Lunar cool David Bowie doesn’t want anyone to think he’s selling out, or aggressively promoting his first album in 10 years “The Next Day.” It’s just a coincidence that the album is being released the same month the exhibition “David Bowie Is” is opening at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. He denies having participated in the curation of 300 of his most outlandish costumes, set designs, album covers, photos, films, videos and handwritten lyrics, sketches and journal entries. (The David Bowie Archive gave access to the museum.) Despite the Thin White Duke’s indifference, 30,000 fans have already bought tickets to the exhibition which doesn’t open until March 23. It is expected to be the most successful show in V&A Museum history. And two documentary biographies of Bowie are being released “David Bowie: Face to Face with The Man Who Charmed the World” (History Channel), and BBC Two (for the first time on British television) will broadcast a feature length profile in May. BBC director Francis Whately has been working with Bowie on the project for more than a decade. Whately says “2013 is shaping up to be the year of David Bowie.” Well what about 1972? Oh forget it.
Bowie recently gave the green light to fellow alternative musician Beck to cover his 1977 “Sound + Vision” single. Beck’s version of the song and video (shot on three circular stages with 170 other musicians) is part of a well-orchestrated ad campaign for Ford Motor Company’s Lincoln. The idea is to introduce the Lincoln, which is almost as old as its namesake, to people who never heard of Ziggy Stardust. This month, a new release from his press representatives reveals that Mr. Bowie “is the kind of artist who writes and performs what he wants when he wants…when he has something to say as opposed to something to sell.” The Next Day (Deluxe Edition) is $12.99 on Amazon.