Hero

Feeling ‘somewhat slightly dazed’ this morning on hearing the sad news of David Bowie’s death at 69. Any Brit close to my considerable years will probably share this strange sense of loss and sadness this morning. From his first appearances on Top of the Pops doing ‘Starman’ through myriad incarnations, no one can match Bowie’s chameleon-like ability to re-invent new looks and (more importantly) new sounds.

It’s easy to get caught up in David Bowie’s ground breaking stage craft but behind all the greasepaint and hair-cuts Bowie was first and foremost a phenomenal song writer.

Personal favourites?

‘Heroes’ Obviously, a decade defining sound developed in tandem with another hero of mine, Brian Eno. ‘Aladdin Sane’ and of course ‘Ziggy Stardust’

If I had to pick one song to play today however it would be ‘Life on Mars’ I love everything about this track. The orchestration is immense. The song is just the right mix of home-counties suburban angst and space cadet weirdness. A classic right down to the sound of the phone ringing in the studio as it fades out.

Do yourself a favour on this sad day: do a little digging and discover for yourself what makes David Bowie one of the best…