Cracked actor 1974 ziggy acolytes have da pennebakers concert film ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars, but alan yentob s bbcsponsored documentary cracked actor is equally mandatory. When hes in the back seat of the limo in cracked actor he says. He has spent his entire career at the bbc from where he stepped down as creative director in december 2015 and served as chairman of the board of trustees for kids company. Many years ago i spoke to a member of the crew now deceased who remembered the shoot very differently chaos, equipment failures, and not even one single show filmed in its entirety. Over the course of the tour, bowie would drive himself, his band and his. Aug 27, 2012 after killing ziggy off in that july 1973 concert, bowie cultivated a new persona. Alan yentob looking back at cracked actor by theyearofthediamonddogs. David bowie cracked actor lp due april 22, 2017 page 5. This is the first official release of this philly dogs tour show from september 1974, some of which was featured in alan yentob s bbc documentary, cracked actor. He took his new music to the us in 1974 with the elaborately theatrical diamond dogs tour, which was filmed by the bbcs alan yentob for the documentary cracked actor. David bowie probably doesnt want you to see this film. Bbc documentary showing david bowie looking back on his ziggy stardust character during his diamond dogs. His talent as a producer and director emerged in the early 1970s with the david bowie documentary cracked actor and the star.
Hes done a good job of making a great deal of archival material legitimately available even his infamously twitchy, sniffy 1974 interview with dick cavett but cracked actor. He went on later in 1975 to initiate another famous bbc documentary series, arena, of which he was to remain the editor until 1985, and the. Alan yentob born 11 march 1947 is a british television executive and presenter. David bowie cracked actor a film about david bowie. The protagonist herself tells her story through the songs of her band. Cracked actor is a song written by david, originally released on the album aladdin sane in april 1973. Davie jones with band the manish boys on bbc tonight with cliff michelmore 1964. Alan yentob born 11 march 1947 is an english television executive and presenter. David bowie bbc nationwide report by bernard falk 5 june 1973. The full concert is documented on this triple vinyl fivesided album.
As the band arrived they noticed extra microphones, the first indicator. Filmed on the singers 1974 diamond dogs tour, it captures the stars transition from glam rock to blueeyed soul. David bowie ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars. Ken pitt had been bowies manager when alan yentob made his celebrated documentary, cracked actor, about bowie 3 years earlier. A film about david bowie was broadcast by the bbc in their omnibus arts strand in january 1975. Jun 19, 2017 despite being one of the most audacious rock tours ever undertaken at that time, very little footage these shows exist outside of a rarely aired 1975 bbc documentary produced by alan yentob. In 1973, yentob became a producer and director working on the highprofile documentary series, omnibus, for which in 1975 he made a famous film called cracked actor about the musician david bowie.
Notoriously, yentobs expectations of a colourful romp through the glam subculture were confounded, and the film became a disturbing snapshot of bowies rapid descent. Cracked actor hooked to the silver screen with bowie. About cracked actor this track, taken from the album aladdin sane is about an aging movie stars sexual encounter with a prostitute. David bowie cracked actor lp due april 22, 2017 steve. The few cracked actor tracks considered for 1975s young americans got cut from the final release, but it could be a premonition of that album. Alan yentobs cracked actor film is 45 today david bowie. Cracked actor by alan yentob for bbc omnibus 26 january 1975. The quietus film film features cracked actor hooked. It was produced by bowies old mate alan yentob, who in 1974, produced the brilliant cracked actor probably the greatest bowie documentary ever made. Afterwards i was able to chat to alan yentob who told me that he and tony visconti were trying to locate the missing footage with the intention of creating a feature length version of cracked actor for cinema release. David bowie alan yentobs cracked actor film is forty. Mark wardels cracked actor book the biography of a. The former is the first official release of this philly dogs tour show from september 1974, some of which was featured in alan yentobs bbc documentary, cracked actor.
