HALLO SPACEBOY VIDEO UPGRADE “It's confusing these days...” Hallo... Spaceboy was originally released on the 1995 1. Outside album. This version was going to be the follow up to Strangers When We Meet, even going as far as a video being filmed at the Big Twix concert in Birmingham, released as the No Trendy Réchauffé live album by Parlophone. Hallo Spaceboy was performed twice at the gig, once as part of the main set and again as the last encore. That final version was intended to be the video. Bowie had this to say of that original album version: “I adore that track. In my mind, it was like Jim Morrison meets industrial. When I heard it back, I thought, ‘Fuck me. It’s like metal Doors,’ It’s an extraordinary sound.” In the event, the song was reworked and produced by Pet Shop Boys for the single, giving Bowie a #12 hit in the UK. The chart placing was no doubt helped by a profusion of remixes and various formats (including a pink vinyl 45), not to mention the eventual David Mallet-directed official video, which featured both Bowie and the Pet Shop Boys interspersed with stock footage of all manner of interesting and slightly sinister flavours. View the restored video here: Two live songs from the Birmingham set, Moonage Daydream and Under Pressure, were used as the single’s extra tracks along with the radio edit of The Hearts Filthy Lesson. Various sources have been suggested as possible inspiration for the spoken introduction by Bowie on this version: “If I fall, moondust will cover me”, including Brion Gysin’s* last words and more likely, a line from his 1969 novel The Process: “I look for my guide to find him, too, buried in moondust.” It’s unlikely we’ll ever know for certain, but we can probably rule out the Mike & Bernie Winters 1967 comedy classic, Smother Me With Moondust And Elusive Strawberries. * Gysin was the original inventor of the cut-up method employed by both Bowie and William Burroughs. #HalloSpaceboy #BowiePetShopBoysshow more

BRING ME THE DISCO KING (LONER MIX) “Memories that... flutter like bats out of hell...” Go here: the official visualiser for David Bowie - Bring Me The Disco King (Loner Mix) The song was originally written and recorded in 1992 as an up-tempo track and intended for inclusion on Black Tie White Noise. It was later re-recorded during the Earthling sessions, but that version also remains unreleased. However, six years later the track was slowed, scaled back, and recorded once more for Reality’s closing track. Bowie had this to say of the Reality version: “I stripped it down completely and just had Mike Garson playing piano. We did it at half the tempo as the original, and now it works brilliant. This poor little orphan Annie thing seems to have a home now.” This remix was part of 2003’s Underworld film soundtrack album, with considerable additional production by former Nine Inch Nails keyboardist Danny Lohner, additional guitar by Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante and additional vocals by Tool’s vocalist Maynard James Keenan, amongst other contributors. #ICGEAAlbumFocusReality #BowieBMTDK #UnderworldFilmshow more

