David Bowie - Word On A Wing - Vancouver 1976 (remastered)
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- David Bowie - Word On A Wing - Vancouver 1976
As most Bowie fans know, footage of the 1976 Isolar tour is very scarce. The closest we have to a filmed record of a complete concert is the rehearsal video recorded on February 2nd 1976 in Vancouver. This has never been officially released but over the years it has turned up on bootleg VHS and DVDs and more latterly on sites like UA-cam.
This is my attempt to clean up just one track and present it to the best of my ability. There are many technical problems with the bootleg footage including colours which bleed and smear, ghosting, jitter and VHS artefacts which show up as horizontal white dashes appearing randomly on each frame.
I’ve gone through it frame by frame and painted out the white dashes and repaired the damaged parts as much as I could with the cloning tool in After Effects. In total I looked at nearly 10,000 frames!
It took a while to do : )
There are still many, many faults which I couldn’t eradicate but I think the cleaned up end result is an improvement and looks more filmic than what I started with.
Hopefully the rehearsal footage will see an official release one day. There is a short clip from it showing in the 'David Bowie Is' exhibition and it looks pristine.
The audio used here is from the actual rehearsal, just tweaked a little to improve it. I’ve only replaced the piano introduction to the song because on the actual recording, it has some bum notes which are very jarring to listen to (well, it was a rehearsal after all). But once the drums come in, we are back to the original audio until the end.
It’s a great vocal performance by Bowie of one of the best tracks from ‘Station to Station’, especially considering there was no audience here to perform to. By the time he played the song live in Nassau the following month, the tempo was noticeably slower, almost relaxed. But in rehearsal, the song shares the same urgency as the studio version and is all the better for it in my opinion.
As always it's been a labour of love and I hope you'll enjoy it.
A huge thank you to Steve for providing me with the source footage to work with.
I'm addicted to the emotion in this. I keep thinking I've found my favorite Bowie song and then I discover a new one and I'm just taken aback.
YAAASSS AGREE
That is so deep and really it is so true here with me aswell.
Agreed but really and truly this on is difficult, if not impossible to beat...
Same
OMG
I do that with with his albums🤣 he honestly was a prophet
Station to Staion (the LP) is a masterpiece
in my opinion it's bowie's best work.
@@ahmedshabbir8345 yes, transcendant.
His best I say!
Another great example of genius songwriting... soft and easy start, growing in desperation and anguish and ending in prayer. He said multiple times in interviews, this was borne from existential torment. It's so sincere and vulnerable.
This is why Word on a wing, for me, is easily in the top 5 all-time best Bowie songs.
Written by Nina Simone I think
No sorry that was wild is the wind!!
Nina didn't write wild is the wind either @@stevefuller1779
I can't stop playing this. The emotion and clarity in his voice is mesmerising.
He is in aww of God's help!!!!!!!
Same here carnt stop playing this his voice on the high notes just brilliant
This song is so romantic i still cant get over bowies passing
It is so wonderful ❤
This is gold, and very rare. Considering David's condition at the time, he was in excellent voice. David's failure to arrange filming of his tours is puzzling. Not only this but the "Diamond Dogs" extravaganza. That's completely lost for the most part - the greatest entertainment spectacle I have ever seen. David's management was wantonly negligent. It makes you appreciate Mick Jagger's business skills in obtaining first rate directors and documentarians to record the Stones' tours.
Wasn't he coming off of herion?
@@elisablackston8645 There was a lot of cocaine too.
This really sounds like a cry for help. Bless him 😢
It actually is
OH YES!!!!!
Wonderful. I cant imaging the time it took to clean this up. Brilliant mate.
In fact "Word on a Wing" is a wonderful song to post up on his anniversary...and everytime I hear it it makes me smile as it reminds me of a story Bowie told after performing this song at the Astoria in London in '99.
Bowie said "I recorded that when I was the Thin White Duke"...and then recounted a chat with two fans he read on the internet...one of which said....
