What, if anything, surprised you about the music in the BBC
package?

I was aware, like many who have followed David’s career,
of most of his BBC output. For those of us who truly appreciate
David’s 60s work, it is always a thrill to hear something
unknown from that period. When the 1968 session tape arrived
in particular, it was an event. [...]

When you listen to it you can imagine David, Tony Visconti
and Steve Peregrine Took belting out backing vocals around a
microphone with huge grins on their faces. 1968 is actually
one of David’s lesser known years for activity, a year
with minimal live work or appearances, yet you would never guess
it listening to this session. David sounds very up, very confident
and creatively in his stride. Because less is known about his
work in 1968, it makes this session all the more valuable. Thank
god David had a copy because the poor old Beeb had lost theirs,
as they had done with the February 70 session, which was again
supplied by David.

‘Silly Boy Blue’ is a fabulous composition, and he
was only 21 when he did the session! As other tapes surfaced
there were more nice moments so there is plenty to keep up the
interest.

David introducing Mick Ronson for the first time is another
special moment that nobody knew about…people who are familiar
with the bootleg of that session are going to be astonished
to hear that the dialogue actually exists, it’s a real
historical moment captured for all time…And as you say,
the '68 session is incredible too. That was produced by Bernie
Andrews wasn’t it?

Yes, Bernie was a great admirer of David’s very early
work as was Jeff Griffin of course. Bernie produced this session,
the first Bowie/BBC session the previous year and another in
1970. Years ago Ken Pitt told me how important Bernie, in particular,
had been in pushing David forward at the BBC. It was Bernie
who really got David’s foot in the door, with Jeff Griffin
also keen to record and broadcast David’s work. Ken hadn’t
forgotten how important that was for David.

[...]

David had been one of the first artists to session for the
newly established Radio One. Studio sessions literally happened
because the BBC was limited to the amount of records (needle
time) they could feature.

I know you were lucky enough to sit in on some of the sessions
for the mastering of Bowie at the Beeb, where was that done?

[...] Jeff write the sleeve notes and even managed to unearth
a previously unbroadcast copy of ‘The Supermen’ from
his 1970 session. Unfortunately we were well into mastering
the album and there was no time to squeeze it in on the first
CD, in addition to or in preference to other material.

This version of ‘Supermen’ is very nice. David and
Mick Ronson working on some slightly different vocal inflections
which make it particularly interesting. It should be on the
vinyl set as a bonus track, all being well. I can understand
why David was keen to hear it again, he must have remembered
there was something slightly different about that take.

It’s great to see that Guy Peellaert is responsible
for another important Bowie cover...

Peellaert is so cool - Diamond Dogs is one of the best album
covers of all time. I was always fascinated by the freak ‘Dogs’
behind David on that cover, the complacency of their grins.
Guy told me they were inspired by a 50’s poster he had
seen for a Coney Island Fairground.

[...]

Changing the subject drastically, I have to point out a couple
of things about the press release. We photographed Maida Vale
Studio 4, not Studio 3. Four was where David recorded the May
16th 1972 John Peel session. It’s particularly interesting
because it really lives up to the old BBC studio image I had.
In fact, it’s really similar to studio 1 and 2 at Abbey
Road. Well-trodden wooden flooring, dated wall coverings etc
(intentionally maintained at Abbey Road of course because the
Beatles history is so profound there).

Sarah (MacCormack, wife of Geoff 'Warren Peace' MacCormack),
who did the photography, picked out some interesting BBC studio
details for the CD booklet. Maida Vale studios is a real BBC
labyrinth and still very much a hive of session recording activity.
David returned their last year of course for the Mark n Lard
session, which they did in the smaller but more contemporary
Studio 5 next door.

Why wasn’t Bowie at the Beeb a complete 3 or 4 CD set
of session material?

It’s very straightforward. This release is no different
from every other studio or live LP - not everything makes it.
At the end of the day the package is constructed for the whole
market place and while you and I might like to hear three versions
of ‘I’m Waiting For The Man’ it wouldn’t
impress the majority of purchasers. You really have to strike
a careful balance.

Anyway, at the end of the day David’s the boss, it’s
his work and his choice. I think it’s a brilliant selection
and obviously contains a hell of a lot of strong tracks. I’m
a great admirer of the September 71 session and would have preferred
to have had more of that included but there is so much equally
excellent Ziggy material, you just can’t fit it all on.

Also, it’s worth pointing out that until quite late the
package was actually Bowie at the Beeb 69-72, it was David’s
call to include the earlier 68 session, out of the blue. So
the running order was changed to accommodate. But there can
hardly be any real Bowie fans who would have excluded the 68
session for later tracks they already have in their collections.

[...]

Total Blam Blam