WAITING IN THE SKY VINYL LP FOR RSD 2024... “He’d like to come and meet us...” To mark what would have been David Bowie’s 77th birthday, Parlophone Records are proud to announce the release of a very special David Bowie limited vinyl LP, WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) which will be released on 20th April, 2024 for Record Store Day. Keep reading for the full press release. #BowieRSD #RSD2024 #BowieWaitingInTheSky + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + DAVID BOWIE WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) LIMITED 11-TRACK VINYL ALBUM RELEASED EXCLUSIVELY FOR RECORD STORE DAY 20th APRIL, 2024 Parlophone Records are proud to announce the release of a very special David Bowie limited vinyl LP, WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) which will be released on 20th April, 2024 for Record Store Day. The album is taken from the Trident Studios 1/4” stereo tapes dated 15th December, 1971, which were created for the then provisional tracklisting for what would become THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS album. The tracklisting for WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) runs differently from the ZIGGY STARDUST album and features four songs that didn’t make the final album. On Side 1, in the place of ‘STARMAN’, one of the last three tracks recorded for the album in February 1972, is ‘ROUND AND ROUND’, a Chuck Berry cover. The track was finally released on a single as the B-side to ‘DRIVE-IN SATURDAY’ on 6th April, 1973. Initially, closing Side 1 of the album was Bowie's version of Jacques Brel’s ‘AMSTERDAM’, which would later appear as the B-side of ‘SORROW’ on 12th October, 1973. Side 2 of the 15th December, 1971 tracklisting features two long-time non-LP fan favourites, ‘HOLY HOLY’ and ‘VELVET GOLDMINE’. The former is a re-recording with The Spiders of David’s 1971 single. Again, this version of the track had to wait several years before surfacing as the B-side of ‘DIAMOND DOGS’ on 14th June, 1974. ‘VELVET GOLDMINE’ is considered by many to be a lost Ziggy era classic, one Bowie often referred to as ‘He’s A Goldmine’ or ‘She’s A Goldmine’ in his notebooks and interviews. The track was recorded during the Ziggy sessions but was not released until 26th September, 1975, alongside ‘CHANGES’ backing the re-released album version of ‘SPACE ODDITY’, which peaked at no. 1 in the U.K. singles chart in November 1975. The cover of WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) features a photo of David taken at an early Ziggy Stardust period session by Brian Ward, and the two sides of the inner bags are the fronts of the two Trident Studios tape boxes. The album’s title comes from the lyrics of ‘STARMAN’, which, along with ‘ROCK ’N’ ROLL SUICIDE’ and ‘SUFFRAGETTE CITY’, had not yet been recorded when this variation of the album was compiled. WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) was cut on a customised late Neumann VMS80 lathe with fully recapped electronics from 192kHz restored masters of the original Trident Studios master tapes, with no additional processing on transfer. The half-speed vinyl cut was by engineer John Webber at AIR Studios, London. DAVID BOWIE WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) Side 1 Five Years Soul Love Moonage Daydream Round And Round Amsterdam Side 2 Hang On To Yourself Ziggy Stardust Velvet Goldmine Holy Holy Star Lady Stardust DAVID BOWIE WAITING IN THE SKY (BEFORE THE STARMAN CAME TO EARTH) LIMITED 11-TRACK VINYL ALBUM RELEASED BY PARLOPHONE EXCLUSIVELY FOR RECORD STORE DAY 20th APRIL, 2024show more

The golden age of YouTube you forgot about. "HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA"... is the unofficial title of a 2005 animated music video in which the fictional superhero character He-Man sings a rendition of 4 Non Blondes' 1992 hit rock single "What's Up." Since entering online circulation in May 2005, the video has been widely used as a popular material for bait-and-switch trolling, while spawning hundreds of remixes, parodies and music video tributes. The music video was created by two animators at Slackcircus Studios, who were inspired by Eric Fensler's G.I. Joe PSA series, by pairing footage of the titular protagonist from the 1980s American cartoon series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe with American alternative rock band 4 Non Blondes' 1992 hit single "What's Up." On May 8th, 2005, the original copy of the video file was uploaded to the Something Awful forums under the title "Fabulous Secret Powers" The same month the video was uploaded, the creators also launched a faux blog allegedly written in 1995 by the renamed He-Man character, Prince Adam. The video was shared on the eBaum's World forums on May 22nd, 2005 as "He-Man Sings a Gay Song," and on February 11th, 2006, the video was uploaded to YouTube for the first time as "He-Man does 4 non-blondes." Later in 2006, another artist was inspired to create their own He-Man Sings video using Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." On November 7th, 2010, a truncated two minute version with the intro, outro and dialogue removed was uploaded to YouTube as "HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA", becoming the most popular version of the video. As of today, this upload has more than 209 million views. This version is often used as a bait and switch link, in a similar manner to the Rickroll.show more

I directed and edited ARTMS’ “bornstunner.mp4”! It was a... very unusual project, but just like the blonde girls with angel wings multiplying throughout the city, it was really exciting to see the 240p version of this video being copied and spread across the internet. Digipedi team helped me a lot during the shoot. I’m really honored that I got to be a part of their story, which I’ve always loved. I had a general plan for the edit beforehand, but mostly just followed my instincts as I worked, which was a really fun process.show more

A 17 year old Anthony was shot dead by... the police yesterday in Migori county. He was going to the shop to buy the stuff he needed to return back to school when he got shot on the back and died. I was crying with the mother when she was narrating it 💔 and someone sent me this video as well. They were shooting in the corners and not main roadsshow more