"I liked it when he was Neil...the Thin White Duke" the other said "What do you mean Neil?" to which the first fan replied..."You know that song...Lord I'm Neil...and offer you my Word on a Wing"
LOL
SteveK oh no! There was no warning! I'll never listen to this song the same way again! *tries desperately to erase from memory* ;)
haha - when I first heard this song, probably on cassette in the early 80's, I thought he was singing the line 'I still can't pour myself'. I thought he must have been at the cut-ups again : )
SteveK the best !
Haha! to be fair, he also wrote "Pour me out another phone.." as well. hard to tell his cut-ups from regular lyrics even~
don't stop the magic Mr. Sussex!
LOOOOOOOOOOORD, I’M NEEEEIL, AND OFFFFEEER YOU, MY WOOORD ON A WING
Thanks. I almost cried. It's one of my favorite Bowie songs.
It’s my favorite song of all time. I tear up every time I listen to it.
Mine to
Man he has best voice talking or singing.
EXACTLY. He said I am a STORY TELLER, not a singer so to speak. Said he likes it and will continue.....
This is not only why "Word on a Wing" became one of my top favorite Bowie songs when it was released back then, but this video of this performance also shows why Bowie managed to transcend earthly limitations during his shows, and lifted me beyond even the boundaries of my own soul every time. I have no words for the emotions he evoked, as they cannot even be encapsulated within the description of "emotion".
He was a Sirius entertainer.
My first Bowie show. In Chicago.... 76
@@silverscat6770 me too
Wow, great job! This was the first time I saw David, live and I was 14 years old. Soooooooo many years ago but this brings it vividly back at age 55.
patricia Hargraves you are so lucky to have seen Bowie then !!!
Excellent work, Mate. Best the footage has ever looked. And the right decision about the intro.
Thanks Nacho. There's still things in there I'd like to fix but as you know sometimes it's never really finished : )
Nacho Video I seen him at empire Poole he sand this but you couldn't appreciate it as it was a new song
Nacho Video yours are equally just as great!!!!❤️thank you too! 👍✌️
Terry Wrigley that’s so weird that you brought that up because that’s how it always goes; new songs are questionable at first. ESPECIALLY with Bowie since his music is virtually timeless, period.
And then somewhere along the way- it transforms into an everlasting classic! I love this song. I love his passion in it too. 😍At first I wasn’t sure about a few of his new ones after 2000...but they’re right there in my unchangeable playlist now 😊 🙏✝️❤️✌️
This shows David's singing chops.
I think he was lucky to be blessed with a beautiful voice and pitch perfect hearing (he was famous for his single - or only a few) take studio performances.
Definitely. He came so far from his somewhat thin, somewhat reedy voice he had around 1967. A music teacher of his said his voice wasn't great but had emotional power. Then over the years, his voice morphed into this powerful instrument. This song showcases it so well too
Genius of Sound and Vision.
What did they mean with: the thin white duke was such a cold character? This is so deep; soul, gospel, great art, shivers!
Well, Bowie himself described the Duke as a "a would-be romantic with absolutely no emotion at all but who spouted a lot of neo-romance." Nonetheless, I think that a lot of times he was showing real emotion in his singing; it's Bowie after all and the Duke was just an act:)
i know right. i love the thin white duke...
To me, is because cocaine, in the worst part of adicction, makes You a cold person, desconected from everyone else, maybe his art doesnt show that 'cos the cold is manifested with the people around You. (Sorry for My bad English😅).
Maybe his body language and the lack of colors.
my favorite bowie concert of all times......never thought i could hear this life version as i saw it in 76....thanks a very lot for posting .!!!!!
57 and still discovering his genius. So much still to learn.
A shaman. A holy man
So true!
It's a gift from god and David to keep learning all about him
It would be wonderful if the Bowie estate would begin releasing some of the rare treasures that must be in their archive vaults somewhere. I first saw him in Vancouver in '83 at BC Place when he was touring the "Serious Moonlight" show. It was an astounding concert. To this day I think it's likely the best show I'll ever see. I would love to see footage from the BC place show, but don't know if any even exists. I remember at one point in that concert Bowie hit a note so perfect and pure that it sent an audible gasp through the audience! I've never experienced another moment that memorable at any other show.
