David Bowie was a talented man, sure. There’s no denying it. But he was also a loving jokester with a chameleonic voice and the ability to make fun of himself. (How else would you explain “Dancing In The Street“?) So it was great to wake up this morning to a recording of Bowie mimicking some of rock ‘n’ roll’s finest, courtesy of the Talkhouse.
The site posted an essay written by Zach Staggers of Brooklyn band the So So Glos, in which he recounts first hearing the recording of Bowie goofing around. His father was a close friend of Mark Saunders, a record producer, who recorded Bowie’s impressions while they were in the studio working on the soundtrack for Absolute Beginners. Bowie does pretty spot-on impressions of Springsteen, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop, and struggles through a few more.
Staggers comments,
The recording is so human, a funny and personal piece of studio magic that I think many musicians can relate to. I can’t tell you how many hours my band has spent doing impressions and fucking around during sessions. It’s such a thing.
Listen to the clip below. It really is a good reminder of the fact that, behind the personae and stage presence, he really was just a fun-loving, super-talented, friendly guy.