My last album was a journal entry that changed... my life, me letting the world know who I was as a person and everything I was experiencing at the time. This time, I wanted to show y’all the other parts of me. The artist. The storyteller. The Outlaw Cherie Lee is something I’ve been carrying for as long as I can remember—inspired by my love of Westerns and outlaw folk ballads. Revenge, redemption, romance, self-reliance. One continuous story, told through song. At the center is Cherie Lee — a woman willing to abandon everything she once believed to find herself in a world that never made her out to be anything at all. I built this from the ground up alongside some amazing creatives. From writing and producing to directing, casting, styling, and editing, I poured everything I have into this. It was a promise I made to myself, one I had to keep no matter what. It’s done. And it’s almost yours. First chapter: “Born to Die.” out this Fridayshow more

The whole process of putting together the "I hate... cowboys" record and the "go down singin'" record was a long two years of figuring out how do something I've never done before. All the songs were written on guitar and a depth I haven't really hit before. This is the final piece of that puzzle. "The fireside sessions" are both those albums together, all acoustic, featuring the songwriters from both those records. This time in my career ends with both album covers together with me and my dad standing next to each other. It's the first time I've ever been able to see a picture of us as two grown men. I'm moving on to another album early next year, but I hope y'all love these versions of the songs, as they were written. The bluebird last night was a special way to celebrate the ending of these last two years, and the start of something new👏🏼show more

Writing this with eyes full of tears and a... chest full of sorrow and pain My PET scan results came in and the tumor on my lungs that was few millimeters in size two months ago, is now 7x7cm and was labeled as very active So yes i’m in a cancer relapse, and it’s more aggressive than ever 💔 The hardest part for me is not the operations or pain or chemo sessions on endless nausea. To me it’s unintentionally dragging my family and friends and people around me into it with me.. I’m set to have my operation (biopsy) later this week or next week, to know exactly the type and level of cancer i have. Will keep you updated as always I will try to be as active and supportive as possible. Not going down without a fight Thank you so much for reading this and supporting, it means the world to me ❤️ Round 2 here we goshow more

Four years ago, I was laying in a hospital... bed for a routine procedure when a new tune came to me. It was just before Rosh Hashana and the words of אתה זוכר, which were ringing in my head, fit seamlessly with the melody. I knew there was something "Ribo" about the song and wanted to have Ishay Ribo - ישי ריבו sing it. Unbeknownst to me, Ishay had already been thinking of a duet with Mordechai Ben David for a while, and they were waiting for the perfect song that would compliment both of their styles. It seems MBD liked the song as well because "אתה זוכר" was born not too long after! I couldn't be more proud of the results. I hope you are as inspired listening to it as I was writing it.show more

We recorded the outro to Trust Ceremony in 𝖈𝖆𝖈𝖔... (𝓵𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓮𝓹 𝓮𝓻𝓪) 🌸 ‘s bedroom near the end of this last tour. It was one of the last things that was recorded for the album. After YEARS of working on this album mostly alone, and spending the entire tour kinda isolating myself to get it done in time, it was really cathartic getting to finish it off with my friends. Now everytime I listen to it, I’ll remember this little moment of celebrating all our hard work on that tour. It’s a reminder that even in the things that I must do alone, I’m blessed to be surrounded by people who are rooting for me at every step :’) Anyways, all that is to say that we all sobbed when we finally listened to the album and reached the endshow more

Where did you go, Charlie? Well, hello everyone! Yes,... it is really me. I am back! As a great number of you had noticed, I have been missing online for almost two months now. I disappeared almost as soon as the trial for the Southport Massacre ended. Public opinion and concern has been split as to why I went missing; between those who thought I had a breakdown after covering the massacre, and those who thought I had caved to government pressure to stop reporting upon the cover-up. Neither of these, thanks to the strength of public feeling and the support of my colleagues, is true. What really happened? Three days after the trial ended, my X/Twitter account was hacked. My profile remained intact; live but inactive. Except for one thing...My viral timeline of the Southport massacre had been unpinned and DELETED. This timeline had been collated on the day of Axel Rudakubana's sentencing, and detailed exactly what had taken place on that dreadful summer's day in Southport. It exposed how the UK Government had failed time and time again to prevent this monster from moving about with freedom, and what they and other authorities had done to cover-up their incompetence, and the devastating consequences of their political agenda. This timeline had been see by 50 million people within 3 days – and was recognised as one of the most authoritative records of the Southport massacre. But, just as my account was gaining momentum, and I had the platform to explore the depth of the corruption in this case – including the anti-white sentiment of Rudakubana being glossed over by the Establishment and mainstream media – this detailed timeline of evidence was deleted, and I was locked out the account until this morning. (More on this to follow.) I do not know who did this to me, or what caused X to withhold my account from me for almost two months. But there is one thing of which I am certain: Whoever did this did not want the hideous truth about the Southport Massacre in the public domain...show more