Thanks Mister Sussex.This is my favourite version of Word on a wing, even though it's 'only' a rehearsal His vocal is so perfect and so moving here, and seemingly so effortless. Just mind blowing.
He said that at the time he was feeling lost and in a dark place so he was genuinely reaching out for some kind of spiritual help. You can believe it from this performance:
“ It was the first time I'd really seriously thought about Christ and God in any depth, and 'Word on a Wing' was a protection...
“The passion in the song was genuine... something I needed to produce from within myself to safeguard myself...."
I'm watching this at least 3 times a day and it makes me feel so emotional in a way I can't put into words
Thank you so much for this, so happy to see cleaned up footage of these rehearsals. What a gorgeous emotional performance as well. As a video editor, I know how much work went into this and I appreciate your efforts as we all get to reap the reward!
thank you
Genius! Best there was....Can't "nobody" come close! Word On A Wing is a beautiful song. I shed tears each time.
Excellent quality audio, touching pictures....I am astonished at how the colours have kept without blurring and thank Mr. Sussex for his hard work!
Such an underestimated song. Life long Bowie fan. In my Top Ten Bowie songs.
Thank you for remastering this beautiful song, this is wonderful! David's voice is perfect as usual but your video is so much better than anything else out there because of the way you edited everything else. I know I'm not alone in saying I hope you'll work your editing magic on the rehearsal tapes of Station to Station's title track, that would be truly amazing!
😢😢 i love you forever my brother Esteban Terriquez Cortez RIP June 1960 September 2017
I was fourteen and discovered Bowie with Heroes, from the album Stage I listened to this masterpiece for days and days, it inspired me so much that I started studying English to understand the lyrics of his songs! What memorable times❤️
I am speechless, too beautiful for words... perfect in every sense of the word. Thank you so much for editing this, this is a true gem.
Thank you Mister Sussex for taking the time to do this- one of my favourite songs but his voice and emotion in this recording is absolutely incredible and the best I have heard.
True genius.
Your work on this is much appreciated - beautiful song sang by a beautiful man xx
Great if not best Bowie period... too bad there's no official full length concert film of the gorgeous & enigmatic Thin White Duke! This is a difficult song to perform due to its big range & dramatic shifts... can do without those background singers though... ouch!
Yes he sounds fantastic. But one of the backing singers is off. He really didn’t need them - as this clip shows!
❤ I'm crying ⭐
Yep.
zigmo zigmo me too 😭😭
Get over yourself
Thanks so much for sharing your work on this footage. It's astonishing to realise that there is no audience here. In total awe and fascination of the performance. The mind boggles as to why this footage is not officially released by the powers that be!
I've seen these videos in Vancouver before and I agree, they're great performances, sometimes better than those on the Nassau recording. I have only seen the "David Bowie is" film, so I didn't know they had any footage from this in the exhibit itself since I don't believe that was included in the film (and even if it was, I think I would have remembered if it was a complete performance and not just a segment of it), but hopefully that means that perhaps one day it will be officially made available in better quality. I enjoyed your video.
MewWolf5 there is much much more in the exhibition than is shown in the film and catalogue. You should visit it if you ever get the chance.
MewWolf5 love it love it!!!!
Thank you so much!
I was searching for good performance footage of this special song.
I love hearing Bowie talk to God ~ so authentic and so passionate.
Your videos are deeply appreciated.
ill miss you forever
The first 2 times seeing Bowie was on this tour. He played this song at both the Buffalo and NYC shows (exact same setlist for both shows). They were both great shows but barely lasted 85 minutes including encore. At this time in his career he did not seem very comfortable engaging the crowd either (perhaps he was too coked up - that came about later in his career). I always viewed this time of his career as when he became a crooner.
lucky you! Did you happen to tape or film/take photos at the shows?
@@dyermaker4731 No, how I wish. I was a poor college kid who wasa fortunate to make it to 2 shows on that tour. The Nassau Colesium show found here on UA-cam is a great show from that tour - he played several songs there that he did not do at the ones I went to.
my favourite bowie song!