Cracked actor is a 53minutelong bbc television documentary film about the pop star david bowie. In the meantime, ive taken the obvious easy road of first working on the footage from the wonderful 1974 alan yentob bbc documentary, cracked actor. In 1973, he became a producer and director, working on the highprofile documentary series omnibus, for which, in 1975, he made a film called cracked actor about the musician david bowie. The evening began with a showing of the documentary. The 1975 bbc documentary cracked actor captured david bowie at his. Alan yentob documentary, which features bowie starting to crack the american market whilst at the same time morphing from a glam star into a soul singer. Jun 22, 2017 if bowie hadnt been hobbled by mainmans excesses, he might well have elected not to release a postdiamond dogspreyoung americans live record at all, but if he had, this stunning performance from las universal amphitheater recorded in september 74 for alan yentobs cracked actor bbc documentary wouldve provided ideal. David bowie crosses america in alan yentob s seminal documentary, first shown in 1975 as part of omnibus. Jun 29, 2017 closing out cracked actor, the song might be heard as a knowing joke, the parable of the horny bisexual. David bowie interviewed by alan yentob for bbc arena 1978. Cracked actor is notable for being a source for footage of bowies ambitious diamond dogs tour at the time he was a cocaine addict and also for showing bowies fragile mental state during this period. The diamond dogs riff as played on david live steve hoffman. He has spent his entire career at the bbc from where he stepped down as creative director in december 2015 and served as chairman of the board of trustees for kids company from 2003 until the collapse of the charity in 2015. Alan yentobs cracked actor film is forty today im just the space cadet.
Alan yentob s cracked actor film is 45 today im just the space cadet. Luther vandross featured on david bowie live album cracked. Cracked actor bbc two england 24 september 2000 bbc genome. Also titled cracked actor, the name was taken from a song on 1973s aladdin sane. Parlophone records is prepping two limited edition david bowie albums for record store day. Jun 29, 2017 since youve been in america, the director alan yentob ventures, you seem to have picked up a lot of the idioms and themes of american music, american culture.
If bowie hadnt been hobbled by mainmans excesses, he might well have elected not to release a postdiamond dogspreyoung americans live record at all, but if he had, this stunning performance from las universal amphitheater recorded in. Jan 11, 2016 his drug woes of the time were front and center in alan yentobs 1975 cracked actor documentary for the british omnibus series, as well as pennebakers 1973 ziggy stardust. Scott isler, david bowie opens up a little, in musician, n. For decades, alan yentob was the dominant creative force at the bbc behind everything from adam curtis to strictly come dancing. Unlike madonna, prince or eminem, bowie was an actor almost from the moment he began performing. Cracked actor live at mount dora youtube david bowie the secret roseland duration. The feature was recorded and broadcast during the 1978 isolar ii world tour. Imagine season 0 episode 6 david bowie cracked actor. His drug woes of the time were front and center in alan yentob s 1975 cracked actor documentary for the british omnibus series, as well as pennebakers 1973 ziggy stardust.
The showcase, featuring michael armstrongs the image, alan yentob s the cracked actor and julien temples jazzin for blue jean, aims to tell the story of his career, taking in three decades, from his experimental beginnings of the sixties to the golden era of the. Jan 10, 2017 cracked actor 1975 alan yentobs bbc documentary of bowie on tour in america, still shocking in its candid portrait of a dazed artist lost in showbiz madness. How did a bbc omnibus documentary become a part of bowie. The track was also issued as a single in eastern europe by rca records in june that year. Notoriously, yentob s expectations of a colourful romp through the glam. The major difference between both albums is that the band playing on cracked actor. The film follows bowie during the diamond dogs tour of 1974. First released earlier this year on vinyl only, some of this performance was featured in alan yentobs bbc documentary also known as cracked actor. David bowie cracked actor dvdfull proshot dvdfull proshot the alan yentob documentary. Two limited edition david bowie albums due for record store. In 1975, he helped initiate another bbc documentary series, arena, of which he was to remain the editor until 1985. The track also gave its name to alan yentob s documentary of the tour. Alan yentob has held many of the most prestigious positions at the bbc. Jun 21, 2017 despite being one of the most audacious rock tours ever undertaken at that time, very little footage these shows exist outside of a rarely aired 1975 bbc documentary produced by alan yentob.
