldry and Wayne County. • This release features the entire broadcast on CD with, alongside Bowie and the Spiders, The Troggs, Marianne Faithful, and the little-known Carmen, a Brit/American ‘flamenco/rock’ ensemble, rarely heard of since.