On sent l’émotion! Quel grand chanteur / compositeur! Un génie!
Your work is incredible and I genuinely hope you're proud of how well you've done with this!!
One of my favourites! All emotion and feels ❤️🔥⚡️
He is begging....
Amazing Love it ! I'm glad your back :)
SeñorSussex thanks bro : )
SeñorSussex true genius
Tony Carli
Hello its Carlin
Beautifull.i only wish i could of seen bowie as the thin white duke for me this is possibly bowie at his best this is the time i really took notice of him and new he would influance my life and thoughts for the rest of my life.i have followed him 45/46 yrs and its been such a pleasure to have him and his music in my life and will till the day i die.i miss you david so fkn much xx
I was at this concert in Vancouver. It was the opening night of the tour in 76. This was the first of 7 times I saw him in concert finishing with the Reality tour in 04 in Vancouver. This may have been during rehearsals for the tour as he was rehearsing in Vancouver prior to the tour starting. He always enjoyed Vancouver and came back to record the Serious Moonlight tour there, and yes I was there too.
lucky you! Did you happen to tape or film/take photos?
@@dyermaker4731, no just a lifetime of memories. In those days they used to say no cameras allowed and of course no one had smart phones.
amazing Bill ! i saw Bowie in 83 i was 15. i wish i had seen him in 76 and 78. fantastic memories for you.
The lyrics of the song makes me cry and of course his interpretation
Semplicemente favoloso, non servono altre parole
...Danke aus Deutschland!! ...does he ever sing a bad note?...I have never heard one...
Did you ever hear a song live from the Diamond Dogs Tour (1974)? The drugs changed his voice, and these kind of thing (cracked voice etc) happened frequently after.
And the cigarettes did harm his voice a little.
true. and we love all of it. It's all part of the legend. gotta love your heroes warts n all
las neulich irgendwo er habe die halbe tour mehr oder weder angetrunken performed---bei ihm ist es dennoch immer perfekt.
@@Narukeful
Not sure I understand; the Diamond Dogs tour took place before this performance ( if memory and news reports were correct DD tour went out from one coast of the US and despite good sales ran out of cash on the way back. This could be the very end of that or more likely later altogether) His voice sounds great here
Brilliant version of my fav Bowie song..
This song is phenomenal. The lyrics always stuck on my head every day. Till now, I still consider this song as my third favorite from Bowie.
What are the other two?
@@marigoldruff Buddha of Suburbia and Slip Away
Love slip away… but to me this is the ultimate Bowie song.. unbelievably beautiful
@@paultrueman2 yup, that meaningful lyrics, too. It's difficult to decide whether are my favorite Bowie's songs, coz how magical he is
Insanely good! Thank you for this amazing edit of one of my favourite Bowie songs. Impossible to not be moved by such perfection.
Station to Station was and still is unbelievable. It grooves, funks, is deeply romantic. Wild is the Wind says it all. Was my wedding song. Every single song, deeply moving! His unparalleled exceptional vocals, story telling, expressive music and lyrics always perfectly expressed. I miss you David! You freed a young girl in the early 70's, setting me free to shine! Thank you! God bless you in heaven and may you soar forever in peace and love. God bless your family.
M-L E NYC
Mindblowing complex brilliant
omg this is Sooo Beautiful i love this Song and the Duke Forever😍❤
i was at this tour empire pool wembley RIP My boyhood Hero
Excellent! listen to him sing Wild is the Wind people!
Lord, his voice was amazing.
Man, what I would give to have been at any of the Isolar shows! Finally, actual full video instead of stills. Damn!
David Bell wow man lucky you. I was only eight years old then. Saw Bowie live in 1983. This is my favourite period for the genius.
not easy song to sing live and did it.
I cannot believe this got 7 dislikes.😮
Idiots!
It's beautiful! Thank you Mister Sussex...Happy Bowie's Birthday!
