Surprise - new David Bowie single - who's the bass player??
 

This just popped up on my radar. On his 66th birthday and a day or so after the 41st anniversary of the release of "Changes", the Thin White Duke has released a new single (ok, in Australia - the rest of the world to follow).

Here's the YouTube link:

http://youtu.be/FOyDTy9DtHQ

Beautiful slow song but what really caught my ear was the bassline and performance. Can anyone tell me who is responsible for this rich, deep bassline?? Nothing on DavidBowie.com or Wikipedia...

Tony Levin!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tony-...e/115321604133

Definitely not a song style I would expect from David Bowie but the lyrics and video lean toward the quirky side. Overall, a very nice, haunting ballad.

Thanks JP - that explains why it stands out. Nice job!

Ronan

I saw a blurb about this single on Google News this morning, listened to the first 2 or 3 minutes of the song, quickly dismissed it as "cool atmosphere, stupid lyrics"

...and subsequently realized, now 5 hours later, that I can't get that tune out of my head! It's an earworm alright.

Love how fragile yet solid Bowie's voice sounds, if that makes any sense.

Honestly this new album is staying in constant play for me. Not a big fan of the first two songs for whatever reason, but the album is solid and packed with great tunes. Tony Levin's playing is so expressive, and half the time he's not even playing that many notes. Kudos Bowie and Company.

Also, Gail Ann Dorsey and Tony Visconti do an excellent job as well. The fretless on the last track is smoove.

just picked up the album yesterday and really enjoying it.

Not familiar with Gail Ann Dorsey, she does a great job. Any info on her?

She's been around for a while 20+ years.

She was Bowie's touring bassist for a number of years. I had always assumed she was British, but then found out she's from Philadelphia. I haven't heard any of her stuff other than live tunes with Bowie, but I love her playing - very clear and solid basslines, but always interesting. There's a bunch of videos of her on Youtube; here's one where she's interviewed about playing Music Man basses, but also has some bio information:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_0ZpzD9YeE

^ she also sang the hell out of Freddie Mercury's part during Reality tour versions of "Under Pressure". One of my favorite bassists. Her stage presence is quite dynamic, from very light to fully supporting the dramatic range of a Bowie set.

I love this new album, and it was a complete surprise. I bought it in an actual record store last Friday.
I hear everything in it. It starts out a bit Tin Machine - ish, but draws on his full range throughout. The last track is quintessential classic Bowie, right down to the 12 string.

It's a fantastic record.

I think this is my favorite album of the year so far. It's like a master class in tasteful bass grooves. There's a lot of hooks and just Bowie being Bowie.