The Starman returns with 'No Plan' | SMC Remembers David Bowie

by CA Marshall

It has been a year since our beloved Starman's passing and he manages to share with us his final days just prior to his journey into orbit. Today, on what would have been  his 70th birthday, Columbia Records has just released 'No Plan', the last known recordings of David Bowie. The video for the No Plan features haunting imagery from beyond the grave when you hear the sadness in Bowies vocals. (see video below) I am giving you a heads up here: this is very deep, completely sad, angry, and yet, exquisitely beautiful recorded account of the journey through his final days, and I know Bowie wouldn't have it any other way. This was an Artist who always created lyrics from an honest perspective, they were his truths, and No Plan is the most revealing and honest of them all: his time was cut short and he was pissed off about it. 

The four-track EP, which is currently available on iTunes, features the songs “No Plan,” “Killing a Little Time” and “When I Met You,” along with “Lazarus” from Bowie’s final studio album Blackstar. Recently, Johan Renck, the director of the video for Blackstar, said Bowie was unaware that his treatments for liver cancer would be unsuccessful until after the Blackstar album was completed. The week they shot the video, Renck said that's when Bowie was informed that his illness had won. 

Friends of Bowie's are about to embark on an international tour that begins January 10th, 2017 in honor of the day of his passing. Key Star performers include: Mike Garson, Earl Slick, Adrian Belew, Gail Ann Dorsey, Mark Plati, Sterling Campbell, Zachary Alford, Holly Palmer, Catherine Russell, and very special guests including STING on January 24th at The Wilton, Los Angeles, California.

The bio on the Celebrating David Bowie Tour facebook page reads:

"To honor David Bowie’s 70th birthday, Bowie band members, friends, and a massive ensemble of top recording & touring musicians from around the world are getting together for a one-time only series of global goodwill concerts, in aid of local charities, called Celebrating David Bowie.

The concerts all take place in cities that have a strong connection with David Bowie and his work - London, New York City, Los Angeles, Sydney, & Tokyo. All feature a core two dozen musicians traveling plus many local, regional, and national musicians to create a sound like no other."

I encourage all of our Starlight Music Chronicles readers to head on over to this page and follow the tour updates, photos, and musings because there will be lots to see in the coming weeks! 

Finally, I would personally like to add that this day brings me mixed feelings: I released my review of Bowie's Blackstar album on this day one year ago. (see here) It was the first review on The Chronicles for 2016. and days later, I was writing my personal tribute to his life (see here). Had I known that 2016 would be the year that we would lose such integral, significant, and iconic Musicians in the industry, I would have shut my social media off and buried my head in a pillow. However, now looking back on 2016, it seemed right that Bowie would be the first to leave us in 2016 - he was always leading the way in terms of ingenuity, creativity, style and grace. 

No Plan is already in my music library and is a reminder to me that: life is precious - our time here is brief, we make every day count, and we never ever stop believing in the magic that comes from our own creativity because it comes from our soul. I believe that this is what Bowie would have wanted for us all. 

365 days later and suddenly, the 'stars look very different today.'

Happy Birthday Starman. x