Love bowie in this concerts was the Best in the 70/80s saw him on stage in 78 unforgettable
I am truly so grateful for all your time and skill spent on this footage Mister Sussex. Having been a fan (fanatical) for oh so long, I remember this period and all it meant to me. Thanks once again.
Watching this on the 1st anniversary of his passing , great track off my favourite Bowie album . Fantastic job mate keep them Coming definitely my go to Bowie subscription site
Don't think Stacey Heydon gets enough credit for the guitar sound he contributed to this tour.
I was at the front watching this concert in Vancouver....15 years old....Bowie was amazing!
lucky you! Did you happen to tape or film/take photos?
Wow, just Wow! What great performance. Thank you for all your hard work to restore the video and for uploading it so that we can all enjoy it.
I keep returning to this version year after year. There's something special about it. Thank you very much for fixing it up and making it available for us!
moonage daydream broght me here
I can't describe how much I love this 😲🤩
Great work. I saw this tour. It was a surreal fabulous exciting and amazing
Dejahthoris22 i saw this also my man saw it 6 times 16 years old what a beautiful man inside and out my fav. Song but live all of his music always have since 6
Thank you for your labor of love ~ so much appreciated.
I love this song.
Prayer from deep within that rises like early
light to find its permanent place within in us.
so .... intense, moving, mesmerizing... thank you so much SeñorSussex
Wow I'm stunned. Great quality. Perfect.
Love this but I’d love it even more without the slightly off-key backing singer. Trying just to tune into David!
For someone who was so coked out of his head he can’t even remember making station to station this is an astonishing performance. It’s an astonishing performance by anyone’s standards but then it’s Bowie and he is a talented genius. I love this period ….he was so far ahead of everything around him
Fabulous reconstruction Sir - I saw DB at Wembley Empire Pool, May 1976 & this brings back fond memories. Cheers
Remember this concert. My first ever trying to document a rock concert. Half my photos are of Bowie disembodied in that bright white spotlight. We also came to listen to the rehearsals in the Agrodome before the final show moved to the Coliseum.
A top Bowie ballad beautifully done. No needless choppy editing. Little is definitely more. Superb.
I'm growing heart and soul because of you and you're music ❤️❤️and you walked out of ours lives out of ours dreams ❤️❤️🙏❤️❤️I hope GOD can take my word on a wing to you 🙏❤️❤️🙏THANK DAVID BOWIE 🙏❤️❤️🙏🎤🎸🎤🎸🎤🎸🎤🙏❤️❤️🙏
After the unsurpassable title track this is next best.Coked out as he was . He’s right . This is a Hymn. RIP. Starman❤
The first time I saw I him was later this year in San Francisco. I was on cloud nine.
lucky you! Did you happen to tape or film/take photos?
Carlos Alomar great backing vocals in sTay Word and Station to Station
This song is so beautiful. It seemed like Bowie was working through something.
it so hard. i miss him.. it not the same. any more i. miss hearing. he voice
Perfect...The Thin White Duke ! Beautiful
seeing this live video is inspiring. Really love the aura he's emitting here. So powerful and dark
so good oh my gos h
I'm Amazed at the Quality n very impressed.Could watch this all day!☺
This is a hidden gem
I have never seen bowie like this And it is utterly amazing
I was at this tour : ) Empire pool Wembley 1976
lucky you! Did you happen to tape or film/take photos?
WOW! Thank you for doing the work to bring this extraordinary clip to life. It looks and certainly sounds stunning. I would never have guessed this was during rehearsal, given the full throated passion with which it is sung. And he looks absolutely amazing. Bowie is Lord.
Now that's the sort of souvenir a time traveler bring back to prove he was there! Wonderful work, Mister Sussex! Keep it up.
This is one of the best songs he has ever sang.....I love it and can't stop playing it.
the king
What did they mean with: the thin white duke was such a cold character? This is so deep; soul, gospel, great art, shivers!
Thanks from East Sussex Mr Sussex that was great.
'Maximum Sound' Music Website, sells the complete VANCOUVER REHEARSAL on DVD.
Costs around $12.
Bowie himself is a incomparable style! Yes, that was his most definitive era! Thank you for this video