A film about david bowie is a 1975 television documentary film about the musician david bowie, made by alan yentob for the bbcs omnibus strand. In 1974, the bbcs alan yentob produced cracked actor, a documentary following bowies us tour in support of the diamond dogs lp, the last of his three glam rock albums. At the time he was a cocaine addict and the documentary has become notorious for showing bowies fragile mental state during this period. David bowie, coked out of his gourd in the back of a limo, wonders if he hears a cop as his vehicle courses. He has spent his entire career at the bbc from where he stepped down as creative director in dec. Davids gratitude was reciprocated by terry, as highlighted when he compiled the images for bowie by oneill. Oct 19, 2006 consequently, its full of elaborate, but slightly inappropriate, renditions of familiar material, further separated from greatness by distant, remote sonics, as if bowie were more concerned with the theatrical presentation unfortunately undocumented, apart from the fragments featured in alan yentobs contemporaneous cracked actor. He trained as a mime under lindsay kemp, who was also briefly his lover. Oct 14, 2017 david performing his classic hamlet routine for cracked actor on the serious moonlight at the p. When kemp told a journalist in 1974, i taught david to free his body, it. Hes done a good job of making a great deal of archival material legitimately available even his infamously twitchy, sniffy 1974 interview with dick cavett but cracked actor, broadcast the following year as part of the bbcs omnibus. The picture of terry bottom right in our montage was taken during that very session, captured for posterity by the bbc while filming alan yentob s cracked actor. If the book relies mainly on yentob s views and notes, it will be highly misleading.
The album was recorded in july of that year, on the. When i first started to collect all my images and contact sheets of. David live is the first official live album by the english musician david bowie, originally released by rca records in 1974. In alan yentobs documentary, bowie sings it to no one and everyone, flicking his hair around. Whilst alan yentobs cracked actor shows a fascinating picture of bowie, this is the definitive live performance when ziggy played. The documentary features interviews with bowie, together with rare live concert footage of the diamond dogs show which includes the breathtaking theatrical stage scenery and special effects. This is the first official release of this philly dogs tour show from september 1974, some of which was featured in alan yentobs bbc documentary, cracked actor. Cracked actor is a 53minutelong bbc television documentary film about the. Alan yentob interviews bowie in this enjoyable and intelligently made 15 minute bbc tv feature from 1978. Cracked actor is a 1975 television documentary film about the musician david bowie, made by alan yentob for the bbcs omnibus strand.
Alan yentob is a british television executive and presenter. The showcase, featuring michael armstrongs the image, alan yentob s the cracked actor and julien temples jazzin for blue jean, aims to tell the story of his career, taking in three decades, from his experimental beginnings of the sixties to the golden era of the seventies to his world of domination in the eighties. Revealing footage of bowie and his fans testifies to the heady effects of fame on stars and their followers. Saw and excellent one on leonard cohen donkeys years ago, and also on david bowie, conducted by alan yentob. Alan yentob says id caught him at what was an intensely creative time, but it was also physically and emotionally grueling. David bowie 1975 alan yentob on allmovie a documentary about the glamrock star, filmed in. Cracked actor is the essential bowie live album and arguably among the. In 1974, the bbcs alan yentob produced cracked actor, a documentary. The former is the first official release of this philly dogs tour show from september 1974, some of which was featured in alan yentob s bbc documentary, cracked actor. Jan 12, 2016 his drug woes of the time were front and centre in alan yentob s 1975 cracked actor documentary for the british omnibus series, as well as pennebakers 1973 ziggy stardust stand as honest.
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