🚨🚨2-ALARM FIRE Tucson Fire was dispatched to a call... of fire nature unknown at 3:37 this afternoon in the 3100 block of East 22nd Street. Engine 3 arrived six minutes later and reported smoke coming from the back door on and eaves of an abandoned AM/PM. A full alarm was called, and crews started to search for the source of the fire. As seen in this video, there was a significant fire event. The roof collapsed, and operations shifted to a defensive mode. At this time, crews are unable to enter the building to extinguish remaining hot spots, and excavators will be used to tear it down. Firefighters were on the roof when it collapsed, but they were uninjured, as was the individual seen in the video. This video highlights the dangers our crews face every time they battle a fire, and we are thankful that everyone is safe. The fire was caused by homeless activity.show more

I zoomed in and slowed down the actual confrontation... on this video down x4, and also messed with the contrast and lighting to try and clear it up. The original whole clip of this slowed version is just under :07 seconds. It’s clear he was not getting jumped, and as soon as Austin touched him Karmelo stabbed him almost simultaneously.show more

My version of "Help Me Make It Through The... Night" by the legendary Kris Kristofferson is out now. I used to sing this song growing up on my karaoke machine until the CD was so scratched up that only the chorus would play. Kris Kristofferson's writing was simple yet poetic, and it helped push boundaries in the country music genre. He was a pioneer, and a force for the outlaws in country. I really hope to make Kris proud with this version. Y'all go check it out now on Amazon Music!show more

Today, I want to share two big lessons I... learnt in the past one month. So here’s what happened. It all started with an unexpected physical setback of all places in Port Blair (now Sri Vijayapuram) on 20th December. That morning, I suddenly suffered what is called in medical terms, bilateral foot drop, meaning I lost all power in my feet. I couldn’t walk without support (the 1st video shows the limpness in feet); Somehow, I got back to Delhi on a wheelchair. As I consulted Dr Satnam Chhabra, renowned neurosurgeon (he had treated me earlier) at the Gangaram Hospital. He was worried and immediately recommended surgery since my L-4 disc was compressing the nerve. As I was mentally preparing to undergo the surgery in the last week of 2024, many dark and negative thoughts were playing in the mind (will I have to spend rest of my life on wheelchair? Will prolonged sitting and writing be a problem?) My immediate family was equally worried since we were told, it normally takes 6-7 months of intense physiotherapy and exercise to regain the strength and ‘flex’ in my feet even after the surgery. As I waited for the scheduled day of surgery and as the year was ebbing away, pessimism was creeping in. Then a friend suggested I consult Dr Sandeep Vaishya, another highly-skilled neurosurgeon and executive director of Fortis Hospitals. Thanks to this friend, Dr Sandeep said he will carry out a ‘key-hole’ surgery, which is quicker than an open surgery and takes lesser time to heal. So, on 30th December, I was wheeled into the operation theatre. Five hours later, I was back in the room and by evening, the hospital physiotherapist made me walk, albeit with support (2nd video). As the New Year dawned, I was back home! Now came the part entirely dependent on my own mental and physical strength, support and care by my wife and children. Thus began the recovery process. After a weeklong break, our websites and YT channels were back to work in the meantime. Since I know nothing else but work, it was hard to stay away from office. So, I took courage in both hands and went to office on 3rd January so as to assess my own ability to recover quickly (3rd video). Two weeks since then, life is almost back to normal (4th video, welcoming Nana Patekar to office on 17th January). I like to consider myself as a practical, take-life-as-it-comes-kind of a guy. And so far life has indeed been a busy, fulfilling journey with no time to philosophise much but the last 30 days have taught me to think deeper. Why am I sharing these details? Because of two reasons: A reinforcement of my own long-held belief that life can be extremely uncertain and therefore one must live in the moment, enjoy every opportunity that comes one’s way to achieve whatever your aim in life is and not plan too much for the future. And two, family, friends and their support is the greatest wealth one can acquire. Celebrate them and this incredible gift called life. Rest is all peripheral.show more

On The Road With Al & Ivy Blog entry... for June 3, 2016: First book trailer for the On The Road With Al & Ivy novel "On The Road With Al & Ivy—Book 1: Becoming A Face" will be released in about two weeks. As I said earlier, I was working on this book and "The Quitturz," and this one was the first to be completed. I decided a while back to do this as a novel for various reasons, mainly because it's complicated to write a book based on real life with actual people. Anyone who's read this blog for years knows that this novella, which runs about 45,000 words, will be based on my experiences. The novel format allows me to include a lot of material based on other people's observations and comments, which will make the novel more richly detailed. The format allows me to fictionalize people so that every character resembles no one in real life. The main reason is to protect sources and to take advantage of fiction's flexibility, which allows me to use my imagination. I think that with any work based on real-life experiences, it's essential to be fair to the characters. One of the things I specifically avoided was not to create one-dimensional saints and sinners, so to speak, so that every character can be seen as a human being with both virtues and flaws. Doing this as a fictional trilogy also allows me to draw on my interest in past literature and do this as a work. I didn't want to do a documentary-style book. Plenty of those are already available for this book's subject matter. The title refers to a phrase that will be occasionally used in the book. It doesn't have one particular meaning. It starts off meaning one thing, but as the story progresses, you'll find that it's a much more complex concept. Another aspect is the story's structure. The original drafts were in the first person, but I found that once I shifted to a novel format, I could weave a more complex tapestry that included other first-person accounts and third-person narratives. I admit that my writing will probably get mixed reviews, as some readers will always criticize that kind of structure, but after 8 years and a lot of thought, it's simply the best way to present the story. There will be more blog entries about the book in the coming two weeks and afterwards. - Al Handa #kindleunlimited #booktwitter #homeless #unhoused #booktwitter #siliconvalley #shitzu #books #Blogsshow more

The past year has seen me have a renaissance,... in the truest sense… I won’t go into details now but will at some point before long. What has brought so much happiness to my life and those around me this past year has been my falling back in love with sport. Cycling has, and always will be, my number one. Yet I’d forgotten that I simply love sport, not for results but for the sheer joy of doing it, I’d completely forgotten that the health of my mind is intrinsically connected to the health of my body. I’ve rediscovered the love I had for sport that existed before the world of professional cycling took over in the way it did. I’ve been pushing myself and trying new things this past year, indifferent to the results, just out having fun and at times going deeper than I thought I was capable of anymore. Last week I got on a TT bike for the first time in a decade, Factor Bikes built me a bike, I’ve been looking at it for two years and decided it was time to get fitted, getting back on it felt like going home. Anyway, the long and the short of this is that it’s inspired me to create a club to inspire and be inspired. A community for us to share our love for getting out there and doing it, because I’ve realized that although I spend most of my sporting life on my own I derive the most pleasure when feeling part of something. It’s in its early days, I’ve called it Sporting Club CHPT3 aka SCC3, I’d love you to check it out and join. It’s still in its infancy, but I hope it’s going to grow into something that will inspire you as much as me.show more

I was eleven years old. My mother was taking... me to an eye specialist when we were stopped by a patrol of the IRGC at this very spot. A few strands of my hair were visible, and I had grown too tall for my trousers. Again and again she pleaded with them not to take me, explaining that I was tall for my age, that she had just returned from the front lines and had not yet found the time to buy me new clothes. I was frightened, but my mother's fear was far greater than my own. Many years have passed since that afternoon. Yet when I see this place of cruelty and its power holders reduced to dust, I am overcome with emotion and an unexpected, trembling relief. To witness a regime of terror crumbling into ruin feels like learning to walk after long paralysis, like unfurling wings and discovering flight, like water offered at last to one who has wandered for hours through the Sahara. I feel a release, a memory long buried in the body beginning at last to loosen. In this moment, the child I once was seems to breathe again.show more